Sunday, May 3, 2026
Home Blog Page 280

Mississippi Lawmakers Advance Medical Cannabis Bill To Governor’s Desk

Once enacted into law, Mississippi will become the 37th state to regulate the possession and distribution of medical cannabis.

By Maureen Meehan

On Wednesday, Mississippi’s Republican-led legislature finally agreed on a medical cannabis bill to be sent to Gov. Tate Reeves’ desk. After months of negotiations, the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act will establish a system of licensed dispensaries to provide medical cannabis to qualified patients.

The Senate and House passed slightly different versions of a bill last week,  with wide margins of bipartisan support. Lawmakers approved a final version of the legislation in conference committee on Wednesday.

Mississippi
Photo by Pieter van de Sande via Unsplash

RELATED: Mississippi House Approves Amended Medical Marijuana Bill — Here’s What’s In It

“It’s nice to be at a place where everyone’s in agreement,” said House Drug Policy Committee Chairman Lee Yancey (R), reported the Jackson Free Press. “It looks like that we’re finally going to be able to provide relief to those people with debilitating illnesses who suffer so badly.”

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves argued on various occasions that he wanted tight limits on how much cannabis people can purchase because he strongly opposes a recreational marijuana program. As it stands, the bill allows patients to buy up to 3.5 grams of cannabis per day and up to six days a week.

Reeves has not yet said whether or not he will sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature.

“We’re veto-proof on both sides,” said Republican Sen. Kevin Blackwell who worked with Yancey in leading negotiations.

A wide margin of Mississippi voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in November 2020, but the state Supreme Court invalidated it six months later by ruling the state’s initiative process was outdated and the measure was not placed properly on the ballot.

RELATED: Mississippi Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Despite Gov.’s Opposition To Allowable Amounts

NORML State Policies Manager Jax James responded to the news. “This news is arguably bittersweet for Mississippi’s patients. While these steps forward are a welcome development, they are also long overdue. The overwhelming majority of voters decided in favor of this policy change over a year ago, and for the past 14 months the will of the people has been denied as a result of the actions of the state Supreme Court and the Governor.”

Once enacted into law, Mississippi will become the 37th state to regulate the possession and distribution of medical cannabis.

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

From Slaughter To Sativa: Livestock Farmers Are Switching To Cannabis

0

Raising cattle on land that can be used to grow recreational marijuana is becoming more and more difficult to justify.

The life of a farmer in modern America has grown to be a difficult way to make a living. In addition to the hardships involved in agriculture, the lives of chicken and other livestock farmers continues to be scrutinized for its cruelty towards animals and negative impacts on the environment and public health.

At the same time that farming in America has become more difficult in many regards, it has become a goldmine for some livestock farmers who have switched to growing cannabis in states that have legalized marijuana. With the continued growth of recreational cannabis one must wonder if cannabis may just have the momentum to shift the trajectory of American farming from mammals to marijuana.

One fact is certain: cannabis is a real cash crop, and it keeps on growing. In fact, some strategists predict that cannabis taxes alone may generate $12 billion for U.S. states by 2030, according to Fortune. While other businesses tanked, marijuana sales grew. 

marijuana cannabis crops
Photo by Anton Petrus/Getty Images

RELATED: Will US Grown Marijuana Even Exist In 10 Years?

Marijuana growing licenses are highly competitive in states where it is legal to grow, and some of the best growing land in these states is becoming coveted similarly to that of a wine region. Some of this land has become so costly that farmers have stopped raising animals in these lands altogether. The profits from livestock on this land can be a fraction of the earning potential of marijuana’s.

One Oregon livestock producer, Angela Boudro, told Reuters about the nearly impossible feat it is to compete with cannabis. “We had looked at purchasing a piece of ground, and the price that the hemp growers were willing to pay was phenomenally higher than we could ever pay with livestock,” she said. 

Livestock producers still exist in all states with legalized weed, but the decision to raise cattle on land that can be used to grow recreational marijuana is becoming more and more difficult to justify.

Some animal rights organizations noticed this shift in profitability going from livestock to plants. Some such organizations have already created ways to assist and encourage farmers into this “vegetarian” and profitable business transition. One of these organizations is the Transformation Project, launched by Mercy for Animals (MFA). The transformation project’s mission is “to help farmers transition their industrial animal-agriculture operations to plant-focused farms raising crops for human consumption.”

Study Finds No Connection Between Marijuana Legalization and Crime
Photo by skodonnell/Getty Images

RELATED: Is Marijuana Messing With The Environment?

“We decided to create a platform where we would have this conversation about our current factory farm system and how to get the people who want out involved in the plant-based space, whether it’s hemp or even solar and wind energy,” MFA President Leah Garcés told Civil Eats

Organizations like these can be instrumental for farmers looking to make the switch. The influence and investors provided by groups like the Transformation Project can make the switch from chicken and livestock to cannabis and other farming possible for small-time farmers. This change, after all, comes with a significant initial investment.

RELATED: What’s The Difference Between Sun Grown And Indoor Grown Marijuana?

This investment in cannabis, however, has shown great payoff for some former-livestock farmers already.

“I’ve got 1,500 acres of normal row crops and 400 head of cattle,” J.F. Foster, a livestock farmer who has begun the switch to cannabis, told Farm Journal. “If it was possible I’d turn my entire operation over to some type of cannabis production today. Every acre. Today.”

A BA In MMJ? How American Universities Are Attracting New Students With Marijuana Degrees

0

At the current growth rates, the cannabis industry will support over 400,000 jobs this year, so it is best to fill these positions with competent individuals who have been appropriately trained.

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

Thousands of students across the United States of America are looking to study cannabis-related programs in top universities across the country. To some, graduating with a degree in cannabis may seem strange, but the truth is that cannabis job openings are opening up faster than ever. Recently, it was reported that cannabis jobs would increase by 161% in the U.S. by 2029.

With everything going on in the world, this development is not a surprise. The cannabis industry is one of the mature industries growing quickly. From 2019 till this moment, the sector has increased by 47%. It is also looking to be an economic driver in many emerging markets around the world today. In 2020, the total annual sales were about $18 billion. The U.S. cannabis industry is worth over $60 billion now and is projected to be worth at least $100 billion by 2030.

8 Reasons Why College Students Use Cannabis
Photo by Alexis Brown via Unsplash

Looking at the available stats on the industry right now, cannabis could be the new gold in a few years, so why not get on top of it and get an education in cannabis before then?

The Legality of Cannabis Degrees

The absence of federal legislation for cannabis substances has cast doubt on the legitimacy of these programs. Not to mention the lack of federal accreditation agencies for cannabis degrees. The ANSI National Accreditation Board’s Cannabis Testing Lab Accreditation Program has accredited laboratories across the country to investigate important cannabinoid and terpene properties. Relevant tests on pesticides, microbial contaminants, heavy metals, and residual solvents can also be performed by these labs.

Cannabis degrees are not limited to only research; the space has prepared students for opportunities in engineering, math, technology, chemistry, and engineering. The industry still has a lot of expansion to do. Students passionate about the plants need to be equipped with knowledge of lucrative business opportunities in the industry, as well as how they can focus on medical cannabis innovations.

This means that colleges have rules and regulations guiding the degrees. As soon as federal legislation is quickly passed, proper accreditation agencies will be established and funded.

Cannabis In Major American Schools

Colleges and universities in America now offer three to four years of cannabis education. Some cannabis companies are offering employees scholarships to study cannabis studies at any of the major schools in the country. At the forefront of this movement are Veriheal and Steadfast Labs. They have offered annual scholarships worth $1,200 to employees interested in pursuing a cannabis-related degree.

RELATED: A Look At Cannabis Education Offerings At America’s Colleges

Not all of these accredited universities offer full degrees in cannabis. Some offer part-time and full-time classes, while others only provide a few lessons. This presents students to pick preferable courses that suit their interests and visions. Here is a list of accredited institutions investing money and time in equipping students with cannabis education.  The following are undergraduate degrees, whereas places like Thomas Jefferson University offer post-graduate degrees in cannabis as well.

Lake Superior State University (LSSU)

LSSU started offering cannabis studies in 2019. The degree focuses on cannabis chemistry. Recently, they added another degree in the cannabis business. Other courses offered in the university’s Cannabis Center of Excellence include cannabis law and policy, a survey of cannabis business, and cannabis economics.

University of Denver (UoD)

UoD focuses on cannabis law courses.

The Sturm College of Law offers classes on cannabis policies and regulations. A current course teaches us about the challenges faced when representing offenders with cannabis-related charges. The course features the frequently changing rules and regulations in legal states.

Northern Michigan University (NMU)

The program offered by NMU focuses on experimental horticultural practices and advanced analytical chemistry in cannabis. There’s also an additional option that focuses on the entrepreneurial track for students.

The degree, which debuted in 2017, takes four years to complete.

The school’s news director, Kristi Evans, announced that NMU now offers degrees in multidisciplinary indoor agriculture to students interested in medicinal plants or agricultural food production.

Western Illinois University (WIU)

WIU offers two cannabis-related courses. The first is a cannabis production minor focusing on plant physiology and horticulture practices. Classes like crop biotechnology are taught to the students.

RELATED: Surprise! Kids Really Want To Study Marijuana In College

The other course is a cannabis culture minor. It focuses on the various ways the prohibition of cannabis has negatively impacted the lives of colored residents in the country. Students take classes on popular cannabis cultures and contemporary moral problems.

Medical Marijuana On College Campuses Is Already A Sticky Issue
Photo by Ryan Jacobson via Unsplash

Stockton University, New Jersey

Stockton University is one of the few schools that offer online cannabis certification courses. The curriculum is composed of six courses. These courses are an introduction to business, cannabis cultivation, and research in medical and recreational cannabis.

The school also offers students a minor in cannabis studies. Registered students take courses relating to medical marijuana and cannabis laws.

Ohio State University (OSU)

OSU offers a seminar on marijuana law. The school’s Moritz College of Law also offers a course on marijuana laws and policies.

The students are taught about business-first approaches to legalizing the cannabis industry. The lectures also emphasized existing marijuana laws and policies. Cannabiz: Exploring the “legalized” cannabis industry from a corporate transactional standpoint is a popular course.

University of California

It would have been a huge oversight to exclude this institution from the list, as it is one of the hottest locations for cannabis production and sales. The course offered focuses on medicinal cannabis and chronic pain. The course is only offered in the Davis section of the university.

Colorado State University, Pueblo

In 2016, the Institute of Cannabis Research was established in the Pueblo division of Colorado State University. It is the first multi-disciplinary cannabis research center in the United States, and it offers degrees in cannabis biology and chemistry. A minor course is also offered in cannabis studies.

Bottom Line

Universities have a vital role in preparing thousands for careers in the cannabis industry. There is an urgent need to train students to deal with legal, financial, marketing, product development, medical care, and technology issues relating to the cannabis industry.

At the current growth rates, the cannabis industry will support over 400,000 jobs this year, so it is best to fill these positions with competent individuals who have been appropriately trained.

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

Study Offers Clues As To Who Is More Likely To Get Long COVID-19

0

New research found trends in people suffering from long COVID-19, which could help researchers develop a test to predict who’s at higher risk for the condition.

While COVID-19 is terrifying in and of itself, long COVID-19 is an even more concerning condition. Poorly misunderstood, long COVID-19 affects people and produces different symptoms that can last from weeks to months, from having trouble breathing to not being able to smell or taste food.

New research suggests that there’s a way of knowing which people will get long COVID-19, which, if corroborated by other studies, could then help researchers develop a test for it, letting them know as soon as possible who is at risk for developing this condition.

RELATED: Does Omicron Cause Loss Of Smell And Taste? Here’s What A New Study Says

COVID-19: Will We Need A Fourth Booster?
Photo by Noah via Unsplash

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research shows that people who develop long COVID-19 are likely to have lower levels of certain antibodies in their blood after their coronavirus infections.

The research began in 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, and followed patients through their COVID-19 infections. It continued to keep track of them for six months and then for a year when long COVID-19 became a known concern for health practitioners and patients alike. Researchers compared their patients and were able to spot trends, including the immune system’s reaction to the virus.

Dr. Onur Boyman, the lead author of the study, spoke with NBC News and explained the reactions that people with long COVID-19 displayed. According to the data, these people showed decreased levels of two immunoglobulins: IgM and IgG3. This decrease, paired with an underlying condition or the fact that the patient was over a certain age, made it 75% effective in predicting long COVID-19.

RELATED: Kids Who Had COVID-19 Are Twice As Likely To Develop This Chronic Condition

Should You Get Your COVID-19 Booster If You're Sick?
Photo by Steven Cornfield via Unsplash

“These individuals might have a disadvantage from the start,” said Boyman. “And then due to their asthmatic background, they might also react slightly differently to viruses, which then leads to a misguided immune response.”

Long COVID-19 is a cluster of symptoms that affect people, most likely those who suffered from a strong COVID-19 infection. Due to organ damage, inflammation in the lungs or the heart, people might develop symptoms like a fast heart rate, breathing problems, cognitive issues, and severe fatigue, for weeks or months to come. For now, the most effective way of avoiding long COVID-19 is to be vaccinated and boosted.

Study: Medical Cannabis Use Reduces Opioid Prescriptions In Patients With Osteoarthritis

Researchers in Philadelphia concluded that medical cannabis reduces opioid prescription for patients with chronic OA pain and improves pain and quality of life.

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez 

Osteoarthritis (OA) can result in significant pain, often requiring pain management with opioids, which can be addictive. According to a study performed by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia, medical cannabis has the potential to be an alternative to opioids for chronic pain conditions.

The study acknowledges the current opioid crisis in the U.S., including “opioid-related deaths nearly quadrupling between 1999 and 2015 and 37.8% of adults using opioids in 2015.”

prescription drugs opioids
Photo by Christina Victoria Craft via Unsplash

According to the report, opioids have shown statistically significant “but small improvements in treating chronic pain at the cost of dose-dependent risks of substance abuse disorders, addiction, overdose, and death.”

The researchers, nevertheless, noted that opioid use for OA increased from 13.4% to 17% between 2007 to 2014, despite increased awareness of their adverse effects.

“Population studies show that Medical Cannabis legalization has been associated with reduced mortality due to opioid overdose, reduced opioid-related hospitalizations, and decreased opioid prescription. However, there is so far insufficient evidence to show that Medical Cannabis can be an effective replacement for opioids.”

The study, titled “Medical Cannabis Use Reduces Opioid Prescriptions in Patients With Osteoarthritis”, investigated whether medical cannabis used in the management of OA-related chronic pain can at least reduce opioid use.

RELATED: How CBD Can Help Dogs With Osteoarthritis

Researchers examined 40 patients with chronic OA pain, who were certified to use medical cannabis. Average morphine milligram equivalents per day of opioid prescriptions filled within the six months prior to medical cannabis certification was compared to that of the six months after. Researchers monitored the pain and Global Health scores at baseline, three, and six months post cannabis certification.

RELATED: Why Marijuana Is Effective For Opioid Recovery

They found that the average morphine milligram equivalents prescribed per day decreased from 18.2 to 9.8 (n=40, p<0.05). Likewise, the percentage of patients who dropped to 0 was 37.5%. Pain scores “decreased significantly at three and six months, and Global Physical Health score increased significantly by three months,” stated the report.

Medical cannabis “reduces opioid prescription for patients with chronic OA pain and improves pain and quality of life,” concluded the researchers.

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

Eating This Fruit Can Protect Your Vision, Finds Study

0

A new study suggests eating this fruit can help you protect and preserve your vision as you grow older.

According to a recently published study, goji berries, known for providing good a dose of healthy anti-oxidants, could help protect our vision. In fact, they could help prevent macular degeneration, a condition that is the leading cause of vision loss as people get older.

The study gathered a group of participants and split them into groups, with one eating dried goji berries five times a week for three months, while the other consumed an eye supplement for that same duration. Researchers analyzed all participants’ eyes before and after the study, finding benefits in the group that consumed goji berries.

RELATED: Watching This Much TV A Week Could Increase The Risk Of Dementia

Eating This Fruit Can Protect Your Vision, Says Study
Photo by Redd via Unsplash

According to the study’s lead author, Xiang Li, Ph.D, these positive results are likely due to two elements present in the goji berries: lutein and zeaxanthin. These elements are usually featured in foods like egg yolks, zucchini, orange bell peppers, spinach, and more.

“These two compounds are like sunscreen for your eyes,” she said. “The higher the amount is in your retina, the more protection you have. That’s important for early-stage AMD, but it’s also helpful even for those with healthy eyes because it filters out harmful blue light and provides antioxidant protection.”

She also explains that dried goji berries are very effective since they pack a lot of nutrients in this form, with the body quickly absorbing them.

RELATED: Eating This Food Can Extend Your Life, New Study Reveals

Our vision is the type of thing that we can easily take for granted, yet something that, like everything else organic, deteriorates with the passage of time. Eating a diet with plenty of veggies, fruits and nuts, and shielding your eyes from UV rays, will all help in preserving your eyesight.

Amazon Supports GOP’s Marijuana Legalization Bill

“Like so many in this country, we believe it’s time to reform the nation’s cannabis policy and Amazon is committed to helping lead the effort,” said Amazon.

By Maureen Meehan 

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced its support on Tuesday for a Republican-backed congressional bill that would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level and let states decide how and whether to ban or regulate it.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s (R-SC) State Reform Act, released in November, would remove cannabis as a Federal Schedule I substance and introduce a new 3% federal tax on that substance. It was the first bill issued from the Republicans and it created quite a stir at the time.

amazon delivery vans
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Now, Amazon, which already supported cannabis legalization, has expressed support for the GOP bill.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Amazon’s public policy department said, “We’re pleased to endorse @RepNancyMace’s States Reform Act. Like so many in this country, we believe it’s time to reform the nation’s cannabis policy and Amazon is committed to helping lead the effort.”

Mace said Amazon was likely motivated to approve her bill because legal issues with marijuana could make hiring difficult.

RELATED: Is This The Real Reason Amazon Is Supporting Marijuana Legalization?

“They see it from a worker’s point of view,” Mace said, according to Forbes. “The ban at the federal level actually affects their workforce.”

The congresswoman’s got that right.

In September, Amazon asked its delivery partners to openly advertise that they don’t screen applicants for marijuana use in an effort to address the shortage of the company’s delivery drivers, noting that cannabis screening reduces prospective applicants by up to 30%.

amazon
Photo by Mark Makela / Getty Images

Prior to that, in June, Amazon stopped testing for workplace cannabis use for most of its on-site positions, apart from those regulated by the Department of Transportation.

American As Apple Pie

Cannabis connects us all, says Mace. And she’s got that right too.

RELATED: Amazon’s Cannabis Policy Will Be Retroactive — Formerly Rejected Applicants Are Now Eligible For Jobs

“There are three things that really connect people. Animals, Britney Spears and cannabis. These are the three things I’ve found that touch the hearts of Americans and make people like apple pies for dinner.”

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

Is CBN Going To Give Melatonin A Run For Its Money?

There are CBN supplements already on the market which have been designed to help consumers fall asleep or relax quicker, with an onset time of an hour or less.

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

Melatonin is one of the most widely used supplements worldwide. It’s an over-the-counter supplement that adults rely on to help treat insomnia.

Melatonin is natural, because it’s a hormone that the body already produces when we are exposed to darkness. It assists in regulating the circadian rhythm to ensure that we are getting proper sleep, and it is effective even at small doses to help you get some shut-eye.

sleep
Photo by Weiquan Lin/Getty Images

There are also many benefits to taking melatonin. Aside from it being accessible and affordable, this popular sleep aid also has antioxidant properties, can help reduce the production of cortisol — the stress hormone, regulate blood pressure, and improve the immune system.

However, many people have found relief from using cannabis. There are numerous cannabinoids within the cannabis plant that offer the same benefits as melatonin, some even more. Enter CBN.

Meet CBN – Cannabinol

CBN is one of the newer cannabinoid compounds from cannabis, though lesser known compared to its other cousins, CBD, CBG, and of course, THC. However, it’s been getting some attention recently because of its ability to induce sleep and relax. This is possible because it’s created when Delta 9 THC is degraded, which can be done in the lab.

CBN also forms naturally when THC is exposed to light and heat, that’s because it naturally oxidizes in these situations. That’s why if you have left your weed out for a long time, or exposed to air, it might not get you as high as you wanted though it can make you sleepy – because the THC has already turned into CBN.

Once we consume CBN, it binds to the CB1 receptor though not as tightly as THC would. For this reason, CBN is often referred to as the THC but without the high.

RELATED: Is CBN A Controlled Substance? Yes. No. Maybe.

While CBD does relax, it’s not as powerful as taking CBN. There are CBN supplements already in the market which have been designed to help consumers fall asleep or relax quicker, with an onset time of an hour or less. There are numerous anecdotal reports of CBN helping people fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer, though there are very few studies that document its ability to do that. But that hasn’t stopped people from trying and buying CBN supplements.

Pain Relief

Aside from sleep, CBN is promising on other fronts, such as pain relief. There was a 2019 animal study revealing that the consumption of both CBN and CBD were effective in reducing myofascial pain among the rat subjects; they also found that using both cannabinoids together was more effective than using any of them alone. This can be explained because of the widely studied entourage effect of cannabinoids, where the presence of other cannabinoids has been proven to enhance the therapeutic effects of the other.

inflammation chronic pain
Photo by peterschreiber.media/Getty Images

Inflammation

There’s also some studies showing that CBN has some anti-inflammatory properties. In the study, researchers discovered that it was effective in reducing the pain caused by arthritis, which is caused by inflammation within the joints.

Skin and Bone Health

Some studies suggest that CBN has the potential to help create new bone cells by activating stems cells and promoting the growth of new bones. It can also help minimize bone loss while helping to treat fractures. Furthermore, CBN has been found to be helpful in decreasing the overgrowth of skin cells when applied topically, and may help treat psoriasis.

Antibacterial

Consuming CBN has been shown to be effective in fighting bacteria, even for bacteria that resists conventional antibiotic medications such as MRSA.

Anti-Cancer

Most research of using CBN to fight cancer is still in its early phases, but what scientists have found so far is that CBN may be promising in for its ability to slow the spread of cancer cells. In addition, it was one of many cannabinoids that was found to be successful in reducing the growth of tumors for lung cancer.

CBD Vs. CBN: What’s The Difference?

While cannabidiol (CBD) is largely more popular compared to CBN, they do have unique properties that can be beneficial to many people. They occur in varying quantities within the cannabis plant, and also respond to the endocannabinoid system in different ways.

There are a few key differences between the two star cannabinoids that are helpful for first-time users to know more about them. For one, there is more evidence that CBD can be beneficial for anxiety compared to CBN. Another is that, while thy are both effective for sleep, CBN has been shown to be more powerful in inducing shut-eye.

marijuana research
Photo by Aleksandr_Kravtsov/Getty Images

What To Know Before Taking CBN

CBN is widely available usually in oil form, and it has such a loyal following especially among people who struggle to get some shut-eye. Since it has no known side effects, just like other cannabinoids, you can go ahead to experiment and see if it does indeed do a better job than melatonin.

RELATED: CBD Might Not Cause You To Fail a Drug Test, But CBN Might

Keep in mind that, just like other cannabis products, you should start small and go slow until you are confident of the expected effects you take when you consume CBN. On top of that, don’t take it unless your physician has cleared you to mix it, if you are already taking pharmaceutical drugs.

While taking cannabinoids alone don’t have any side effects, there could be several unwanted effects if you combine them with pharmaceutical drugs. It can also unexpectedly weaken the effects of medicines, render medications useless in your body, or amplify them, so it is never recommended to mix cannabinoids with pharmaceutical drugs.

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

High-Purity CBD May Help Block COVID-19 From Replicating, New Study Suggests

0

Clinical trials should now be conducted to determine whether CBD could eventually be used as a preventative or early treatment for COVID-19.

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Chicago has found evidence that cannabidiol, or CBD, can inhibit infection by the COVID-19 virus in human cells and in mice.

They caution, however, that the COVID-blocking effects of CBD come only from a high-purity, specially formulated dose taken in specific situations. The study’s findings do not suggest that consuming commercially available products with CBD additives that vary in potency and quality can prevent COVID-19, reported UChicago News.

CBD oil
Photo by Anna Efetova/Getty Images

The study, published on Jan. 20 in Science Advances, found CBD showed a significant negative association with positive COVID tests in a national sample of medical records of patients taking the FDA-approved drug for treating epilepsy.

Now clinical trials should be conducted to determine whether CBD could eventually be used as a preventative or early treatment for COVID-19.

“CBD has anti-inflammatory effects, so we thought that maybe it would stop the second phase of COVID infection involving the immune system, the so-called ‘cytokine storm,’” said Marsha Rosner, Charles B. Huggins professor in the Ben May Department of Cancer Research and a senior author of the study. “Surprisingly, it directly inhibited viral replication in lung cells.”

Researchers first treated human lung cells with CBD for two hours before exposing the cells to the COVID virus and monitoring them for the virus and the viral spike protein. They found that, above a certain threshold concentration, CBD inhibited the virus’ ability to replicate. Further investigation found that CBD had the same effect in two other types of cells and for three variants of the COVID virus in addition to the original strain.

COVID cannabis
Photo by Stefan Tomic/Getty Images

RELATED: OSU Study Finds CBGA And CBDA Block COVID-19 Virus

“A clinical trial is necessary to determine whether CBD is really effective at preventing or suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said Rosner. The research team emphasized that the COVID-blocking effects of CBD were confined strictly to high purity, high concentrations of CBD. Closely related cannabinoids did not have the same effect and combining CBD with equal amounts of THC actually reduced the efficacy of CBD.

RELATED: Cannabis Terpenes And CBD Outperform Leading COVID-19 Treatment In Early Trial

“We caution against the use of non-medical formulations including edibles, inhalants, or topicals as a preventative or treatment therapy at the present time,” added the researchers.

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

New York Doctors Can Now Recommend Medical Marijuana To All Patients Who Can Benefit From It

The new certification and registration system brings the system under the full control of the state’s OCM and continues the work of expanding the program, pursuant to the MRTA.

By Maureen Meehan

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced on Monday the launch of a new medical cannabis certification and registration system that will not only be far easier to use but will expand eligibility criteria for patients who can benefit from medical cannabis.

The program, the first of its kind nationally, will allow the certification of a patient by a practitioner for any condition that the practitioner believes can be treated with medical cannabis, reported local CBS News outlet WRBG Albany. A precedent can be found in Argentina’s REPROCANN program.

medical marijuana

This practitioner’s discretion in certifying patients was essentially granted with the passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), which legalized cannabis last March.

The new certification and registration system brings the system under the full control of the state’s OCM and continues the work of expanding the program, pursuant to the MRTA.

“It is terrific to see the Medical Cannabis Program expand so vastly with the launch of the new certification and registration program and the ability of practitioners to determine qualifying conditions as included in the MRTA,” said Cannabis Control board chair Tremaine Wright.

RELATED: New York Will Generate Over $1B In Marijuana Taxes, Government Officials Predict

“The new cannabis industry is taking shape as we continue to implement the MRTA and provide greater access for New Yorkers to a medicine that we’re learning more about every day. We’re continuing to move forward swiftly and today’s system launch follows our achievements that already include adding whole flower medical product sales, permanently waiving $50 patient fees, and advancing home cultivation regulations, among others.”

OCM executive director Chris Alexander added that the new patient certification and registration system are significant steps forward for New York’s program.

RELATED: Medical Flower Now Allowed In New York

“We will continue to implement the MRTA and ensure that all New Yorkers who can benefit from medical cannabis have the access they need to do so,” Alexander said. “It’s important for New Yorkers to know that even as we shift the medical program to the OCM, your access will not be disrupted and the program will continue to expand.”

All current caregivers will be re-issued new registry ID cards with the patient’s name printed on them to better identify which patient(s) they are authorized to assist.

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

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.