Data on the Omicron variant of COVID-19 suggests people become infectious earlier on.
Since the pandemic started, one of the most important questions scientists tried to determine is the moment when infected people become contagious with COVID-19. While all variants work similarly, there are small differences. Have Omicron? Here is when you are contagious.
In the case of Omicron, a variant that’s vastly contagious, scientists have been gathering evidence over the past months to provide an answer, suggesting that people become contagious earlier than in previous variants.
“As we’ve seen these new variants develop – delta, now omicron – what we’re seeing is everything gets sped up from a COVID perspective,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady told NBC. “It is taking less time from when someone is exposed to COVID to potentially develop infection. It is taking less time to develop symptoms, it is taking less time that someone may be infectious and it is, for many people, taking less time to recover. A lot of that is because many more people are vaccinated.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people infected with COVID-19 become contagious days before and after their symptoms first appear. In the case of Omicron, AP News reports that this occurs earlier due to the variant causing symptoms sooner than previous versions of the virus. This might also be one of the reasons why the variant is so contagious.
Data suggests that Omicron prompts symptoms three days after infection. This could mean that people could be contagious as soon as a day after they were infected by the virus. In previous variants of COVID-19, people were contagious two to four days after they were first infected.
Once people are contagious, their tests are more likely to come back positive, presenting the chance to catch infections earlier on.
Photo by Mika Baumeister via Unsplash
Dr. Amy Karger, from the University of Minnesota Medical School, spoke with AP News and suggested people test themselves on days three and five after exposure. “A lot of people are turning positive by day three. There’s basically an opportunity here to catch people earlier than you would with the other variants.”
If you’re experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested as soon as possible. If you think you were exposed, days three and five after exposure make for great times for testing, providing you with a chance to catch the virus earlier on and prevent its spread.
Maintaining the fiction that professional sports are THC-free is just an act of denial that we can no longer afford.
By Jim Higdon, co-founder of Cornbread Hemp
Drug testing for THC in professional sports is almost dead, as it should be — but not quite. It still lurks in the corners like a zombie, ready to attack anyone who points at it. The NBA has ended random drug testing, but it still has a policy in place for testing players “for cause,” which keeps those players from advocating for the full elimination of drug testing in the league.
The NBA rightly tests for performance-enhancing drugs that would give players an unfair edge, but THC is not a performance-enhancing drug. The only reason it’s banned in sports is because of a falsehood perpetrated by the federal government that cannabis is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. It is not.
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For decades, sports leagues have done the dirty work of cannabis prohibition by insisting that THC is inconsistent with professional athletics, when nothing could be further from the truth. If the NBA imposed a zero-tolerance policy for cannabis use today, there wouldn’t be enough players for a full game.
Some recent estimates suggest that as many as 85% of NBA players use cannabis, yet the NBA still perpetuates the charade that it runs a THC-free workplace. It does not.
Everyone knows this. But still, the leagues and players are locked in a perpetual dance of keeping up the appearance of the THC ban, where players have every possible opportunity to dodge the consequences of that ban, as long as they don’t speak out.
This wink-and-nod system has run its course. Legal marijuana jurisdictions are no longer the exception to the rule. They are the dominant norm in America today. Every team of every sports league is based in a city with some form of legal THC — even those that play in states with no legal marijuana.
The National Football League has 32 teams. Of those, 14 play home games in a state with legal recreational marijuana, 11 in states with medical marijuana, and seven in states with no legal marijuana — the Cowboys, the Texans, the Falcons, the Packers, the Colts, the Titans, and the Panthers.
Major League Baseball has 30 teams. Of those, 16 play home games in a state or province with legal recreational marijuana, 10 in states with medical marijuana, and four in states with no legal marijuana — the Brewers, the Braves, the Rangers, and the Astros.
The National Basketball Association has 30 teams. Of those, 14 play home games in a state or province with legal recreational marijuana, eight in states with medical marijuana, and eight in states with no legal marijuana — the Bucks, the Hornets, the Mavericks, the Spurs, the Rockets, the Hawks, the Grizzlies, and the Pacers.
The National Hockey League has the greatest exposure to legal cannabis of any league because of the number of teams playing home games in Canada, where cannabis is fully legal. Of the 32 teams in the NHL, 22 play home games in a state or province with legal recreational marijuana, seven in states with medical marijuana, and only three in states with no legal marijuana — the Hurricanes, the Stars, and the Predators.
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But here’s the thing: even in the 14 states with no legal marijuana, THC is still legal if it’s derived from hemp. It’s been that way ever since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. As long as the THC comes from the hemp plant with no more than 0.3% THC and is made into products that also do not exceed 0.3% THC, then that THC is legal.
And while 0.3% doesn’t sound like much THC, it’s enough to show up on a drug test, and that threatens the job security of any worker subject to THC drug testing. That’s not right because hemp-derived THC is legal under federal law — even for the players of the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Hawks, which are based in states with no legal marijuana.
No worker in America should face consequences for testing positive for a legal substance used outside of the workplace. And it’s not just professional athletes living under this hypocritical cloud. Millions of Americans, from nurses to truck drivers, are afraid of losing their jobs if they test positive for THC after using legal hemp products.
At Cornbread Hemp, our mission is to improve our customers’ quality of life. And these outdated drug test policies against THC are obstacles to that mission. Consequently, we are doing everything in our power to educate and advocate for ending THC testing in the workplace, beginning with professional sports.
We can no longer lie to ourselves about THC. It’s as commonly used as ibuprofen, maybe more so. Maintaining the fiction that professional sports are THC-free is just an act of denial that we can no longer afford.
It’s long past time for sports leagues to acknowledge that their players use THC in ways that do not affect their workplace performance instead of demanding that their players remain silent so that the league can continue its drug testing charade. It’s time to end THC drug testing in professional sports.
Jim Higdon is co-founder ofCornbread Hemp. He is a native of Kentucky, and holds degrees from Centre College, Brown University, and Columbia University. Jim published Cornbread Mafia in 2012, which led to a journalism career covering Kentucky for the Washington Post and cannabis policy for POLITICO.
Marijuana breathalyzers have long been in development, producing no fruitful results. A new study shows a different path.
Researchers have found a non-invasive way of determining whether or not a person has been impaired by THC. This discovery, achieved thanks to a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, could provide an answer for DUIs related to cannabis consumption, providing a pathway in treating these types of situations.
According to The Harvard Gazette, the technique used in the study is called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which measures brain patterns, which researchers then correlated to THC impairment. The device in question would be designed to be portable and noninvasive, allowing people to use it on the go, measuring THC impairment in subjects.
The study had 169 cannabis users consume THC or a placebo and then submit themselves to fNIRS scans. Those who’d consumed cannabis showed higher levels of neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain when compared to those who’d consumed a placebo.
“Our research represents a novel direction for impairment testing in the field,” said lead author Jodi Gilman, associate professor at Harvard and investigator in the Center for Addiction Medicine. “Our goal was to determine if cannabis impairment could be detected from activity of the brain on an individual level. This is a critical issue because a ‘breathalyzer’ type of approach will not work for detecting cannabis impairment, which makes it very difficult to objectively assess impairment from THC during a traffic stop.”
Photo by why kei via Unsplash
A cannabis breathalyzer has long been the gold standard that researchers have been working towards. A recent study showed how unhelpful these devices were in measuring THC impairment, particularly because they measure the presence of the compound in saliva, a connection that is inconsistent and not indicative of impairment while driving or operating some kind of machinery.
“Someone who’s experienced with cannabis might show the same levels of THC in their blood as someone who’s inexperienced with it. These two people will likely have completely different responses to the drug and how impaired they are by it,” the Fresh Toast reported in a previous article.
While further study is necessary for devising a product that’s capable of producing these scans on the go, this finding is a necessary first step for preventing roadside accidents and ensuring workplace safety.
Registered patients would be subject to purchase limits that would restrict them to no more than 3.5 grams of cannabis flower, 1 gram of concentrate, or up to 100 milligrams of THC in infused products.
A new bill to legalize medical marijuana was introduced in Mississippi on Tuesday and on Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee approved the measure by a voice vote. The bill is expected to be taken up on the floor as soon as Thursday, reported Marijuana Moment. A medical cannabis program could start in 2022.
SB 2095, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R), would allow patients with about two dozen specific medical conditions (such as cancer, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, muscular dystrophy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis, Alzheimer’s, as well as chronic medical conditions) to qualify for medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.
Registered patients would be subject to purchase limits that would restrict them to no more than 3.5 grams of cannabis flower, 1 gram of concentrate, or up to 100 milligrams of THC in infused products. In this regard, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has said the program should allow only half those amounts. The governor explained his hesitancy in signing the bill on social media:
“The bill allows any individual to get 3.5 grams of marijuana per day. A simple Google search shows that the average joint has 0.32 grams of marijuana. Therefore, any one individual can get enough weed to smoke 11 joints a day. Every day…. That would be 1.2 billion legal joints sold in Mississippi per year. Call me crazy, but I just think that’s too broad of a starting point,” Gov. Reeves wrote on Facebook.
Patients or caretakers would be forbidden from growing their own cannabis. Products from state-licensed companies, meanwhile, would be limited to 30% THC for cannabis flower and 60 percent for concentrates.
Deltacron is the combination of two prominent COVID-19 variants. Here’s what that means and why you shouldn’t stress too much.
Our COVID-19 panic is reaching new heights, to a degree where new diseases and terms are no longer surprising. “Deltacron” is this week’s offering, a COVID-19 variant that is the combination of two pandemic hits: Delta and Omicron. Here’s why you shouldn’t stress out just yet.
Deltacron is the catchy name of a new variant, supposedly discovered in Cyprus, which analyzed a COVID-19 sample that had elements of both Omicron and Delta, resulting in a recombination of variants that might be more dangerous than a regular mutation. While mutation occurs naturally, recombination occurs in a host, when someone catches both variants and the virus replicates itself within the hosts’ cells.
While this description sounds very spooky, according to I News, some scientists have questioned the validity of Deltacron, believing that the researchers’ sample might have been contaminated.
“On ‘deltacron’, there are concerns about the validity of this variant – whether it is real or an artifact of the sequencing technology. We need more data to confirm the existence of this variant and whether it is spreading in the population,” explained virologist Lawrence Young.
While there’s still some evidence that suggests Deltacron might be real, this variant would only become a concern if it’s more transmissible than previous ones, which there’s no way of knowing.
At this point in the pandemic, it’s important to know when to panic and when not to. While new variants likely imply that a new COVID-19 wave is coming, it’s important to have the right sources and the right data, particularly now that so many people are invested in covering every possible permutation of COVID-19.
If claims are made about a CBGA or CBDA product’s ability to block COVID-19, even in light of this OSU report, the FDA will consider that product to be an unapproved drug.
Researchers at Oregon State University have found that cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) “bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.”
Yesterday, the researchers published their findings in a research paper, entitled “Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants” available here. According to Richard van Breemen, the leader of the study: “Any part of the infection and replication cycle is a potential target for antiviral intervention, and the connection of the spike protein’s receptor binding domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2 is a critical step in that cycle,” he said.
“That means cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells. They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in the lungs and other organs.”
While this is certainly exciting news for the hemp industry, remember that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent dozens of warning letters to manufacturers of CBD products for making medical claims about their products. If claims are made about a CBGA or CBDA product’s ability to block COVID-19, even in light of this OSU report, the FDA will consider that product to be an unapproved drug. This is because the FDA determines what a drug is based on its intended use.
Marketing claims, even those that simply mention a medical study without tying it to a specific product, can result in a product being classified as a drug. In the context of CBD, claims about CBD treating, preventing, curing, or mitigating COVID-19 have been a high priority for the FDA. It is very likely that the FDA will take the same approach to claims made about CBGA and CBDA, even in light of this incredible report from OSU.
Andrew founded the Oregon Cannabis Law Group in 2014 and merged with Green Light Law Group in 2019. He has long been on the forefront of the novel legal issues concerning the emerging cannabis industry. You can contact him at andrew@gl-lg.com or 503-488-5424.
“Elected officials in Texas—both Democrats and Republicans—agree that we should no longer arrest people for small amounts of marijuana,” the director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) said on Monday that he doesn’t believe people should be incarcerated over low-level marijuana possession, effectively endorsing decriminalization on the same day that Austin officials certified a ballot initiative to enact the reform on the local level, reported Marijuana Moment.
“Marijuana is now a Class C misdemeanor in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. Currently, in Texas, A Class C misdemeanor is punishable by a fine without jail time. However, Abbott mischaracterized the state’s marijuana policy. Possession of up to two ounces of cannabis actually remains a Class B misdemeanor—not class C, which carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine.
Photo by Bo Zaunders/Getty Images
“Elected officials in Texas—both Democrats and Republicans—agree that we should no longer arrest people for small amounts of marijuana,” Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy told Marijuana Moment. “It’s a waste of resources, it unfairly derails lives, and it’s time for the legislature to take action so law enforcement can focus on real crime.”
Texas momentum?
Meanwhile, at a crowded late December rally in downtown Austin, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke received some of the loudest cheers when he promised to legalize marijuana in Texas, which is something, he said, “most of us, regardless of party, actually agree on.” He then added that if elected, he would legalize marijuana.”
According to a survey from the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, conducted in November 2021, 67% of Texans support federal marijuana legalization. The importance of this poll lies in the fact that 51% of survey participants who identified as Republicans also back the reform.
Ever since the popularity of vaping cannabis began to rise, the debate over which method is more effective has raged on amongst cannabis enthusiasts everywhere.
For cannabis enthusiasts, pulling out a vape pen has become preferable to rolling up a joint or a blunt for numerous reasons. Vaping is generally more convenient and discreet than smoking. There’s also research displaying evidence that vaping gets people higher than traditional methods of smoking.
Regardless, there are still many cannabis enthusiasts who aren’t fans of vaping due to the simple fact that it provides a different high than smoking. There are numerous reasons why that’s the case. Here are just a few.
Combustion Kills Terpenes
There are a variety of terpenes in cannabis that have a profound impact on the way cannabis enthusiasts feel when consuming marijuana. When people choose to vape cannabis it’s easier for them to enjoy the flavor of specific strains because the terpenes aren’t being burned.
The combustion that takes place when lighting a doobie or a bowl burns away the terpenes that provide flavor, along with many of the cannabinoids that provide strains with their distinctive qualities. Vaporizing allows cannabis enthusiasts to alternate the temperature levels of their devices which means it’s easier to preserve the subtle nuances a marijuana strain is capable of providing. This is one of the biggest reasons vaping marijuana often provides a different sensation than smoking it traditionally.
Vaping Provides A Cleaner High
Another reason the vaping experience differs from that of traditional smoking is because it doesn’t come with the harmful chemicals that come with smoking. This could be part of the reason why a vaping high can make cannabis enthusiasts seem more energetic. When smoking a joint or blunt it’s not unusual for people to spend the rest of the day on the couch. The cleaner high that vaping provides is both healthier and more conducive to having a productive day, while still being able to enjoy marijuana from time to time as it progresses.
More THC Enters The Bloodstream
One of the biggest reasons vaping provides a different high than smoking is due to the amount of THC that enters the bloodstream from vaping. Both vaping and smoking both allow THC to enter the bloodstream directly through the lungs. Even so, recent research reveals that vaping results in higher levels of THC in the bloodstream when compared to smoking.
Photo by martin-dm/Getty Images
In the study, participants were each given 25 mg of THC to vape and 25 mg of THC to smoke. The group that vaped the 25 mg of THC had what was described as “more significant drug effects” when vaping, as opposed to smoking. This helps explain why vaping marijuana is capable of getting people higher than traditionally smoking.
Ever since the popularity of vaping cannabis began to rise, the debate over which method is more effective has raged on amongst cannabis enthusiasts everywhere. The science behind why vaping is more effective at providing a stronger high than smoking is still in its early phases, but the current evidence behind why that’s the case is compelling to say the least.
Keep this information in mind for the next time someone tries to describe why vaping isn’t as effective as regular smoking methods like bowls and blunts!
While federal law on a person’s past use of marijuana remains relevant, it is not determinative to decisions on eligibility for access to classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.
For years, marijuana use has been — and still is — a red flag on a security clearance review. However, the sentiment seems to be changing, as more states move to legalize the plant, Marijuana Moment writes.
Avril Haines, director of national intelligence (DNI), says that security clearance applicants who have used cannabis should not be instantly rejected when applying for a federal job. This internal notice, distributed to nearly 100 agencies in late December, builds upon guidance previously approved under the Obama administration.
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Nevertheless, it seems that cannabis remains an area of concern when it comes to the application process, even though the plant is not a new issue to applicants seeking security clearances.
The use of controlled substances, Haines wrote in a document first reported by ClearanceJobs on Monday, “can raise security concerns about an individual’s reliability and trustworthiness to access classified information or to hold a sensitive position, as well as their ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.”
And while federal law on marijuana and a person’s past use “remains relevant,” according to the memo, it is “not determinative” to decisions on “eligibility for access to classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.”
Overlooking Recent Past Marijuana Use & Determining Consumption Frequency
Adjudicators for federal employment should look past marijuana use alone and determine the frequency of consumption and likelihood that a person will continue to use cannabis, the memo says.
“Additionally, in light of the long-standing federal law and policy prohibiting illegal drug use while occupying a sensitive position or holding a security clearance, agencies are encouraged to advise prospective national security workforce employees that they should refrain from any future marijuana use upon initiation of the national security vetting process, which commences once the individual signs the certification contained in the Standard Form 86 (SF-86), Questionnaire for National Security Positions.”
Haines also noted that the policy could be further amended if there is a “change to federal law concerning marijuana use.”
Cannabis-Related Investment Guidance
In addition, the memo states that federal employers should use discretion when it comes to applicants with cannabis investments in their stock portfolios – a novelty compared to the past DNI memo on the topic that was signed by then-DNI James Clapper in 2014.
It notes that eligibility for access to classified information or to hold a sensitive position “may be impacted negatively should that individual knowingly and directly invest in stocks or business ventures that specifically pertain to marijuana growers and retailers while the cultivation and distribution of marijuana remain illegal” under federal law.
Moreover, in terms of indirect marijuana investments, “adjudicators should presume that individual did not knowingly invest in a marijuana-related business; thus, the indirect investment should not be considered relevant to adjudications.”
However, if an individual is willingly investing in an activity, including a marijuana-related business, thus violating federal law — that could reflect the questionable judgment and an unwillingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations,” according to the document.
A new study found that a common element found in popular products is responsible for inflammation in the gut.
Triclosan is a compound that was banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016. Still, we continue to encounter it often in the products we use in our daily lives, most commonly toothpaste. Why is it so bad? A new study conducted on mice found that triclosan can trigger inflammation in their guts, resulting in GI stress.
According to different studies, triclosan has been harmful in animals in a variety of ways, decreasing their thyroid hormones, making bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and messing with their guts. While these results haven’t been seen in humans — there have been no triclosan experiments conducted on them — they were sufficient enough to raise the alarm bells of different health experts.
While this recent study confirmed the belief that triclosan is harmful to mice, it was also able to pinpoint the part of triclosan that was responsible for causing gut inflammation, something that could help scientists address these types of GI issues and block this effect. “By identifying the culprit bacteria, new approaches could be developed for the diagnoses, prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases,” said study author Matthew Redinbo, M.D.
Triclosan has long been used in a variety of everyday products, intended to reduce bacterial contamination and prevent the spread of gingivitis. It’s normally found in antibacterial soaps, body washes, and cosmetics. Its presence in toothpaste is particularly worrisome though since it can linger in toothbrush bristles and build up over time, making it easy for people to ingest it.
While researchers are working on a solution for this issue, it will likely be some time before the necessary protective element is available in toothpaste brands and everyday products. To limit your exposure to it, you should read the drug contents label in your toothpaste, purchasing brands that don’t contain triclosan. You should also change your toothbrush regularly, ensuring that not a lot of triclosan builds up in your bristles.
