#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 18 Aug 2020 04:20:21 PST
Study: Cannabis Use Associated with Reduced In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure
New York, NY: Heart failure patients with a history of cannabis consumption possess lower in-hospital mortality rates than do those with no history of use, according to data published in the journal Cureus.
Researchers affiliated with Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in New York City assessed marijuana use and in-patient hospitalization trends for patients with congestive heart failure over a four-year period. Authors determined that cannabis users had "less all-cause in-hospital deaths and shorter hospital stays compared to non-users."
Prior observational studies have similarly reported that marijuana use is associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality among patients suffering from heart failure and heart attacks. Other studies have reported that cannabis exposure is associated with greater in-hospital survival rates among patients with cancer, pancreatitis, burn-related injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other types of severe trauma.
Full text of the study, "Congestive heart failure hospitalization trends and cannabis use disorder (2010-2014): National trends and outcomes," appears in Cureus.
Arizona: Adult-Use Ballot Initiative Qualifies for the 2020 Ballot
Phoenix, AZ: The Secretary of State's Office acknowledged on Monday that proponents of the Smart & Safe Arizona initiative gathered the required number of signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot. The Act was written by a coalition of marijuana reform groups, including Arizona NORML, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the state chapter of the ACLU.
The Act permits those age 21 or older to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and directs revenue from retail cannabis sales to fund various public education and safety programs. Adults would also be able to cultivate up to six plants for non-commercial purposes in a private residence. Those with marijuana convictions would be permitted to petition the courts to have their records expunged.
Opponents of the initiative recently filed a legal challenge to the measure. Their challenge was rejected by a Superior Court judge.
Statewide polling shows broad support for the measure. According to a June poll, 66 percent of those surveyed said that they would "definitely" or "probably" vote ‘yes' on the ballot initiative. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all expressed majority support for the measure, as did voters over the age of 65.
According to a July poll, 62 percent of likely general election voters "believe that marijuana should be legalized for adult use in the state of Arizona."
Arizona's marijuana possession penalties are among the strictest in the nation. Under the law, even minor offenses may be classified as felonies — punishable by up to two years in prison and a $150,000 fine.
Adult-use ballot initiatives have already qualified for the ballot in New Jersey and South Dakota. Another measure is pending in Montana. Initiatives to legalize medical access to cannabis are certified for the ballot in Mississippi and South Dakota. Proponents of a medical initiative in Nebraska are awaiting certification.
Study: Marijuana Use Not Associated with Increased Risk of Pneumonia
Los Angeles, CA: Cannabis consumption is not associated with an increased risk of pneumonia among non-heterosexual men either with or without HIV, according to data published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology.
Researchers affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles assessed the relationship between cannabis use and the risk of pneumonia among a cohort of men who have sex with men (the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study) over a period of nearly three decades (1984-2013). Nearly 2,800 HIV-positive men and approximately 2,700 HIV-negative men were included in the study.
Authors reported that neither weekly nor daily marijuana use was significantly associated with elevated incidences of pneumonia.
They concluded: "Data ... does not provide evidence of a significant association between marijuana use and pneumonia incidence. ... By relying on a population of men who have sex with men, the results may not generalize to other populations such as men who do not have sex with men or to women. Nonetheless, the results and conclusions for the HIV-uninfected group are potentially informative and relevant to the general population."
Full text of the study, "Marijuana use and pneumonia risk in a cohort of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected men," appears in Annals of Epidemiology.
Clinical Trial: Oral THC Associated with Reduced Amygdala Reactivity
Detroit, MI: The administration of oral doses of synthetic THC is associated with reduced amygdala activation in subjects with post-traumatic stress, according to placebo-controlled data published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
Wayne State University researchers assessed the effects of oral THC versus placebo on corticolimbic responses to threatening imagery in subjects with and without PTSD. Authors reported that THC dosing "lowered threat-related amygdala reactivity" in post-traumatic stress patients. Corticolimbic brain regions, including the amygdala, are involved in threat processing. In patients with PTSD, the amygdala typically responds in a hyperactive manner to trauma-related imagery.
Authors concluded: "These preliminary data suggest that THC modulates threat-related processing in trauma-exposed individuals with PTSD, which may prove advantageous as a pharmacological approach to treating stress- and trauma-related psychopathology."
Prior studies assessing the potential role of cannabinoids in mitigating symptoms of PTSD have yielded mixed results. For instance, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs reported that PTSD perceived significant reductions in post-traumatic stress symptoms during times when they used cannabis as compared to when they did not. Other studies have shown a relationship between oral THC dosing and a reduction in the frequency of nightmares. By contrast, a study published earlier this year in the journal Psychological Medicine reported, "No evidence of improvement in PTSD-related intrusion symptoms or remission in PTSD diagnosis in association with long-term use of cannabis."
Full text of the study, "Cannabinoid modulation of corticolimbic activation to threat in trauma-exposed adults: A preliminary study," appears in Psychopharmacology. Additional information regarding cannabinoids and post-traumatic stress is available from NORML.
USDA Approves More States' Hemp Production Plans
Washington, DC: Officials with the United States Department of Agriculture are continuing to approve states' plans regulating domestic hemp production.
Under federal law, states wishing to license commercial hemp production must submit their plans for approval from the federal agency.
In recent weeks, the agency has approved plans submitted by regulators in Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, and in the US territory of Puerto Rico. Regulators earlier this year granted approval to programs in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Last October, the agency issued interim rules governing the commercial production of cannabis containing no more than 0.3 percent THC and products containing cannabinoids derived from hemp.
Additional information regarding state-specific hemp production laws is available from votehemp.org.
Survey: Most Patients Don't Believe Their Doctors Are a "Good Source" of Information Regarding Cannabis
Burlington, VT: Fewer than one-in-five patients believe that their primary care providers are particularly knowledgeable about cannabis-specific health issues, according to survey data published in The Journal of Primary Care & Community Health.
A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Vermont surveyed over 1,000 primary care patients aged 18 and older. Respondents resided throughout the state of Vermont. The median age of the respondents was 51 years old.
Only 18 percent of patients surveyed "rated their provider as a good source of information regarding cannabis." State lawmakers legalized the physician-authorized use of cannabis to qualified patients in 2004.
Several prior surveys of health care professionals in the United States and Canada - such as those here, here, here, here, and here - have consistently found that respondents do not believe that they possess sufficient knowledge about cannabis' health and safety effects.
Many patients who participated in the survey reported using products containing either CBD or THC for therapeutic purposes. Twenty-one percent of respondents said that they had used CBD within the past month, while 19 percent reported using THC-based products.
Most respondents perceived the products to be either "very" or "somewhat helpful" in treating a variety of symptoms, including pain and depression. Cannabis products were also commonly reported by patients for the treatment of migraine and arthritis, as well as for improving sleep quality.
Authors concluded: "The results of our research pose important questions that should be investigated in the future. Considering patients feel that their providers may not be an adequate source of information regarding cannabinoids, it would be interesting to explore the perceived knowledge and perceptions of cannabinoids by primary care providers, to identify opportunities for improvement. ... Further research should consider how to assist primary care providers in having informed conversations about the risks and benefits of cannabis, especially in the setting of chronic pain."
Full text of the study, "Use and reported helpfulness of cannabinoids among primary care patients in Vermont," appears in The Journal of Primary Care & Community Health.
Delaware: Court Upholds Denial of Reimbursement for Medical Marijuana-Related Costs
Dover, DE: An employee who uses medical cannabis in compliance with state law to heal from a work-related injury may be denied workers' compensation, according to a ruling by the Delaware Superior Court.
The Court's ruling affirmed that the state's Industrial Access Board acted appropriately when it denied an employee's claim for medical marijuana-related reimbursement costs because the weight of the evidence did not find the treatment to be "reasonable and necessary" - a standard that must be met under the state's Workers' Compensation Act.
It determined: "The General Assembly's finding that medical marijuana can effectively treat some patients does not amount to a finding that medical marijuana is ‘reasonable and necessary' to treat all patients. Indeed, whether medical treatment is reasonable and necessary is an individualized inquiry. Thus, the General Assembly's acknowledgment of medical marijuana's efficacy in treating some patients does not preclude a finding that medical marijuana is not reasonable or necessary for [this] particular patient."
Courts in several other states, including New Jersey and New Hampshire, have determined that employees injured on the job are eligible to have their medical marijuana-related costs reimbursed by their employers.
The case is Nobles-Roark v. Back Burner, Case No. N19A-11-001 ALR (Del. Superior Ct. July 28, 2020).
