#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 23 Feb 2021 04:20:21 PST
Study: Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization Is Not Independently Associated with Increased Risk of Crash Victims Testing Positive for Cannabis
Hackensack NJ: The enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization laws is not independently associated with a rise in the percentage of motor vehicle crash victims testing positive for cannabis in hospitals, according to data published in the journal The American Surgeon.
Researchers affiliated with the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey assessed trauma center patient data in states with and without adult-use legal marijuana laws over a 12-year period (2006 to 2018).
Investigators reported that the percentage of motor vehicle crash patients testing positive for cannabis increased over time in all of the states assessed (Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, New Jersey, and Texas). Overall, however, the greatest percentage change in cannabis-positive drivers occurred in Texas -- where marijuana remains strictly prohibited. By contrast, California and Oregon -- two states that have legalized the adult use and sale of marijuana -- were among the states that experienced the lowest percentage changes over time.
In a separate assessment, authors did not identify any significant changes in the percentage of motor vehicle accident patients testing positive for alcohol post-legalization.
Authors determined, "There did not appear to be a relationship between the legalization of marijuana and the likelihood of finding THC in patients admitted after MVC (a motor vehicle crash)." They concluded, "There was no apparent increase in the incidence of driving under the influence of marijuana after legalization."
Several prior studies have assessed whether the enactment of adult-use legalization is associated with any increased risk in the likelihood of motor vehicle accidents. The findings of those studies have yielded inconsistent results, with some studies identifying a minor uptick in crash rates several years following legalization, and others finding no such change.
Full text of the study, "Marijuana legalization and rates of crashing under the influence of tetrahydrocannabinol and alcohol," appears in The American Surgeon. Additional information on cannabis, psychomotor performance, and accident risk is available from the NORML fact sheet, "Marijuana and Psychomotor Performance."
Clinical Trial: Cannabis Inhalation Associated with Clinical Improvement in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
Tel Aviv, Israel: The inhalation of herbal cannabis is associated with clinical improvements and increased quality of life in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC), according to randomized, placebo-controlled trial data published in the journal PLoS ONE.
Israeli researchers compared herbal cannabis versus placebo over an 8-week period in 32 patients with UC. Twice daily, participants inhaled cannabis cigarettes containing either 16 percent THC or virtually no THC (placebo) in additional to their standard medications.
Researchers reported: "From a clinical perspective, we found that treatment with cannabis led to a significant reduction in the Lichtiger Disease Activity Index [an 8-item measure designed to assess disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis across 8 symptoms] and improvement in major IBD-related clinical symptoms including abdominal pain and number of bowel movements per day. We also observed a significant improvement in quality of life, general health, appetite, libido, concentration, and patient satisfaction with the treatment."
They concluded: "This study demonstrates that treatment with THC-rich cannabis in patients with mild to moderate UC is associated with clinical improvement. ... This preliminary observation requires additional investigation in larger and longer intervention clinical studies. Such studies will enable us to determine whether cannabis has mainly a symptom relieving role or a more specific anti-inflammatory therapeutic effect."
Survey data indicate that cannabis use is relatively common among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases and observational data has previously shown that cannabis may alleviate symptoms of certain IBD-related disorders, like Crohns.
Full text of the study, "Cannabis is associated with clinical but not endoscopic remission in ulcerative colitis: A randomized controlled trial," appears in PLoS ONE. Additional information on cannabinoids and IBD-related disorders is available from NORML.
Legal Marijuana Industry Employs 321,000 Full-Time Workers
Seattle, WA: Jobs in the state-licensed cannabis industry rose 32 percent during the past 12 months, and the industry now employs over 321,000 full-time workers, according to data compiled by Leafly.
According to its 2021 report, the regulated cannabis industry added approximately 78,000 new jobs over the past twelve months. Authors of the report acknowledged that the industry's increased growth was especially notable because it occurred in "a year marked by a global pandemic, spiking unemployment, and economic recession. ... Outside the cannabis industry, the US economy shrank by 3.5 percent, the unemployment rate almost doubled, and nearly 10 million Americans saw their jobs disappear."
To put the 2021 job totals in perspective, authors wrote: "In the United States there are more legal cannabis workers than electrical engineers. There are more legal cannabis workers than EMTs and paramedics. There are more than twice as many legal cannabis workers as dentists."
States adding the greater number of new cannabis-related jobs were California (23,707 jobs), Florida (14,891 jobs), Michigan (9,216 jobs), and Illinois (8,348 jobs). Overall, the total number of full-time jobs in the licensed cannabis industry has risen nearly three-fold since 2017.
Retail sales of cannabis products reached all-time highs in 2020, bringing in record levels of tax revenue. "During a year that saw many sectors of the American economy constrict, we witnessed historic economic growth in the legal cannabis industry," NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. "The dramatic rise in the number of players participating in the state-legal cannabis space, and in total sales, is a result of more consumers transitioning from the illicit market to the above-ground legal marketplace. As more legal markets come on board and mature, consumers are going to continue to gravitate toward it and away from the underground marketplace."
Full text of Leafly's report is available online. Additional information is available from the NORML fact sheet, "Marijuana Regulation: Impact on Health, Safety, Economy.
New Haven, CT: Nearly half of patients with migraine headaches have tried cannabinoid products, typically CBD, according to survey data published in the journal BMC Complimentary Medicine and Therapies.
Researchers from Yale University's School of Medicine and the Stamford University School of Medicine analyzed survey data provided by 377 respondents recruited from the Move Against Migraine Facebook group. Investigators included a pair of questions in the survey inquiring about patients' use of "cannabidiol oil or other cannabis derivatives to prevent migraine."
Forty-nine percent of respondents reported having experimented with either CBD or other cannabinoid products for anti-migraine purposes. Just under 60 percent of them said that cannabinoid products provided some degree of effectiveness at preventing migraines, with 11 percent of respondents rating cannabinoid products as either "very" or "extremely" effective.
Several prior studies have assessed the impact of inhaled cannabis on migraine frequency and severity. Israeli data published last year reported that cannabis inhalation was associated with a greater than 50 percent reduction in monthly migraine attacks in the majority of patients who tried it. A separate study of 699 migraine patients, also published last year, reported that 94 percent of subjects experienced symptom relief within two hours of marijuana inhalation.
Full text of the study, "A patient perspective of complimentary and integrative medicine for migraine treatment: A social media survey," appears in BMC Complimentary Medicine and Therapies.
Survey: VA Clinicians "Often Lack Necessary Knowledge About Cannabis"
Portland, OR: Clinicians affiliated with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) self-report lacking sufficient knowledge about the use of cannabis to competently counsel their patients, according to data published in the journal Family Practice.
A team of investigators affiliated with the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland conducted semi-structured phone interviews with 14 VA clinicians from three separate states (Connecticut, Indiana, and Oregon).
Researchers reported, "Our study found that VHA clinicians often lack necessary knowledge about cannabis resulting in discomfort when engaging in conversations about cannabis use with their patients." They added, "In addition to a general lack of information about cannabis, some VA clinicians suggested that the VA's status as a federal institution, where cannabis is classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance and VA providers are restricted from endorsing or certifying medical cannabis use, gives them an ‘out' from having to discuss the topic with patients."
Federal regulations permit VA physicians to discuss issues surrounding the use of medical cannabis with their patients, but explicitly forbids VA doctors from recommending it as a therapeutic option. According to survey data compiled on behalf of The American Legion, 39 percent of veterans personally know a veteran who is currently using cannabis medicinally.
Several prior surveys of health care professionals working in the United States and abroad -- such as those here, here, here, here, here, here, and here -- have similarly reported that that the majority of respondents do not believe that they possess sufficient knowledge about cannabis' health and safety effects to adequately counsel their patients.
Full text of the study, "A qualitative study of VHA clinicians' knowledge and perspectives on cannabis for medical purposes," appears in Family Practice. Additional information is available from the NORML fact sheet, "Marijuana and Veterans Issues."
South Dakota: Governor Announces Intent to Delay Implementing Voter-Initiated Medical Marijuana Access Law
Pierre, SD: Leading state lawmakers, including Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, announced that they intend to delay the implementation of Measure 26, a medical cannabis legalization initiative approved on Election Day by 70 percent of voters.
Provisions in the initiative call for regulators to begin licensing applicants to participate in the program by July 1, 2021. A press release issued by the Governor's office last week stated that lawmakers intend to delay the law's implementation by at least one year and that they will "create an interim committee" to make legislative recommendations prior to next year's legislative session. Lawmakers intend to pass newly introduced legislation, House Bill 1100, amending Measure 26's implementation dates.
A spokesperson for the Measure 26 campaign criticized the delay effort, stating: "The policy is detailed and based on best practices from other states. The legislature does not need to change Measure 26; we wrote a complete policy. All they need to do is respect the will of the people and allow the state to implement a medical marijuana program for qualifying patients."
South Dakota voters in November passed a pair of voter-initiated marijuana measures: Measure 26 and Constitutional Amendment A, which seeks to legalize the adult-use marijuana market. Governor Noem publicly campaigned against both measures. Last week, a Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of litigation backed by the state Governor's office to nullify Amendment A on the basis that it encompass more than one topic and therefore violates the state's 'single subject rule' requirement. Proponents of that measure, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, say that they will appeal the ruling to the state's Supreme Court.
NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "The will of the voters is clear. They want a legal marijuana marketplace and they want patients to be able to access medical cannabis. These cynical efforts to undermine and delay the enactment of these voter-approved measures is an affront to the very constituents that these lawmakers are in office to serve."
New York: Legalizing the Adult-Use Marijuana Market Likely to Create Nearly 51,000 New Jobs
New York, NY: The implementation of legislative proposals seeking to legalize and regulate the adult-use marijuana market in New York state would yield over $700 million in tax revenue and create over 50,000 jobs by 2027, according to estimates provided in a new economic analysis.
The analysis, entitled Economic and Revenue Impact of Marijuana Legalization in NYS -- A Fresh Look, estimates that legalization will yield $566 million in tax revenue in its first year of implementation (2023) -- increasing to $2.6 billion by 2027. Authors further estimate that regulating commercial marijuana sales will create some 50,800 new jobs within four years.
They conclude: "Legalization has the potential to strengthen local economies and redress existing inequities in both urban and rural New York. The proposals advanced by the Governor and the legislature both aim to provide economic opportunities to communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. Legalization could also open up small retail opportunities in urban neighborhoods throughout the state that have experienced widespread pandemic-related restaurant and other small business closures."
The full text of the report is available online.
Florida: Broward County to Cease Prosecuting Low-Level Marijuana Violations
Fort Lauderdale, FL: The State Attorney for Broward County (population 2 million) has announced that his office will cease criminally prosecuting low-level marijuana possession cases.
Under the new policy, the office will no longer prosecute cases that solely involve the possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis. Under state law, such cases are defined as criminal misdemeanors punishable by up to one-year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and a criminal record.
"Prosecuting these cases has no public safety value and is a costly and counterproductive use of limited resources," Pryor wrote in a memo to the law enforcement agencies. The Sun-Sentinel newspaper reports that those involved in low-level cases will now be referred to "drug-treatment programs instead of the criminal justice system."
Broward is one of several Florida counties that have adopted local policies to reduce criminal prosecutions involving small quantities of cannabis. Nationwide, local prosecutors in numerous cities and counties -- including Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; and Rochester, New York -- have taken similar steps to end low-level marijuana prosecutions.
