Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at Donald Trump’s support for rescheduling cannabis, a candidate in Texas who smokes cannabis in her campaign ad, patients who are replacing their prescriptions with medical cannabis and more. Enjoy.
Strange Bedfellows: Part Two
Former President Donald Trump has announced that he is in favor of rescheduling cannabis and he believes businesses in the cannabis sector should have open access to banking services.
So says Tom Angell, writing for Marijuana Moment.net. Angel reports that Trump also reiterated his support for the legalization initiative on Florida’s November ballot.
Said Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site, “As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.”
Added Trump, “As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product.{sic} As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November.”
Angell noted in his article that Trump’s support for rescheduling cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act “will allay some fears” that a second Trump administration could reverse progress on the issue that was initiated—but has not yet been completed—by the Biden administration.
Angell also makes the point that in a memo, a senior campaign spokesperson for the Harris campaign accused Trump of “brazen flip flops” on cannabis. The Democratic campaign says it’s one of the Republican former president’s “several bewildering ‘policy proposals’ that deserve real scrutiny.”
Says the spokesperson in the memo, “On issue after issue, Trump is saying one thing after having done another. For example: As a candidate in 2024, he suggests he is for decriminalizing marijuana – but as President, his own Justice Department cracked down on marijuana offenses.”
This last statement apparently refers to the decision by Trump-era Attorney General Jeff Sessions to rescind the so-called Cole memo. The memo, authored by the Justice Department, provided guidance to federal prosecutors not to interfere with operations of well-regulated state marijuana systems.
In his article, Tom Angell does an excellent job of detailing the former President’s policy history on various cannabis issues during his previous administration. To learn more, we urge you to read Tom Angell’s article in the September 9, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
A 20-year veteran in the cannabis law reform movement, Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment.
Cannabis, Crohn’s and Related Conditions
Cannabinoid therapy can help to reduce disease activity and improve the quality of life for patients with the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
That’s a key takeaway from a recent scientific review of research conducted by a four-person team of researchers affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.
Wrote the team in an article published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, “This meta-analysis of clinical trials suggests that cannabinoids are associated with improved quality of life in both CD and UC.”
However, in an article for Marijuana Moment, Ben Adlin makes the point that “no reduction in inflammation was observed in patients who took cannabinoids, nor were any differences observed when analyzing patients’ endoscopies.”
Adlin also notes that earlier this year a separate study in the Journal of Health Research and Medical Science found that “cannabinoids show potential in improving disease activity” and quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis.
Similarly, last year an Australian study found that patients with chronic health conditions saw significant improvements in overall quality of life and reductions in fatigue during the first three months of medical marijuana use.
If you’d like to learn more, we suggest reading Ben Adlin’s article in the September 6, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/medical-marijuana-improves-quality-of-life-for-crohns-and-ulcerative-colitis-patients-study-shows/?
The Shape of Things to Come
Imagine a political candidate running an ad that goes like this.
“My name is Sally Duval, and I’m running for Texas House of Representatives, and it’s HIGH time for a change. If you agree that we need leaders who will ensure that Texans have access to safe, tested marijuana products, chip in today: http://actblue.com/donate/sparkforchange”
Now imagine a video where Ms. Duval, a candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in District 73, smokes cannabis while asking for your vote.
According to Luke Funk, in an article that appeared in the International Business Times, the video—which was posted on the site X—starts with Ms. Duval smoking a “blunt,” and ends with her taking a hit off of a bong.
The shape of things to come, indeed.
Duval admitted to Funk that her ad is a “bit unconventional” but said “Texans have had enough of typical politicians paying lip service to important issues without ever actually putting their money where their mouth is.” She then added that “regulation of legal marijuana would help small farmers and help fund schools.”
To watch her ad, simply click on the following link.
https://x.com/SallyForTexas/status/1833159804774461764?
To read Luke Funk’s article in the International Business Times about Ms. Duval’s video, click on the link below.
https://www.ibtimes.com/texas-candidate-pro-marijuana-campaign-ad-3742702
Cannabis Corner
A growing number of individuals who suffer from chronic conditions are using medical cannabis in place of their other medications, such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Those who told researchers that they are substituting cannabis for other drugs say they are doing this because of what they believe are fewer adverse effects, better symptom management, and concerns about withdrawal symptoms.
That’s a critical finding of a new study conducted by a research team affiliated with the University of Michigan, McGill University and the University of Buffalo. The team was led by Kevin F. Boehnke, PhD. The objective of the study was to determine the degree to which substitution of medication occurs among people with rheumatic conditions, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
The team interviewed 763 individuals with a rheumatic condition who also indicated that they used cannabis. Of that group, 62.5 percent reported substituting medical cannabis products for various medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (54.7 percent), opioids (48.6 percent), sleep aids (29.6 percent), and muscle relaxants (25.2 percent).
In this group, the substitution of cannabis containing THC for other medications was associated with significantly higher symptom improvements, including less pain, better sleep, less anxiety, and joint stiffness than non substitution of the medication that was originally prescribed.
The research team concluded that further study is needed to better understand the use of medical cannabis for symptom management by those with rheumatic conditions.
If you care to learn more, you can read an abstract of the study that appeared in the September 5, 2024 issue of ACR: Open Rheumatology. This is the official publication of the American College of Rheumatology.
https://acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acr2.11717
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.
