#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 15 Dec 2020 04:20:21 PST
House Passes Bipartisan Bill Facilitating Clinical Cannabis Research, Allowing Scientists to Access State-Approved Marijuana Products
Washington, DC: Members of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed HR 3797: The Medical Marijuana Research Act, which facilitates clinical cannabis research by establishing a process so that authorized scientists may access flowers and other products manufactured in accordance with state-approved marijuana programs. It also ends the decades-long monopoly on the cultivation of cannabis for FDA-approved research by requiring federal agencies to license multiple manufacturers in addition to the University of Mississippi. For over five decades, the University has been the only federally licensed source of research-grade marijuana in the United States.
The Act is sponsored by Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer, along with several Republican co-sponsors. House members passed the Act on a voice vote. On the House floor, Rep. Blumenauer said: "At a time when there are four million registered medical cannabis patients, and many more likely self-medicate, when there are 91 percent of Americans supporting medical cannabis, it's time to change the system. Our bill will do precisely that."
In April, NORML provided testimony in the Federal Register advocating for many of the changes proposed in this Act.
NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "These common-sense regulatory changes are necessary and long overdue. The DEA has proven time and time again that it is not an honest broker when it comes to overseeing the cultivation of research-grade cannabis. Despite promising over four years ago to expand the pool of federal licensees permitted to provide cannabis for clinical research, the agency has steadfastly refused to do so -- leaving scientists with woefully inadequate supplies of cannabis and cannabis products available for human studies."
He added: "Further, these federally-licensed products do not represent the type or quality of cannabis products currently available in legal, statewide markets. The reality that most high-schoolers have easier access to cannabis than do our nation's top scientists is the height of absurdity and an indictment of the current system."
Under the existing regulatory system, there is only one federally licensed entity -- the University of Mississippi -- that is permitted to cultivate and to provide marijuana for use in FDA-approved clinical studies. Scientists have consistently criticized the poor quality of the University's plants, which they say fail to accurately reflect the varieties of marijuana commercially available in the United States.
According to the federal government's marijuana menu, scientists may currently select from no more than six varieties of pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes -- none of which possess THC concentrations above seven percent or CBD concentrations above one percent. Other types of cannabis-infused products, like tinctures and concentrates, are not available for clinical study.
Nonetheless, the current system does not permit scientists to access state-licensed marijuana products as part of an FDA-approved protocol.
In 2016, the US Drug Enforcement Agency pledged to expand the pool of federally licensed entities permitted to grow cannabis. But, to date, the agency has failed to act on more than 30 applications before them. The Marijuana Research Act would permit an unlimited number of federally licensed entities to participate in this space.
The floor vote comes on heels of the lower chamber on Friday voting in favor of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3884, which removes marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act -- thereby eliminating the existing conflict between state and federal marijuana laws and providing states with the authority to establish their own cannabis laws free from undue federal interference.
"No Evidence" that Adult-Use Marijuana Laws Influence Cannabis Use by Teens
Boston, MA: The enactment of statewide laws legalizing and regulating the use and sale of marijuana by adults is not associated with an uptick in cannabis use by young people, according to data published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
A team of investigators with Boston College analyzed marijuana use data from a nationally representative sample of more than one-million high-school students over an 18-year period.
Authors "found no evidence that RML [recreational marijuana legalization] was associated with [an] increased likelihood or level of marijuana use among adolescents. Rather, among adolescents who reported any use of marijuana in the past month, the frequency of use declined by 16 percent after RML."
Commenting on the findings, NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "These add to the growing body of scientific literature showing that legalization policies can be implemented in a manner that provides access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse. Furthermore, these findings stand in sharp contrast to the sensational claims often made by legalization opponents, claims that thus far have proven to be baseless."
Data compiled last month by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of adolescents admitted to drug treatment programs for marijuana-related issues has fallen precipitously in states that have legalized and regulated its adult-use.
In addition, a 2019 study published in JAMA Pediatrics similarly concluded: "[M]arijuana use among youth may actually decline after legalization for recreational purposes. This latter result is consistent ... with the argument that it is more difficult for teenagers to obtain marijuana as drug dealers are replaced by licensed dispensaries that require proof of age."
Additional information regarding marijuana use patterns among young people is available from the NORML fact sheet "Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates."
Study: Cannabis Products Effective in Self-Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain
Jacksonville, FL: A significant percentage of women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) acknowledge using cannabis and/or cannabis-products as a way to effectively mitigate their symptoms, according to data published in the Journal of Women's Health. Chronic pelvic pain affects up to 15 percent of women in the United States.
A team of researchers affiliated with the Mayo Clinic surveyed 113 women with pelvic and perineal pain residing in a state where medical cannabis access is legal (Florida).
More than 20 percent of the subjects in the study reported using either cannabis or CBD, and 96 percent of them reported that cannabis products provided improvement for one or more symptoms, including pain, cramping, and sleep disturbances.
Authors concluded: "To our knowledge, this is the first study in the United States, which evaluated the prevalence of cannabis use among women with CPP. Our findings show that a clinically significant percentage of women use cannabis in addition to or as an alternative to traditional therapy for chronic pain."
They added: "[U]sers indicated that cannabis improved CPP-related symptoms, decreased reliance on the health care system, and helped reduce use of opioid medications. Our findings provide important incremental evidence, and we hope to pave the way toward acceptance and consideration of cannabis as a therapeutic option for patients with debilitating pain to improve their quality of life."
Separate data from Canada reports that the frequency with which women acknowledge using cannabis for pelvic pain has increased following the enactment of adult-use legalization. Authors of the study further reported, "post-legalization, cannabis users were less likely to require daily opioids" -- a finding that is consistent with dozens of prior studies.
Full text of the first study, "Use of cannabis for self-management of chronic pelvic pain," appears in the Journal of Women's Health. Full text of the second study, "Recreational cannabis use before and after legalization in women with pelvic pain," appears in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Additional information is available in the NORML fact sheet, "Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids."
Survey: Smoking Cannabis Remains the Primary Method of Administration for Consumers
La Jolla, CA: Cannabis consumers are most likely to choose to ingest the substance via smoking as opposed to other routes of administration, according to data published in the journal Addiction.
A researcher from the University of California at San Diego assessed marijuana consumption patterns among nationally representative sample of participants. Consistent with prior studies, he reported that the most commonly reported ingestion method was smoking (64 percent).
Those who reported consuming cannabis for recreational purposes were more likely to acknowledge smoking as their primary method of ingestion. Recreational-only consumers were also more likely to report vaporizing cannabis. By contrast, medical cannabis users were far more likely to acknowledge using cannabis topicals than were recreational-only consumers. Over half of respondents who reported using cannabis for both recreational and medical purposes acknowledged using "combustion methods nearly every day."
The author concluded: "[T]his study provide[s] the most recent nationally representative description of cannabis administration methods with particularly good representations in male, older, and minority respondents, who were often underrepresented in previous studies using online panels."
Full text of the study, "Heterogeneities in administration methods among cannabis users by use purpose and state legalization status: Findings from a nationally representative survey in the US, 2020," appears in Addiction.
Review: Oral Cannabinoids Promising for Insomnia Treatment
Wellington, New Zealand: The administration of oral cannabinoid products holds promise in the treatment of insomnia disorder, according to the findings of a systematic review of the relevant literature published in the journal CNS Drugs.
A team of New Zealand researchers identified five studies involving 219 total subjects. Participants in the studies were administered doses of oral cannabinoids, typically THC. In the majority of the studies assessed, subjects reported improvements in their sleep quality index scores for periods of eight weeks or longer.
Authors concluded: "This review is, to our knowledge, the first systematic review of the literature to examine the impact of cannabinoids on insomnia disorder. ... This review highlights the potential promise of cannabis-based products in the treatment of insomnia disorder. However, the evidence remains in its infancy. ... Further research in the form of high-quality RCTs [randomized controlled trials] is required before drawing any firm conclusions about the efficacy of cannabinoids in the treatment of insomnia disorder."
Full text of the study, "Cannabinoids in the treatment of insomnia disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis," appears in CNS Drugs.
NBA Announces Plan to Halt Testing Players for Marijuana
New York, NY: Players participating in the 2020-2021 NBA season will not be drug tested for marijuana, according a statement issued by the league late last week.
A spokesperson for the National Basketball Association announced, "Due to the unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic, we have agreed with the NBPA [player's association] to suspend random testing for marijuana for the 2020-21 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse."
The NBA will continue to test players "for cause" if they are suspected to be using cannabis.
Under league rules, players who test positive for marijuana three times within a season are suspended for five games.
In recent months, both the NFL and MLB have amended their drug testing policies so that use of the substance is no longer an offense resulting in a suspension.
