Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at growing support for legalizing cannabis at the federal level, using cannabis as a sleep aid, treating dental pain with CBD and much more. Enjoy.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“The nation has reached a broad consensus on legalizing marijuana, with a full seven in 10 now supportive. Not only do most U.S. adults favor it, but so do majorities of all major political and ideological subgroups.
“Although some health organizations and political commentators have raised concerns about the medical risks of marijuana, this hasn’t blunted the public’s desire for legalization thus far. For now, the high level of support among younger adults suggests national backing will only expand in the years ahead, likely resulting in more states, and perhaps the federal government, moving to legalize it.”—Lydia Saad, senior editor for The Gallup Poll.
Ms. Saad’s comments are taken from the most recent Gallup survey of Americans on their opinions about the legalization of cannabis. The survey of 1,009 Americans was conducted between October 2 and October 23, 2023.
Highlights from the survey results include the following:
• 70 percent of U.S. adults favor the legalization of cannabis. That’s up from 68 percent in recent years.
• Majority support for legalization is found among all major subgroups, including by age, political party and ideology. Self-identified conservatives were the last major subgroup to express majority support. However, that changed in 2022 when 51 percent of the subgroups said they supported legalization.
• The poll found no difference in support for legalization between residents living in the 23 states plus the District of Columbia where recreational use was already legal at the time of the poll and those living in the other 27 states that retain more restrictive laws. Seventy percent of adults in both groups are in favor of legalization.
• Aside from those in favor, 29 percent of U.S. adults think marijuana should not be legal, while 1 percent said they are not sure.
To learn more about the survey and Ms. Saad’s comments on the findings, we suggest reading the November 8, 2023 news release from Gallup.com. Simply click on the link below.
news.gallup.com/poll/514007/grassroots-support-legalizing-marijuana-hits-record.aspx?
Cannabis as a Sleep Aid
There is promising news for mature consumers and others who want to get a good night’s sleep but don’t like the after-effects of over-the-counter sleep medications.
There’s word that a new survey of cannabis consumers with sleep issues found that most—over 80 percent—preferred to use marijuana instead of other sleep aids to help them get to bed. They also reported better outcomes the next morning and fewer side effects.
So says Ben Adlin reporting on the findings for Marijuana Moment. The study, which was conducted by a pair of psychology researchers at Washington State University (WSU), was published in the journal Exploration of Medicine. According to Adlin the authors believe it’s the first research comparing cannabis to prescription sleep aids (PSAs) and over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids.
The WSU researchers surveyed 1,216 people for the study using the medical marijuana app Strainprint. Nearly two thirds (64.9 percent) of participants reported that they’d been suffering from sleep issues for at least five years, while nearly 70 percent said they’d been using cannabis to help with sleep for at least a year. A plurality of respondents (38 percent) said they’d been using marijuana for sleep for between one and three years.
Adlin also noted that more than half the sample group reported that they use cannabis every night to help them fall asleep. Of that group smoking a joint or vaping flower were the most popular forms of consumption, although some reported using cannabis oil, edibles and/or vape pens or cannabis in capsule form.
He also makes the point that when asked to report how cannabis helps with their sleep, 81 percent of respondents said it relaxed their body while 83 percent said it relaxed their mind. In addition, 36 percent said it helped prevent interruptions in sleep, 56 percent said it promoted a deeper sleep, while 41 percent said it promoted longer sleep.
The research team reported that of the 526 people who reported using prescription and OTC sleep aids in addition to marijuana, “significantly more reported that they feel more refreshed, more focused, and better able to function in the morning after using cannabis relative to OTC sleep aids, PSAs, or no sleep aids. Participants also reported fewer headaches and less nausea the morning after.”
Researchers also found that more than 60 percent of study participants reported getting six to eight hours of sleep when they used cannabis alone. Less than 20 percent, however, reported getting six to eight hours of sleep when using a prescription or OTC sleep aid, regardless of whether it was used in combination with marijuana.
Said Carrie Cuttler, a WSU professor and one of the study co-authors, “In general, the use of cannabis for sleep-related issues was perceived as more advantageous than over-the-counter medications or prescription sleep aids.”
Added Cuttler, “Unlike long-acting sedatives and alcohol, cannabis was not associated with a ‘hangover’ effect, although individuals reported some lingering effects such as sleepiness and changes in mood.”
Another finding that surprised Cuttler was that a number of respondents reported seeking the terpene myrcene in cannabis to assist with sleep, an effort that is supported by evidence in the scientific literature that indicates myrcene may help to promote sleep.
Said Cuttler, “Cannabis users seemed to have figured that out on their own.”
As always, Ben Adlin’s reporting is clear and concise and he does an excellent job unpacking a complicated issue. To learn more, we suggest reading his article in the November 14, 2023 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
To read the article in the journal Exploration of Medicine, simply click on the link that follows.
www.explorationpub.com/Journals/em/Article/1001171
Cannabis Stat of the Week
This week’s magic number is 57 percent. According to Kelly Tyko, reporting for Axios, when Ohio became the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for nonmedical purposes, nearly 57 percent of those voting voted in favor of the ballot initiative. That’s according to the state’s unofficial election results.
While Tyko didn’t mention it, it should be noted that according to a release from BDSA, described as the leading provider of market intelligence for the cannabis industry, Ohio’s medical cannabis market is expected to reach $520 million in sales by the end of 2023. BDSA projects that Ohio will launch adult-use cannabis in 2025, contributing an estimated $300 million in that year alone.
Written in classic Axios fashion, Tyko’s article contains several nuggets of information that offer a snapshot of the state of cannabis in the U.S.
For example:
• Medical marijuana is legal in 38 states.
• According to DISA Global Solutions—a drug testing company—marijuana remains fully illegal in four states — Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina and Wyoming.
• A map of state-regulated cannabis programs published by the National Conference of State Legislatures‘ shows that Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming allow for CBD or low-THC products.
• According to TD Cowen analyst Eric Assaraf, state-based legalization efforts will continue to shift toward red states as the number of pickup opportunities in blue states has narrowed. Said Assaraf, “This is an important trend to watch as legalization in conservative states could improve the political calculus on the federal level.”
To learn more, we suggest reading Kelly Tyko’s brief but revealing article in the November 8, 2023 issue of Axios.com.
www.axios.com/2023/11/08/pot-weed-legal-medical-marijuana?
CBD and Dental Pain
Here’s news to chew on. The findings of a new study suggest that CBD may be a safe analgesic for patients with emergency acute dental pain.
In order to assess the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of dental pain a team of researchers affiliated with the University of Texas School of Dentistry, San Antonio, TX and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ conducted a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
The researchers randomly organized sixty-one patients with moderate to severe tooth pain into 3 groups: those who were treated with 10 mg of CBD (CBD10), those who received 20 mg of CBD (CBD20) and a placebo group.
The research team administered a single dose of respective oral solution to individuals in each of the three groups and monitored the subjects for 3 hours.
The primary outcome measure among participants was the numerical pain differences using a visual analog scale (VAS) from baseline within and among the groups.
Secondary outcome measures included differences in pain intensity, the onset of significant pain relief, maximum pain relief, changes in bite force within and among the groups, psychoactive effects, mood changes, and other adverse events.
Noteworthy findings included the following:
• Both CBD groups experienced significant pain reduction as measured by their VAS score.
• The CBD20 group experienced a faster onset of significant pain relief than the CBD10 group (15 minutes versus 30 minutes after drug administration). Both groups reached maximum pain relief at the 180 minute mark.
• Intragroup comparisons showed a significant increase in bite forces in both CBD groups but not in the placebo group.
Based on their findings, the researchers contend this randomized trial provides the first clinical evidence that oral CBD can be an effective and safe analgesic for dental pain.
To learn more, we suggest reading the abstract of the study that appeared in the November 1, 2023 issue of the Journal of Dental Research. Simply click on the link that follows.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00220345231200814
Careers in Cannabis
There is good news for mature consumers who want to pursue a second career in the cannabis industry. The University of Mississippi is joining the growing number of colleges and universities that offer professional training programs designed to prepare individuals for careers in the cannabis industry.
According to TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur, “Ole Miss” is launching an online medical cannabis and dietary supplements graduate program.
The university said the program “builds on the expertise and research excellence” found in its School of Pharmacy’s National Center for Natural Products Research and National Center for Cannabis Research and Education.
Branfalt noted that the National Center for Cannabis Research and Education was launched in 2021 and for more than 50 years the University of Mississippi held the only federal license to cultivate cannabis through the National Institute on Drug Abuse Drug Supply Program.
Said Donna Strum, dean of the School of Pharmacy, “With these industries growing in our state and our country, this program is designed to ensure the workforce is well-trained and has the knowledge and skills to be effective and contribute to these industries.”
It’s expected that the program will launch in 2024 and will offer rolling admissions.
To learn more, you can read TG Branfalt’s article in the November 10, 2023 issue of Ganjapreneur.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.
