A new study found that the COVID-19 vaccine can result in benefits that go beyond simply protecting people from the virus.
There are plenty of health benefits associated with the COVID-19 vaccine, primarily the fact that it helps keep you safe and alive during a global pandemic. But, aside from that, a new study suggests that one big benefit the COVID-19 vaccine can lead to is an improvement in your mental health.
Published in the journal PLOS One, researchers tracked people who received their first COVID-19 shot between the months of December 2020 and March 2021. People who had received a shot were less likely to be depressed when compared to people who hadn’t been vaccinated or had scheduled a vaccination appointment but had yet to get the jab.
Another interesting bit of data indicates that mental health benefits were reported without having full inoculation. “Getting the first dose of COVID-19 resulted in significant improvements in mental health, beyond improvements already achieved since mental distress peaked in the spring of 2020,” concluded the study.
While the study didn’t look into why this was occurring, it makes total sense that people would be feeling better following the vaccine and the year we’ve all been through. The mental health impacts of the pandemic have long worried researchers and experts, believing that a year of fear, isolation, and economic stress is likely to result in deteriorated mental health and increased odds of substance abuse.
People who are vaccinated have less to worry about, with fewer odds of getting infected. They can go out and meet other people without the fear that surrounded these engagements before the existence of the vaccine.
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The benefits reported by researchers are likely short-term, meaning that, if the pandemic continues indefinitely and people get used to having their vaccines and adapting to their new lifestyles, they’ll likely fade away. Still, it’s encouraging to see these results, which indicate that the benefits of the vaccine go beyond just physical health.
The vaccine gives people a lot of hope and the possibility to get back to a sort of normal, where they can ride the bus or the subway, go to work and hang out with their friends and family without exposing themselves or others to too much risk.
The health benefits of cannabis has had limited medical research reported health benefits. There isn’t much evidence surrounding the adverse effects either.
There is reportedly a rise of an unusual illness happening across the United States, and it is prevalent in spots that have legalized marijuana. It seems that droves of people are going to the emergency room for stomach problems, including “uncontrollable vomiting,” resulting from marijuana use.
“They are writhing, holding their stomach, complaining of really bad abdominal pain and nausea,” Dr. Sam Wang, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist and toxicologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, told CNN.
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Once the nausea turns to full-blown vomiting, Wang says the diagnosis is quickly established. “They vomit and then just continue to vomit whatever they have in their stomach, which can go on for hours,” he said. “They often say they took a scalding hot shower before they came to the ER, but it didn’t help. “That’s when we know we may have a case of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.”
There indeed exists a condition known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). The symptoms range from morning nausea to stomach pain in the early stage and persistent vomiting as a patient gets worse. However, medical experts admit they aren’t exactly sure what causes CHS. They only have theories. Some claim genetics are to blame, while others believe it results from brain changes following longtime pot use. They just can’t pinpoint which is closest to the truth.
Although the condition was once considered rare, doctors agree that it can still be dangerous. It can even prove fatal in severe cases.
Joseph Habboushe, MD, MBA, assistant professor of emergency medicine at New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue, spoke to Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease about the condition back in 2018. He said people who experience CHS often find that hot showers DO relieve the symptoms. It’s dangerous, as “this increases their chances of dehydration and acute renal failure due to a combination of sweating in the shower and vomiting.”
Although CHS is an actual medical condition, not all doctors are willing to accept marijuana as the cause. Why? Because “the diagnosis code is new [October 2020] and cases are being lost in the total number of Nausea/Vomiting coded cases,” Dr. Adrian Elliot, head of the Emergency Department at Fairview Hospital, toldThe Berkshireedge. “Additionally,” he continued, “it is difficult to get to the diagnosis of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, as getting all of the history needed to make the definitive link between marijuana use and the nausea/vomiting patient complaint is difficult in the emergency department setting.” It usually takes several ER visits to solidify a diagnosis.
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A school of thought suggests marijuana potency is to blame for the purported uprising in CHS cases. But the truth is, modern medicine doesn’t have any idea. There is only speculation surrounding potency, predisposition, specific products, etc. But there isn’t any data to support these claims. The best researchers can do is examine ER vomiting cases and look for a correlation.
Wang’s study, published last week in the journal JAMA Network Open, claims to have found that correlation. His teams noticed a near 30% increase in vomiting cases (800,000 total) since marijuana was made legal in Colorado. But there doesn’t appear to be any cut-and-dry proof that the cases were pot-related. As Dr. Elliot stated, it’s almost impossible to link CHS cases to cannabis consumption.
There is undoubtedly a lot we do not understand about marijuana. Let’s get that straight. We don’t have much concrete evidence (outside the anecdotal) that it comes with any of its many reported health benefits. At the same time, there isn’t much evidence surrounding the adverse effects either.
This lack of research is the federal government’s fault. For decades, the powers-that-be have made it difficult for researchers to examine the herb. President Biden said during his campaign he would change the course of cannabis — downgrading its Schedule I classification on the Controlled Substances Act — but he has yet to make good.
So, it could be years before medical professionals better understand CHS and its relationship to cannabis. In the meantime, cannabis users experiencing persistent vomiting should seek medical attention and ultimately take a break from bud. The condition improves once a person stops using cannabis.
I’m still not a fan of NIDA, but then again, I can also understand that their primary function is to deal with drug abuse, which is why they have been historically so negative about all the drugs. It’s their function.
You may not have heard the name Nora Volkow. She’s the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This is the very agency that funds all those studies on the dangers of cannabis and other drugs and have been used as an arm of the government to justify the prohibition of cannabis.
I have frequently analyzed their studies and poked holes in their methods over the years and, in my mind, Volkow was some crazed drug warrior trying to maintain the status quo. The problem with this assessment was that it wasn’t based on any facts whatsoever. I simply projected what I thought she was like and never took the time to actually investigates her ideas around drug use.
Recently, she appeared on Drug Policy Alliance founder Ethan Nadelmann’s podcast where she discussed various different drug policies, including the impact of legalization and youth consumption.
I must admit, after hearing her out, I was forced to readjust my point of view about her. It made me see her in a completely different light. Here’s some of the core points that made me think twice.
No rise in teen marijuana use
The first major revelation from Volkow was her ability to admit when she was wrong. Advocates have been saying that cannabis legalization does not increase teen consumption, and evidence has suggested that it may even deter youth consumption. While there has been certain spikes within a few demographics, the overall use of youth consumption has remained steady. There is no significant evidence to suggest that legalization has any real impact on adolescent consumption — except for “risk perception”.
Volkow said on Drug Policy Alliance founder Ethan Nadelmann’s show that she was “expecting the use of marijuana among adolescents would go up” when states moved to legalize cannabis, but admitted that “overall, it hasn’t.”
While I’m not a big fan of NIDA’s view on cannabis in general, it was refreshing to hear the head of the organization admit when the data instructs a different narrative.
Some states have benefitted from marijuana legalization
Another refreshing perspective from Volkow was the fact that she could see the benefits in some states post-legalization. However, she did point out that in other states there have been problematic cannabis use however does not ascribe this to the plant as opposed to the policies surrounding legalization.
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“Understanding what policies basically protect from negative effects and may actually lead to better outcomes is crucial,” Volkow, who has been in office since 2003, said. “And we’re funding it,” as reported in Marijuana Moment.
I think it is also important to define “negative effects” prior to creating blanket policies that might be difficult to change at a later stage.
California is currently struggling to get their cannabis market functional and as of now has generated far more cannabis than consumers can handle. This prompts illegal out-of-state commerce, the closing down of legacy farms and the burden is shifted on the consumer – paying exuberant fees for their cannabis.
The criminalization of drug use
What surprised me from the interview was her views on the criminalization of drug use. One would think that an agency that has been historically against the use of drugs would not take issue with the current policies surrounding drug enforcement, however Volkow said that she had long been opposed to these ideas.
“Hopefully science will serve to change policies and reduce the stigma [around addiction] and basically change the notion of criminalizing people to that of treating and helping people and preventing them from relapsing.”
In other words, Volkow believes that drug use and addiction should be a public health issue and not a law enforcement issue. This is something that cannabis activists have been saying for years — and the evidence is clear that when you confront drug addiction as a public health issue, you can make a difference.
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Admitting that NIDA is a political tool
When the head of an agency tells you that their agency has been a political tool, you know it’s true. Volkow didn’t textually say the word “tool”, but implied it with the following comment.
“Operating (NIDA) in a political context in which punitive prohibitionist policies, mass arrests [and] the heavily racial biases that go with all of that has been pervasive.”
“From day one, I’ve been against criminalization of people because they have a problem with substance use disorders. I’ve been very, very vocal. One of the reasons why I took this position was because, I say, we can develop the science in such a way that policy changes.”
NIDA ultimately is under the authority of the federal government, and while the people working there might have a different view on how to approach drug use and addiction, they are forced to play the political game.
In this case, creating studies to justify the prohibition of drugs.
She’s fighting the system her way
Volkow has been trying to change the system from within the system, however, it’s apparent that what they have been doing is not enough. More importantly, it’s an indication that “science” is not the dictating force within policy making.
“There are structural systems in such a way that promote certain behaviors, and science is not enough to change those policies.”
Anyone who has studied the war on drugs and drug prohibition knows that science has never been the core driver behind these policies.
She finds promise in psychedelics
Finally, Volkow is opening up her views on other Schedule I and Schedule II drugs and how they may play an active role in helping people with psychological disorders.
“We have been funding research that is ongoing—on ketamine for opiate treatment and also ketamine for pain. For PCP, if you look at the data, actually, the evidence is strongest for showing potential benefits for depression.”
“We need to learn from what the evidence is showing us,” she continued. “If we can use ketamine for the treatment of severe depression in a way that is safe, this is an example of really that we can use drugs that we thought were dangerous and use them in ways that are therapeutic.”
The evidence is clear — drug criminalization simply doesn’t work. When we shift our priorities from trying to lock people up to trying to help those vulnerable to drug abuse and substance abuse, we begin to see real results.
Conclusion
I’m still not a fan of NIDA, but then again, I can also understand that their primary function is to deal with drug abuse, which is why they have been historically so negative about all the drugs. It’s their function.
There should be another agency that explores the benefits of these drugs in order to paint a wide enough picture to see how we can create policy that permits individual freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable among us.
There are millions of Americans like me whose ancestors came from that island and are essentially “bio-identical” to the otherwise free Scottish people who have had to suffer for years.
Disclaimer:The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.
A few hundred years ago my Cowan ancestor got on a boat in Scotland and headed west. I have been to Edinburgh in the winter, so I am grateful to him for many reasons.
The BBC reported that, “Scotland’s first medical cannabis clinic has begun prescribing to patients suffering from chronic pain conditions… The Sapphire Medical Clinic in Stirling was approved by regulators in March and…. provides unlicensed cannabis-based medicines for people with conditions that do not meet the criteria for NHS-prescribed cannabis products… Medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018 and doctors are allowed to prescribe it in certain situations.”
“The 2018 law change moved cannabis from schedule 1 under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 – meaning it had no therapeutic value – to schedule 2. It now means doctors can prescribe the drug in certain situations…Many other cannabis products are unlicensed but can still be prescribed privately.”
A Healthcare Improvement Scotland spokesperson said unlicensed cannabis-based medical products should be prescribed by specialist clinicians “where there is clear published evidence of benefit” and where there is a “clinical need which cannot be met by licensed medicines and where established medicines have been exhausted“.
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In other words, when the patients have suffered enough, they may be allowed to try cannabinoids.
I would cheer, “Scotland Forever!”… if this had not taken forever.
There are millions of Americans like me whose ancestors came from that island and are essentially “bio-identical” to the otherwise free Scottish people who have had to suffer for years before the politicians and bureaucrats decided that they are worthy of a loophole.
The statement added: “Independent clinics must ensure that appropriate consultations take place, that clinicians make informed assessments, that informed patient consent is obtained in accordance with the law and professional guidelines, and that patients understand the risk and benefits of a treatment or medication.
“Moreover, clinicians should make it clear to patients if there is only limited evidence of the effectiveness of the chosen treatment.”
Hey, ever heard of the United States, or Canada, or the Netherlands? Apparently not.
It was in February of 2002, that I visited Edinburgh, Scotland’s beautiful capital, where I met Kevin Williamson, a very bright, likable fellow, who is a fixture in Edinburgh’s literary scene. He was also drugs policy advisor to the Scottish Socialist Party. (Cannabis is probably the only thing we agreed about!)
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He was planning on opening a Dutch-style coffee shop and had just returned from a visit to Haarlem, where our mutual friend, the late Nol van Schaik had three shops.
The Guardian would report later in the year: Rebel publisher plans cannabis cafe; he brought Trainspotting to print, and now he wants an urban retreat for Britain’s dope smokers.
Unfortunately, Williamson could never get the nod from the Edinburgh police. So almost twenty years later, a clinic is only now able to allow sick people to access cannabinoids.
Meanwhile, Scotland has a real problem with really dangerous drugs.
“On 15 December 2020, the National Records of Scotland reported that the number of drug-related deaths recorded in Scotland was 1,264 during 2019, a rise of 6% on 2018, when 1,187 drug related deaths were recorded1. The 6% increase was no surprise to many experts, some of whom had previously warned of an expected rise in drug-related deaths for 2019. However, more significantly, the figures for 2018 – released in July 2019 – were 27% higher than the previous year (2017), and the highest at the time since records began in 1996.”
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. Here are some tips that can help you eat better without sacrificing all of the fun.
Eating healthy is usually associated with things that are not a lot of fun, like bland salads and dry toast. But slow and simple steps are capable of making your experience better and smoother, providing you with healthy meal options that can also be delicious.
While we all know basic healthy foods, it’s a tall order to ask someone to completely change their diet overnight. It’s also not fun. But a few small changes can add up to a significant difference over the long run. Here are some tips that can help you eat more healthy:
Your eating speed is very important. The slower you eat, the quicker your stomach will get full. Your brain normally takes 20 minutes to process the signals the rest of your body is sending. By slowing down your eating and chewing more, you’ll give more time to your brain allowing it to catch up with what’s going on with the rest of your body.
Do some research
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels
While research is not the most fun of things, it can be. Even a little bit. Read up on healthy foods and foods to steer clear of, that way you can have some choices at your disposal. It’s very difficult to eat healthy if you don’t know what to eat or if you simply think that by sticking to salads you’ll lose weight and provide your body with all of the necessary nutrients. Find a book on the types of food you enjoy, or take an internet deep dive. Some basics include: staying away from refined sugars and processed foods, eating more plants, and drinking lots of water.
Start your day with lots of hydration and whole foods, such as oatmeal, fruit, a smoothie, or even avocado toast. And drink water before you have your coffee to hydrate your body first thing in the morning (our bodies become dehydrated overnight). And if you eat enough carbohydrates (we’re not talking about pancakes, which have a lot of fat and refined carbs), you’re less likely to crave sweets later in the day. If you start your day with a bowl of sugar cereal or something high in fat and low in water, like bacon and eggs, you’re more likely to get that afternoon crash we all dread.
Be thoughtful with your snacks
Photo by Brodie Vissers via Burst
Snacks can easily turn into desserts, which is why it’s important to stick to stuff that is healthy and without crazy amounts of refined sugar. Nuts and fresh fruit are great options, as is dried fruit (just make sure there is no added sugar). Oats, microwave popcorn (without added salt and oil), and sweet potatoes are also great options.
Gardening is a skill that develops over time. Here are some tips that can help you get started.
Gardening and tending to plants can be very relaxing. The activity allows you to care for living beings and to maybe reap some benefits off of it, like veggies. But gardening can also be stressful, especially if you don’t have the ever-elusive green thumb.
Gardening, like many other activities and hobbies, has increased in popularity over the pandemic. There’s something very rewarding about knowing that you can grow your own produce, especially amidst the apocalypse. Still, if you’ve ever tried to nourish a tomato or zucchini, you’ve likely seen it shrivel up before your eyes. Gardening depends on the weather, the plant itself and how well you tend to it.
Whether you’re planting some produce you want to cook up or your own batch of weed, here are 5 tips that can help you get started:
Have realistic goals
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If you’ve never planted and grown a plant in your life, it’s best to come in with realistic goals and expectations. While gardening is not rocket science, there is a science to it, one that you’ll learn through trial and error. Start off slow, with a small and manageable project. If you’re planting your first weed plant, do that. If you’re planting cucumbers, do that. Stick to something manageable and have some patience.
The sun is your friend, with the more of it usually the better. Look at your space and find a spot where plenty of sun hits and put your pot there.
Know your weather and your plant
Photo by Connor Jalbert via Unsplash
Planting vegetables and plants all depend on your location and the type of plant you’re trying to grow. Do some research on the type of plant that grows well in your area, during this particular time of the year. By doing this, you’re more likely to have success in the long run and lose fewer plants over time.
Tend to them but not too much
Photo by Matthew Henry via Burst
Plants need love and attention but also not too much love and attention because you’ll overwater them and they’ll slowly rot. This has happened to me several times.
Each plant has different requirements and recommendations, so don’t take a one size fits all approach. The majority of plants want to have their soil moist; come up with a watering schedule that works for you, perhaps in the mornings, when there’s more sunlight. If you notice that the water is accumulating and the soil is too wet, ease up on your watering. If you feel the soil is too dry, add more.
Cut yourself some slack
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If you’re serious about your gardening habit then you should expect some heartbreak. Your plants will die and get diseases, and you’ll learn and tend to them better the next time. If you keep at it, at some point, you’ll smoke your own weed or eat your own produce, and that’s pretty cool.
Cartoons and weed are one of the best pairings in the world. Here are a few recommendations.
Any kind of TV watching can be transformed into a high experience, but there are some options that lend better to these purposes than others. High up, among space movies and stoner comedies, are cartoons.
Cartoons can be the perfect amount of goofy and smart to pique the interest of a variety of weed smokers. Whether you want to reminisce or are looking to try something new, cartoons are a great option, one you should pair with weed if you’ve yet to try it.
Here are 5 cartoons to watch when high:
Adventure Time
Adventure Time has it all, really sweet moments, crazy battles and plots, awesome music and the weirdest dialogue you can think of. If you’re dipping your toe back into watching cartoons, grab a joint and jump in.
Invader Zim is one of those nostalgic shows that you used to binge when you were little, at least if you’re a Millennial, about Zim, a little grumpy Alien who wants to invade Earth. It’s a dark comedy made by Nickelodeon, in the era where they used to make really weird-looking shows. It’s the type of show that’s silly and a little bit dirty, just enough to go unnoticed by kids but still stimulate them enough to keep coming back for more.
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is one of the best comic book adaptations in recent years. While the show is decidedly adult, it’s also incredibly funny and watchable, with only two short season that have aired. The show chronicles Harley’s life after she breaks up with the Joker, and takes every opportunity can to make fun of the traditionally macho genre of comics and superheroes.
If you want to go way back, to a time when a superhero movie or series was one in a hundred instead of the standard, you can always try watching the X-Men animated series. It’s one of the most revered shows of all time, not only because of the nostalgia factor but also because of the quality of the writing. While geared towards kids, it’s a cartoon that, like the best of cartoons, doesn’t dumb down its storylines. It’s also an ensemble cast, meaning that if you like any X-Men, there’s probably a great episode in there that will satisfy your craving. There’s also that dope opening theme.
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Lastly, there’s Star Wars: Clone Wars, a show that is like a weed dream, set in space and featuring cartoons. Aside from all of that, Clone Wars is also incredibly popular and revered, capable of pleasing any kind of Star Wars fan. The show revives old villains, creates new heroes and, best of all, feels incredibly like the Star Wars you know and love.
Hopefully, the steady increase in adverse event reports will finally pressure the FDA to stop kicking the cannabinoids can down the road and forge a legal pathway for these products.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) released its first statement via a consumer update regarding Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (“Delta-8 THC”). The agency decided to provide consumers with key information surrounding the popular cannabinoid following a sharp increase in adverse event reports involving the substance and unauthorized marketing practices directed at minors.
If you follow my posts, you know that state regulators have been concerned with these issues for months now. In fact, many have either banned the substance or tasked state regulators with imposing strict manufacturing, testing, and marketing requirements on these products, including limiting their sale to persons of 21 years of age or older.
In its consumer update, the FDA warned consumers of the following issues about Delta-8 THC products:
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Delta-8 THC Products Have Yet to Be Evaluated and Approved by the FDA
The agency reminded consumers that Delta-8 THC products have yet to be evaluated or approved by the FDA for safety. Their main concerns include variability in product formulations and concentrations. The agency also fears that many of these products are marketed as “hemp products”, which may lead consumers to assume these products are non-psychoactive.
In addition, the FDA is denouncing the proliferation of Delta-8 THC products marketed for therapeutic or medical uses despite the lack of FDA approval. Such marketing practices are perceived as deceptive and dangerous by the FDA as they fear they will lead consumers to use Delta-8 THC products instead of approved therapies to treat serious or even fatal diseases.
Delta-8 THC Products Have Been Reported as Causing Serious Health Issues
In the past three years, the FDA and national poison control centers have received numerous adverse event reports (from 22 patients) and exposure cases (661) involving the consumption or exposure to Delta-8 THC, many of which triggered vomiting, hallucinations, trouble standing, and loss of consciousness, often requiring hospitalization, including ICU admission of children following exposure.
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Delta-8 THC Products Have Psychoactive Effects
The FDA is particularly concerned with the enhanced intoxicating effects of Delta-8 THC because these products contain much higher levels of the substance than are naturally occurring in the hemp plant. Therefore, consumers cannot rely upon historical use of cannabis to assess a level of safety for using these products.
Delta-8 THC Products Often Contain Harmful Chemicals
Because Delta-8 THC is not expressed in sufficient concentrations in most hemp strains to make its extraction financial viable, most Delta-8 THC on the market is derived from the chemical conversion of hemp-derived cannabidiol (“CBD”). As such, the FDA is concerned that some manufacturers may use potentially unsafe chemicals to convert Delta-8 THC through this chemical synthesis process. Moreover, because the manufacturing of these products is vastly unregulated, the agency fears they may occur in uncontrolled or unsanitary settings, which may lead to the presence of unsafe contaminants or other potentially harmful substances.
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Delta-8 THC Products Are Not Suited for Children or Pets
Manufacturers are making and marketing products that appeal to minors, such as gummies, chocolates, and candies. Furthermore, many of these products can be purchased online and at retailers, such as 7-Eleven, where there may not be age limits on who can purchase these products (I discuss this issue in this Refinery29 article). Many of the poison control center alerts triggered by Delta-8 THC involved pediatric patients, but also pets who are inadvertently exposed to the substance.
The FDA closed its consumer update by informing the public it “is actively working with federal and state partners to further address the concerns related to these products and monitoring the market for product complaints, adverse events, and other emerging cannabis-derived products of potential concern.” Yet, ironically, by delaying its rulemaking process and by failing to implement meaningful reforms surrounding products infused with hemp-derived cannabinoids, the FDA has created the very problem it is pointing to in this update and other public statement it has made about these products.
Hopefully, the steady increase in adverse event reports will finally pressure the FDA to stop kicking the cannabinoids can down the road and forge a legal pathway for these products to help self-regulated stakeholders stay in business as well as protect public health and safety.
A combined COVID-19/flu shot would inoculate people against the two viruses in one sitting.
More and more data starts to indicate that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy lowers as time passes. This has been making researchers and health experts to consider the possibility of an annual COVID-19 booster shot, one that we’ll likely have to use for a long time. So now a company is developing a combined COVID/flu shot. According to Reuters, Moderna is the first company to start working on a combination booster that features the flu and COVID-19 shot.
“Why develop a COVID-19 and influenza booster? Because these are both respiratory viruses that we have observed really increase in incidence over the winter months, particularly when we’re driven indoors,” said the senior vice president of Moderna at the company’s R&D annual meeting.
A combination shot could be an incredibly convenient way of getting both shots out of the way, while also encouraging those who don’t prioritize flu shots to get them, since COVID-19 is a pressing concern for the majority of people.
Combination vaccines are common, used primarily in children. Their existence helps people get their shots without feeling like they’re overwhelmed, since getting one shot is much more comforting and less painful than getting three different ones. They’re also safe, having been used for decades, and would have to go through a trial period like any other vaccine that’s been approved for use in the U.S.
The world’s got tunnel vision for COVID-19, forgetting that there are other diseases around. As we enter flu season, it’s important to try out best to avoid this disease, since it’s very dangerous, especially if hospitals are experiencing more traffic than usual due to the pandemic.
If pursued and approved, the Moderna combination shot will likely take some time to be available. In the meantime, it’s important to get your flu shot whenever you can, and to get your COVID-19 booster shot when you’re able and when the government allows it.
The majority of Michiganders say they think the production of both medical and recreational cannabis needs to be more regulated, according to the statewide poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies and commissioned by the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association (MCMA).
The survey showed that more than 78% of Michigan residents support the idea of both medical and recreational cannabis being subject to the same regulation, including testing, tracking, licensing and safety.
Photo by Anon via Pexels
In addition, 82% of respondents support requiring unlicensed marijuana growers (UMG) to have their product tested for harmful substances using the same standards as current licensed growers and processors.
“Michigan is at a crossroads when it comes to cannabis, and this poll tells us Michiganders want increased accountability and transparency in our burgeoning regulated cannabis market,” said Stephen Linder, MCMA’s executive director. “The survey also tells us they want to know where their cannabis comes from, regardless if they purchase it for medical or recreational use.”
Other Key Findings:
71% support requiring UMGs to report to the state where they grow marijuana.
71% support requiring UMGs who grow for more than one patient to obtain a license through the state.
68% support amending the 2008 medical marijuana law by adding new regulations for UMGs who grow marijuana for more than one patient.
Michigan Cannabis Sales Up 52% YoY, Down 3.2% From July
In the meantime, cannabis sales in the Wolverine State totaled $165.6 million in August, according to the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency. That’s a year-over-year increase of 52%.
Michigan, home state of Benzinga, saw a steady increase in cannabis sales since the launch of recreational sales on Dec. 1, 2019.
Moreover, stabilization in flower prices and increased demand in the recreational area bolstered cannabis revenue on an annual level, despite a slight decrease over the last month (3.2% from July). Adult-use sales increased 112% year-over-year to $125.5 million and declined 2% sequentially.
On the other hand, medical sales fell 119.2% from a year ago to $40.1 million and are down 6% sequentially.
Overall, flower and trim sales represented 57% of the market, similar to July figures, and down from 58% in the prior three months and up from 56% in the first two months of 2021.
