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Medical Marijuana Can Allow For A Lower Dose Of Prescription Opioids

Mike Adams
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Medical Marijuana Can Allow For A Lower Dose Of Prescription Opioids

Marijuana is legal in over half the nation for medicinal use. It is in these jurisdictions that patients are permitted to use cannabis for a variety of ailments ranging from anxiety to chronic pain.

Meanwhile, the US is smack dab in the middle of one of the worst drug epidemics to ever sweep the land. Somewhere around 60,000 people a year are succumbing to fatal overdoses from opioids, according to the latest statistics from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. This is more death than the whole of the Vietnam War.

It is a situation that has all sides looking for answers. And while some studies have suggested that medical marijuana could pull the nation out of the pits of the opioid epidemic, federal officials have so far rejected the idea. Many of them, namely US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, find it absurd that switching one drug for another will remedy the problem.

Although medical marijuana may not be a salvation’s wing for the entire scope of the opioid scourge, there is evidence that it could help people who rely on pain medications.

The scientific minds from the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research published a report back in 2010 suggesting that cannabis medicine “may allow for opioid treatment at lower doses with fewer [patient] side effects.” The study went on to explain that “inhaled” marijuana safety enhanced “the analgesic effects of opioids.”

In 2015, a separate study determined that medical marijuana is being used as replacement for opioids. The study, entitled “Do Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Addictions and Deaths Related to Pain Killers, found that 80 percent of medical marijuana patients are using cannabis as a substitute for prescription medications. This was especially true for those suffering with pain conditions. The consensus of the report was that most pain patients would likely make the switch to marijuana if given legal access.

It was just last week that two studies emerged pointing to medical marijuana as the great green hope in curbing the opioid problem. “Medical cannabis laws are associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing in the Medicare Part D population,” the authors concluded. “This finding was particularly strong in states that permit dispensaries, and for reductions in hydrocodone and morphine prescriptions.”

Although cannabis advocates are eager to push the story about how medical marijuana saved the world, not all pain patients are excited about the possibility of this alternative treatment. Some of them claim that medical marijuana simply isn’t strong enough to cut through severe pain.

“Trauma and battlefield injuries could not be managed without the analgesic effects of opioids,” said Roger Chriss, a Washington-based technical consultant, who suffers from a connective tissue disorder known as Ehlers Danlos syndrome. “The same is true for tens of thousands of cancer surgeries, organ transplants and hip replacements. And for the neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy or the pain of a sickle-cell crisis. The list goes on and on. Opioids are an invaluable medical resource.”

But no one is suggesting that opioids be eliminated all together — only that patients be given a legal alternative to painkillers that does not come with the risk of addiction or overdose. After all, this is America. Citizens should be given the freedom to use every tool in the shed.

John Boehner Turns Over A New Leaf, Joins Cannabis Company

Terry Hacienda
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John Boehner Turns Over A New Leaf, Joins Cannabis Company

Former House Speaker John Boehner, the chain-smoking, wine-loving Republican, announced on Wednesday via Twitter that he is joining the green rush.

Boehner, who had been quietly enjoying his retirement since retiring in 2015, will be joining the board of advisers at Acreage Holdings, a cannabis business that aims to “make cannabis available to any patient who can benefit from safe and reliable access.” Boehner is the most recent public official to reverse his position on marijuana and endorse legal reform.

For years, Boehner, the son of a bar owner, railed against any type of cannabis legislation. In a 2011 letter to a constituent, the Ohio Republican wrote:

“I am unalterably opposed to the legalization of marijuana or any other FDA Schedule I drug.  I remain concerned that legalization will result in increased abuse of all varieties of drugs, including alcohol.”

On Wednesday, he officially altered his stance. “Over the last 10 or 15 years, the American people’s attitudes have changed dramatically,” he told Bloomberg. “I find myself in that same position.

“When you look at the number of people in our state and federal penitentiaries, who are there for possession of small amounts of cannabis, you begin to really scratch your head,” Boehner continued. “We have literally filled up our jails with people who are nonviolent and frankly do not belong there.”

During his 25-year career in the House, the hard-drinking Boehner was a key ally of the alcohol industry. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, and the National Beer Wholesalers Association were generous donors to Boehner’s political action committee.

Joining Boehner on the Board of Advisors of Acreage Holdings will be Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts. In the 2016 election, Weld ran as the Libertarian vice presidential candidate alongside Gary Johnson, a longtime cannabis advocate.

In a joint statement, Boehner and Weld wrote:

While we come at this issue from different perspectives and track records, we both believe the time has come for serious consideration of a shift in federal marijuana policy. Over the past 20 years a growing number of states have experimented with their right to offer cannabis programs under the protection of the 10th amendment. During that period, those rights have lived somewhat in a state of conflict with federal policy. Also, during this period, the public perception of cannabis has dramatically shifted, with 94 percent of Americans currently in favor of some type of access, a shift driven by increased awareness of marijuana’s many medical applications.

Kevin Murphy, the founder and CEO of Acreage, now has two powerful political insiders to help the company — and the industry — gain acceptance among lamakers on the fence. “The addition of Speaker Boehner and Governor Weld to our Board will lead to even greater access for patients by changing the conversation overnight,” said Murphy.  “These men have shaped the political course of our country for decades and now they will help shape the course of this nascent but ascendant industry.”

New York-based Acreage Holdings is a multi-state owner of cannabis licenses and assets. So far, the company has operations in 11 states.

Apple Runs on 100 % Renewable Energy, But Is The iPhone Truly Zero Waste?

Maria Loreto
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Apple Runs on 100 % Renewable Energy, But Is The iPhone Truly Zero Waste?

Apple released an ad claiming that their iPhone is zero waste, which sounds great, but it’s not accurate. Even though the company has been working hard to build a better world, announcing that they’re now run by 100 percent renewable energy, presently, it’s impossible for a smartphone to be made out of zero waste.

According to Mashable, everything about smartphones is damaging the environment, from their business model to their materials, no matter how clean and green Apple is. Smartphones contain precious minerals that are in limited supply on the planet, including gold, cobalt and copper. Some of these precious rocks, according to a Yale study, are irreplaceable, meaning that tech might have some troubles in the future. 

Materials from smartphones are really hard to recycle, especially from iPhones. Most devices from Apple are built with proprietary screws that require special tools to open. That’s why Apple charges you an arm and a leg whenever you want to switch batteries or change a cracked screen. It’s insane that Apple is claiming to be “zero waste,” when they’re one of the companies that make recycling harder than it already is.

Another thing that perpetuates waste is the current smartphone business model, which is all about short term performance. Most smartphones are designed to have short lifespans, with companies releasing new and upgraded devices every year.

Where does all this waste go? To your drawer? Best case scenario, your old phone will end up in a store where it’ll be refurbished and resold. Still, new phones won’t stop coming out and dozens of minerals would have already been wasted. It’s an endless cycle of waste that Apple would like to hide from you with a cute ad.

What Does Legal Cannabis Have To Do With Life Expectancy Rates?

Terry Hacienda
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What Does Legal Cannabis Have To Do With Life Expectancy Rates?

What’s the life expectancy for the average American? It depends on where you live. And according to a study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is a wide disparity among the states.

The report found that Hawaiians have the longest life expectancy at 81 years and Mississippians the shortest at 75. The Atlantic took a deeper dive into the study and found:

Most startlingly, since 1990, 21 states have seen an increase in the death rate among people aged 20 to 55. In five states—Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Wyoming—the probability of early death among young adults rose by more than 10 percent in that time frame. Meanwhile, in New York and California, young and middle-aged people became much less likely to die in the same time period. The authors note that opioids, alcoholism, suicide, and kidney disease—which can be brought on by diabetes and alcoholism—were the main factors leading to the increases in early deaths.

But what about marijuana? Do state cannabis laws make a difference? The report did not break out this variable, but it is interesting to see the states at the top of the list and the bottom of the list.

The 10 states with the lowest probability of premature death were: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington.

The 10 states with the highest probability of premature death included: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

In the first list, most of the states have either legalized recreational use or have progressive medical marijuana programs. The second list includes all southern states with a more draconian view of cannabis.

It is not accurate to make the claim that cannabis will increase your life expectancy based on this study. But it certainly raises the question.

The study did find that opioid use was partly responsible for the problem. According to the report:

Opioid use disorders moved from the 11th leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 1990 to the 7th leading cause in 2016, representing a 74.5 percent change.

And alcohol was another big problem:

Age-standardized death rates due to alcohol increased by 17.50 percent from 1990 to 2016 in the United States, and alcohol use disorders accounted for 2.89 deaths per 100 000 persons in 2016. Previous studies have shown that alcohol consumption and binge drinking have increased in the United States, especially among females. Alcohol is a major risk factor for burden in the United States and is associated with adverse outcomes including sexually transmitted diseases, violence, and accidents.

Body Expert Explains Difference Between Meghan Markle’s Ex And Prince Harry

Maria Loreto
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Body Expert Explains Difference Between Meghan Markle’s Ex And Prince Harry

We can’t get enough of the impending royal wedding and neither can journalists from all over the world. So. Much. Chatter. The latest come from body language experts who are going blind trying to decipher  every gesture the royal couple makes.

Elizabeth Kuhnke is one of these experts who’s been working tirelessly during the wedding craze that began last November, when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that they were getting married.

With Kuhnke’s analysis on the way in which the couple makes public appearances, she sheds a light on their dynamic and compares them with other people.

During an interview with the Daily Mail, Kuhnke compared different sets of photographs featuring Markle and her former husband, Trevor Engelson, and Markle and Prince Harry. These comparisons were done to try to find differences between the couples’ dynamics while also highlighting Markle’s evolution over the years. Is this analysis in any way accurate? Probably not. Is it fun? Sure is.

A post shared by total gossips (@totalgossips) on

Finding photos of Engelson is not an easy feat, since most of them are pretty old and Markle looks like a baby. We’re sure the engineers at Kensigton Palace worked hard to scrub the web clean of these types of images.

Kuhnke has a lot to say when it comes to Engelson and Markle’s body language, claiming that in most pictures, Engelson’s smile is forced and he looks uncomfortable. Even though Engelson holds Markle in a way that’s supportive, Meghan is trying hard to pull away from the embrace, with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. Kuhnke explains, “[Trevor’s] slightly splayed feet and legs give her room to move into his body, while her tightly held together legs show restraint. Her left hand shows no sign of tension, as opposed to his right hand which he carefully hides in his pocket, indicating discomfort. Her tilted head, which indicates interest and enjoyment, is in contrast to his which is more erect and pulled back.” Who knew a hand inside a pocket meant so much, right? Poor guy.

When it comes to Prince Harry, Kuhnke has nothing but compliments, claiming that his movements are “strong, masculine and sexual.” Ok, Elizabeth, let’s keep things under control here.

Kuhnke explains that while Harry puts his hand across his body for comfort, he still gives room for Meghan to lean into him and to get close to him, demonstrating compatibility and sexual chemistry. Kuhnke also claims that the couple’s smiles are full and reach their eyes, demonstrating true happiness. Or maybe, Harry and Meghan are public figures and they know how to be photographed. Doesn’t mean that they don’t love each other, it just means that they’re good at their job.

Synthetic Marijuana Claims Third Victim In Illinois

Brendan Bures
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Synthetic Marijuana Claims Third Victim In Illinois

A third person has died due to tainted synthetic marijuana, as the drug continues to infiltrate central Illinois. State officials also announced Monday that synthetic cannabis has affected more than 100 people with sickness, including symptoms of severe bleeding.

The Illinois Department of Public Health identified the latest victim as a man in his 40s from central Illinois. Two other individuals have died from the drug, including a 22-year-old Chicago man.

According to the Chicago Tribune, 107 people have been hospitalized due to the drug. Many individuals who reported feeling sick after ingesting synthetic marijuana have tested positive for brodifacoum, which is a poison typically found in rodent repellents. Victims report symptoms of bleeding gums, blood in the urine, and severe bloody noses.

Via Chicago Tribune:

Exposure to brodifacoum causes the human body to block its natural use of vitamin K, which helps in the process of blood clotting, according to Dr. Patrick Lank, a medical toxicologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A person exposed to brodifacoum would have to take high doses of vitamin K for weeks to months to manage their symptoms.

State officials previously have said that over-the-counter vitamin K supplements are not strong enough to treat the condition.

Synthetic marijuana is bad news. It is emphatically not cannabis in any way except appearance, and goes by names like K2, “Spice,” Bliss, Kowboy Kush and more. Though there isn’t one type of synthetic weed, we’ve previously explained it as “a concoction of man-made chemicals that are sprayed onto ground plant matter, that has a vague appearance of marijuana.  These man-made chemicals act similar to THC in that they interact with the cell receptors in your brain.”

Health officials have urged Illinois residents to stop taking the drug. Typically, it can be found in convenience stores, head shops, novelty stores, and online. Be aware and stay away.

Here’s Your Chance To Tell Trump Administration To Reclassify Marijuana

Amy Hansen
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Here’s Your Chance To Tell Trump Administration To Reclassify Marijuana

Want to let Trump know how you feel about marijuana’s Schedule 1 classification? Now’s your chance. And here’s how.

From now until April 23, the Food and Drug Administration is taking public comment on the topic, specifically concerning the “abuse potential, actual abuse, medical usefulness, trafficking and impact of scheduling changes on availability for medical use of” cannabis and its compounds. According to the Federal Register, the comments will be considered in preparing a response from the U.S. to the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the abuse liability and diversion of these drugs.

WHO will use this information to consider whether to recommend that certain international restrictions be placed on these drugs. It’s the first-ever review of marijuana’s current classification.

Click here to leave your two-cents online. It’s a quick process that also allows commenters the option of attaching supporting documentation. (Including your contact information is also optional.) You can also mail in your comments.

As a Schedule 1 drug, as it’s currently classified, marijuana is denied prescription medical use and is considered a high potential for abuse. It also means lack of rigorous scientific testing on the drug, because of the federal government’s restrictions on obtaining it,

If the WHO ends up supporting the rescheduling of cannabis, it will only help to change marijuana’s status in countries across the globe.

Why Quitting Facebook Could Be Bad For Your Health

Amy Hansen
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Why Quitting Facebook Could Be Bad For Your Health

Deleting Facebook is all the rage right now. People value their data privacy, go figure. But according to several studies, nixing the social media platform from your life completely could have some health consequences.

A recent scientific study found those who took a five-day Facebook hiatus didn’t feel the benefits of less stress, even though their cortisol levels decreased. The reality is that they actually felt worse than they did before they cut out Facebook for one reason: FOMO. Participants in the study felt left out from their social circles.

Researchers say the best bet is to take mini vacations from Facebook once in awhile, not to delete it entirely:

The typical Facebook user may occasionally find the large amount of social information available taxing, and Facebook vacations could ameliorate this stress – at least in the short-term.

“People said they felt more unsatisfied with their life, and were looking forward to resuming their Facebook activity,” said lead researcher Dr Eric Vanman, who came up with study after he himself quit Facebook.

“When I told colleagues about my ‘Facebook vacations’, I found I wasn’t alone,” he said.

“It seems that people take a break because they’re too stressed, but return to Facebook whenever they feel unhappy because they have been cut off from their friends. It then becomes stressful again after a while, so they take another break. And so on.”

Another study from 2017 found that Facebook is indeed helpful when it comes to coping with stress. And while being obsessed with any social media platform is unhealthy, spending a small amount of time “checking in” every day can actually be beneficial to your mental health.

Jimmy Kimmel And Seth Rogen Pick Their Dream Toking Partners

Brendan Bures
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Jimmy Kimmel And Seth Rogen Pick Their Dream Toking Partners

You might not expect Seth Rogen, the hilarious and successful comedian/writer/director/actor, to express many regrets about his career choices. But Rogen’s “Hilarity for Charity” Netflix special includes a scene of him in hell, thinking of all the things he’d have done differently in his life.

“I would not have smoked weed in front of Steven Spielberg that one time,” Rogen says. “He never looked at me as a serious actor again.”

Like with most of Rogen’s performances, you wonder if it’s an exaggeration or fabrication. Turns out, as he revealed on a recent “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” appearance, that actually happened. At an Oscars party, Spielberg approached Rogen right when he lit up a joint.

“I was like, ‘Do I stop? Do I just hold it? That’s weird,’” Rogen explained. “I just have to keep smoking… and I just kept smoking it, in Steven Spielberg’s face, as I saw the look on his face where he’s just like, ‘I’m never working with this motherfucker ever again.’”

Later in the show, Rogen shared his experience of a University of Vermont fraternity asking if they could induct Rogen into their organization. Rogen agreed and afterwards traveled back to one of the member’s apartments to smoke a joint as a token of their newfound brotherhood.

The story led Kimmel to declare the “Mount Rushmore” of people you want to smoke weed with. Kimmel’s four members (and Rogen’s, too, for the most part) included Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Woody Harrelson, and Rogen, admitting that the actor had bumped off Cheech and Chong.

This Cannabis Mac & Cheese Must Be What Love Tastes Like

Jessie Moore
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This Cannabis Mac & Cheese Must Be What Love Tastes Like

Macaroni and cheese is the food equivalent of a big hug. It’s cozy, it’s comforting, and it tastes like pure love. But this version isn’t just high in its comfort food quotient: it will actually get you high, because it’s made with cannabutter!

Bursting with cheesy, gooey perfection, this dish comes together in just about ten minutes. It makes a perfect single serving, which is a good thing since you definitely won’t want to share. However, if you are feeling kind and loving and generous, the recipe can be doubled.

Cannabis Mac & Cheese

Makes one serving

  • ½ cup elbow macaroni
  • ½ cup milk (whatever type you like)
  • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp cannabutter (This recipe can be made with regular cannabutter or vegan cannabutter)
  • 2 tsp unsalted butter
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Photos by Jessie Moore

1. Cook the elbow macaroni per the package instructions, cooking to the “al dente” point. Remove from heat, strain, then return the cooked macaroni to the pot.

Photos by Jessie Moore

2. Add the milk, cheddar cheese, cannabutter, unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot with the macaroni.

Photos by Jessie Moore

3. Apply low heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has come together and thickened to your desired level. Me, I like to wait until the spoon leaves a streak in the bottom of the pan as I stir; that is a good sign that the cheese has reached a nice, creamy yet not too “wet” consistency.

Photos by Jessie Moore

4. Remove from heat, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!

A note on dosage

I “dosed” this recipe with 1 teaspoon of cannabutter per serving. The strength of your finished product will depend on many factors, including the type of marijuana you used and how you made your cannabutter. For more tips on proper dosage, visit this post.

Photos by Jessie Moore

Recipe notes

You can use whole milk, 2%, 1%, or skim. The recipe can also be made with non-dairy milks, though the flavor and texture of the finished dish may vary.

If desired, you can use a different type of grated cheese or even a mix of cheeses in this recipe. Choose your own cheesy adventure!

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