#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Thu, 06 May 2021 04:20:21 PST
Study: Use of CBD-Dominant Cannabis Associated with Reduced Alcohol Intake
Boulder, CO: The consumption of CBD-dominant cannabis is associated with reductions in subjects' intake of alcohol, according to data published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
Investigators affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder assessed the relationship between marijuana consumption and alcohol intake in 120 subjects assigned to use one of three legal-market cannabis strains (predominantly THC, predominantly CBD, and relatively equal ratios of CBD and THC).
Researchers reported that participants assigned to use CBD-dominant cannabis during the trial period "drank fewer drinks per drinking day, had fewer alcohol use days, and fewer alcohol and cannabis co-use days compared with the other groups." Subjects assigned to the other two groups reported no changes in their drinking patterns.
Authors acknowledged that the results were "consistent with preclinical work suggesting that CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption." Separate studies have previously indicated that CBD may reduce subjects' cravings for other controlled substances, including tobacco and heroin.
They concluded: "The present study lends preliminary support to the notion that plant-based CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption among regular cannabis users and suggests that it may be feasible for regular cannabis users to switch to a higher CBD, lower THC content cannabis strain for the purposes of reducing their alcohol intake."
Separate data published by the study's co-authors in January in the journal Addiction similarly reported an inverse relationship between cannabis use and alcohol. In that study, chronic alcohol consumers significantly reduced their alcohol intake on days when they used cannabis as compared to days when they did not.
Full text of the study, "THC and CBD effects on alcohol use among alcohol and cannabis co-users," appears in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
CBS Poll: Majority of US Adults Want Marijuana Legal in Their State
New York, NY: The majority of US adults support legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in their states, according to nationwide polling data compiled by CBS News.
Fifty-five percent of respondents say that they want to see legalization in their home states. Among those already residing in legal states, 60 percent said that they favor the policy change.
Fifty-nine percent of respondents also favor expunging the criminal records of those with past marijuana convictions.
Few of those polled acknowledged being regular consumers of cannabis, and this decision appeared to be largely unaffected by the plant's legal status. Seven percent of respondents residing in legal states reporting using cannabis versus five percent of those surveyed in jurisdictions where its recreational use remains illegal.
The CBS poll is the latest in a series of recent national polls showing that most Americans believe that the possession and use of marijuana by adults should be legally permitted.
The survey's margin of error is +/- 3.7 percentage points.
Canada: Far Fewer Consumers Accessing Illegally Sourced Cannabis Following Enactment of Adult-Use Legalization
Ottawa, Canada: Significantly fewer Canadians are obtaining cannabis products from illicit market sources, according to data published in the journal Health Reports.
An investigator assessed marijuana use patterns among Canadians for the three-year period immediately prior to the enactment of adult-use legalization and for the two-year period immediately thereafter.
In 2020, nearly 70 percent of cannabis consumers who participated in the study reported obtaining cannabis from a legal source, up from 47 percent in 2019. (Because the survey included respondents ages 15 and older, some subjects would be unable to obtain cannabis from any legal sources -- which require users to be at least 18 years of age.)
"One of the goals of legalization was the elimination (or substantial reduction) of the cannabis black (illegal) market and consequently keeping profits from criminals and organized crime," the author wrote. "According to this study, there is some evidence that this may be working."
Marijuana use among those ages 18 to 24 remained largely unchanged following legalization. However, the self-reported use of cannabis by those ages 25 and older has increased, the study found. Consistent with prior marijuana consumption studies, the majority of consumers (71 percent) acknowledged inhaling cannabis flower products.
The author concluded: "This study spans three years -- from before legalization to about two years after. It provides a picture of the law's impact on cannabis use and related behaviors given the more established legal cannabis industry better equipped to compete with the black market on price, convenience and selection. Findings demonstrated that change is continuing, and, as before, some cautions and some assurances remain."
Full text of the study, "Looking back from 2020: How cannabis use and related behaviors in Canada changed," appears in Health Reports.
Analysis: Older Patients More Likely to Consume Cannabis Tinctures, High-CBD Products
New York, NY: Older patients are more likely to purchase sublingual formulations of cannabis, as well as products higher in CBD, according to an analysis of sales data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Researchers from New York University's School of Medicine analyzed invoice data from nearly 6,000 patients ages 50 and older who patronized a state-licensed medical dispensary in New York state.
Authors reported, "Older adults were more likely to use sublingual tincture versus other consumption methods, to use products with a lower THC:CBD ratio, and to begin cannabis treatment with a lower THC and higher CBD dose compared with younger age groups."
The findings are consistent with those of prior surveys showing that older patients are more likely to use tinctures and are less likely to use vaporizer devices. Because the sale of cannabis flower was prohibited in New York at the time the study was conducted, authors could not assess patients' preference for it. However, prior studies have determined that botanical cannabis preparations are most likely to be favored by all age groups.
Numerous studies have identified a significant uptick in the percentage of older Americans using medical cannabis. According to data published in October in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, over half of seniors consuming medical cannabis initiated their use as older adults.
Full text of the study, "Patterns of medical cannabis use among older adults from a cannabis dispensary in New York state," appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
More Than One-In-Five Patients with Inherited Form of Muscular Dystrophy Acknowledge Using Cannabis
Quebec City, Canada: More than one-in-five patients diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), an inherited form of muscular dystrophy, report being current users of cannabis, according to data published in the journal Neuromuscular Disorders.
A team of Canadian researchers surveyed 72 patients with the disease. Twenty-two percent of respondents acknowledged using cannabis, and nearly 60 percent of them reported doing so for symptomatic relief. Those who consumed cannabis therapeutically reported poorer overall health than non-medical users.
The study's authors concluded, "Our results support the potential role of cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of DM1-associated symptoms which will need to be thoroughly investigated."
According to the US National Institutes of Health, DM1 is characterized by wasting, muscle weakness, and prolonged muscle tensing.
Full text of the study, "Characterization of cannabis use by patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1: A pilot study," appears in Neuromuscular Disorders.
