Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at using CBD to manage arthritis pain, the benefits of cultivating cannabis, treating PTSD with THC and more. Enjoy.
CBD and Arthritis Pain
There may be hopeful news for the estimated 54 million Americans currently suffering from debilitating arthritis. Many with the condition are subject to chronic pain and often resort to managing their symptoms with anti-inflammatories, acetaminophen and, in some cases, opioids.
Recently, a team of researchers from The Core Institute at Banner University Medical Center, The Department of Orthopedic Surgery at New England Baptist Hospital and Hofstra University devised what they described as a “novel anonymous questionnaire” to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for the symptoms of arthritis and joint pain.
The questionnaire was distributed to a group of 428 individuals who were recruited through online methods including social media accounts and newsletters published by The Arthritis Foundation and Savvy Cooperative.
When the researchers examined the responses to the questionnaire, they found that 83 percent of respondents reported that CBD use was associated with improvements in pain, 66 percent reported improved physical function and 66 percent also reported improved sleep quality.
The researchers also found that when examining the responses by subgroups, organized by the type of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, or other autoimmune arthritis, those with osteoarthritis who used CBD were most likely to report improvements in physical function and pain.
In addition, the majority of respondents reported that after using CBD to manage their arthritis they reduced or completely stopped their use of medications such as anti-inflammatories, acetaminophen and opioids.
To learn more, we suggest reading the article “Cannabidiol as a treatment for arthritis and joint pain: an exploratory cross-sectional study.” It appeared in the August 24, 2022 issue of Journal of Cannabis Research.
jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-022-00154-9
The Benefits of Cannabis Cultivation
The cannabis plant is a resource that can provide much more than medical marijuana or the key ingredient for CBD products. From paper to rope and from fabric to building products, cannabis—in the form of hemp—has been used for many years to make a variety of products. More recently, there has been a growing appreciation of the potential environmental benefits of cultivating the plant.
That’s the word from ImpattoZero, an Italian company that creates innovative farming technology. It says its mission is to create a reality that improves man’s relationship with the environment, reduces man’s impact and ecological or carbon footprint on the environment and makes food accessible to all without contamination. Many of its strategies involve the use of hydroponic technology.
Recently, the company posted a list of the traits of the cannabis plant and the benefits of growing it on its FaceBook page. Here are some of the highlights from the list. Special thanks to the one and only Blurtsy Touriotte for sending it our way.
• One hectare of cannabis—nearly 2.5 acres—releases as much oxygen as 25 hectares of forest, plus a cannabis plant only takes about four months to grow to maturity, as opposed to several years for trees.
• One hectare of cannabis can produce about the same amount of paper as 4 hectares of forest.
• Paper made from hemp is more durable than paper made from trees and can be recycled eight times, compared to three times for paper made from trees.
• Hemp grows in a wide variety of environments and requires very little water.
• Hemp is an excellent component for the production of ropes, bags, shoes, hats and more.
• It can be cheaper to grow cannabis than to grow soy.
• Plastic products can be made from hemp and hemp-based plastic is said to be environmentally friendly and fully biodegradable.
• Hemp—which is durable, cheap and flexible—can also be used for thermal insulation of buildings.
• Hemp-based soaps and cosmetics are environmentally friendly.
Clearly, these folks are advocates and while we have no way to validate the accuracy of all their claims, their list does provide a perspective on the benefits of cultivating cannabis that goes well beyond medicinal or recreational consumption.
For ImpattoZero’s complete list of the benefits of growing cannabis, as well as links to other cannabis-related content—including an article about a plan to grow cannabis in space—click on the link that follows.
www.facebook.com/page/377005169121202/search/?q=canapa
To learn more about the company, click on this link.
www.agricoltura2punto0.it/index.php/azienda/
Cannabis and Medical Treatment
A new law in California offers further evidence that cannabis use is entering the mainstream, particularly when it comes to medical treatment.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently signed into law a bill that protects the right of patients to medical treatment if they use cannabis and the rights of doctors and clinics to treat them. In addition, the law clarifies that physicians cannot be punished for treating patients who use or test positive for cannabis, despite its status as an illegal drug under federal law.
That’s the word from TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur. Branfalt also noted that the bill also prohibits the automatic elimination of patients who use cannabis from pain management programs by specifying that a positive drug test for cannabis should not be the sole basis for denying medical treatment under such programs.
Newsom also signed a separate bill to allow terminally ill patients to use cannabis in certain healthcare facilities. Hospitals have resisted this method of treatment because it conflicts with federal law.
This law codifies the position of the House of Delegates of the California Medical Association which voted in 2019 to adopt a recommendation stating, “That CMA opposes policies of health plans, health systems, and hospitals that have pain management programs that automatically eliminate patients who use therapeutic cannabis.”
To learn more, we urge you to read the article by TG Branfalt that appeared in the September 6, 2022 issue of Ganjapreneur.com. As always, Branfalt’s reporting is clear and insightful.
Treating PTSD With Cannabis
According to the Mayo Clinic, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
Now, a recent study by researchers at Wayne State University suggests that a small concentration of THC, the primary psychoactive agent in cannabis, may help patients suffering from PTSD who experience a condition called emotional dysregulation.
Behaviors associated with this condition include extreme tearfulness, angry outbursts or behavioral outbursts such as destroying or throwing objects, aggression towards self or others, and threats to kill oneself. The condition can interfere with a person’s social interactions and relationships at home, in school, or at their place of employment.
In the study, 51 participants were randomly selected and administered 7.5 mg of a placebo capsule or capsules of THC. Once the effects of the THC capsules had set in and reached their “peak”, the patients were asked to carry out some specific emotional regulation tasks; particularly tasks involving cognitive reappraisal. For instance, if an individual sees someone get shot on a TV show, reminding themself that they are watching actors in a fictional story is a cognitive reappraisal task that can help them manage the feeling of fear triggered by the TV scene.
According to an individual writing under the byline High Chi for Cannabis.net, the researchers discovered that patients on low doses of THC could effectively manage negative emotions when performing reappraisal tasks. In contrast, patients on placebo didn’t achieve much success when performing cognitive reappraisal tasks.
While the research was positive and showed that THC could significantly reduce the variations in brain activation patterns among PTSD patients, researchers were careful to identify several limitations to the study. These limitations included a small sample size (51 participants) and the absence of blood tests to verify if participants were tested at the THC’s peak of effectiveness.
As is usually the case, the researchers believe that more research must be carried out to substantiate the medicinal benefits of THC.
To learn more about the study, we suggest you read the article by HighChi in the September 2, 2022 issue of Cannabis.net.
Cannabis and the Law
It can often be the case that legislation intended to address one set of problems can trigger a set of unintended consequences or mask other related issues.
For example, we tend to adhere to the position that the legalization of cannabis is an essential step on the path to regulation and the eventual demise of the “gray” and “black” market operations that still function in many states, even states where cannabis is legal.
We also believe that those who support gray and black cannabis markets need to acknowledge these are not victimless activities, particularly when it comes to the grow operations that supply them. These operations can endanger workers and the immediate environment where they are located and, in some cases, lead to violent confrontations with law enforcement and neighbors.
To better understand the complex set of problems presented by large-scale illegal grow operations, particularly those that still flourish in remote areas in California, we strongly urge you to read the stellar piece of reporting by Paige St. John in the September 8, 2022 issue of The Los Angeles Times. Tough stuff.
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.
