Source: @norml @WeedConnection
Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com
media :: news - Tue, 17 Jun 2014 04:20:21 PST
Colorado: Marijuana Sales At State-Licensed Outlets Top $53 Million In April
Denver, CO: Legal sales of cannabis in Colorado to those who are over the age of 21 topped $22 million dollars in April, according to data released by the state government and reported this week by The Denver Post. The total is up 15 percent from March, when retailers sold approximately $19 million worth of marijuana to customers.
Additionally, state-licensed sales of cannabis at medicinal dispensaries - which are subject to a lower tax rate than are sales of retail marijuana - totaled $31 million for the month of April.
"So far this year, Colorado has brought in nearly $11 million in sales and excise taxes on recreational marijuana," The Denver Post reported. "The total take of recreation and medical marijuana taxes and fees is nearly $18 million."
Under Colorado law, commercial cannabis producers must pay a 15 percent excise tax, while retail customers must pay an additional ten percent sales tax (on top of the state's existing 2.9 percent sales tax) on any cannabis purchased at a licensed facility. Voters approved the imposition of cannabis-specific taxes (Proposition AA) this past November.
State-licensed retail outlets first became operational in Colorado on January 1, 2014. Regulations regarding the state-licensed sale of medical marijuana by dispensaries initially went into effect in 2010.
At present, an estimated 200 retail cannabis facilities are operational in the state.
The first of several similarly licensed retail outlets are expected to be operational in Washington beginning on July 1, 2014.
Study: THC Detectable In Saliva For Prolonged Periods In Habitual Consumers
Oslo, Norway: The detection of THC in oral fluid is not necessarily indicative of recent cannabis exposure, according to clinical trial data published in the journal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring.
Investigators assessed the detection time of THC in oral fluid in habitual cannabis consumers during a prolonged period of monitored abstinence. Researchers collected oral fluid samples twice per day for the length of the trial.
Authors identified that THC may be detectable in subjects' oral fluid samples for a period of up to eight days following cannabis exposure. Subjects' oral THC levels fluctuated from negative to positive results during this period despite volunteers failing to reinitiate their cannabis use.
Researchers reported: "Findings for THC in oral fluid among chronic cannabis smokers may be expected for at least 48 hours after intake, and oral fluid samples might still be positive at one week after consumption. Negative results interspersed among positive results were found for six of the patients. ... From the THC-COOH concentrations in urine, new ingestions were, however, not considered likely."
They concluded: "The study shows that frequent use of high dosages of cannabis may lead to prolonged detection times, and that positive samples can be interspersed among negative samples. These results are of great importance when THC results from oral fluid analyses are to be interpreted."
Full text of the study, "Detection Time for THC in Oral Fluid after Frequent Cannabis Smoking," appears in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring.
Study: Patients Report Subjective Relief, Satisfaction From Multiple Strains Of Medical Cannabis
Utrecht, the Netherlands: The majority of patients prescribed cannabis in the Netherlands report experiencing therapeutic relief from the plant, regardless of which strain they consume, according to survey data published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Investigators at the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction assessed patients' therapeutic satisfaction with pharmaceutical-grade cannabis and compared the subjective effects of various strains of the plant. One hundred and two patients participated in the study. Subjects consumed one of three differing types of cannabis dispensed by the Netherlands Office of Medicinal Cannabis. Strains used in the study were either high (19 percent) in THC, low (12 percent) in THC, or contained relatively equal percentages of both THC and cannabidiol.
Patients reported relatively equal satisfaction from cannabis across strains. Subjects also consumed approximately equal doses of cannabis, regardless of THC or CBD content. Patients' subjective feelings of anxiety, appetite, and/or feelings of dejection were most influenced by the type of cannabis used.
Researchers concluded: "The current study presents some new insights into the reported therapeutic effects of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis by a relevant group of patients. The results indicate that medicinal cannabis offers therapeutic relief for various conditions, many of which are characterized by chronic pain. Therapeutic satisfaction was independent of which strain of medicinal cannabis was used."
They added: "Interestingly, the pharmacologic composition of the different strains available affected the extent of different subjective (adverse) effects, with a high-THC/low-CBD product leading to more appetite stimulation but also to feelings of dejection and anxiety in comparison with a low-THC/high-CBD product. The results of this study may aid medical practitioners and patients alike in selecting which strain of pharmaceutical cannabis could be most suited for their particular condition."
Full text of the study, "Therapeutic satisfaction and subjective effects of different strains of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis," appears in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
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