#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Thu, 18 Oct 2018 04:20:21 PST
Pew Poll: 62 Percent Of Americans Say Marijuana Should Be Legal
Washington, DC: Sixty-two percent of US adults believe that "the use of marijuana should be made legal," according to national survey data compiled by the Pew Research Center and released on Monday. The percentage is the highest ever reported by Pew, which has been tracking Americans' views on the subject of marijuana legalization since 1969.
Support was strongest among Millennials (74 percent), Democrats (69 percent), and Independents (68 percent). Support for legalization was weakest among Republicans (45 percent) and those born between the years 1928 and 1945 (39 percent).
Since 2000, public support in favor of legalization has nearly doubled, Pew reported.
The Pew data is consistent with those of other national polls, including those conducted by Gallup (64 percent) and the Center for American Progress (68 percent).
Survey: Cannabis Use Becoming Common Among Older Adults
Aurora, CO: The use of cannabis is relatively common among those over the age of 65 who reside in a legal marijuana state, according to data published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Investigators from the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus anonymously surveyed older adults at a pair of ambulatory geriatric primary care clinics in Colorado.
Thirty-two percent of respondents reported having used cannabis following legalization, and 16 percent reported that they were current users. Subjects were most likely to report using cannabis to mitigate symptoms of pain, anxiety, and depression, or to stimulate appetite.
Authors concluded: "[O]ur survey of ambulatory older adults from Colorado demonstrated that marijuana use in this population was common. Respondents reported using recreational marijuana to target a variety of medical symptoms and conditions with few reported adverse effects. Thus, it is prudent for primary care providers of older adults to inquire specifically about marijuana use before considering prescription changes or additions."
Separate studies find that self-reported cannabis usage among older Americans is rising dramatically, and that many seniors reduce their use of prescription medications, particularly opioids, following their marijuana use. According to clinical data assessing seniors' long-term use of cannabis, consumption is safe and is associated with a "significant improvement" in subjects' "overall quality of life."
Full text of the study, "Characteristics and patterns of marijuana use in community-dwelling older adults," appears in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Study: Marijuana's Legal Status Doesn't Increase Likelihood Of Problematic Use
Melbourne, Australia: Statewide cannabis legalization is not positively associated with an increased risk of adults abusing the substance, according to data published in the journal Drugs In Context.
Australian researchers assessed whether the legal status of cannabis in US states impacted the likelihood of adults using it problematically. They concluded: "Our results also show that legalization status in the USA is not associated with problematic cannabis use and impulsivity. The current findings go beyond prior studies to suggest that, at this point in time, the legalization status of cannabis has not shown an association with cannabis use amongst frequent users, a finding supported by a growing body of literature."
The findings are consistent with those of prior studies showing declines in the prevalence of so-called 'cannabis use disorder' and other measurements of problematic cannabis use in the United States despite the enactment of statewide marijuana liberalization laws.
Full text of the study, "Exploring the association of legalization status of cannabis with problematic cannabis use and impulsivity in the USA," appears online.
Guam: Governor Signs Home Grow Legislation Into Law
Hagatna, Guam: The Governor for the US territory of Guam has signed legislation permitting qualified medical cannabis patients and their caregivers the ability to grow personal use amounts of cannabis at home.
Under the new law, applicants can apply to the Department of Health and Social Services to receive a home cultivation permit. Approved applicants may grow up to six mature plants and/or 12 immature plants.
Voters in 2014 approved a ballot measure establishing a medical cannabis program. Under the program, patients with cancer, PTSD, epilepsy, and other qualifying conditions are eligible to obtain cannabis from licensed dispensaries. However, to date, no such facilities are up and running.
Lawmakers say that allowing patients the option to grow marijuana at home is an "interim solution" to address the government's failure to move the program forward in an expeditious manner.
Study: Cannabis Use Not Associated With Fibrosis Progression, Inversely Linked With Fatty Liver Disease
Stanford, CA: Cannabis use is not linked to either hepatic fibrosis or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to a meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most prevalent form of liver disease, affecting an estimated 80 to 100 million people in the United States.
Investigators with Stanford University and the University of Tennessee reviewed data from nine separate studies involving nearly six million subjects. A pooled analysis of the results reported that cannabis-using subjects were less likely than non-users to suffer from either fibrosis or NAFLD.
They concluded: "Marijuana use did not increase the prevalence or progression of hepatic fibrosis in HCV and HCV-HIV-coinfected patients. On the contrary, we noted a reduction in the prevalence of NAFLD in marijuana users. Future studies are needed to further understand the therapeutic impact of cannabidiol-based formulations in the management of NAFLD."
Full text of the study, "Marijuana is not associated with progression of hepatic fibrosis in liver disease: A systemic review and meta-analysis," appears in the European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
Washington: Regulators Walk Back Prior Approval Of Certain Cannabis-Infused Products
Olympia, WA: Representatives of Washington State's Liquor and Cannabis Board have re-evaluated their stance with regard to the retail sale of a variety of cannabis-infused products, such as hard candies and fruit chews.
Following a review by staff, regulators announced last week that sales of infused products that may be "especially appealing" to children will no longer be permitted. The specific products targeted by the Board are: "hard candy," "tarts," fruit chews," jellies," and "all gummy type products."
Under the change, retailers will be allowed to sell their existing inventory until April 3, 2019.
Sales of infused chocolates, cookies, caramels, and mints will continue to be permitted.
Infused edible products comprise an estimated nine percent of Washington's retail cannabis market.
Clinical Trial: Plant-Derived CBD/THC Extracts Safe And Effective For Children With Intractable Epilepsy
Toronto, Canada: The long-term administration of cannabis-plant derived extracts containing a 50 to 1 ratio of CBD to THC is safe and effective in children with treatment-resistant epilepsy, according to clinical trial data published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
Canadian researchers assessed the adjunctive use of a proprietary CBD/THC extract (aka TIL-TC150, manufactured by Tilray Inc.) over a 20-week period in children with Dravet syndrome. Investigators reported that the treatment was "safe and well tolerated," and was associated with reduced seizure frequency and improvements in quality of life measures.
They concluded: "To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to examine with rigor the dosing and tolerability of a mixed cannabinoid product containing both CBD and THC in children with DRE (drug-resistant epilepsy). … Our study adds to a growing body of evidence that cannabinoids exert anti-seizure effects and are safe and tolerable in treating pediatric DRE."
In June, the US Food and Drug Administration granted market approval to the plant-derived CBD extract Epidiolex for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy.
Last month, investigators associated with the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research announced that the US DEA had granted them permission to import Tilray's plant-derived CBD/THC formulations into the United States for use in clinical trials of adults with essential tremor (ET).
Full text of the study, "A prospective open-label trial of a CBD/THC cannabis oil in Dravet syndrome," appears online.
