Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis use and exercise, cannabis, DOGE and SNAP benefits, a potent cannabis product that emphasizes convenience and more. Enjoy.
Spotlight on Cannabis and Behavior
A new study suggests that yet another stereotype used to describe cannabis consumers is just plain wrong. According to Graham Abbott, reporting for Ganjapreneur, a recent survey of over 600 cannabis consumers found that despite the negative stereotypes, cannabis consumers are far more likely to exercise daily—or at least multiple times per week—than eat fast food or drink alcohol.
Abbott notes that the survey, which was conducted by cannabis telehealth firm NuggMD, revealed 27.4 percent of respondents reported exercising daily, and 34.9 percent said they exercise multiple times per week. In contrast, 6.1 percent said they drink alcohol daily, while 11.3 percent said they drink multiple times per week; and 1.5 percent said they eat fast food daily, while 11.5 percent said they eat fast food multiple times per week.
Said NuggMD’s communications head, Andrew Graham, the survey offers, “yet more evidence that today’s cannabis consumers defy the prohibitionist stereotype of layabouts munching Doritos.”
Graham added, “The data shows that cannabis consumers self-report several healthy lifestyle habits. When compared with federal data on exercise and fast food consumption, our poll shows that cannabis consumers are in fact more likely to exercise and less likely to eat fast food than the average U.S. adult. Previous polling we’ve done shows cannabis has a distinct replacement effect on alcohol use, and this poll charts a similar direction.”
Ganjapreneur’s Abbott also makes the point that the survey results echo the findings of a study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research which found that cannabis use is “significantly associated with higher prevalence of physical activity” and that physical exercise in general was more common in states with access to legal cannabis.
To learn more, we urge you to read the article by Graham Abbott in the June 11, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/survey-cannabis-consumers-more-likely-to-exercise-than-eat-fast-food-drink-alcohol/?
Cannabis News and Notes
James C. Miller, administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, recently sent a letter to retailers to remind them that cannabis-derived products are ineligible for purchase with SNAP.
In the letter, Miller wrote, “This letter serves as a reminder that it is a program violation to accept SNAP benefits for foods and drinks containing controlled substances such as cannabis/marijuana.”
According to TG Branfalt, writing in Ganjapreneur, Miller also stated in his letter that, “Retailers who commit program violations will face consequences which include disqualification from the ability to accept SNAP benefits, monetary penalties, fines and/or criminal prosecution.”
In his article, Branfalt notes that the USDA website also lists CBD products on its ineligible list, alongside beer, wine, and liquor, cigarettes and tobacco, vitamins, medicines, and supplements, live animals, foods that are hot at point-of-sale, and non-food items.
Miller’s letter to retailers does not contain any information about what prompted it or the rate at which cannabis-infused food and drinks are purchased using SNAP benefits. It’s thought that the letter was sent as part of the DOGE effort to eliminate perceived government waste.
It’s estimated 4.8 million seniors in the United States receive SNAP benefits and we assume more than a few are mature consumers of cannabis.
You can learn more by reading TG Branfalt’s article in the June 11, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/usda-clarifies-cannabis-food-and-drinks-are-ineligible-for-snap/?
Treating Anxiety with Medical Cannabis
A recent article in the journal Psychiatry Research described a systematic literature review conducted by a team of Australian researchers. The objective of the review was to determine the effectiveness of medical cannabis when used in the treatment of anxiety.
The researchers examined four different databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycInfo) to find suitable peer-reviewed studies to include in the review. To be included in the review a study had to focus on adults (18+ years) diagnosed with anxiety-related disorders and examine the efficacy or effectiveness of medicinal cannabis when used to treat that condition. Studies on recreational cannabis or cannabis-use-disorder were excluded.
In the end, 57 studies met the inclusion criteria and were used in the review. Among the 13 highest-quality studies, 70 percent (n = 9) reported a positive improvement for disorders including generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thirty percent of the studies(n = 4) reported a negative result for conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder), test anxiety and SAD.
In addition, over 90 percent of all studies, including lower quality studies, reported positive outcomes when CBD and THC-based cannabis were used as part of the treatment plan.
Based on their findings, the research team concluded the literature shows that medicinal cannabis does demonstrate the potential to reduce anxiety symptoms when included as part of a treatment plan. At the same time, they held the position that the long-term benefits and overall impact on quality of life remained unclear. They also believed further high-quality, longitudinal research with standardized dosing is needed.
To read an abstract of the study, you can visit the article that appears in the August 2025 issue of the journal Psychiatry Research. Simply click on the link that follows.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178125002008?
Cannabis Corner
A new study, published in the June 5, 2025 issue of the journal Neglected Tropical Diseases, suggests a cannabis-based treatment may offer hope to those at risk for a deadly fungal infection. So says Rachelle Gordon, reporting for the online publication GreenState.
According to Gordon, Cryptococcus neoformans is a serious fungal pathogen that primarily affects individuals with compromised immune systems. For example, people living with HIV/AIDS are often affected. Experts say the fungus is responsible for approximately 625,000 deaths worldwide every year.
In an effort to reduce fatalities from infection, a team of Australian researchers examined a number of compounds thought to have suitable medicinal properties, including two compounds from the cannabis plant.
Gordon notes in her article that research revealed that two cannabinoids—Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidivarin (CBD-V)—were able to kill the C. neoformans pathogen in a lab setting quickly, outperforming currently available antifungal treatments. Researchers then tested the compounds on moth larvae because their immune response is similar to that of mammals.
Gordon writes that CBD was found to be the most effective treatment, with survival rates among the moth larvae, far surpassing other treatments.
The research team considered the results promising, indicating that topical CBD could and should be further investigated as a potential treatment for skin fungal infections.
While further research is needed to determine if the compound can treat the infection if it spreads to internal organs, the researchers believed the initial study results offered hope.
You can learn more by reading Rachelle Gordon’s article in the June 13, 2025 issue of GreenState.com.
https://www.greenstate.com/health/cannabis-infection-treatment/
Cannabis Trends
A potent cannabis product that emphasizes convenience and consistency is helping California’s sleepy cannabis market to rebound. So says Margaret Jackson, writing for MJBizDaily. She reports that infused pre-rolls are gaining in popularity and helping to reshape California’s legal cannabis market.
According to Jackson, from Dec. 1, 2024, to Feb. 28, 2025, California’s legal market experienced a decline of 0.5 percent, according to a report from pre-roll machine manufacturer RollPros that used data from Colorado-based cannabis market research firm BDSA.
However, Jackson notes, one bright spot in that otherwise dismal assessment was the dominance of infused pre-rolls, which accounted for 66.3 percent of the $178.1 million of all pre-roll sales.
Said Jonathan McFarlane, vice president of sales and marketing for Vancouver, Washington-headquartered RollPros, “By combining those two things( pre-rolls infused with concentrates), you’re able to create truly unique products that aren’t just based on genetics.”
Lukasz Tracz, co-CEO of Desert Hot Springs-based cannabis company Jeeter—described as the undisputed leader in California’s pre-roll market with $26.7 million in sales and 15 percent of the state’s market share—said innovation and product quality are key to standing out in the crowded market.
He contends that those factors have helped the company’s five-pack of half-gram mini-joints to emerge as the clear leader in pre-roll sales. It’s thought the mini-joints offer a convenient combination of portability, value and potency.
“I think for a while there was this bigger-is-better mentality,” RollPros’ McFarlane said. “Nowadays, that just doesn’t matter.
He added, “People want convenience. They want something that they can consume easily.”
In addition, McFarlane noted that when people find something they like, they purchase larger quantities – such as five-packs – so they don’t have to return to their retailer as often.
Added McFarlane, “If you’re trying to build loyalty to your brand, consistency really does matter.”
Margaret Jackson does an excellent job of demonstrating how a product that emphasizes convenience and consistency is helping to transform a key segment of California’s cannabis market. To learn more, we urge you to read her article in the June 10, 2025 issue of MJBizDaily.com.
https://mjbizdaily.com/infused-pre-rolls-ignite-californias-marijuana-market/
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.
