Medical

According to Cache Valley Daily, around 60% of Utah's medicinal cannabis users obtain their cannabis from sources other than the state's authorized market. The study, done by Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) on behalf of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF), sheds light on accessibility issues in the state's medicinal cannabis program. Dr. Brandon Forsyth, Director of Industrial Hemp and Medical Cannabis at UDAF, emphasized the need of conducting annual market analyses to evaluate the performance of Utah's Medical Cannabis… Read more.

As South Carolina lawmakers and advocates put pressure on the House to advance a Senate-passed medical marijuana legalization bill, a new poll shows the reform enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. The Mason-Dixon Poll, conducted from March 6-11, found that 83 percent of registered voters are in favor of medical cannabis legalization, including 93 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Republicans and 84 percent on independents. To that end, Sen. Tom Davis (R) was joined by several House lawmakers, the executive director… Read more.

The Iowa Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to impose an age threshold of 21 for consumable hemp products containing THC, We Are Iowa reports. The measure also includes 4 milligram THC serving limit caps, with limits of 10 milligrams per container. State Sen. Dan Dawson (R) argued during the bill debate that the limits are necessary because products available in the state under the Iowa Hemp Act need “to be at a milligram usage less than our medical cannabidiol program, otherwise the… Read more.

Kentucky’s legislature has delivered a budget bill to the governor that includes a provision restricting funding for a medical marijuana regulatory body overseeing the state’s forthcoming program until its advisory board determines there’s a “propensity” of research supporting the therapeutic “efficacy” of cannabis. The language represents a watered down version of what was included in the Senate budget proposal, which would have set a much stricter threshold for the availability of funding for the Office of Medical Cannabis. A last-minute… Read more.

Bicameral congressional leaders have released a spending package that contains a number of marijuana-related items—including bill provisions preserving protections for state medical cannabis programs and report language that calls for the federal government to study state legalization laws and expand scientists’ access to commercially available cannabis for research. The legislation covering Fiscal Year 2024 was posted on Sunday by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, with bipartisan legislators aiming to pass the package this week before the latest continuing resolution… Read more.

South Carolina's MMJ Bill  Would Prohibit Smoking, Killing Economic Growth for a Nascent Industry? When Cannabis.net put up an article called, "When Conservatives Regulate Cannabis - Florida Caps THC Limits at 10%", the idea was to show how that once legalization happens, bringing non-regulatory ideas into regulation will be a failure. Well, South Carolina say Florida, and said, "Hold my beer". The Senate in South Carolina continued deliberations on a bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana on Thursday, sparking heated debates among lawmakers… Read more.

The Delaware House of Representatives has approved a bill to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program ahead of the launch of adult-use sales that may take another year to implement. About two weeks after the legislation from Rep. Ed Osienski (D) cleared committee, the full chamber passed it in a 26-10 vote on Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate for consideration. The bill would make a series of changes to Delaware’s medical cannabis program, including removing limitations for patient eligibility based… Read more.

A Pennsylvania district attorney and gun rights advocates have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn the ban preventing medical marijuana patients from buying and possessing firearms—the latest in a series of legal challenges to the policy. Warren County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Robert Greene, a registered medical cannabis patient in the state, teamed up with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to file suit against the federal government in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania… Read more.

The number of registered medical marijuana patients continued to rise in Florida during fiscal year 2023, a state panel said in a new annual report—although the rate of growth slowed slightly from previous years as the system matures and attention turns to an adult-use legalization measure that may go before voters on the November ballot. The number of individual patients enrolled in the program, for example, grew by 15 percent in fiscal 2023 compared to the previous year, down from 25… Read more.

Top Republican Wisconsin senators are already signaling that a newly unveiled bill from their Assembly GOP colleagues to create a strictly limited medical cannabis program may be a “non-starter”—especially as it concerns its novel proposal to have state-run dispensaries that the Senate majority leader is critically comparing to a “DMV for medical marijuana.” Just days after Wisconsin Assembly Republicans held a series of press conferences across the state to announce their much-anticipated plan to legalize medical cannabis, Senate Majority Leader Devin… Read more.

Wisconsin Republicans have unveiled a plan to legalize non-smokable medical marijuana through state-run dispensaries staffed by government-employed pharmacists, with a limited set of conditions that could qualify patients for the program. At a series of press conferences across the state on Monday, GOP state lawmakers detailed the much-anticipated legislation, which would make Wisconsin the “first state to have state-run dispensaries,” operated by the Department of Health Services (DHS). As expected, the proposal would create a restrictive system that limits patients… Read more.

Oklahoma has enacted a recent law granting regulatory authority to oversee a covert evaluation initiative for medical marijuana dispensaries. Officially known as House Bill 3971 (HB 3971), this legislation, endorsed by state legislators and enacted in 2022, empowers the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to conduct undercover assessments of at least 50 licensed medical marijuana retailers annually to identify any breaches of state regulations. Effective this week, HB 3971 is part of a series of legislative measures aimed at tightening… Read more.

The governor of Kentucky is urging lawmakers to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana law by adding new qualifying conditions as the administration puts forward a series of initial proposed regulations to begin implementing the program. At a briefing on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced that two independent advisory groups he appointed have unanimously voted to recommend that the legislature add more than a dozen new conditions to qualify patients for medical cannabis under a law he signed last year.… Read more.

In a pioneering effort, Johns Hopkins University is initiating a thorough study to delve into the complexities of medical marijuana usage. As a crucial component of the Cannabis and Health Research Initiative, this expansive research project intends to monitor 10,000 medical marijuana patients for a year. It systematically gathers data on dosage, consumption methods, product composition, drug interactions, and treatment specifics. The overarching objective is to advance our comprehension of the effectiveness and impact of cannabis therapy across diverse health conditions. The… Read more.

In the latest development from Alabama’s nascent medical cannabis industry, several companies including Southeast Cannabis, TheraTrue 3 Notch Root, Alabama Always, and Jemmstone are set to make their legal case against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) today, as reported by the Alabama Political Reporter. The applicants are contesting the commission’s methods of awarding medical cannabis licenses, asserting that the AMCC’s decisions during a crucial December 12 meeting were procedurally flawed, specifically criticizing the handling of application scoring and electronic files,… Read more.

The GOP leader of Wisconsin’s Assembly says a limited medical marijuana bill will be introduced next month—though he expects that lawmakers are “going to have to pass it with just Republican votes” because his Democratic colleagues want broader legalization and aren’t willing to accept the scaled-back reform. In an interview with Spectrum News 1 that was published on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said that it’s “taken us a while to find a consensus on the Assembly Republican side”… Read more.

Little Five Points Pharmacy, situated in Atlanta, is among the nearly 120 independent pharmacies in Georgia that recently sought approval to distribute medical marijuana through a new state initiative. However, last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a warning to Little Five Points Pharmacy and other pharmacies statewide, asserting that such activities are illegal due to THC being categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance. Expressing his dismay, Ira Katz, a pharmacist at Little Five Points Pharmacy, conveyed his disappointment, stating,… Read more.

Sports medicine providers “generally have favorable views toward CBD and cannabis,” and most believe marijuana should be removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibited substances, according to a new survey of 333 doctors published this month. The study also found that most sports medicine physicians who participated support legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical use. That said, there are still “varying views” about cannabis within the field, authors found, and those “appear to be significantly affected by… Read more.

Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly leader says he now plans to unveil a restrictive medical marijuana bill next month, and he believes it will have enough support to move through both chambers of the GOP-controlled legislature in 2024. In a series of end-of-year interviews with local media outlets that were published on Thursday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said the much-anticipated legislation is nearly ready for prime time—the product of extensive internal talks within the Republican caucus over recent months. As expected,… Read more.

As Delaware gears up for adult-use cannabis, sales of which are set to kick off as soon as next year, the state could also dramatically expand its existing medical marijuana program. A bill introduced in the legislature this week would remove the requirement that patients have one of a designated set of qualifying conditions, instead allowing doctors to recommend marijuana for any condition that they believe it could benefit. Additionally, patients 65 or older could self-certify their need for medical… Read more.

Five years after the United Kingdom’s Home Office legalized medical cannabis products for use on the National Health Service (NHS), the government still hasn’t funded clinical trials that would allow physicians to prescribe cannabis, Sky News reports. Patients with private insurance can access medical cannabis products, but those who rely on NHS cannot.   Dr. Alan Fayaz, an NHS consultant and a spokesperson for the British Pain Society, told Sky News that the 2018 decision by the Home Office to legalize medical cannabis before clinical… Read more.

Georgia recently became the first U.S. state to allow pharmacies to sell medical marijuana, with nearly 120 facilities applying to sell cannabis oil as of October. But now the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning pharmacies that dispensing THC is unlawful because it remains a Schedule I drug. “All DEA registrants, including DEA-registered pharmacies, are required to abide by all relevant federal laws and regulations,” says a copy of a letter sent to a Georgia pharmacy by Matthew J.… Read more.

It’s not uncommon for residents of states yet to enact cannabis laws to travel and obtain their weed through out-of-state dispensaries. However, one Southern state appears to be experiencing this issue when it comes to medical cannabis, even though it’s had legal, operational medical dispensaries since 2020. A new 78-page report released by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) takes a closer look at the state’s medical cannabis market, most notably finding that the state’s high prices are driving consumers to border… Read more.

Two new bills regarding medical marijuana have been prefiled for New Hampshire’s legislative session that begins in January, with at least seven others already requested by lawmakers. One of the two proposals prefiled on Friday, HB 1231, would allow patients and caregivers to cultivate marijuana for therapeutic use. It’s sponsored by Rep. Wendy Thomas (D), as well as fellow Democratic Reps. Maria Perez, Jodi Newell, Alissandra Murray and Jonah Wheeler. Thomas sponsored similar medical marijuana homegrow legislation last session. Under the new… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Friday awarded 20 licenses for the production and distribution of medical cannabis in its third attempt to get the new industry started in the state. The awards followed three days of presentations from applicants and months of litigation over the AMCC’s prior methods of evaluating applications. “The week we had had a good process—it’s worked well,” said Rex Vaughn, the chair of the AMCC. “The presenters brought things to the forefront that maybe we didn’t see otherwise,… Read more.

The University of Utah Health is partnering with the state to launch the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) which aims to “advance scientific understanding of medical cannabis and help patients and providers make informed health decisions about this increasingly common medication.”    Valerie Ahanonu, B.S., senior manager of the CMCR, said in a statement that the center’s overall aim is to “look at the methodology behind how people are using cannabis, and to create a translational approach to understanding its benefits… Read more.

Do you remember the Cannabis.net story on how Colorado regulators are catching all sorts of cheating on lab testing for legally sold cannabis?  The premise destroys the idea that you should be paying more for lab-tested, legal weed, because, well, it was safer than street sold marijuana.  Now, not only are Colorado regulators catching legal suppliers spraying and cheating on lab results, Maine has popped up as a big problem for legal buyer of medical marijuana.  Two recent studies reveal that… Read more.

A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Ukraine that was supposed to be taken up for a final vote this week is being effectively blocked, with members of one party filing hundreds of so-called “spam” amendments to procedurally delay passage. Ukraine’s unicameral legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, was scheduled to consider the reform measure on Wednesday. It advanced through committee last month, with the support of President Volodymyr Zelensky, and it was expected to easily pass in a final reading—but MP Olga Stefanyshina… Read more.

Oklahoma has extended its moratorium on new medical cannabis licenses until 2026, Tulsa World reports. The legislation does allow the state Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to end the moratorium if its leadership “determines all pending licensing reviews, inspections or investigations are complete.” The state’s moratorium has been in place for more than a year and thousands of license reviews remain pending, the report says. Michael Kimball, OMMA communications manager, told the World that it’s “hard to imagine” the moratorium ending early. According to state… Read more.

A top federal health official is offering some pointed critiques of the U.S. drug criminalization model, stressing how politicizing addiction has fostered a system of incarceration that increases overdose risk while biasing research that could reveal the benefits, as well as the risks, of substances such as marijuana and psilocybin. She also rebuked treatment approaches that focus exclusively on abstinence. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow made the comments in an appearance last month at the International… Read more.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a Senate-passed bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients. The legislation—which has been amended to further grant grower permits to independent dispensaries—cleared the chamber in a 114-89 vote on Wednesday. Because it was revised, it must return to the Senate for concurrence before it’s potentially sent to the governor’s desk. Under the measure, sponsored by Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), the state… Read more.

According to a survey conducted by EO Care, Inc., 88% of medical cannabis users reported that it reduced their reliance on prescription drugs, alcohol, or both. Additionally, 51% of respondents expressed a likelihood or strong inclination to utilize cannabis if it were offered through their health plan. This survey encompassed 1,027 participants from states where cannabis was legally accessible for either medical or recreational use. It also revealed that 65% of those surveyed would feel more at ease using cannabis for medical purposes if… Read more.

The odds that a patient visiting the emergency department is diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (CUD) is nearly 50 percent lower in states that have legalized marijuana compared to non-legal states, according to a new study. And researchers say the “counterintuitive” finding could be related to the destigmatization of cannabis use within the medical community as prohibition ends. The study, published in the journal Preventative Medicine Reports last week, looked at emergency department data from 2017 to 2020 in two… Read more.

Cannabis cultivation in the United States traces its roots to the early colonists, who cultivated hemp primarily for textile and rope production. However, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, cannabis found extensive `use as a patented medicinal remedy, with its formal inclusion in the United States Pharmacopeia occurring in 1850. In 1937, cannabis was criminalized. The criminalization of marijuana was influenced by a combination of political and racial factors and was achieved through the enactment of the Marijuana Tax… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) is now aiming to get industry licenses awarded by December, in what its chairman calls an “aggressive” timeline after a summer of starts and stops, WIAT reports. The agency voted last week to officially rescind the previous licenses and laid out a new timeline that would issue the licenses by the end of the year with products available in the spring.  In June, the AMCC awarded the first round of medical cannabis licenses, but days later paused the process due to… Read more.

Professor Aaron Ciechanover's captivating odyssey takes us from the confines of a research laboratory into the enigmatic realms of the cannabis industry. This prominent Nobel laureate in chemistry has recently deviated from his colleagues' well-worn route, immersing himself in the cannabis arena. His goal is not to focus on the plant's mystique but rather to uncover the profound scientific foundations that underpin it. At the age of 76, Professor Ciechanover stands not only as an acclaimed chemist, celebrated for his groundbreaking discovery of ubiquitin-mediated… Read more.

A federal appeals court has ruled against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a lawsuit over a Washington State doctor’s petition to reschedule psilocybin. The court said DEA failed to explain its reasoning when it denied the petition, and it ordered the agency to provide a more complete justification. The court did not, however, send the petition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for review, as lawyers for the doctor had requested. The opinion, handed down Friday by… Read more.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is continuing its path toward cannabis accessibility, and as of last week the tribe officially issued its first medical cannabis cards. According to EBCI Cannabis Control Board (CCB) executive director, Neil Denman, a Cherokee Police Commission monthly meeting was held on Oct. 12. In a presentation featuring Denman and his colleague, Kym Parker, they stated that the first medical cannabis card was issued on that day, and many more will follow in the… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) hopes to issue licenses for medical marijuana cultivators and distributors by the end of 2023, officials with the agency said last week. The plan, which was approved by the commission on October 12, comes following multiple lawsuits were filed challenging the rollout of the state’s medical cannabis program. Alabama state lawmakers legalized the use of medical cannabis for patients with certain qualifying conditions in 2021. But nearly two and a half years later, cannabis… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) on Thursday passed new rules to reset the license application process for the third time, WIAT reports. Under the new rules, the agency will reconsider the applications they already have, and the scores will remain, but the applicants will now have the opportunity to make a public presentation to the commission about why they should receive a license.   The new rules come amidst lawsuits related to the state’s licensing process so far: one alleging the AMCC failed to follow the… Read more.

A federal appeals court heard oral arguments on Thursday in a case concerning the constitutionality of the federal ban keeping medical marijuana patients from purchasing or possessing firearms. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit listened and asked questions as attorneys for Florida medical cannabis patients and the Justice Department argued their sides of the case, which have been fleshed out in multiple briefings over the course of more than a year. Will Hall,… Read more.

Arkansas’s recently enacted law permitting medical cannabis patients to obtain concealed carry gun licenses “creates an unacceptable risk,” and could jeopardize the state’s federally approved alternative firearm licensing policy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) says. The Arkansas law took effect in August, clarifying that a person’s status as a qualified patient in the state cannot be used “in determining whether an applicant is eligible to be issued a license to carry a concealed handgun.” The policy change has apparently… Read more.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has been miscounting the number of medical cannabis patients and caregivers enrolled in its low-THC oil registry for years, 11 Alive reports. Health officials had previously reported there were about 50,000 people signed up for the registry, but the figure is actually about 14,000.  The inconsistency was due to officials counting expired and duplicate ID cards, patients counted as caregivers, and about 3,400 patients who had died. The state database had counted 21,000 caregivers but… Read more.

Washington, D.C. medical marijuana patients could submit products directly to labs for testing—and regulators would be able to issue temporary cannabis patient registrations to non-residents that last for up to a year—under a bill that was recently sent to the mayor’s desk. The legislation, sponsored by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D), would additionally expand who could qualify as social equity cannabis license applicants. It was sent to Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) late last month, and… Read more.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) announced on Sept. 27 that its previously recorded data regarding the number of medical cannabis patients is actually less than expected. The state found “anomalies” that inflated its patient and caregiver numbers, which originally was projected to be about 50,000 patients. This number was still taking into account patients whose cards have expired or those who have passed away since 2015, and now a more accurate 14,000 reflects the true patient count, according… Read more.

Backers of a 2024 ballot measure to legalize adult-use cannabis in South Dakota are calling on state officials to scuttle a separate initiative effort that would repeal the state’s existing medical marijuana law. South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, which is working to qualify a recreational marijuana proposal for next year’s ballot, said in a recent letter to Secretary of State Monae Johnson (R) that petitions in support of the medical cannabis repeal measure failed to follow state requirements and should be refiled.… Read more.

A professional organization representing more than 5 million nurses in the U.S. has announced its formal recognition of cannabis as a nursing specialty practice area. The American Nurses Association (ANA) said in a press release about the change on Wednesday that cannabis nurses play an important role in providing patients with education and guidance on incorporating marijuana into treatment. “This recognition highlights the essential role and special contribution of cannabis nurses to the health care system and promotes enhanced integration… Read more.

This is the third election cycle in a row that Crista Eggers has led the fight to put medical marijuana legalization on the Nebraska ballot. But this is the last time, she says. Defeat is simply not an option she’s willing to accept. “There’s just no choice,” she told Marijuana Moment in a recent phone interview. “I keep calling it the final time—not because there would be any giving up, but this is the final time. We’re going to get… Read more.

The Pennsylvania Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients—and there’s talk of potentially expanding the legislation in the House to allow for personal home cultivation as well. In a 44-3 vote on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate advanced the measure from Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), who first previewed plans to file the reform bill late last year. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law currently says that only… Read more.

A crackdown by authorities in Kay County, Oklahoma led to the confiscation of 4,800 pounds of cannabis and five businesses shut down, KOCO reports. The operation was led by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and was prompted by both routine inspections of licensed medical cannabis businesses and civilian complaints.    Mel Woodrow, chief of enforcement and compliance at OMMA, told KOCO that the action was the first time the agency had conducted such an operation.   The crackdown comes as Oklahoma officials try to reign… Read more.

Cannabis advocates in Nebraska are making their third attempt to get an initiative to legalize medical cannabis to voters as they host a signature drive kickoff today. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) has twice failed to get the issue on ballots – in 2020 after the state Supreme Court ruled the question’s wording violated the state’s single subject provision for initiatives, and in 2022 after the campaign failed to gather enough signatures. In a press release, the campaign said the 2022 effort was unsuccessful because the… Read more.

Proposed medical cannabis rule changes in South Dakota would allow for higher possession limits for edibles and would raise registration fees for medical cannabis companies from $5,000 to $5,310, KELO reports. Under the proposal, patients could possess up to 15 grams of edible oils and 2,000 milligrams of THC of other edibles products, up from 500 milligrams.  The allowable THC in edibles would also be raised from 100 milligrams to 500 milligrams.  The rules would also allow the size of infused topical products to be 16… Read more.

A new study suggests that some lesser-known cannabinoids produced by hemp and marijuana—with names like THCV, CBDV, CBC, CBM and CBN—may help treat dermatological diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and acne. “The findings of this review suggest that minor cannabinoids hold therapeutic promise in the management of dermatological diseases,” says the study, published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Molecules. “Incorporating minor cannabinoids into dermatological therapies could potentially offer novel treatment options of patients and improve their overall well-being.” To… Read more.

3 Common Health Conditions That THC Can Treat The number of conditions that cannabis has been studied to treat continues to grow each year. There are some health conditions where psychoactive THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and calming CBD (cannabidiol) work better than the other, with research to back it up. For individuals that are starting their journey into the uses of medical cannabis, all the studies can seem overwhelming. Sometimes, you just want to know which conditions THC or CBD has had a strong use case for – with evidence… Read more.

According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, states that had legalized medicinal marijuana saw significant drops in health insurance costs compared to those where cannabis remained completely illegal. The authors determined that once a state passed a medical cannabis law, there were significant decreases in insurance premiums over the following years by looking at 10 years' worth of private health insurance data obtained from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Sustained Premium Reductions Over Time in Legalized Medical Marijuana States… Read more.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are expressing “deep concern” over a recently updated U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) marijuana directive that continues to prohibit its doctors from making medical cannabis recommendations to veterans living in states where it’s legal. In a letter sent to VA Secretary Denis McDonough on Thursday, three co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus—Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dave Joyce (R-OH)—said that VA “has once again denied the reality of medical marijuana as a key treatment option”… Read more.

Cannabis Use Disorder Is Going Viral Should You Worry? Here’s What You Really Need To Know About Cannabis Use Disorder If you’ve been following the news, you’ll realize that ‘cannabis use disorder’ has been going viral over the last few years. This term has caused great alarm, especially among parents and prohibitionists. Cannabis use disorder is a medical term used to describe a severe dependency or addiction to marijuana, resulting in a disruption of a user’s physical, professional, social, and even psychological life. Cannabis use… Read more.

A new study in the International Journal of Drug Policy found that states with legal medical marijuana enjoyed significant reductions in health insurance premiums compared to states where cannabis remained completely illegal. Analyzing a decade’s worth of private health insurance data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, researchers determined that in the years following a state’s implementation of a medical cannabis law, premiums dropped dramatically. While the reductions were modest immediately following implementation, the study found that by seven… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMMC) on Thursday voided all previously awarded licenses and awarded new ones, WPMI reports. The commission also outlined the errors in the scoring and evaluation of first round licensees which led to the awarding of new permits.  The AMMC awarded five integrated facility licenses, seven cultivator licenses, four processor licenses, four dispensary licenses, and five secure transporter licenses.   Applicants who were awarded a license now have 14 days to submit the appropriate license fee and any applicant who has been… Read more.

Phillip Morris, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, is gradually entering the thriving marijuana industry. Reports indicate that the tobacco giant is acquiring an Israeli med-tech company called Syqe Medical for an impressive sum of $650 million. This isn't the first time Philip Morris has invested in Syqe; they previously invested $20 million in the company in 2016. Syqe Medical specializes in a pharma-tech product, a metered-dose inhaler designed for pain reduction treatment using medical marijuana. Interestingly, this potential acquisition news… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released an updated directive that reaffirms its doctors are prohibited from issuing medical cannabis recommendations to their military veterans patients. The new document also notes the revised federal definition of marijuana that went into effect with the legalization of hemp. The revised Veterans Health Administration (VHA) guidance is largely consistent with a previous version it released in 2017, which itself was updated to explicitly encourage VA doctors to discuss veterans’ marijuana use. That… Read more.

Dr. Steven Stokes, the chair of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), resigned from the commission Thursday morning. Stokes, an oncologist who had served as chair since 2021, said in an interview Thursday afternoon that he resigned to prevent the commission and the medical cannabis approval process from being tied up in a lawsuit alleging that his appointment to the commission violated state law. “If I did not step aside, then that process would probably be stopped until my issue was… Read more.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court this week heard arguments on a lawsuit filed last month by a coalition of cannabis companies who argue that a large business fee increase, which went into effect in June, is illegal because it’s tantamount to a tax hike. The fee increase undergirding the lawsuit came from House Bill 2179, approved by the Oklahoma Legislature last year. The marijuana industry has been vowing to fight the measure for months. Jed Green, director of trade group Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action,… Read more.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to add an amendment to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to end the Veteran Administration’s (VA) prohibition on providers assisting military veterans in accessing state-legal medical cannabis.   The amendment, introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), passed unanimously by a voice vote. Blumenauer is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. Blumenauer was successful in getting a similar amendment on the 2016 version of the NDAA to pass the House and Senate in… Read more.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a Republican 2024 presidential candidate, has appointed six new members to his state’s Drug Policy Advisory Council—and it includes an eclectic mix of stakeholders, like a sheriff who campaigned against a medical cannabis ballot initiative that voters approved and another sheriff who supports marijuana decriminalization. The panel also features yet another sheriff who went viral for warning heroin sellers while wearing a ski mask and a pastor who thinks his fellow Southern Baptists should “take a… Read more.

A medical cannabis business applicant is accusing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) of improperly erasing recordings of its meetings, AL.com reports. The company says the recordings could include information relevant to its lawsuit against the agency.  The lawsuit by Alabama Always LLC and six other firms comes as the state paused all proceedings related to the issuance of medical cannabis licenses in the state after the agency’s “discovery of potential inconsistencies in the tabulation of scoring data.” The administrative hold was announced just days after the… Read more.

Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co. and Southern Sky Brands of Mississippi are teaming together and have announced a partnership aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis products in Mississippi. Cheech and Chong, the duo that became famous in the 1970s and 1980s for their stand-up comedy and movies centering around cannabis and counterculture fun, have found a new love as they market and sell cannabis products throughout the nation. "This partnership is all about the patients. We want to ensure… Read more.

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved amendments to a large-scale spending bill that would allow U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to military veterans and promote research into substances like psilocybin and MDMA. Just one day after the House Rules Committee made the measures in order for floor consideration, they passed on the floor on Wednesday and are advancing as part of appropriations legislation covering Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilCon/VA). The medical… Read more.

Two Black farmers in Florida have been awarded medical marijuana business licenses under a bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law last month. The state’s legalization law that was implemented in 2017 stipulated that one medical cannabis business license needed to go to a Black farmer who is covered by the historic “Pigford” class action litigation against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging discriminatory lending practices. But it was only last year that the Florida Department of Health… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) are strongly against the use of marijuana for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—but they’re taking a neutral position on psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, simply saying that more research should be done. In an update to their joint clinical practice guidelines, the departments provided recommendations on a variety of therapeutics used to treat PTSD and acute stress disorder that commonly afflict military veterans. And while many… Read more.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are making another push to provide protections for military veterans who use medical marijuana in legal states, as well as doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who issue recommendations to allow participation in such programs. Two amendments to enact the reform have been filed for the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill covering Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilCon/VA). The text of the amendments are identical, but they’re being sponsored by different sets… Read more.

The Ohio State Medical Board last week added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a qualifying condition to the state’s medical cannabis program, the Ohio Capital Journal reports. The panel, however, rejected the addition of obsessive-compulsive syndrome (OCD) and autism spectrum disorder as qualifying conditions.  In all, there are now 26 total conditions for which Ohio cannabis patients can access medical cannabis.   Charlie Trefny, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association’s director of government affairs, told the Journal that the organization was “disappointed” that the board… Read more.

Over 90 percent of U.S. military veterans who use medical marijuana say that it improves their quality of life, with many using cannabis as an alternative to over-the-counter and prescription medications, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, University of Utah and cannabis research institutes looked at self-reported survey data from 510 veterans who said that they consume marijuana, seeking to better understand the purpose and experiences of their usage. A majority of the respondents (67… Read more.

Ukraine’s parliament has given initial approval to a medical cannabis legalization bill, the Kyiv Post reports. The law must still pass a second reading following any amendments and finalization by lawmakers before moving to President Volodymyr Zelensky for his signature. People’s Deputy Iryna Herashchenko said on Telegram the measure is “not so much about medicine as about the industrial cultivation of cannabis and corruption schemes by the government regarding permits and the development of huge financial flows.” The draft law backed by the Ministry of… Read more.

A top North Carolina lawmaker says that he’s “very sure” that a Senate-passed medical marijuana legalization bill will not advance in the House this session—even amid strong-arm tactics launched by the other chamber to force the issue—though he said legislators would likely return to it during next year’s short session. House Majority Leader John Bell (R) said in an interview with Spectrum News on Monday that there’s “still discussions going on” about the cannabis measure, but Republican lawmakers “unfortunately did… Read more.

The Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee has approved a measure that would allow physicians to certify patients for the state’s medical cannabis program for any condition they deem suitable, Pennlive reports. The measure will next move to the full Senate for consideration.  The bill would effectively eliminate the state’s list of 24 qualifying conditions, and leave the decision to doctors and their patients. The legislation would also end the expiration date for medical cannabis cards.  Committee Chairman Mike Regan (R), who sponsored the… Read more.

Physicians in Australia can now prescribe doses of MDMA and psilocybin to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and hard-to-treat depression, the Associated Press reports. The reforms make Australia the first nation in the world to allow doctors to prescribe psychedelics as medicine.  The move was announced in February but took effect July 1.  Both MDMA and psilocybin have been added to the list of approved medicines by the Therapeutic Goods Administration but will be expensive – about AU$10,000 (US$6,600) per patient for treatment, the report… Read more.

An important U.S. Senate committee recently passed a budget proposal with an amendment that permits the discussion and recommendation of medicinal marijuana to veteran patients living in states where its use is permitted. This is a big milestone. This amazing step represents a significant advance in the healthcare industry. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) passed the marijuana amendment, and the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved it on Thursday through a voice vote. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will get funding for the… Read more.

A key U.S. Senate committee has approved a spending bill with an amendment allowing doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to discuss and recommend medical marijuana to patients living in legal states. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the cannabis amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in a voice vote on Thursday before advancing the overall legislation, which provides funding for VA for the 2024 Fiscal Year. The measure “simply says, in states that have a medical cannabis… Read more.

A Florida appeals court on Wednesday upheld the firing of a Department of Corrections officer for using medical cannabis, WOKV reports. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court cited federal law and a job requirement that officers are able to use firearms.  The case was brought by Samuel Velez Ortiz, a former sergeant for the Department of Corrections who was approved by a physician to use medical cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder related to previous military service. Velez Ortiz had… Read more.

Lawyers for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority took a seat at one of two tables before a judge as the morning sun splashed through the hexagon-shaped windows of a first-floor makeshift courtroom inside the state agency’s building near the state Capitol. The second table was empty, reserved for the owners of a Muskogee marijuana dispensary that recently had been shut down by the state agency over numerous violations. The hearing was a chance for the dispensary owners to appeal the… Read more.

In this week’s cannabis news round-up, Rhode Island expunges more than 23,000 cannabis possession records; House lawmakers introduce a bill to promote cannabis research; and Alabama awards the state’s first medical cannabis licenses. Rhode Island Expunges More Than 23,000 Cannabis Possession Records The Rhode Island judiciary system has successfully expunged more than 23,000 records related to cannabis possession, marking the completion of the initial phase of cannabis relief mandated by the state’s legalization law and a Supreme Court executive order. In a… Read more.

On Monday, June 12, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) announced the first round of businesses getting medical marijuana licenses. In total, 90 different companies applied for a license. Of those, 21 were granted licenses. Some applied to be growers, while others applied to be processors or store fronts. The AMCC voted to award medical cannabis business licenses to the following applicants: Integrated Facility License Flowerwood Medical Cannabis, LLC Southeast Cannabis Company, LLC Sustainable Alabama, LLC TheraTrue Alabama, LLC Verano Alabama, LLC… Read more.

A U.S. senator and a former ambassador are imploring the Biden administration to “immediately” escalate diplomatic efforts to secure the return of an American imprisoned in Russia over possession of medical cannabis that he lawfully obtained in Pennsylvania. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, requesting that the government formally designate Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained and “prioritize securing his release.” “He is serving… Read more.

Maryland officials are now accepting applications for grants to help existing medical marijuana businesses convert into dual licensees that can serve the adult-use market when legalization takes effect next month. Also, as regulators publish new guidance for the industry, the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that, starting on August 1, it will additionally be taking applications for grants and loans to support market participation from social equity licensees by providing startup capital and covering operational costs. The Cannabis Business Assistance… Read more.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said this week that she will not use her office’s executive powers to legalize medical marijuana or to decriminalize cannabis possession. A vocal advocate of marijuana reform who nonetheless says she opposes adult-use legalization, Kelly has said she would sign a medical-cannabis legalization bill if state lawmakers pass one. Despite that executive pressure, a state Senate committee in March blocked a medical cannabis legalization bill for the year. As the Topeka Capital-Journal reported, Kelly will not follow the lead of other Democratic governors in… Read more.

According to a survey by Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP), more than 1,350 medical cannabis caregivers left the program from the end of 2021 to the end of January 2023.   The survey found a variety of factors led to the exodus, including business costs, banking registrations and fees, municipal and OCP regulations, oversupply, competition from the adult-use and unregulated markets, lack of testing and tracking, no wholesale relationships, no connection to patients, switching to adult-use operations, and becoming a dispensary employee.  The… Read more.

The top North Carolina House lawmaker says that medical marijuana legalization has “a better chance of passing this year than in any time in the past,” and he expects a Senate-passed reform bill to be taken up by his chamber’s Republican caucus within the next month. While the GOP-controlled House has previously blocked medical cannabis legislation from advancing, House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said that its prospects have improved, with a floor vote possible depending on where Republican members ultimately… Read more.

The high cost of medical cannabis poses major obstacles for Canadian patients, even as recreational marijuana prices remain low, a new survey of thousands of Canadians suggests. The finding comes as a slump in consumer spending on regulated medical cannabis in Canada continues, with Statistics Canada data showing sales worth 101 million Canadian dollars (roughly $75 million) in the fourth quarter of 2022. That CA$101 million figure represents a 3.8% decline from the same quarter in 2021 and a 34% tumble from the fourth quarter… Read more.

Under Gov. Mike DeWine’s executive budget, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy would no longer have responsibilities regulating the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries, Cleveland.com reports. The governor’s plan would transfer some of the pharmacy board’s responsibilities to the Department of Commerce, but the pharmacy board would still be responsible for reviewing and adding qualifying conditions to the medical cannabis program.   Currently, there are three agencies that regulate the Ohio medical cannabis program: the commerce department, pharmacy board, and State Medical Board.  Dan Tierney, DeWine’s spokesman,… Read more.

Trulieve Cannabis has settled a lawsuit with a Black former middle manager who accused the Florida-based medical marijuana multistate operator in a complaint filed last month of paying her and other Black employees less than whites. According to records filed April 13 in the 2nd Judicial Court in Tallahassee, where Trulieve is headquartered, the company reached a settlement with Brooke Bennett, who worked as a manager in the company’s 200-person St. Petersburg call center from August 2018 to 2022. Terms weren’t… Read more.

A medical cannabis physician in Florida is suing the state Department of Health and two investigators who posed as patients in a sting operation during which officials tried to strip him of his medical license, WUSF News reports. Dr. Joseph Dorn was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing in March 2022.  The Health Department had alleged Dorn violated state law by not performing physicals on the undercover agents who posed as patients seeking medical cannabis cards, which agency officials called employing a “trick or scheme” in the… Read more.

Wisconsin has a chance to enact a relatively limited medical marijuana law this session, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers said in a joint appearance at a policy event on Friday. Sens. Mary Felzkowski (R) and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D) spoke during a webinar hosted by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum. The group noted beforehand that a recent analysis it conducted found that more than half of all Wisconsin adults currently live within a 75-minute drive of a legal cannabis shop in… Read more.

A South Dakota medical cannabis company is suing the state Department of Health (DOH) alleging overreach, attempts to enforce unpromulgated rules, and the improper issuance of violations which has led to damages of over $1 million, KELO reports. The case by 605 Cannabis dates back to an inspection of their facility in January which the company claims was carried out improperly and conducted while the facility was partially closed due to a blizzard.  In the complaint, 605 claims that DOH inspections are… Read more.

South Carolina lawmakers and advocates aren’t giving up the push to legalize medical marijuana just yet, and they’re imploring leadership to take up a GOP-led reform bill ahead of a key legislative deadline this week. At a press conference on Tuesday, supporters of the legislation from Sen. Tom Davis (R) stressed the urgency of getting the reform enacted this year, with a deadline set coming up on Thursday to get the bill out of the Senate and over to the… Read more.

North Dakota’s governor has signed a bill allowing patients admitted to hospice care to self-certify as medical marijuana patients. The legislation, which cleared the House in an 86-6 vote and the Senate unanimously in a 45-0 vote, was signed into law on Thursday by Gov. Doug Burgum (R). Under the measure from Rep. Mary Schneider (D), terminally ill patients will be able to use proof of their admittance in hospice care in lieu of a doctor’s written recommendation to register… Read more.

Will Medicare Ever Cover Medical Marijuana? Medical marijuana is becoming increasingly popular among older adults as a treatment for various conditions. However, despite its growing acceptance, uncertain safety standards, conflicting laws, and complex regulations could delay Medicare coverage for years. In April 2022, the Medicare Plans Patient Resource Center conducted a survey showing that 20% of Medicare beneficiaries presently use medical marijuana, and nearly a quarter has used it before. The study revealed that 66% of the respondents believe Medicare should cover… Read more.

A bill proposed in Arizona would allow patients with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to access medical cannabis products in the state, the AZ Mirror reports. The measure passed the House Health and Human Services Committee 7-2 on Monday.  Earlier this month, the legislation was approved by a bipartisan 24-6 vote in the state Senate and will move next to the full House after approval by the Health and Human Services Committee.  During testimony on the measure, Aaron Jacobs, the father of a… Read more.

The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday passed a measure that would allow the director of the state Medical Marijuana Authority to shut down cannabis operations that are damaging the environment, KOKH reports. Sen. Joe Newhouse (R) authored the legislation and argued that it would help reign in medical cannabis operations in the state that are not following state law.  Oklahoma has one of the nation’s most permissive medical cannabis programs, but it has been rife with controversy. Last year, two Oklahoma attorneys were charged in a “Ghost Owner”… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a brief in a federal appeals court as part of an ongoing lawsuit over the government’s ban preventing medical marijuana patients from possessing firearms. Many of DOJ’s arguments in the brief filed on Wednesday mirror points that the agency made in earlier filings in the case, including in a federal district court that dismissed the lawsuit that’s now being appealed by its plaintiffs. But the latest document places new emphasis on the “wide-ranging consequences” that… Read more.

Discreet prescription refills via telehealth visits are already the norm for medications like hair loss and erectile dysfunction medication for men, which is easier to do when it’s not in-person. The same methods could be used to be discreet and quietly get prescriptions for medical cannabis under a new Florida bill. House Bill 387 is sponsored by Spencer Roach (R-North Fort Myers) and would allow practitioners to certify patients for medical cannabis via FaceTime, Skype, etc. visits rather than in-person visits.… Read more.

According to recently made public data from the UK medical system, Devon's general practitioners have written hundreds of prescriptions for medical cannabis in the last five years. This information has come to light amid rising charitable calls for improved access to medical cannabis for people with autoimmune and neurological conditions. Medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain can all be effectively treated with drugs made from cannabis plants or synthetic cannabinoids. Despite their potential benefits, these therapies can… Read more.

BURTON, Mich. — Before Jayden Carter turned 9, police were called 126 times to his school, home and other locations to address his violent behavior. “I had ribs out of place, my forehead cut open, black eye,” recalled Amie Carter, his mother. The situation got so dire that Child Protective Services encouraged Amie to sign her rights to Jayden away, a step that would allow the state to put him in permanent treatment. That was when — out of… Read more.

Fungi have attracted attention in recent years for their potential in aiding our brains' growth and functionality. And no, we're not just talking about the psychedelic ones. The lion's mane mushroom, for one, has long had a reputation for various mental health benefits, with recent research supporting its potential in reducing risk for depression or limiting damage from Alzheimer's disease. In a new study conducted by an international team of scientists, researchers identified compounds in the lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) – an edible fungus… Read more.

In a time when adult-use cannabis seems to get all the attention, it’s important to remember that many people use the plant as medicine. There are millions of medical cannabis patients across the country, but this demographic is often cast aside as the market swells with high-potency products fueled by the latest hype. “In my experience, when markets shift to adult use, that seems to become the focus,” said patient advocate Nikki Lawley, a medical consumer and founder of Nikki and the Plant. “Budtenders aren’t… Read more.

Core One Labs' Akome Partners To Study Next-Gen Psychedelics A subsidiary of Core One Labs  CLABF has signed a contract with Fundació Bosh I Gimpera to begin second-phase studies evaluating the therapeutic potential of its bio-compounds (both alone and combined with psychedelic substances). The studies would progress Akome Partners’ pre-clinical development stage of novel psychedelic drug alternatives for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ischemic stroke and depression. Previous studies conducted by Spanish and Italian institutions included bioassay trials… Read more.

The agency called on Congress to develop a better regulatory framework for CBD The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced that it would deny a trio of petitions that requested authorization for cannabidiol (CBD) to be used as a dietary supplement. The agency also advised that Congress needs to establish a better regulatory framework before such a classification is allowed. Based on existing research and data, the FDA found that the current standards for adding supplements to foods or beverages… Read more.