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Delta-8: What You Need To Know To Get Started

Lisa Porter
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Delta-8: What You Need To Know To Get Started

There’s a perfect product and an optimal dose for everyone, and knowing your end goal will help you figure out where to start.

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of a wall of delta-8 at the vape shop with no idea where to start? You are not alone! Dosing THC can be tricky, even for savvy cannabis consumers. And because delta-8 is new to the cannabis marketplace, it’s hard to get a straight answer about how much to take.

While some of the guidelines for dosing are the same as for weed or CBD, it doesn’t mean your ideal delta-8 dose will be the same, according to Robert Como, founder Hi On Nature, which manufactures high-end delta-8 products  “The compositions of different forms of THC are unique, he says, “and so are the goals, the body chemistry, and the tolerance levels of the people who use them.”

smoking marijuana joint
Photo by Jose Luque / EyeEm/Getty Images

Begin with the end in mind

Start in the same place you would with any cannabis product, which is knowing what you want to accomplish with delta-8. Your goals might include:

  • Treating pain, anxiety, or nausea without any high
  • A light high that provides clarity and energy during the day
  • Casual recreational use with less risk of developing paranoia
  • Serious recreational use with an intense high

“Part of delta-8’s appeal is that it has such a broad range of uses,” says Como. “There’s a perfect product and an optimal dose for everyone, and knowing your end goal will help you figure out where to start.”

Choose the right starting dose

Like other forms of THC, your response to delta-8 is dependent on your tolerance, which is determined by your body chemistry, weight, and age. “If you’re a regular cannabis user, you probably have some idea where to begin,” Como advises, “but if you’ve never used delta-8 before, we recommend starting at a lower dose and building from there.”

At Hi On Nature, doses range from 10 mg Cub Scouts gummies up to their flagship product, 2500 mg Space Rings. “We produce a full spectrum of doses and a variety of delivery methods that makes it easy to work your way up to get the effect you’re looking for,” says Como.

For those who are inexperienced with cannabis or have only used CBD in the past, he recommends starting with 10 milligrams or less.

gummies
Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

What to know before you try Delta-8

Delta-8 can have a delayed onset compared to other forms of THC. “The first time you try delta-8, give it ample time to take effect before considering adding more,” Como advises. With gummies, the effect can be delayed up to 4 hours, although 1-2 hours is more typical. Other delivery methods such as vapes or tinctures can take effect more quickly.

Como recommends following the guidelines on the product packaging closely until you are familiar with your individual response to delta-8. For more information about delta-8 or to explore the full product range offered by Hi On Nature, visit their website.

Study Shows Inhaled Cannabis May Help Chronic Pain Patients

Benzinga Staff Writer
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Study Shows Inhaled Cannabis May Help Chronic Pain Patients

Although some patients reported mild side effects at the beginning of the study, the use of the inhaler over a period of several months was associated with reduced pain scores and improvements in patients’ quality of life.

By Joana Scopel

A study conducted by Israeli researchers in Haifa showed the short-term effectiveness and safety of micro doses of medical cannabis administered via a metered-dose inhaler (the Syqe Inhaler) in chronic pain patients, according to data published in the journal Pain Reports.

“The administration of aerosolized cannabis through an inhaler may reduce long-term pain in patients with neuropathy and other chronic conditions,” researchers said. The daily stable dose investigators used for their patients was 1.5 mg of aerosolized delta-9-THC.

The FDA Objects To The Sale And Marketing Of Nasal, Ophthalmic, Inhalable CBD Products
Photo by Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images

RELATED: Israeli Researchers Say Microdosing Marijuana Provides Most Effective Pain Relief

Although some patients reported mild side effects (such as dizziness and sleepiness) at the beginning of the study, the use of the inhaler over a period of several months was associated with reduced pain scores and improvements in patients’ quality of life.

“Medical cannabis treatment with the Syqe Inhaler demonstrated overall long-term pain reduction[s], quality of life improvement[s], and opioid-sparing effect[s] in a cohort of patients with chronic pain, using just a fraction of the amount of MC [medical cannabis] compared with other modes of delivery by inhalation. These outcomes were accompanied by a lower rate of AEs [adverse events] and almost no AE reports during a long-term steady-state follow-up. Additional follow-up in a larger population is warranted to corroborate our findings,” the study reads.

In addition, another recent study found that some orally ingested cannabis products can provide short-term relief from chronic pain. The study notes that  high ratios of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) also may reduce significant pain in patients.

A study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrated that medical cannabis program enrollment jumped over four times between 2016 and 2020, reaching nearly three million patients in 2020.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Life Sentence For Weed Possession? Mississippi Supreme Court Says ‘Yes’ If You’ve Got Priors

Benzinga Staff Writer
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Life Sentence For Weed Possession? Mississippi Supreme Court Says ‘Yes’ If You’ve Got Priors

By Nina Zdinjak

Can one be sentenced to life in prison for cannabis possession? Under certain circumstances, it can happen.

Last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld a life sentence for cannabis possession under the state’s violent habitual offender law, reported The Epoch Times.

marijuana legalization
Photo by Olena Ruban/Getty Images

RELATED: Mississippi Medical Marijuana Application Requests Start Now, Huge Deal For Magnolia State

The ruling comes at the time when some 37 states have legalized medical marijuana and 19 have recreational cannabis programs. When Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed legislation into law, it became the 37th state to legalize MMJ. “There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis,” the governor said at the time after 74% of Mississippi voters approved the program.

Why then was Allen Russel sentenced to life in prison for marijuana possession?

Hattiesburg Police Department officers had searched Russell’s home and found five bags of cannabis amounting to 79.5 grams, Russell was accused on one count of possessing more than 30 grams but less than 250 grams of cannabis and for being a violent habitual offender under Mississippi Code Section 99-19-83. He was convicted on the possession charge.

RELATED: Marijuana Reform: Free Allen Russell

State prosecutors showed evidence of his previous felony convictions — two for burglary and one for possession of a firearm while being a convicted felon.

Russell was not cooperative with police, and “chemical gas had to be deployed to obtain Russell’s surrender,” the chief justice said.

Chief Justice Michael Randolph explained that the search warrant came when Russell was investigated as a murder suspect when a medical paper with Russell’s name was discovered at the scene of the crime.

Russell tried to argue that the life sentence without the possibility of parole was a violation of the eighth amendment that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. He also argued that his constitutional right no to be subjected to ex post facto law was violated, as his actions were being punished retroactively.

The Court of Appeals voted 5-5 on his appeal in 2019 and upheld the sentence. Then, on June 16, the Supreme Court of Mississippi voted 6-3 to uphold the sentence under the habitual offender provisions of the Mississippi Code.

marijuana arrest
Photo by Gleti/Getty Images

“Because the trial judge followed the law to the letter, we affirm,” the majority opinion written by Justice Robert P. Chamberlin stated. “The trial judge did not have sentencing discretion in this case.”

Chief Justice Randolph wrote, “Russell has received a harsh punishment not because he possessed a small amount of marijuana, but because he has repeatedly refused to abide by the laws enacted to protect all the citizens of our state.”

Is Everything So Black & White? 

On the other hand, Justice Josiah Coleman, along with two other judges, stated  that Russell had not been treated fairly by the courts in this case. Coleman highlighted that “burglary was not considered a per se crime of violence until” state law made it so in 2014. This means that when Russell pled guilty to two counts of burglary in 2004, burglary was treated as a crime of violence only if actual violence happened during burglary, reported the outlet.

“We do not know whether Russell’s burglaries involved actual violence, but the fact that he was allowed the opportunity by the sentencing court to participate in the Regimented Inmate Discipline Program tends to indicate they did not,” said Coleman, who concluded he would have remanded the case to a trial hearing to review the Eighth Amendment issue and resentencing.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Juul E-Cigarettes To Be Removed From US Shelves — Here’s Why

Maria Loreto
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Juul E-Cigarettes To Be Removed From US Shelves — Here’s Why

A report claims the FDA denied approval of Juul products, suggesting that these will soon be taken off the market.

The FDA is taking Juul e-cigarettes off the market. The news was published by The Wall Street Journal, which claims the decision could come as early as today.

This decision follows a lot of criticism of e-cigarettes, particularly when it comes to teen  and young adult use — some of the product’s biggest consumers. In 2019, the company stopped the sale of several flavors in the US. A year later, it applied for FDA approval to continue selling its products in the country.

The FDA reviewed the company’s application factoring in the argument that e-cigs can help smokers quit cigarettes and whether or not the benefits of smoking outweighed the damages of consuming Juul e-cigs regularly.

Will The Federal Ban On Flavored E-Cigarette Pods Serve Its Purpose?
Photo by Scott Olson/Staff/Getty Images

RELATED: Are E-Cigarettes A Gateway To Weed? It Depends On This, Says New Study

“This clearly comes as a surprise to the market … we would expect that Juul would appeal the decision, and remain on the market through that process, which would likely take a year or more,” analyst Vivien Azer told Reuters.

Reuters claims the FDA declined to comment on the report.

In 2019, Juul faced many controversies, including the firing of the VP of global finances, Siddharth Breja, who raised claims after the company sent out a shipment of contaminated Juul pods to the market. Breja relayed a conversation he had with Kevin Burns, the CEO of the company. “Half our customers are drunk and vaping like mo-fos, who the f*** is going to notice the quality of our pods?” said Burns.

Burns stepped down from the company that year and claimed that the accusations were lies. “I never said this, or anything remotely close to this, period. As CEO, I had the company make huge investments in product quality and the facts will show this claim is absolutely false and pure fiction,” he said.

RELATED: Will The FDA’s Ban On E-Cigarettes Affect CBD Vaping Devices?

From the get-go, e-cigarettes have marketed themselves as an alternate solution to cigarettes, one that is less harmful to people’s lungs. While this is true, e-cigarettes are still bad for people’s health, especially when consumed on a daily basis or if the consumers are young.

SCOTUS Denies Workers Comp For Employees Seeking Medical Marijuana For Injuries

Benzinga Staff Writer
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SCOTUS Denies Workers Comp For Employees Seeking Medical Marijuana For Injuries

By Jelena Martinovic

Compensation for workers injured on the job is being approached from various angles, though it faces an ongoing setback: cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which essentially precludes workers from being able to seek compensation for its use as a medication.

Two cases concerning Minnesota employees were discussed at a private conference earlier this year wherein both were regarded as invalid according to a 2021 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, under which employers were not obligated to pay for their workers’ medical marijuana treatment.

legal marijuana
Photo by Olena Ruban/Getty Images

RELATED: US Supreme Court Justice Finds Federal Marijuana Laws Outdated

Both cases, in a new decision, were declined by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Marijuana Moment reported that denying certiorari means that fewer than four justices felt the legal challenges merited consideration by the high court, not necessarily that a majority agrees with lower court rulings in the two disputes.

What Happened?

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court asked the top Justice Department lawyer to submit a brief. The response from the solicitor general’s office came in last month with a recommendation that the court should not take up the matter.

The Cases

Susan Musta had filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court in November when the state court determined that her employer did not need to provide reimbursement for medical cannabis following her injury at a dental center where she was working.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed in December by Empire State NORML and the New York City and Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Associations, justices were urged to take up an appeal out of Minnesota, using it to settle the conflict between state and federal cannabis laws.

marijuana legalization
Photo by FatCamera/Getty Images

RELATED: What The New SCOTUS Could Mean For Marijuana Legalization

Daniel Bierbach, the protagonist in a similar case, submitted his petition for a writ of certiorari (a process that seeks a judicial review of a lower court decision) months after Musta in January. The state Supreme Court made the same judgment.

While filings in both cases were distributed on February 2 for a Supreme Court conference that was scheduled on February 18, the justices are now asking the Biden administration to weigh in on the issue.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

NC Senate Prioritizes Personal Income Tax Over Medicaid Expansion And Medical Marijuana Legalization

Benzinga Staff Writer
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NC Senate Prioritizes Personal Income Tax Over Medicaid Expansion And Medical Marijuana Legalization

“I feel very confident that Republicans will have a supermajority next year. When I say next year, I mean six months from now. We can deal with this then,” said House Speaker Tim Moore.

By Joana Scopel

State senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) expressed support for cutting the state’s personal income tax rate in half as legislative leaders prepare the upcoming budget proposal for North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D).

Last year’s budget agreement dropped to 4.99% and could drop more each year until 2027 when it will reach 3.99%. However, Sen. Berger said it should go even lower, saying, “2.5% sounds fine to me.”

income tax
Photo by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

RELATED: North Carolina House Says Yes To Allowing FDA-Approved THC Drugs, Will This Kill Full Medical Marijuana Legalization?

Over the last several weeks, new polling was released by the GOPAC Education Fund and the Center for American Ideas and, conducted by the Differentiators — a Republican firm founded by two former employees of Sen. Berger — found support in legislative districts for cutting the personal income tax rate to 2.5% in 2030.

However, Democrats oppose cutting the income tax rate further. Instead of this measure, they support a one-time $200 rebate to help people deal with rising gas prices.

What Do NC Lawmakers Say About Marijuana Medical Legalization?

The Differentiators polls have found wide support for Medicaid expansion, legalizing medical marijuana, and cutting state income taxes.

Earlier in June, the Senate passed a bill to expand Medicaid coverage to about 600,000 more people and make changes related to access to healthcare. Sen. Berger believes it’s “good state policy.”

In addition, the Senate passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana and another bill dealing with parental rights in education that also limits how LGBTQ issues are taught in schools.

RELATED: Medical Marijuana Legalization Passes North Carolina Senate With Bipartisan Support

However, House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said this issue may have to wait as first he’ll focus on getting a budget agreement.

“I feel very confident that Republicans will have a supermajority next year. When I say next year, I mean six months from now. We can deal with this then,” Moore concluded.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Scientists ‘Heal’ Heart Attacks In Mice — Are People Next?

Maria Loreto
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Scientists ‘Heal’ Heart Attacks In Mice — Are People Next?

Scientists managed to repair the heart muscles of mice following heart attacks, an achievement that’s a first in the field and that could impact the future of cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists have managed to heal the heart of mice who’ve experienced heart attacks. While the study doesn’t immediately translate to humans, it’s a first step in addressing a significant disease that affects thousands of people a year.

Researchers believe the two-part study (here and here), published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Aging, is a game-changer in the field, and could lead to new treatments for humans in the near future.

Researchers used a new technology, a synthetic mRNA tweaked to deliver instructions to the body. mRNAs carry protein information from the interior of a cell to its exterior, contributing to a growing protein chain. The synthetic mRNA changes the way in which the heart muscle works, making it function more like stem cells, and making them able to regenerate and heal themselves, something that they’re unable to do on their own.

Smoking Marijuana Is Not Good For Your Heart, Says American Heart Association
Photo by onsuda/Getty Images

RELATED: This Might Counteract The Effects Of Heart Disease In Cannabis Users, Say Researchers

Heart attacks and heart disease are normally life-threatening conditions, difficult to overcome due to the nature of their cells. Once people are affected by a heart attack or cardiovascular condition, their hearts and systems are usually left in a more delicate place than they were before.

“The lab found cardiac myocytes multiplied quickly within a day, while hearts over the next month were repaired to near normal cardiac pumping function with little scarring,” explained Robert Schwartz, who’s the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor of Biology & Biochemistry at the University of Houston.

While a lot of time likely stands between this study and its repercussions on humans, this is a big first step.

RELATED: Doing This At Any Level Increases Your Risk Of Heart Disease, Finds Study

Heart disease is currently the number one cause of death in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Weed Prohibition Still Official Stance Of Texas GOP As Marijuana Popularity Grows Among Residents

Benzinga Staff Writer
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0
Weed Prohibition Still Official Stance Of Texas GOP As Marijuana Popularity Grows Among Residents

Over the recent holiday weekend, the Texas Republican Party approved a platform plank against marijuana legalization, among several other newly adopted measures.

By Jelena Martinovic

The majority of Texas residents are in favor of legalizing recreational cannabis, according to a recent survey from the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.

As expected, most of the legalization supporters are Democrats and young, with 79% of Democrats and 70% of independents backing cannabis reform. Republicans followed suit in terms of demographics with 50% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation also supporting nationwide cannabis legalization. Yet, GOP-leaning politicians remain against it, despite its growing popularity.

texas capitol building
Photo by Ruben Reyes from Pexels

RELATED: Cannabis Boom In Oklahoma, Will Texas Follow Suit?

Over the recent holiday weekend, the Texas Republican Party approved a platform plank against marijuana legalization, among several other newly adopted measures.

Cannabis Advocates Not Happy

“Just because you don’t like cannabis, or you wouldn’t want your kids or your husband or whoever to use cannabis, that doesn’t mean that prohibition is the right answer,” John Baucum, political director of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP), told Marijuana Moment recently.

Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate who favors cannabis reform condemned the GOP’s stance, which was one of a few cannabis and drug policy measures reviewed at the party’s biennial state convention.

O’Rourke said earlier that if elected governor of Texas, he would legalize marijuana and that he anticipates the Republican majority in the Legislature would get on board.

Beto O'Rourke
Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

RELATED: Texas Gov. Says Nobody Should Be Jailed For Weed Possession, Though Confuses Current Law

“I’ll let you in on a secret: Republicans like to get high just as much as Democrats,” O’Rourke said at a SXSW panel in Austin in March.

However, GOP delegates supported two platforms signaling there’s still hope for the cause, including federal rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to II and reducing regulations on hemp.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Western Australia Premier McGowan Blasts Cannabis Legalization Proposal

Benzinga Staff Writer
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Western Australia Premier McGowan Blasts Cannabis Legalization Proposal

“We do allow for medicinal cannabis for people with arthritis or cancer or those sorts of things. That’s the policy at this point,” said McGowan.

By Nina Zdinjak

Legalize Cannabis Australia, a single issue minor political party recently proposed enabling West Australians to possess up to 50 grams of cannabis and for households to cultivate up to four plants. Upper house members of parliament Brian Walker and Sophia Moermond are planning to present marijuana legislation next year, reported WAtoday.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, however, is not so pleased with this idea. On Tuesday, he said he’d use Labor’s control of both houses to block the bill.

aerial photography of bridge
Photo by Jamie Davies via Unsplash

RELATED: Will Australia Follow US Lead In Selling CBD?

“Having freely available cannabis is not our policy. They’re just proposing everyone can grow it wherever they want. That’s not what we’re doing. It’s just not an issue I want to deal with at this point in time,” McGowan told ABC radio.

“We do allow for medicinal cannabis for people with arthritis or cancer or those sorts of things. That’s the policy at this point.”

Previously under the ACT small amounts of marijuana have been decriminalized, starting Jan. 2020. The territory’s Labor government also signaled it would support a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cocaine, MDMA and heroin.

Legalize Cannabis WA’s proposal would also enable licensed cannabis dispensaries.

“Cannabis is becoming a serious topic that Mark McGowan needs to address. This natural plant will only make WA better — socially, financially and medically,” Walker tweeted on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

How Marijuana Research Has Increased Significantly — Even With Federal Prohibition

Tom Gaffey
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How Marijuana Research Has Increased Significantly — Even With Federal Prohibition

As we crawl out of the dark ages of marijuana research and knowledge, skeptics will have fewer reasons to oppose it.

Many lawmakers who oppose marijuana legalization say they need to see more research and studies on the subject before they vote to legalize marijuana on a federal level. Ample research and information is always important when voting on a major political matter. The problem, however, is that the century-long prohibition on marijuana has made it more difficult for researchers to study weed than legal substances.

Even with marijuana becoming legal in more areas, researching the effects of cannabis is not without its red tape and difficulties. Still there is good news in the realm of marijuana research. A recent study has shown that after decades of limited scientific research on marijuana, there’s been a significant increase of research and data on the subject. 

marijuana research testing
Photo by Bloomberg Creative Photos/Getty Images

RELATED: Researchers Shocked By How Few Studies Have Been Done On Medical Marijuana

The study, published by the Journal of Cannabis Research, reveals that over the last 20 years, the number of published studies on cannabis has grown significantly. The authors point to increased funding as being a major reason for this sharp increase. 

There are also implications for the future of research in the study. In regards to cannabis research moving forward, “Future research should continue to investigate changes in the publication characteristics of emerging research, as the volume of publications on this topic is expected to rapidly grow,” the study concluded.

There are several reasons this increase over time was possible. One reason is that although marijuana is illegal, the federal government has allowed researchers more access to marijuana samples than ever before. As we previously reported, in order to accommodate this spike in research, the DEA increased the annual marijuana production quota by 575% (from 472 kilograms in 2017 to 3,200 kilograms in 2020).

In a statement on its website about its access to marijuana for research, the DEA said it “took an important step to increase opportunities for medical and scientific research.” While the DEA still places marijuana in the same category as heroin and cocaine (a schedule I substance), its increased cultivation, at least, will allow scientists to compile DEA-supported concrete data on the effects of THC. This increased research may even help get marijuana out of the schedule I category in the not-too-distant future.

Another reason published research is up has to do with funding. “Overall cannabis research funding in the United States is rising steadily, from less than $30.2 million in 2000 to more than $143 million in 2018, and money to explore cannabis medical treatments is growing,” according to science.org. It is important to note, however, that funding for medical treatments is not growing as fast as research regarding the harms of cannabis. 

marijuana research
Photo by janiecbros/Getty Images

RELATED: It’s Official: House Approves Bill To Further Expand Medical Marijuana Research

As we crawl out of the dark ages of marijuana research and knowledge, skeptics will have fewer reasons to oppose it. Conservatives, some medical professionals and even the President of the United States have called for more conclusive data before they can approve of marijuana legalization. They might not have to wait much longer, because the research is already under way.

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