Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we take a look at rescheduling, a new study on cannabis and pain management, changes at ScottsMiracle-Gro and more. Enjoy.
Rescheduling Update
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”
That’s French for, “The rescheduling of marijuana might not happen after all.”
According to Graham Abbott, reporting for Ganjapreneur, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services told a group of senators last week that if confirmed, he would defer to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the issue. Agency officials have indicated several times that they are not in favor of moving cannabis to a schedule 3 status, thank you very much.
Kennedy’s nomination has since passed out of committee and was sent to the full senate for confirmation on what was a party line vote. The deciding vote was cast by Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana who is also a doctor. Apparently, he decided to ignore that old “first do no harm” thing.
Interesting that Kennedy would surrender the oversight of a change in schedule, proposed by HHS, to the DEA, which opposes it, given that HHS will be part of his new administrative kingdom. Guess he has yet to learn that once you cede administrative control to another agency, you never get it back.
Previously, as a presidential candidate, Kennedy said multiple times that he supported federally legalizing cannabis. However, he now seems to be singing a different tune, proving once again that some people will say anything to get what they want. They might even tell you what you want to hear.
To learn more, we suggest reading Graham Abbott’s article in the February 3, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/trump-health-sec-nominee-rfk-jr-says-hell-defer-to-dea-on-cannabis-policy/?
Cannabis and Pain Management
A large-scale study of nearly 10,000 chronic pain patients enrolled in Minnesota’s medical marijuana program shows participants “are finding a noticeable change in pain relief” within a few months of starting cannabis treatment.
So says Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment. According to Adlin, the report, published by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), says that 31.7 percent of people who experienced moderate to severe pain at the time they enrolled in the program reported meaningful relief within four months of beginning treatment.
In addition, of those who initially experienced relief, nearly half (49.7 percent) said marijuana continued to reduce pain for an additional four-month period.
In his article, Adlin noted that the OCM acknowledged in its report, “As in many states, pain is the most common symptom among people in Minnesota’s medical cannabis system, with qualifying conditions including chronic pain, intractable pain, cancer with severe pain, terminal illness with severe pain and sickle cell disease.”
Grace Christensen, OCM senior research analyst, said of the findings, “Though these percentages may seem low, cannabis treatment offers other benefits to patients experiencing pain-related conditions that allows for their pain to be better managed and ultimately improve their quality of life.”
“For example,” Christensen added, “Many patients report that they have much higher quality sleep when treating their pain with cannabis. Getting better sleep often allows for patients to start the day in a better mental and emotional state.”
Adlin also noted that the new report revealed that among health care practitioners who reported their patient was taking other medications for pain management, nearly a quarter (24.6 percent) “reported a reduction in pain medications in the six months after starting to use medical cannabis.”
The OCM report added,“Typically, pain patients are treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or opioids. However, the use of cannabis-based medicines to manage pain management has become more popular.”
In addition to clear and concise reporting on the Minnesota study, in his article Adlin also does an excellent “deep dive” into several related research articles. To learn more we suggest reading his article in the February 4, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Investor News and Notes
In 2011, after 16 states had legalized medical marijuana, Scotts CEO Jim Hagedorn told the Wall Street Journal he saw potential in this growing agricultural category. According to CNN, Hagedorn said back then “I want to target the pot market. There’s no good reason we haven’t.”
Three years later in 2014, ScottsMiracle-Gro created Hawthorne Gardening Co. as a way to enter the cannabis sector without getting involved in what the industry calls “leaf touching” activity.
Now, it appears things have changed.
According to an article that appeared in MJBizDaily, Scotts has decided to spin off Hawthorne into a stand-alone operation —a move, the company believes, that will make the entity “more valuable.”
Hawthorne’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) are expected to be about $20 million this year, which has led Scotts’ leadership to determine that its cannabis arm would do better on its own.
Said Scotts CEO Jim Hagedorn to analysts during an earning’s call, “This is not like we’re looking to get rid of it. We’re looking to focus our investments in the best configuration possible for our shareholders.”
The cannabis sector is notoriously volatile and it’s thought that separating the companies could protect Scotts from that volatility while providing Hawthorne with tax benefits and increased credit opportunities.
Said Chris Hagedorn, who serves as general manager at Hawthorne and, in November, was appointed executive vice president and chief of staff at the parent company, “Moving Hawthorne out of ScottsMiracle-Gro is better for everyone. We and our banks think it would make it more clear what our equity represents and could expand our price-to-earnings multiple.”
Like most things in the garden that involve fertilizer, time will tell.
Johnny Greene, writing for International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), contends that a number of ancillary cannabis industry sectors are projected to experience major growth. This includes technological support for cultivation, such as hydroponic gear, lighting, nutrients, growing media, fans, filtration, and other equipment, all of which Hawthorne provides to the industry and home growers.
Scotts trades on the New York Stock Exchange as SMG.
If you care to learn more, you can read the article that appeared in the January 30, 2025 issue of MJBizDaily.com. Just click on the link that follows.
https://mjbizdaily.com/scotts-miracle-gro-to-spin-off-cannabis-arm-hawthorne-into-separate-business/
To learn more about Hawthorne Gardening Company, click here: https://www.hawthornegc.com/page/about-us
Notable Numbers
This week’s notable number is 38 percent. According to a recent survey conducted by The Athletic—a subsidiary of the New York Times—that’s the percentage of players in the National Hockey League (NHL) who said that they used cannabis edibles during the season.
That’s the word from Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment. Jaeger notes that it’s not clear from the way the question was asked whether that portion of players would increase if they were asked more broadly about marijuana use to include smoking or vaping, for example.
In his article, Jaeger makes the point that most of the players surveyed said they preferred cannabis edibles with a balance of THC and CBD. Those are the most commonly known intoxicating and non-intoxicating cannabinoids in marijuana, respectively.
Jaeger also acknowledged that the NHL has long declined to penalize players when THC shows up in a drug screen. However, if there’s what is thought to be an “abnormally” high level of cannabis in a person’s system, they may be referred to a Players Assistance program for potential intervention.
If you care to learn more, we suggest reading Kyle Jaeger’s first-rate reporting on the survey and the cannabis policies of other professional sports leagues and regulatory agencies. His article appears in the January 29, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Cannabis and Anxiety Medication
A growing number of patients in states where cannabis is legal appear to be forgoing their anxiety medication and replacing it with cannabis.
That’s a key finding of a study published in JAMA Network Open that examined prescription data from states that legalized marijuana.
According to an article by 420 Bills that appeared in Cannabis.net, researchers affiliated with the University of Georgia and the University of Indiana found that states with medical cannabis laws experienced a 12.4 percent reduction in benzodiazepine prescriptions, while those with recreational laws saw a 15.2 percent decrease.
Writes Bills, the research team believes these changes suggest that patients are substituting cannabis for traditional anti-anxiety medications.
In his article, Bills cites four factors that he believes contribute to patients’ substituting cannabis for their anxiety medication:
• Perceived Safety: Many individuals view cannabis as a safer alternative to benzodiazepines due to the latter’s association with dependency and withdrawal issues.
• Efficacy: Patients often report positive experiences with cannabis in managing their anxiety symptoms, leading them to prefer it over conventional medications.
• Holistic Approach: Cannabis is often perceived as part of a more holistic approach to health that includes lifestyle changes, mindfulness practices, and alternative therapies.
• Accessibility: In states where cannabis is legal, obtaining it may be easier than navigating the healthcare system to secure prescriptions for traditional medications.
However, aware that there is no such thing as a free lunch, Bills does acknowledge that substituting cannabis for anxiety meds comes with potential risks. He identifies the following:
1. Lack of Regulation:The cannabis industry, he contends, is less regulated than the pharmaceutical industry. This contributes to concerns about product quality, dosing accuracy, and potential contaminants.
2. Individual Variability: Responses to cannabis can vary widely among individuals due to factors such as genetics, tolerance levels, and underlying health conditions.
3. Potential for Misuse: While many individuals use cannabis responsibly, there is potential for misuse or over-reliance on it as a coping mechanism.
Bills closes by taking the position that as more patients turn to cannabis as an alternative therapy, pharmaceutical companies need to invest in research related to cannabinoid-based treatments.
To learn more, we suggest reading the article by 420 Bills that appeared in the January 27, 2025 issue of Cannabis.net.
https://cannabis.net/blog/news/not-just-alcohol-sales-dropping-anxiety-medication-prescriptions-plummet-in-states-with-legal-c.546103
The article that he comments on, “Cannabis Laws and Utilization of Medications for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders,” appears in the September 5, 2024 issue of JAMA Network.com. To read an abstract of the study, simply click on the link below.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823248
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.
