#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 24 Nov 2020 04:20:21 PST
Nearly 20 Percent of Patients with Rheumatologic Diseases Consume Cannabis
Clermont-Ferrand, France: A significant minority of patients with rheumatologic diseases -- such as lupus, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis -- actively consume cannabis, according to data published in the journal Rheumatology.
A team of French researchers conducted a meta-analysis of the relevant literature specific to the use of cannabis in patients with rheumatologic diseases.
Researchers reported that approximately 17 percent of all patients with rheumatological diseases are active consumers of cannabis. Cannabis use was most common among patients with fibromyalgia. Overall, cannabis consumers tended to be younger in age and were most likely to report using cannabis to mitigate pain.
Authors concluded: "In this meta-analysis, we found that one in six patients suffering from rheumatologic disease actively consumes cannabis, reducing in pain reduction. ... A favorable effect of cannabis on pain in our meta-analysis reinforces the idea that cannabis could be used for analgesic purposes."
Placebo-controlled clinical trial data published last month in the journal Pain Medicine reported that the administration of plant-derived THC-rich cannabis oil is effective and well-tolerated among fibromyalgia patients. By contrast, less data is available at this time assessing the efficacy of cannabis for other rheumatological conditions, like lupus, spondylitis, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Full text of the study, "Cannabis use assessment and its impact on pain in rheumatologic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis," appears in Rheumatology.
Case Report: Sustained Smoking of CBD-Rich Cannabis Yields a Positive Drug Test for Carboxy-THC
Turin, Italy: The sustained smoking of CBD-rich cannabis containing only trace percentages of THC will trigger a positive urine test result for carboxy-THC, according to a case report published in the journal Forensic Science International.
Italian investigators assessed toxicological screens in a single subject who inhaled one CBD-rich cigarette per day (six percent CBD and 0.2 percent THC) over a 26-day period.
Investigators reported that the subject tested positive for the presence of carboxy-THC in urine at levels above 15ng/ml by the fifteenth day of the trial. By contrast, repeated dosing was not associated with a positive oral fluid test for THC. Hair samples also tested negative for both the presence of THC and carboxy-THC.
Authors concluded: "[T]his study based on a single subject suggests that the repeated exposure to CBD-rich cannabis (containing small amounts of THC) can generate positive results when biological samples are tested. In particular, positive urine results for THC-COOH, using the confirmatory cut-off of 15 ng/mL, were obtained after a 15-days period of consumption. These results show the potential risk for chronic CBD-rich cannabis users of failing a urine drug test."
The report's findings are consistent with those of a recently published paper in JAMA Psychiatry reporting that the consumption of hemp-derived CBD products that comport with federal standards (containing no more than 0.3 percent THC) can similarly trigger a positive urine test result for marijuana exposure.
Full text of the study, "Determination of cannabinoids in urine, oral fluid, and hair samples after repeated intake of CBD-rich cannabis by smoking," appears in Forensic science International.
Study: Eight Percent of Older Cancer Patients Are Using Cannabis
Tampa, FL: Nearly one-in-ten cancer patients over the age of 65 is an active consumer of cannabis, according to data published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
Investigators affiliated with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida reviewed drug screen samples provided by cancer patients upon their initial visit to the clinic. Researchers retrospectively reviewed three years of data.
Among cancer patients ages 65 or older, eight percent of tested positive for cannabis exposure. A separate study published in October in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that an estimated 25 percent of cancer patients self-report using cannabis medicinally, but that paper did not stratify respondents by age.
"As one of the first studies to assess cannabis use via objective testing rather than self-report, this study adds significantly to the emerging literature on cannabis use in people aged 65 years and older," researchers concluded. "Findings suggest the rate of use in older adults living with cancer is higher than that among older adults in the general population."
Full text of the study, "Rate of cannabis use in older adults with cancer," appears in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
California: Universities Awarded $30 Million in Cannabis Research Funding
Sacramento, CA: State regulators announced late last week that they have awarded just under $30 million to California universities for the purposes of conducting scientific research evaluating cannabis use and its health and safety impacts.
Numerous universities throughout the states -- including UC Los Angeles, UC San Francisco, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis -- will receive funding. Research projects include: evaluating cannabis use by older adults, assessing the effects of cannabis legalization on home prices, exploring the potential relationship between marijuana use and mental health, evaluating the potential impact of cannabis use on immune health, and assessing marijuana smoking and lung health, among others. Overall, the grants will fund more than two-dozen research studies.
"The research conducted through these public university grants will provide critical information for evaluating our legal cannabis system and its impacts," Bureau of Cannabis Control Chief Lori Ajax said. "This research will be a valuable tool to inform future cannabis policy in California."
California was among the first states in the nation to explicitly begin funding cannabis-specific research studies -- having established the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research in 2000. Previous clinical trials conducted by CMCR-affiliated researchers have included evaluations of the efficacy of inhaled cannabis on spinal cord injury, diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis-related spasticity, and HIV-related analgesia.
Additional information is available from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control.
Argentina: Presidential Decree Permits for Licensed, Home Cultivation of Medical Cannabis
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Patients and their caregivers will be able to apply for federal licensure to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes in their homes, according to a Presidential decree issued late last week.
The policy change expands upon a 2017 law that provided a legal exemption under the law for qualifying patients with epilepsy to possess cannabis extracts. However, that law provided to legal source to provide patients with access to plant-derived extracts.
Under the new law, pharmacies will also for the first time be able to provide specific cannabis products to qualifying patients. "We are replacing a black market that already exists with quality control that is key in all medical products, particularly those that are given to children," said Argentina's health minister, Ginés González García.
Argentina is one of a number of South American countries, including Chile, Colombia, and Peru, that has moved in recent years to liberalize medical cannabis access. In July of 2017, pharmacies in Uruguay began selling cannabis products over-the-counter to adults participating in the nation's marijuana registry.
Israel: Justice Ministry Plan Calls for Regulating the Adult-Use Marijuana Market
Tel Aviv, Israel: The Israeli Justice Minister has called for the adoption of formal recommendations calling for the legalization of marijuana sales for those ages 21 and older.
Under the proposal, marijuana products would be sold in licensed retail facilities. By contrast, home cultivation of marijuana would be initially limited under the plan.
The production, use, and dispensing of cannabis products to qualified patients is already permitted in Israel.
"The time has come to move forward to a new path and legalize cannabis in Israel," the Justice Minister said. "This is a major reform -- holistic and responsible -- that demonstrates Israel is not ignoring reality but rather making progress in the direction of developed nations around the world."
Israeli officials estimate that the policy recommendations could become law within nine months. "The legislative outline can be approved very soon," the Justice Minister said. "Afterwards, there is the process of applying performance regulations, which we expect will be done by the last quarter of next year."
