#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 15 Jun 2021 04:20:21 PST
Analysis: THC Per Se Thresholds Are Unreliable Indicators of Psychomotor Impairment
Herborn, Germany: The presence of THC concentrations in blood is an unreliable predictor of impaired driving performance, according to a literature review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
A team of investigators from Germany and the United States reviewed multiple scientific papers published over the past decade assessing the relationship between THC blood levels, driving performance, and motor vehicle accident risk.
They concluded, "[T]here is no clear overall relationship with THC blood or serum levels and driving skills or crash risk. ... Not surprisingly, there is no unanimous agreement on potential THC legal cut-off levels. ... Therefore, the various THC concentrations used to define a cannabis-related driving offense in EU [European Union] countries and some US-states varying between 1 and up to 7 ng/ml alone may not be appropriate to evaluate driving skill impairment comprehensively."
The findings are consistent with those of numerous other studies and expert review panels concluding that the presence of THC is an unreliable predictor of either recent cannabis exposure or impairment of performance. A 2019 report issued by the Congressional Research Service similarly determined: "Research studies have been unable to consistently correlate levels of marijuana consumption, or THC in a person's body, and levels of impairment. Thus, some researchers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have observed that using a measure of THC as evidence of a driver's impairment is not supported by scientific evidence to date."
NORML has long opposed the imposition of THC per se thresholds for cannabinoids in traffic safety legislation, opining: "The sole presence of THC and/or its metabolites in blood, particularly at low levels, is an inconsistent and largely inappropriate indicator of psychomotor impairment in cannabis consuming subjects. ... Lawmakers would be advised to consider alternative legislative approaches to address concerns over DUI cannabis behavior that do not rely solely on the presence of THC or its metabolites in blood or urine as determinants of guilt in a court of law. Otherwise, the imposition of traffic safety laws may inadvertently become a criminal mechanism for law enforcement and prosecutors to punish those who have engaged in legally protected behavior and who have not posed any actionable traffic safety threat."
In recent months, lawmakers in two states - Indiana and Nevada - have rolled back their THC per se laws.
Full text of the study, "Cannabis use and car crashes: A review," appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Baton Rouge, LA: House and Senate lawmakers have passed legislation eliminating the possibility of jail time for low-level marijuana possession crimes.
House Bill 652 amends state law so that offenses involving the possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana for non-medical purposes is punishable by a fine of no more than $100 - no arrest and no jail time. The fine-penalty remains in place regardless of whether the offender has any prior marijuana convictions.
Enhanced penalties and jail time remain in place for repeat offenders who are convicted of possessing more than 14 grams of marijuana.
Once the bill is transmitted to Governor John Bel Edwards (D), he has 20 days to either sign or veto it. The bill can also become law absent the Governor's signature.
If approved, the reduced penalties will take effect on August 1, 2021.
History of Cannabis Use Associated with Lower In-Hospital Mortality in COPD Patients
Bridgeport, CT: COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients with a history of marijuana use are less likely to suffer from pneumonia or die during hospitalization as compared to non-users, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
A team of researchers affiliated with Yale University, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Nevada analyzed hospitalization trends in over six million COPD patients with and without a history of cannabis use.
Researchers reported that cannabis use among COPD patients was associated with lower in-hospital mortality, a decreased risk for pneumonia, and shorter lengths of hospitalization as compared to patients with no history of use. Cannabis consumers also had lower odds of sepsis and acute respiratory failure. "Our findings do not support the hypothesis that cannabis is associated with worse in-hospital outcomes in [patients with] COPD," investigators determined.
They concluded: "The results of our study showed that over a 10-year period, cannabis use was increasingly prevalent in patients hospitalized for COPD. ... Among hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of COPD, cannabis users had statistically significant lower odds of in-hospital mortality and pneumonia compared to non-cannabis users. ... Regardless of the reasons, the association of cannabis use with lower in-hospital mortality ... in hospitalized patients with COPD is compelling and consistent with previously reported data in non-COPD patient populations. Additional studies are warranted to clarify the factors that underlie these observations."
Separate observational studies have similarly reported that marijuana use is associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality among patients suffering from congestive heart failure, cancer, pancreatitis, HIV, burn-related injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other types of severe trauma.
Full text of the study, "Prevalence and outcomes of cannabis use among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations: A nationwide population-based study: 2015-214," appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Study: Pain Patients Report Reduced Prescription Drug Use, Improved Quality of Life Following Medical Cannabis Treatment
Haifa, Israel: The prolonged use of inhaled cannabis is associated with reductions in the use of analgesic medications and improvements in the quality of life of chronic pain patients, according to longitudinal data published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.
A team of Israeli investigators assessed the use of herbal cannabis in a cohort of patients with chronic non-cancer pain over a period of six months. Most of the study's participants suffered from either neuropathy or musculoskeletal pain conditions.
Subjects' use of prescription analgesics fell by nearly half during the study period - a finding that is consistent with prior studies. Subjects who consumed flowers high in THC content reported the most significant decrease in their use of prescription pain medicines. Most participants acknowledged marked improvements in their overall quality of life, despite also reporting that their overall level of pain intensity remained stable throughout the trial. The most commonly reported side-effects were fatigue and dry mouth.
Authors concluded: "Analgesic medication consumption rates decreased from 46 to 28 percent and good Quality of Life (QoL) rates increased from 49 to 62 percent. ... These results may shed light on the long-term beneficial effects of MC [medical cannabis] on CNCP [chronic non-cancer pain]."
Full text of the study, "Prolonged medical cannabis treatment is associated with quality of life improvement and reductions of analgesic medication consumption in chronic pain patients," appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Additional information the relationship between cannabis and prescription pain relievers is available from the NORML fact sheet, "Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids."
Fewer Older Americans Perceive Significant Risks Associated with Marijuana Use
San Diego, CA: The percentage of older Americans who believe that the use of marijuana poses significant risks to health is declining, according to data published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
A team of researchers affiliated with the University of California, San Diego assessed the attitudes of older Americans (ages 65 and older) in a nationally representative cohort of 18,794 adults. They reported that the percentage of older adults "who believe that people who smoke cannabis once or twice a week are at great risk of harming themselves physically and in other ways" had decreased nearly 20 percent between the years 2015 and 2019.
The study's finding is consistent with data showing a significant uptick in self-reported cannabis use by older Americans and seniors. Most recently, data from Washington state reported that 25 percent of women and 38 percent of men ages 50 and older had used cannabis within the past year, up from 15 percent and 23 percent just two year earlier.
Full text of the study, "Decreasing perceived risk associated with regular cannabis use among older adults in the United States from 2015 to 2019," appears in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
