Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at using cannabis to manage the pain from migraine headaches, Little Steven’s entry into the cannabis arena, the percentage of consumers who would like to share cannabis with their grandparents and more. Enjoy.
Treating Migraines With Cannabis
Several new studies suggest using cannabis may provide migraine sufferers with some relief. That’s the word from Nate Seltenrich writing for Project CBD.
Seltenrich’s article points to the following:
• A group of Florida-based researchers have conducted a literature review of 34 different studies and concluded “current evidence indicates that cannabis use ‘decreases migraine duration and frequency’ through glutamine, inflammatory, opiate, and serotonin pathways.”
• Drawing on over two years worth of self-reported data from the digital app Releaf that was used to study the relationship between cannabis use and migraine symptoms, researchers at the University of New Mexico found 94 percent of users experienced symptom relief within two hours of cannabis use, with an average pain intensity reduction of 3.3 (on a ten point scale). Men reported greater relief than women, and patients younger than 35 tended to improve more than older patients. The study also found that using products with THC levels above 10 percent was the strongest independent predictor of symptom relief.
• Seltenrich also cites a study by a team of researchers at Washington State University that suggests using cannabis concentrate products provided migraine sufferers with more relief than cannabis flower. He also acknowledges that according to a study that appeared in the August 2021 issue of the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, Australian researchers contend that in addition to cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, terpenes such as pinene and linalool, substances that provide the distinctive aroma and taste associated with cannabis, may also play an important role in managing migraine pain.
To learn more, we suggest you read Nate Seltenrich’s informative and insightful article. It appeared in the October 6, 2021 issue of Project CBD.
www.projectcbd.org/cannabis-therapy-headaches?
Celebrity Spotlight
Steve Van Zandt has been an almost Zelig-like presence in pop culture for over the last two decades. Some know him best as Bruce Springsteen’s guitarist and foil in the E-Street Band. Others know him as Silvio Dante, Tony Soprano’s loyal consigliere. Still others know him best as Little Steven, the musician who wouldn’t play Sun City and is still leading his own band and talking about music on his satellite radio program.
Soon, Van Zandt will add another title to his resume: cannabis entrepreneur. According to Lars Brandle, writing for Billboard, Van Zandt has partnered with cannabis company Canna Provisions and is launching a line of pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes that will carry the brand name Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary.
Positioned as a wellness product, Van Zandt’s website says the cigarettes contain cannabis flower that is high in CBD and low in THC and are designed to “provide a powerful feeling of well-being.” They are said to create, “less of a stoned-high and more a full body balancing effect with uplifting pep.”
Van Zandt sees his entry into the cannabis game as part of ” a holistic approach to both heal, help and educate.” Said Van Zandt, “We need to help spread cannabis education, destigmatization, and stop unjust criminalization for a plant that not only does a lot of good, but has proven during COVID to be essential to people’s well being and quality of life.”
According to Brandle, at present Little Steven’s joints are only available at Canna Provisions stores in Lee and Holyoke, Massachusetts. Ten percent of the profits from the pre-rolls will be donated to the National Organization for Marijuana Legalization (NORML).
To learn more we suggest you read Lars Brindle’s article in the October 13, 2021 issue of Billboard.
www.billboard.com/articles/news/9644473/stevie-van-zandt-launches-pre-rolled-cannabis-line/
You can also visit Little Steven’s website by clicking on the link that follows.
www.littlesteven.com/cannabis.
Stat of the Week
Several numbers caught our attention this week. The first is 60 percent. According to a study conducted by Survey Monkey that was commissioned by leading cannabis edibles company Azuca, 60 percent of those queried said they would share cannabis with a grandparent. There is no information, however, on how grandparents would feel about that.
Several other numbers from the study, titled the ‘Americans and Cannabis Consumption Survey’, also stood out:
• 58 percent of respondents said they believe cannabis is the future of pain management.
• Of those respondents who said they use cannabis, 64 percent reported they consume it for relaxation; 40 percent said they use it for pain management, 43 percent said they use it as a sleep aid, 37 percent said they consume it for health and wellness and 39 percent said they use it for recreation.
• Over half of cannabis users who responded to the survey (52 percent) said they prefer to consume cannabis in the form of a gummy, 39 said they prefer smoking, while 30 percent said they prefer consuming it in chocolate or another type of food.
Commenting on the survey findings, Kim Sanchez Rael, President & CEO of Azuca said, “The Americans and Cannabis Consumption Survey’ confirmed what our team at Azuca has believed for years: edibles are the future of the cannabis industry.” She added, “The survey also reveals there is still a need to educate Americans about cannabis. While consumer demand is growing exponentially, now is the time to bring sophisticated and approachable products to market that people can trust.”
To learn more about the survey, you can read the press release from Azuca by clicking on the following link.
azuca.co/americans-and-cannabis-consumption-survey-2021/
Using Cannabis to Manage Chronic Pain
Cannabis may offer some hope to those who experience several kinds of chronic pain. That’s the word from Nina Zdinjak reporting for Benzinga on a new study conducted by integrated cannabis company Khiron Life Sciences Corp.
The study addressed the experience of 1,453 patients from Khiron-owned Zerenia Clinics. The results were officially presented at the 29th International Pain Conference in Barranquilla, Colombia, organized by ACED, the Colombian chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).
According to Zdinjak, the aim of the study was to identify patient-reported outcome measures and experience measures of the general effectiveness and side effects of oral cannabinoids when used for the treatment of various health conditions over a twelve-month period.
Researchers said patients in the study were mainly diagnosed with chronic, non-cancer pain, (77 percent), followed by nausea and vomiting (8 percent), insomnia (6 percent), anxiety (5 percent), spasticity and depression, among other conditions. 73 percent of the patients were female.
The study found 80 percent of participants reported a positive response to managing pain with the oral cannabinoids. The participants also reported there were only minor side effects associated with the treatment.
SaId Alvaro Torres, CEO and director of Khiron, “Scientific research and data are key to convincing doctors and policy makers all over the world about the benefits of medical cannabis to treat conditions that are prevalent in every society and market we are targeting After one year of compiling information and having gone through a very detailed approval process, we are very proud to share the results from this first-of-its-kind clinical study in Latin America with such a significant patient base.”
You can learn more by reading Nina Zdinjak‘s article in the October 7, 2021 issue of Benzinga.
Edibles and Their Effects
Increasingly, companies that make edible cannabis products are trying to connect with customers by promoting the intended effects of their products right in product labels.
That’s the word from Bart Schaneman, writing for MJBiz Daily. According to Schaneman, “Instead of labeling their products as sativa, indica or a hybrid of the two, companies increasingly are using labels to tell consumers the effects their products are intended to deliver, such as energy, sleep or chill.”
Schaneman reports that edibles manufacturers are betting that newer consumers will find it easier to identify with a product that is marketed using simple, easy-to-understand terms as opposed to strain names that newer customers might not understand.
Ari Mackler, Chief Product Officer at Plus Products in San Francisco, told Schaneman that the company began by using sativa and indica in their product labels several years ago but has since moved to using words such as “uplift” and “unwind” to explain its products’ effects.
Said Mackler, “We felt that the words indica, sativa, hybrid were descriptive of the plant but didn’t necessary (sic) allow us to go into specifics (about what the product does).”
Schaneman also points out that cannabis companies walk a fine line when communicating to consumers via product labels because they cannot make health claims about their products.
For example, he noted that while a company can’t say a product cures insomnia, it can play it safe with what he calls more abstract and creative branding and word choice.
You can learn much more by reading Bart Schaneman’s detailed and informative reporting in the October 7, 2021 issue of MJBiz Daily.
mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-edibles-makers-revamp-product-labels-to-attract-newer-consumers/?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
