Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at how to determine which strains are best for seniors, a recent study on CBD and pain management, a new relationship between Major League Baseball and CBD manufacturers and more. Enjoy.
Tips for Mature Consumers
As you consider how things change as you age, you may want to add which strains of cannabis and which terpenes are most likely to meet the needs and expectations of older individuals to the list.
Jessica Reilly, writing for The Cannigma, tackles the topic of which strains of cannabis are best for seniors. She contends that instead of focusing on whether a particular batch of cannabis is labeled sativa or indica or the name of the strain, the most important factor when trying to determine how a strain of cannabis will affect you is the chemovar. The term chemovar refers to a strain’s chemical makeup, including its terpenes, and dominant cannabinoid.
According to Reilly, there are three cannabis chemotypes:
- Type I which is high THC, low CBD
- Type II which is balanced THC and CBD and
- Type III which is high CBD and low THC.
Reilly believes Type II or Type III chemovars are the best strains for seniors. That’s because Type II strains are most likely to be the best for dealing with chronic aches and pains and appetite stimulation, while Type III strains are better for energy and cognition.
When it comes to the terpene profile of a specific strain of cannabis, she writes that the best terpenes for relieving aches and pains are limonene and humulene, the best for dealing with insomnia are linalool and myrcene and the best for improving cognition are linalool and pinene.
Clearly, if mature consumers want to experience all the benefits cannabis has to offer they have to do their homework and/or find a friendly and knowledgeable budtender who can help to guide their decisions when purchasing cannabis.
Reilly clearly states that cannabis should not be considered a miracle drug for older individuals and shouldn’t be used indiscriminately. She also notes it does have the potential to pose additional health risks for some. For example, those with heart issues such as arrhythmia, or at an increased risk of heart attack should be aware that one of the most common side effects of THC is increased heart rate, which can lead to complications for people with heart conditions.
She also makes the point that THC and CBD can interact with a number of different prescription medications and potentially have negative effects. That’s why, she says, it’s always essential for mature cannabis consumers to talk with a doctor or a certified cannabis medical professional to discuss whether the interactions apply to them and what symptoms to monitor.
We can’t say enough good things about Jessica Reilly’s work on this article and think it should be essential reading for mature cannabis consumers. You can learn much more by reading the entire article in the June 16, 2022 issue of The Cannigma.com.
cannigma.com/strain/best-strains-and-terpenes-for-seniors/?
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic number is 2.97 million. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that was outlined by the Washington Post, that’s the number of individuals who have enrolled in medical cannabis programs in the U.S.
So says TG Branfalt, reporting on the study for Ganjapreneur. Branfalt noted that the number of patients participating in medical cannabis programs actually quadrupled between 2016 and 2020. Based on current trends, we suspect the figure has actually grown since 2020.
Branfalt also pointed out that 61 percent of those enrolled in medical marijuana programs qualified because of chronic pain, while 11percent of those enrolled qualified because of post-traumatic stress disorder.
As of February, 2022, 37 states, Washington, D.C. and four U.S. territories had legalized medical cannabis.
This increase in the number of individuals enrolled in medical marijuana programs is consistent with the findings of a recent Harris Poll survey that found that 91 percent of adults 21 and older who have ever used cannabis have done so for health and wellness purposes.
One key takeaway from these studies is that if you’re a mature consumer who uses cannabis for medical reasons, you are not alone. Far from it.
To learn more, we urge you to read TG Branfalt’s excellent reporting in the June 22, 2022 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/study-number-of-medical-cannabis-patients-quadrupled-from-2016-2020/?
CBD and Sports
In a move that will be welcomed by some baseball fans, criticized by some and found just plain contradictory and confusing by still others, Major League Baseball (MLB) will now allow baseball teams in the league to sell sponsorships to cannabis companies that market CBD products, as long as they meet certain criteria.
Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, writes that according to the Sports Business Journal, in order for a team to sell a CBD sponsorship, the company’s CBD products must be certified by NSF International—a consumer safety and product-testing organization that sports leagues use—and the club must also receive authorization from the MLB commissioner’s office.
Said MLB Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden, “We’ve been watching this category for a while and waiting for it to mature to the point where we can get comfortable with it. Our fans are very much the kind of customers they are looking for, and we like being first. It’s a good opportunity for us and the clubs.”
Now if you think that MLB has a complicated relationship with all things cannabis, you may have a point. For example, according to a memo released by MLB in 2020, while players will not be punished for using cannabis while they aren’t working, they can’t be personally sponsored by a marijuana company or hold investments in the industry.
Jaeger also noted that MLB announced in 2020 that it was partnering with NSF International to analyze and certify legal, contaminant-free CBD products in order to allow teams to store them on club premises.
Major League Baseball, its fans and CBD—so happy together.
To learn more, we suggest you read Kyle Jaeger’s article in the June 22, 2022 issue of Marijuana Moment.
CBD and Pain Management
There is good news for mature consumers who are thinking of using CBD to manage pain. A new study strongly suggests CBD, when used along with other minor cannabinoids, such as CBC and CBG, can be an effective pain management tool.
According to Nicole Porter, who covered the study for High Times, the research, which was conducted by Radicle Science and Open Book Extracts (OBX), is thought to be one of the largest cannabinoid trials ever to focus on pain treatment. Researchers analyzed the reactions of 1,629 U.S.-based participants to CBD products over a four-week period, with the focus on examining “the synergistic impact of rare cannabinoids like Cannabichromene (CBC) and Cannabigerol (CBG) on pain.”
Porter reported that patients were randomly selected to receive a serving of 40 mg of CBD. Some patients also received varying levels of cannabinoids such as CBG or CBC as well.
Participants were asked to report on their levels of pain, and other relative improvements to “pain severity, general activity, sleep quality, anxiety symptoms and overall quality of life.” The researchers said they found promising evidence of how using CBD along with other cannabinoids, known as the entourage effect, can help strengthen certain treatments.
More specifically, researchers reported that 44.8 percent of participants experienced improvement in pain, anxiety, sleep quality and quality of life. In addition, those who experienced moderate pain and were given a mixture of 40 mg CBD along with 20 mg CBC, saw improved pain relief when the mixture was taken for more than two weeks.
Dr. Jeff Chen, MD, who is Radicle Science’s CEO as well as UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative’s founder and former Executive Director, believes this is the “the first time in history the potential synergistic effects of certain rare cannabinoids on pain (was examined) and demonstrated that these natural products can make a measurable positive impact.”
Said Radicle Science Co-Founder and Executive Chair Pelin Thorogood, “We will be further exploring the entourage effect with an upcoming study, Radicle Spectrum, which will be the first head-to-head study comparing full or broad spectrum CBD to isolate and placebo.”
Nicole Porter does an excellent job of unpacking a complicated study. If you care to learn more, we suggest you read her article in the June 15, 2022 issue of High Times.com.
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.
