Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis use and heart disease, treating dogs with CBD, the impact of legal cannabis sales on beer sales in Canada and much more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Heart Health
Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. According to an observational study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), frequent cannabis smoking may significantly increase a person’s risk for heart attack and stroke.
The NIH notes that the study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, uses data from nearly 435,000 American adults, and is among the largest ever to explore the relationship between cannabis and cardiovascular events.
Now for the numbers. The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH, found that daily use of cannabis — predominately through smoking — was associated with a 25 percent increased likelihood of heart attack and a 42 percent increased likelihood of stroke when compared to non-use of the drug. Less frequent use was also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Weekly users showed a 3 percent increased likelihood of heart attack and a 5 percent increased likelihood of stroke.
The researchers stated that around 75 percent of the study respondents reported that they mainly used cannabis by smoking the drug. Approximately 25 percent of the respondents reported using cannabis by some method other than smoking, such as vaping, drinking, or eating the drug.
Said corresponding author Abra Jeffers, Ph.D., a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and formerly a researcher at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, where she conducted the study as part of her postdoctoral work, “We know that toxins are released when cannabis is burned, similar to those found in tobacco smoke.”
She added, “We’ve known for a long time that smoking tobacco is linked to heart disease, and this study is evidence that smoking cannabis appears to also be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Cannabis use could be an important, underappreciated source of heart disease.”
In a statement, NIH acknowledged that researchers note that while the exact mechanisms linking cannabis to heart disease are unclear and were not explored in the current study, multiple factors could play a role. In addition to toxins, endocannabinoid receptors — the part of cells responsible for recognizing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — are widespread in the body’s cardiovascular tissues and might facilitate heart risks.
So what’s the rumpus?
For starters, we are not going to discount the seriousness of this finding. In fact, we acknowledge that mature consumers with underlying health conditions should probably avoid smoking, in general, on a daily basis.
Those who find cannabis contributes to their well being may want, at a minimum, to take note and explore other avenues of consumption. As with anything else, using medication often involves balancing known risks and accepting there could be unknown risks as well.
Said Dr. Robert L. Page II, who chaired the writing group for a 2020 American Heart Association scientific statement on marijuana’s effects on cardiovascular health, “As cannabis use continues to grow in legality and access across the U.S., practitioners and clinicians need to remember to assess cannabis use at each patient encounter in order to have a nonjudgmental, shared decision conversation about potential cardiovascular risks and ways to reduce those risks.”
It should be noted, we believe, that the article appeared in the Journal of the American Heart Association, a publication that publishes at least one article a year that subtly equates the effects of smoking cannabis and smoking tobacco when it comes to heart health.
Still, a cautionary tale, even one told by a critic with a bias, can be valuable information.
To learn more, you can read the statement released by the National Institutes of Health on February 28, 2024. Simply click on the link below.
www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/smoking-cannabis-associated-increased-risk-heart-attack-stroke
To read an article about the study that appeared on the website of the American Heart Association, Heart.com, on February 28, 2024, click on the link below.
www.heart.org/en/news/2024/02/28/marijuana-use-linked-to-higher-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke
Cannabis Corner
Holy Molson.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba, Memorial University of Newfoundland and University of Toronto claim that marijuana legalization in Canada has been “associated with a decline in beer sales.” They contend this involves what they call a “substitution effect,” where consumers shift from one product (beer) to another (cannabis).
The research team noted that when broken down by beer type, “legalization was associated with declines in sales of canned and kegged beer but there was no reduction in sales of bottled beer.”
The researchers speculated that “cans may be preferred to bottle in the context of individual consumption at home due to the increasing popularity and availability of cans as well as the better taste and drinking experience that they offer,” the study says. “Thus, as cannabis substitutes at-home beer consumption, we find a substitution of cannabis for canned beer but not for bottled beer.”
Also, the trend didn’t apply to sales of spirits.
According to Kyle Jaeger, who covered the story for Marijuana Moment.net, the study, which was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, found that, since the country legalized adult-use marijuana in 2018, beer sales have continued to drop, while, at the same time, tax revenue from cannabis is now surpassing the tax revenue generated from beer and wine.
Jaeger noted that newly released data shows that Canada generated more excise tax revenue from marijuana ($660 million) than wine ($205 million) and beer ($450 million) combined in the 2022-23 fiscal year, as reported by MJBiz.com.
In his article, he also cited a report from a multinational investment bank (the firm TD Cowen) that said marijuana has become a “formidable competitor” to alcohol, projecting that nearly 20 million more people will regularly consume cannabis over the next five years as booze loses a couple million drinkers. The report also says marijuana sales are estimated to reach $37 billion in 2027 in the U.S. as more state markets come online.
No comment as of yet from either Bob or Doug McKenzie. We hope this trend doesn’t hurt back bacon sales in the Great White North.
“Coo loo coo coo, coo coo coo coo”
( If you sing it out loud you might recognize it.)
You can learn much more by reading Kyle Jaeger’s excellent reporting in the March 4, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
To read an abstract of the article, which appears in the April 1, 2024 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, click on the following link.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871624000589
CBD and Pets
It appears that those who think it’s dangerous to give CBD to canines are barking up the wrong tree. That’s the word from Graham Abbott, reporting for Ganjapreneur.com.
According to Abbott, a study that appeared in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that CBD is safe for long-term use in healthy dogs at specific doses.
More specifically, the study, conducted by ClinVet USA LLC, an Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care accredited facility, found that CBD was well tolerated by healthy dogs at a dose of 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
The first-of-its-kind study included 16 male and 16 female beagles which were dosed for 90 consecutive days with a 14-day recovery period. Abbott noted that the canines included in the study were randomized into four groups and treated with either medium chain triglyceride oil as the placebo and control or either broad spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD with cannabigerol (CBG), or broad spectrum CBD with cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), at a dose of 5 milligrams total cannabinoids.
The American Kennel Club notes that CBD is sometimes prescribed for dogs to address a wide range of ailments, including arthritis, anxiety, itchiness and to promote bone healing.
The researchers made the point that the use of CBD in supplements designed for dogs has been growing; however, the safety of longer-term use has been questioned and deemed to be lacking. They believe their findings can provide pet owners and veterinarians with valuable insights concerning the use of CBD supplements for canine well-being.
Said Bill Bookout, president of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and lead researcher on the team, “With safety studies, no matter how well controlled or meticulously defined, it is impossible to account for everything that can occur when a product is commercialized. That is why this safety study includes not only data from a well-designed study protocol, but also 10 years of post-market surveillance data from the NASC Adverse Event Reporting Database, which is the most advanced monitoring system in the world for these types of products given to companion animals. No other study that we are aware of is as comprehensive and includes both data sets.”
We are not advocating that based on this study, dog owners should take it upon themselves to treat their dog with CBD supplements, although some may do that. However, should their veterinarian prescribe a long course of CBD treatment the study does indicate pet owners may follow that treatment with confidence that it is safe for dogs.
To learn more, we urge you to read Graham Abbott’s article in the March 12, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/study-cbd-well-tolerated-by-dogs/?
To read the article describing the study that appeared in the March 2024 issue of Frontiers in Veterinary Science, please click on the link below.
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1349590/full?
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“Cannabis is well on its way to becoming a card-carrying member of the $199 billion (and growing, fast) natural, organic and functional food and beverage industry – not to mention the $22 billion organic, personal-care products market.
In many ways, cannabis products already (sic) made the jump; it’s not uncommon to find hemp-derived cannabinoids at your nearby Sephora or CVS.”—Ricardo Baca.
Ricardo Baca is the former cannabis editor of The Denver Post, a current member of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis-appointed Natural Medicine Advisory Board and the founder and CEO of cannabis marketing and PR firm Grasslands. His comments are taken from an op-ed he penned for MJBIZDaily.com.
In his article Baca offers several suggestions on how he thinks the cannabis industry should begin to evolve in the near future.
These include:
• Adopting Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) standards, which are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.He contends that this move toward standardization and quality control is a necessary step for the industry’s growth and legitimacy. As a result, he believes cannabis companies should begin implementing CGMP standards immediately.
• Companies should start aligning their cultivation and production processes with organic standards, where possible. This means investing in organic cultivation methodologies, sourcing materials sustainably and preparing for the rigorous certification process.
• Cannabis companies should focus on educating the public about the benefits and safety of regulated cannabis, emphasizing its natural, therapeutic properties and broadly agreed-upon medical efficacy.
They should also push for standardized cannabis testing for the good of the industry.
In addition, collaborations with influencers, participation in community events and transparent marketing practices can help demystify cannabis and reduce stigma—which, he contends, will hasten broad-based cultural acceptance.
Said Baca, “When a cannabis company prioritizes quality, sustainability and education, it is well positioned to contribute to the broader acceptance and success of cannabis as a valuable natural product. For those ready to adapt, the potential is as vast as it is vibrant.”
You can learn much more by reading Ricardo Baca’s op-ed in the March 8, 2024 issue of MJBIZDaily.com.
mjbizdaily.com/how-to-prepare-for-cannabis-as-a-natural-product/?
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.
