A new study found that good gut bacteria can impact depression and mental health for the better.
The stomach and the brain have an interesting connection. The stomach is one of the first places to signal anxiety or excitement, with the reverse also being true; if the stomach is upset, the brain can interpret that as a signal of anxiety or worry, creating a jumble of emotions.
A new study shows that good bacteria in the gut can have a positive impact on depression and mental health.
The study, published in the journal Translation Psychiatry, was conducted by researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland who examined 47 volunteers with a history of depressive episodes — each given probiotic supplements over a 31-day period.
Results showed that participants who took probiotics along with their antidepressants experienced greater improvement. Their intestinal flora also changed, increasing in lactic acid-producing bacteria.
Researchers conducted a check-up four weeks later, showing that the results stopped once the probiotics were no longer consumed. “It may be that four weeks of treatment is not long enough and that it takes longer for the new composition of the intestinal flora to stabilize,” said psychiatrist Anna-Chiara Schaub, from the University of Basel.
The study showed that probiotics impacted the area of the brain that processes depression. Via fMRI scans, researchers saw that probiotics had an impact on the way people react to faces with fearful or neutral faces. Researchers don’t fully understand why, but probiotics normalized the way in which brains with depression process these experiences.
“Although the microbiome-gut-brain axis has been the subject of research for a number of years, the exact mechanisms are yet to be fully clarified,” said Schaub.
Scientists have long believed in the brain-stomach connection, with this study only adding further evidence to the theory. Still, researchers make it clear that antidepressants are still necessary and that the study needs more evidence and research to provide a conclusive answer.
There is some evidence that the strict federal stance on marijuana may loosen its posture in the not too distant future. But for now, investing in cannabis is off limits for many Americans.
Even with many states legalizing recreational marijuana, there are still several careers that prohibit the purchase and use of marijuana. After all, it is still a Schedule I substance under federal level. While these policies can at times appear to be unfair, they are at least straightforward.
Recently, however, there have been messages and instructions sent by federal organizations, including the Biden administration, suggesting that not only will using marijuana will get you fired, but any financial investments in the cannabis industry may get you sacked as well. This “clarification” has a lot of people wondering how broad this policy is, and if their mutual funds they set up to secure their future may actually be putting their security clearance and jobs in jeopardy.
Those serving in the U.S. military, working for the federal government, or those in a position that requires specific federal security clearance are currently prohibited from investing in the cannabis industry. But what does that really mean? The general consensus is that as long as you are not consciously investing in marijuana (i.e. picking out marijuana stocks intentionally), then you likely have very little to worry about.
According to ClearanceJobs, a network for professionals with federal security clearance, the level of your investment and your knowledge of the investment are both major factors. In regards to owning a mutual fund that happens to invest in marijuana stocks, the sitestates that “unless you’re personally selecting those stocks, clearance holders likely don’t need to be concerned.” A good rule of thumb is that as long as you are not a willing and active participant in the purchase of these stocks, you should be safe. Still, it is important to remember that it all comes down to how things appear.
If you work for the government or possess a particular security clearance at your job, it is not uncommon for you to be required to release information about your finances and investments. So while marijuana remains illegal on a federal level, it is imperative that your investments look squeaky clean. As the popular federal government information resource site FEDweekstates, “Be careful to avoid any federally illegal investments. Think about how your investments would look if they were being evaluated by someone who doesn’t know you.”
These policies have even come into play in the White House. According to an internal executive branch presentation obtained byPOLITICO, “Eligibility may be negatively impacted if an individual knowingly and directly invests in stocks or business ventures that specifically pertain to marijuana growers and retailers.” The presentation went on to say these willing investments in marijuana could show “questionable judgment” and “an unwillingness to comply with laws.” This shows that currently getting caught investing in marijuana is very much guilty by association.
For those in roles within the federal government, it is also important to remember that your finances can be evaluated at any time. In other words, these financial background checks do not simply happen when you accept a job, or obtain a new role.
According tomilitary.com, “Clearances now undergo continuous evaluation, so your ownership of such stocks may pop up and raise a big, red flag at any time.” The article goes further, to suggest that because ownership in marijuana stock is seen as a violation of policy as a member of the military, you could lose your clearance and even your job, and you would have no recourse.
Even as more states have legalized marijuana, the current prohibition on marijuana still casts a long shadow on many policies. There is some evidence that the strict federal stance on marijuana may loosen its posture in the not too distant future. But as of now, investing in cannabis is off limits for many Americans.
A new survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment showed that in 2021 young people were 35% less likely to use marijuana compared to prior years.
A decline in young people’s use of marijuana and other controlled substances seems to be a rising trend, as confirmed by yet another government-funded study.
After Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey showed an unprecedented year-over-year decline in 8th-graders, 10th-graders and 12th-graders, Coloradans followed suit.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Healthy Kids Colorado Survey’s results showed that in 2021 young people were 35% less likely to use marijuana compared to prior years.
The significant drop in use for high school students over the past two years is a part of a broader trend that dates back to 2013 when the department’s biennial survey got underway, cannabis advocates say, attributing it to regulated access for adults that then minimizes the risk of adolescent marijuana use.
According to the CDPHE’s report, only 13% of surveyed students said they’ve used cannabis over the past month, versus almost 20% in 2013.
To that end, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that marijuana legalization laws are not associated with increased use among high school students.
“Consistent with estimates from prior studies, there was little evidence that [recreational marijuana laws] or [medical marijuana laws] encourage youth marijuana use,” reads the paper.
Moreover, a previous paper that used data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) for the period 1993-to 2017 found that marijuana adoption was associated with an 8% decrease in the odds of marijuana use among high school students.
Marc Fogel pleaded guilty to smuggling, storing, transporting, manufacturing and processing narcotic drugs and was sentenced to serve his prison term at a maximum-security penal colony.
A Russian court has sentenced a former U.S. diplomat to 14 years in prison for “large-scale” cannabis smuggling.
Marc Fogel had previously worked at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, but was employed as an English teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow at the time of his arrest in August 2021.
“The American citizen Fogel has been found guilty,” a court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki announced in a statement. A news release said Fogel committed “large-scale drugs smuggling, large-scale illegal storage of drugs without a commercial purpose.”
Fogel was sentenced in the same jurisdiction that is hearing the case against WNBA superstar Brittney Griner whose pre-trial detention was recently extended. Griner was detained in February entering Russia for allegedly having vape cartridges with hash oil in her luggage.
From Diplomat To English Teacher To Penal Colony
As part of the investigation, Russian police released footage of searches conducted by investigators at the now closed school in Moscow.
The U.S. Embassy did not elaborate on Fogel’s case or on his diplomatic status, which he may have held, in that he was a staff member at the school when he was arrested. The school was previously run by the U.S. embassy.
Fogel, who is in his 60s, argued that a doctor recommended cannabis to him for treating pain after spinal surgery and that he was not aware that medical marijuana was illegal in Russia.
“He insists that it was medical marijuana and claims that a doctor prescribed it to him in the United States, which is allegedly confirmed by an entry in the medical record,” Alexander Khurudzhi, a member of a Moscow human rights committee, reported CBS News.
According to Russia’s Interfax news agency, Fogel pleaded guilty to smuggling, storing, transporting, manufacturing and processing narcotic drugs and was sentenced to serve his prison term at a maximum-security penal colony.
In addition to Griner, several Americans are detained in Russian prisons, and vice versa.
In April, the United States exchanged former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, sentenced by a Russian court to nine years in prison for violence, for a Russian pilot who had been in a U.S. jail since 2010.
Due to the spread of Monkeypox, the CDC is issuing some protective guidelines for sex to prevent more people from catching the virus.
It’s that time of the year again, when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues some weird sex guidelines related to a viral disease.
Due to the spread of Monkeypox, the CDC has issued a list of safe activities for sexually active people to participate in.
The list recommends for sexually active patients with Monkeypox to avoid kissing, proposing they have sex with their clothes on or while “covering areas where rash or sores are present.”
Patients are advised to wash “hands, fetish gear, sex toys and any fabrics” after having sex. The guideline also suggests sexual activities like for patients “masturbate together at a distance of at least 6 feet.”
According to the CDC, there are over 2,000 cases of Monkeypox in over 32 countries around the world — not a large number. Still, the CDC is being extra careful with its precautions.
There’s been a lot of discussion regarding Monkeypox and sexual transmission, particularly for gay men, who have reported catching the disease with more frequency. But Monkeypox is not an STD. The disease is transmitted through close contact with people, with skin-to-skin contact. The CDC states that the most common way of contracting it is by people interacting with each other’s sores and scabs or by wearing clothes that were worn by someone who was infected.
First and foremost, the CDC recommends avoiding sex if sporting sores or rashes and getting these diagnosed. If adults are going to adult, the organization then provides a list with a thorough breakdown of possible activities and ways of preventing the spread of the disease when having sex.
The new CDC list is reminiscent of the guidelines that they issued at the start of the Covid pandemic, warning people to avoid kissing, encouraging masturbation, and proposing they wear face masks while having sex. Logically, these rules make sense, but they never stop being weird.
While the legislation is mostly focused on ensuring more rigorous marijuana testing, it also addresses the number of cannabis dispensaries in the state.
A bill advancing through the Arizona legislature will ensure that cannabis customers are getting what they paid for, reported Phoenix New Times.
House Bill 2050 would require the Department of Health Services to collaborate with an outside laboratory to check whether medical and recreational dispensaries are selling what they claim.
The measure, sponsored by Phoenix Republican Rep. Justin Wilmeth, passed earlier this week on a 25-2 margin, requires the DHS to grant nonprofit medical dispensary licenses in counties where dispensaries are more than 25 miles apart.
While the legislation is mostly focused on ensuring more rigorous marijuana testing, it also addresses the number of cannabis dispensaries in the state.
Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista said voters wanted to see dispensaries in each of Arizona’s 15 counties when MMJ was first approved in back in 2010. A 2019 law sought to ensure that by directing the health department to issue new licenses in any county that didn’t have one.
Arizona & Cannabis Legalization Efforts
In the meantime, results of a recent poll demonstrate a promising shift in opinion on federal cannabis reform in the Grand Canyon state.
The survey, conducted by Change Research, found that nearly 70% of registered voters in Arizona, as well as Utah and West Virginia support federal cannabis legalization and want their senators to vote in favor of federal reform this year.
A majority of Arizona voters voted “yes” for recreational cannabis and approved Proposition 207 in 2020 as part of the five-state green wave that occurred in last November’s elections. Since then, the state has stood out from the pack by quickly implementing and launching its adult-use market in February 2021.
Thailand decriminalized marijuana earlier this month. What does this mean for the country’s weed tourism?
Earlier this month, Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize marijuana. The news is huge and has prompted many to consider adding a new location to their cannabis travel map.
Still, there are a few things to keep in mind as a weed enthusiast considering a trip to Thailand.
In 2018, Thailand legalized the medical use of cannabis. In January of this year, it legalized home growing, even gifting a million cannabis plants to residents in order to encourage their home growth. For tourists, the topic is more complicated.
While decriminalization generally implies that people will no longer face penalties for something, when it comes to cannabis use in Thailand, the issue is much more complex.
Like Thai residents, tourists are allowed to use cannabis if it has a medicinal purpose. They’re also allowed to purchase cannabis-infused products in cafes and restaurants, as long as these have a THC content of under 0.2%. When it comes to smoking weed for fun, the Thai government has made it clear that recreational use remains illegal.
Thailand health minister Anutin Charnviraku spoke with CNN and clarified that cannabis could only be used with a medicinal intent. When discussing recreational cannabis, he said, “Don’t come. We don’t welcome you if you just come to this country for that purpose.”
People caught smoking for recreational uses will have to pay fines of up to $800 and could face up to three months in jail. Still, authorities state that cannabis possession won’t result in imprisonment, but it should be something that tourists keep in mind if wanting to travel there.
Despite the government’s stance on marijuana, there are still ways in which medicinal cannabis could produce revenue for Thailand. The country is a hotspot for wellness and medical tourism, meaning that it could reap the benefits of medicinal cannabis on a national and international level.
Not everyone can or prefers to smoke cannabis — not to mention that smoking or combusting cannabis is really not healthy.
Consuming edibles is often tricky, especially when you have no idea what your body can tolerate. We have different bodies; the way you react to a specific dose of cannabis edible may not be the way the next person does. Body chemistry is unique, and so many factors react with it to determine the intensity of an edible session.
Edibles could make you go from “Oh god, this isn’t working, let me have some more” to a delirious “I think I’ve had too much, where’s my head”? In recent times, the search for fast-acting weed edibles has intensified, whereas a better option could be learning how to hasten the effects of the edibles. Ironically, it’s entirely possible to get an edible labeled “fast action” and still experience the usual delay.
In all honesty, it’s almost impossible to determine whether or not an edible would react quickly in an individual on the first trial. People are instead encouraged to find a variety that does take as much time to induce the high as possible. Get prepared to learn about the various ways to hasten and intensify a high from cannabis edibles as we go along this trip together.
The Art of Eating Edibles
When edibles are consumed, the food material, as well as the cannabis, has to be digested and broken down in the stomach before the cannabinoids can make their way into the bloodstream. This is unlike smoking and vaping, when the inhaled smoke or vapor moves from the lungs and delivers the cannabinoids into the bloodstream immediately, causing the user to feel the buzzing effects of weed in less than 10 minutes.
If you’re new to edibles, here are the factors that determine how long it takes an edible to be broken down and metabolized.
Tolerance
Tolerance describes the amount of cannabinoids the body is used to. If you are a regular weed user, a certain amount of cannabinoid may not be sufficient to induce an effect. For example, if you consume about 7 mg of edibles regularly, at a point, it might not give you the expected strong results. However, if you rarely smoke or vape, that same quantity may seem more than enough.
Basically, you may need to ingest more than the usual quantity to feel a strong effect.
Type of Edible
Some edibles kick in faster than others. Edibles such as infused beverages, baked goods, and gummies take about 50 to 60 minutes to hit. In contrast, sublingual edibles like lozenges, lollipops, or mint strips kick in within 15 to 30 minutes, as the cannabinoids are delivered directly into the bloodstream.
Metabolism and Body Weight
At the end of the day, the delivery rate is mainly dependent on the user’s rate of metabolism and body weight. This determines how long it takes for the edibles ti kick in, how long the buzz would last, and how intense it would be.
Photo by SageElyse/Getty Images
Tricks to Make Edibles Kick in Faster
We’ve come a long way from when you had to wait for an hour or two for your edibles to kick in. With these options, you can hasten up the onset of cannabinoid effects.
While this method results in a hastened onset of the buzz, the effects will fade faster than regular edibles. This is because these sublingual edibles aren’t fat-based.
Consider Infused Drinks
Cannabis- Infused beverages and other drinkables go through the normal digestive system cycle. However, drinks are less bulky and move faster through the route, causing the cannabinoids to be delivered earlier.
You can make your infused drinks with beverages and juices, or you could purchase premade products. Either of these works and is guaranteed to get you high faster than usual edibles.
Take Edibles on an Empty Stomach
This is one of the surest tricks to make an edible hit faster. When you consume edibles alone on an empty stomach, your digestive system has no choice but to process them. When your stomach and digestive tract is filled with food, your body has to process all the food first. There’s no way to modify the digestive process; you have to wait.
As good as this trick is, it’s best practiced by experienced smokers. If you’re a novice cannabis lover with little or no experience, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage by doing this.
It would be best if you had more than the calories from a dose of edibles to handle the expected high. Rather than enjoy the buzz, you may be left with an unpleasant experience. This is the same regardless of the method of consumption. So, if you’re a regular cannabis user, the best time to consume a THC edible is when you’re hungry. When your body asks for food, you settle it with edibles, i.e., food and some cannabinoids.
Take a Tolerance Break
Try to take a brief break away from consuming cannabis. It could be for a day, weeks, or even a month. The next time you take an edible after this break, expect the effects to kick in faster and feel more intense.
Bottom Line
Edibles for medical purposes are getting more popular by the day. Not everyone can or prefers to smoke cannabis — not to mention that smoking or combusting cannabis is really not healthy.
Gone are the days when edible lovers have to accept the status quo of waiting for one or more hours as unchangeable. Sure, that’s how edibles work, but still, you can improve the products or hasten their effects with the above tips without compromising the amount of time you’ll remain noticeably high.
“The solutions to this situation are beyond obvious at this point, and they don’t involve law enforcement officers putting themselves at risk by dropping out of helicopters or conducting armed raids.”
Federal law enforcement agents and their partners seized over 5.5 million cultivated marijuana plants and made more than 6,600 marijuana-related arrests in 2021, according to annual data compiled by the DEA, reported the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
According to figures published in the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Statistical Report, agents and their partners confiscated approximately 5.53 million cultivated cannabis plants last year — a 20% increase over 2020’s totals. Law enforcement also reported making 6,606 marijuana-related arrests, a 25% increase over the prior year’s totals (when agents reported 4,992 arrests).
The totals are the highest reported by the agency since 2011 when it made an estimated 8,500 weed-related arrests and seized some 6.7 million plants via its domestic eradication program. Since that time, annual arrests have generally trended below 6,000 per year, while cannabis seizures fell to an all-time low in 2018 (when an estimated 2.8 million plants were confiscated).
Commenting on the data, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “At a time when the overwhelming majority of voters support legalization, and when more and more states — and even members of Congress — are moving toward this direction, it is troubling to see federal agents and their local partners reversing course and reinvigorating their marijuana-related enforcement activities.”
NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox added: “The fact that these interdiction efforts are growing — at great cost to the taxpayer — despite increasing momentum for legalization is a testament to the failure of federal prohibition and unnecessarily burdensome state regulatory policies.”
An Opportunity For Policy-Makers
Fox explained that the lack of access to banking services and capital, high barriers to entry into legal cannabis markets, and exorbitant tax rates at all levels of government is clearly hampering the ability of licensed cannabis businesses to compete with the unregulated market.
“The solutions to this situation are beyond obvious at this point, and they don’t involve law enforcement officers putting themselves at risk by dropping out of helicopters or conducting armed raids. It is incumbent on policymakers to pursue evidenced-based, market-oriented, and justice-focused policies to minimize unregulated cannabis activity,” Fox said in a press release.
“Federal agents and their local partners also reported seizing $103 million in assets in 2021 as part of the program — more than double the amount seized in 2020. As in past years, the overwhelming percentage of plant seizures (86%) and arrests (60%) nationwide took place in California. Law enforcement also reported confiscating large quantities of cultivated plants in Kentucky (317,621) and Oklahoma (158,124),” NORML reported.
As first reported by TheNation Thailand, a farming community near the northern Thai city of Lampang teamed up with scientists from Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Agriculture to see if chickens would benefit from excess cannabis leaves. The results were promising and could lead to farmers reducing their dependence on antibiotics when raising chickens.
Per the TheNation Thailand, the farmers, who just happened to be licensed to grow medical cannabis, put their chickens on this weed diet after their flock was ravaged by avian bronchitis despite all of the birds being injected with antibiotics. Would surplus cannabis be the fix they needed?
Researchers explained that chickens were fed cannabis in different forms, mixing it in with their feed or boiling the leaves and giving them the resulting cannabinoid water. All forms of cannabis that were fed to chickens had a low grade of THC, ensuring that they wouldn’t feel high or have an adverse reaction.
The results have yet to be published, but researchers have spotted some positive signs that suggest a way of raising chickens while decreasing their exposure to antibiotics. The chicken that ate cannabis experienced less avian bronchitis and had better meat quality. Unlike when using antibiotics, the meat and eggs that the chicken produced had no traces of cannabinoids in them, thus proving more healthy for human consumers.
It’s not clear why these benefits appeared. Researchers agree that more studies are needed and they theorize that perhaps cannabis boosted the chickens’ gut microbiome, improving their overall health.
The country remains stern in its recreational cannabis policies though, warning tourists and having fines of up to $800 and three months in prison if people are caught smoking or consuming cannabis with an intent that’s not medicinal.
