Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis and empathy, traveling with CBD, Snoop Dogg’s announcement that he is “giving up smoke” and much more. Enjoy.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“Acknowledging cannabis as medicine is a big step forward in reducing the stigma associated with cannabis.
“Whether that means that physicians or other prescribers will be more comfortable recommending non-(FDA)-approved cannabis products, I don’t know.
“But I do think that if this happens, it will mean that prescribers will be more comfortable talking to patients about cannabis and the potential benefits and the potential risks of using it, whether or not they’re actually prescribing medications.”— Leah Sera, the co-director for the University of Maryland’s Graduate Studies in Medical Cannabis program.
Ms. Sera’s comments are taken from an article written by Omar Sacirbey for MJBizDaily.com. In his article Sacirbey explores some of the unexpected benefits of moving cannabis from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 3 drug, particularly when it comes to the healthcare industry.
For example, Ms. Sera believes rescheduling would motivate medical providers to become more knowledgeable about medical marijuana so that they can have informed discussions with patients and “participate in shared decision making about cannabis and its medical value.”
Sacirbey notes that another benefit that could emerge if the DEA moves cannabis to Schedule 3 is that doctors would be allowed to prescribe FDA-approved cannabis medicines. That’s because physicians currently are permitted to prescribe Schedule 3 products only if they have FDA approval, such as Tylenol with codeine.
Said attorney Eric Berlin, who heads the U.S. and global cannabis practice at international law firm Dentons, “Assuming that there are new, FDA-approved cannabis drugs, a licensed physician with proper DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances would be able to prescribe that drug.”
He added that the difference is that, “In the state-legal (marijuana) system, a physician is recommending.”
In his article, Sacirbey also notes that if cannabis is rescheduled medical marijuana patients may become eligible for insurance coverage for their medicine, once it is FDA approved.
Dentons attorney Eric Berlin makes the point, “Insurance will cover FDA-approved drugs, but it will not cover non-FDA-approved drugs.”
According to Sacirbey, currently there are at least six states that explicitly allow workers’ compensation reimbursement for medical marijuana, according to the American Academy of Actuaries: Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York.
The organization also reported that in 14 states, insurance carriers aren’t required to reimburse an injured worker for medical marijuana, which leaves open the possibility that insurance companies could voluntarily reimburse medical marijuana costs.
To learn more, we urge you to read Omar Sacirbey’s excellent reporting in the November 17, 2023 issue of MJBizDaily.com.
mjbizdailycom/rescheduling-marijuana-could-foster-acceptance-from-health-care-industry/?
Travel Tips
If you use CBD gummies on a regular basis and are making travel plans it’s important to remember that different jurisdictions and methods of transportation have different laws and regulations regarding the possession and use of cannabis products, including CBD.
Unfortunately, a Texas woman learned this lesson the hard way—and that lesson had serious consequences.
According to Allie Griffin, reporting for the New York Post, Carnival Cruise Line has banned a Texas mother from its fleet for life because she tried to board one of the company’s ships in Miami while carrying a pack of CBD sleep aid gummies.
Griffin notes in her article that ABC News affiliate WPLG reported that the 42-year-old mom of two said she was treated “like a criminal” by cruise employees and police when they found a bag of the CBD gummies while searching her backpack at PortMiami.
According to the news station and Griffin, the Dallas-based nurse practitioner packed the gummies to help her get some sleep on the August trip she had planned to take with her family to celebrate both her 21st wedding anniversary with her husband and her son’s senior year of high school.
After being interrogated by Carnival security and police for two and a half hours, the woman was blocked from boarding the ship and participating in the cruise which was headed to Aruba, Curaçao and the Dominican Republic.
According to her attorney, the family had spent roughly $5,586 on their planned vacation cruise.
It should be noted that the woman’s CBD gummies contained less than 0.01 percent THC. The hemp product, however, is prohibited by Carnival Cruise Lines.
The Carnival Cruise Lines website states, “While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items.”
Unfortunately, the story does not end there. Griffin reports that soon after the woman was forbidden to board the ship and take the cruise she paid for, she received a letter from Carnival informing her she was banned from all Carnival ships for life. The letter signed by Captain Rocco Lubrano stated that she will “not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future.”
The woman is pursuing an internal claim with Carnival and has threatened to sue if her situation isn’t resolved “appropriately.”
There are at least two key takeaways from this story for mature consumers:
First: Check and double check restrictions on cannabis products on your plane, train, bus or ship and your destination when traveling.
Second: Even though laws in different parts of the U.S. are changing, you can never afford to take the attitude that, “It’s just CBD.” It’s not “just CBD” everywhere.
To learn more we suggest reading Allie Griffin’s clear and concise reporting in the November 17, 2023 issue of the New York Post.com.
Cannabis Corner
Using cannabis may make it easier to walk a mile in another person’s shoes—figuratively, of course.
So say researchers who contend a new study suggests regular cannabis users “have a greater understanding of the emotions of others,” findings that authors say “highlight positive effects of cannabis on interpersonal relationships and potential therapeutic applications.”
That’s the word from Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment. According to Adlin, a team of neurobiologists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, compared measurements of empathy between a group of 85 regular cannabis users and 51 nonconsumers, using both a 33-item test and MRI images of the participants.
Adlin noted that the written test, “analyzes the empathic ability of the subject, assessing both cognitive and affective empathy.” That empathic ability is divided into specific areas, such as “the capacity to place oneself in the shoes of another” and “the ability to recognize other people’s emotions and impressions” as well as the abilities to feel or be in tune with others’ positive and negative emotions.
According to the research team, the study—which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research—found that,“cannabis users showed higher scores in the Emotional Comprehension scales” of the test, or those focused on the ability to recognize and understand others’ emotions. They also reported that the differences observed between cannabis users and nonusers in other empathy subscales weren’t statistically significant.
In the journal article the researchers said the results suggest a potential association between marijuana use and empathy, though they caution that further research is needed—isn’t it always— to fully understand the interactions “since many other factors may be at play.”
In his article, Adlin pointed out that the researchers did offer two “caveats” on their findings:
• First, they acknowledged that the study did not show that cannabis use caused the difference in scores between cannabis users and non cannabis users.
• The “empathy” responses on the test were self-reported and weren’t linked to any “biochemical markers” in conjunction with the subjective reports.
To learn more, we encourage you to read Ben Adlin’s revealing article in the November 17, 2023 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
To read the article that appeared in the November 8, 2023 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience Research, simply click on the link that follows.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jnr.25252
Senior Celebrity Spotlight: Cannabis Edition
From TMZ to CNN to the BBC and everywhere in between, much was made last week about the news that entertainer and noted cannabis advocate Snoop Dogg had announced that he was “giving up smoke.”
Immediately the celebrity pundit class was offering theories, analyses and prognostications on what he meant. Was he going cold turkey? Was he moving to edibles? Was he ill?
The answer is none of the above. It seems Snoop, the master of the marketing tease, was merely setting the table for an announcement of a new product endorsement.
According to Cam Vigliotta, reporting for Forbes , the “Doggfather ” was talking about a different kind of smoke altogether.
Vigliotta reports that Snoop Dogg is collaborating with a company called Solo Stove that sells a smokeless fire pit bundle priced at $350.
Said Snoop Dogg, “I love a good fire outside but the smoke was too much. Solo Stove fixed fire and took out the smoke. They changed the game and now I’m excited to spread the love and stay warm with my friends and family.”
The Snoop-certified Solo Stove bundle gets you a limited-edition Bonfire 2.0 fire pit that’s laser etched with Snoop’s initials and set of paw prints as well as a removable base plate and ash pan, a fire pit stand, carrying case, Snoop Dogg bucket hat and sticker pack.
Vigliotta notes that the smokeless fire pit is built with a double-walled design to filter smoke as it rises, producing a clean flame that won’t blind or suffocate those seeking warmth. According to Snoop, it’s his preferred means of sitting fireside without “coughing and his clothes smelling all sticky icky.”
So that’s the story about Snoop going “smokeless.” We’re particularly happy for Renegade Piranha, the person he pays over $50,000 a year to be his personal joint roller. We would hate for Ms. Piranha to find herself unemployed because her job went up in smoke.
And on the off chance that some of you made a secret deal with God to insure Snoop’s continued good health—you know, something like, “Please God, if you let Snoop be OK I will never smoke that stuff again.”—you’re off the hook.
To learn more we encourage you to read Cam Vigliotta’s informative and entertaining reporting in the November 20, 2023 issue of Forbes.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.
