What happens to your body when you use medical marijuana

Smoking marijuana, i.e. even the first puff, has an almost immediate effect on your brain, heart rate and sense of perception. Marijuana may have long-term effects on health as well, even though claimed otherwise by habitual users.

Marijuana, or cannabis, has an extensive history of traditional uses as a botanical medicine and an industrial material all throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and it has been used for at least 5,000 years.

What Is Medical Marijuana

Unlike “pot” (the recreationally used illegal drug), the term medical marijuana refers to the use of the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant along with its pure extracts, for the purpose of improving a symptom or treating a disease. For it to be effective, “it must be sourced from a medicinal-grade cannabis plant that has been meticulously grown without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers”.

Marijuana’s incredible healing properties can be attributed to its critical levels of medical terpenes and flavonoids as well as a very high cannabidiol (CBD) content. Even though marijuana has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) except in Colorado and Washington State, more and more physicians are prescribing it, swearing by its effectiveness and health benefits.

What are the Effects of Marijuana on the Body?

When marijuana smoke is inhaled into the lungs, the effect is immediate; marijuana is quickly released into the bloodstream, slowly reaching your brain and other organs. Smoking it is the most effective way for it to have a quick result; when drank or absorbed through food, it takes a little longer to take effect.

Here’s what happens to the body when marijuana is ingested:

Respiratory System

Marijuana smoke is made up of an assortment of toxic chemicals (including ammonia and hydrogen cyanide) which, much like tobacco smoke, may severely irritate your bronchial passages and lungs. Apart from wheezing, coughing and producing phlegm on a regular basis, you are looking at increased risk of bronchitis and lung infections. On top of that, marijuana has the potential to elevate your risk of developing lung cancer, as its smoke contains carcinogens. According to some studies, “marijuana may aggravate existing respiratory illnesses like asthma and cystic fibrosis”.

Circulatory System

Marijuana has a very serious effect on the circulatory system, as THC is carried throughout your body and it moves from your lungs straight into your bloodstream. Your heart rate may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute within minutes, and this may continue for up to three hours. Still, marijuana can potentially stop the growth of blood vessels that feed cancerous tumors.

Bloodshot eyes are one of the telltale signs of recent marijuana use.

Central Nervous System

Once THC enters your circulatory system, it quickly enters your bloodstream and gets transported to your brain and the rest of your organs. The brain (under THC) releases large amounts of dopamine, which may not only make you feel good, but heighten your sensory perception, as well as your perception of time. THC changes the way information is processed in the hippocampus, leading to your judgment being impaired. New memories are rarely created when you’re high.

Your balance may also be upset due to the changes that take place in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, as can your coordination and reflex response. It is not uncommon for large doses of marijuana to cause hallucinations or delusions. In some people, marijuana can cause anxiety, while the symptoms of withdrawal are known to include insomnia, irritability and loss of appetite.

It is estimated that about nine percent of marijuana users develop an addiction, with young people whose brains are not fully developed facing a lasting impact on their thinking and memory skills.

Pregnant marijuana users will face additional issues, i.e. marijuana intake affects the brain development of your unborn baby. The child may be more prone to trouble with concentration, memory and problem-solving skills.

The pharmacologic effects of marijuana are thought to ease pain and inflammation. It may also be of use in controlling seizures and spasms.

Digestive System

Smoking marijuana often causes a burning in your mouth and throat. Taking THC orally is processed in your liver.

Using medical marijuana is recommended for people living with cancer or AIDS as it can help increase appetite. Also, marijuana can ease nausea and vomiting.

Immune System

Some research indicates that THC might damage the immune system, making you vulnerable to infections and illness. However, further research is needed.

What Diseases Can it Help Treat?

There’s still an ongoing research and debate on the effectiveness of medical marijuana. Those who swear by its effect claim that medical marijuana has an important role in many body processes, including immune functions, metabolic regulation, pain, cravings, anxiety and bone growth.

Common ailments being treated with medical marijuana include:

Degenerative neurological disorders such as dystonia

Mood disorders

Parkinson’s disease

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Multiple sclerosis

Seizures

Sunburn (with cannabis oil)

Potential side effects of medical cannabis are also numerous, and should be taken very seriously.

To everyone who is looking to use medical marijuana for curing an illness, it is advised they first consult with their appointed MD; while marijuana may potentially help ease or cure symptoms of one illness, it may potentially be the cause of another. If you are ill, don’t take it without having someone around, in case of a side-effect occurring.

What happens to your body when you use medical marijuana

3 Reasons Medical Marijuana Should Be Our Anxiety Antidote

Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety— and I used to be one of them.

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in my mid-20s, I found myself facing a long road of treatment. I had no idea what to expect, and as you can imagine, I felt pretty darn anxious about the whole situation.

I started chemotherapy and was prescribed a cocktail of pills to help calm the side effects. On top of that, I was given anti-anxiety medication to help ease my mind.

Over time, however, after realizing all these pills were only causing even more side effects, I replaced a majority of them with self-prescribed medical marijuana, or MMJ.

Almost immediately, this so-called illicit drug began providing medicinal benefits I simply wasn’t seeing from my pharmaceuticals. I regained my appetite, my palms stopped sweating, I no longer had the hiccups all the time, and best of all, my anxiety melted away.

Take the Natural Route.

Marijuana is a very misunderstood plant — mainly because most of the research conducted about it pertains to its recreational use.

Those who use marijuana recreationally are looking to get high and have fun, not necessarily treat an illness. So, naturally, the plant is mostly recognized for its intoxicating effects and gets labeled as something that will only exacerbate our anxiety and make us feel paranoid.

Much of marijuana’s medicinal value is still flying under the radar. Not a whole lot of people realize it’s possible to ingest MMJ and not feel intoxicated at all yet still reap medicinal benefits. High-cannabidiol strains in particular are known for relieving pain, reducing anxiety, and inducing feelings of relaxation — all while allowing us to maintain our motor skills and not feel loopy.

When compared with pharmaceuticals, taking a natural path to anxiety relief brings clear benefits:

1. Fewer Side Effects.

Traditionally, anxiety is treated with quick-fix benzodiazepines like Xanax — which happens to be the most-prescribed psychiatric medication in the U.S. Patients can pop these pills on an as-needed basis, and within a few minutes, they begin masking the symptoms of anxiety.

Unfortunately, benzos cause side effects such as drowsiness, insomnia, memory problems, poor coordination, slurred speech and irritability. None of these extra issues is worth the couple of hours of relief.

MMJ causes far fewer side effects — and as illustrated by my story, it can actually help us overcome side effects we’re experiencing from other medications.

2. Less Addiction.


In addition to their many side effects, benzodiazepines pose a major addiction risk. MMJ, on the other hand, is not considered to be physically addictive. If a daily user were to suddenly stop taking his or her medicine, there would be no real noticeable withdrawal symptoms to speak of.

In fact, some doctors are even using MMJ to wean patients off deadly pharmaceuticals — and they’ve reported more than a 75 percent success rate.

3. Higher Quality of Life.


All aspects of life are more enjoyable when we can control our anxiety, especially though natural means.

A great thing about MMJ is that it’s highly versatile. Based on our personal preferences, we can choose to smoke, eat or topically apply our medicine. Further, many different strains and dosages are available to choose from, all with differing ratios of active ingredients that produce different effects.

Instead of numbing us to the outside world, MMJ opens our perception and brings levity to our daily functions. One study even found it lowers our responses to negative stimuli, which is an important step in fighting depression.

While all this information is great, it doesn’t mean we can just smoke a joint and forget all our problems. It’s important to work closely with a physician and MMJ dispensary to determine the right strains for us.

Those suffering from anxiety should also undergo regular cognitive behavioral therapy sessions that focus on identifying, challenging and neutralizing the unhelpful thoughts that underlie anxiety disorders. This two-pronged approach — natural medicine paired with therapy — will lead to the best results.

Tackling anxiety is no easy feat — and luckily, it doesn’t have to involve pesky side effects and dangerous addiction. Talk to your doctor today about replacing your pharmaceuticals with MMJ.

3 Reasons Medical Marijuana Should Be Our Anxiety Antidote

Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized Across The Globe

Long gone are the days where marijuana is seen as taboo. More and more states have been legalizing marijuana for medical use—Alaska, California, DC, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New Mexico, Connecticut, Michigan, Maryland, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Vermont; while Colorado and Washington have made history by decriminalizing the plant completely. Besides the United States, many countries have also began legalizing the use of marijuana (however, in some of these places, cultivating or transporting is still illegal)—Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Italy, Estonia, Jamaica, Mexico, Nepal—among many others.

After a Gallop poll was done, it showed that 58 percent of Americans are in favor of legalizing the natural plant. This is the first time in history that Americans are more in favor of legalizing, than criminalizing, the herb. Below are a few reasons why it’s time to legalize marijuana worldwide.

Marijuana can be used to treat a variety of medical ailments.

Did you know that marijuana helps in treating epileptic seizures? It contains certain cannabinoids that have anticonvulsant properties, according to Katherine Mortati, MD, a neurologist serving at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Furthermore, marijuana has been discovered to relieve nausea in cancer patients, increase appetite in HIV/AIDS patients, relax muscle tension and spasms; and relieve chronic pain.

It has a very low abuse risk.

According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, around 9 to 10 percent of adult users become dependent on marijuana. This is much lower than the dependent 20 percent of cocaine users, 25 percent of addicted heroin users, and the 30 percent of dependent tobacco users.

Cannabis can be a useful in treating insomnia.

The number one cause of insomnia is stress, and marijuana aids in relaxation. A study done by the National Cancer Institute found that patients that ingested a cannabis plant extract spray reported a much more restful sleep. It has been researched that THC provides a subject with an easier time falling asleep, longer sleep, deeper sleep, and better breathing while sleeping. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institutes of Health funded studies that reported that subjects were able to fall asleep easier and more quickly after consuming THC.

Approximately 40% of Americans have admitted to using marijuana.

With more and more Americans having admit to trying marijuana at least once in their lives, it has been shown that marijuana is less addictive than coffee. Because of this, more people are finding reasons to feel safer when trying the drug.

No one has ever died from a marijuana overdose.

There has never been any reported case of anyone ever fatally overdosing on marijuana, despite the large amounts of THC in their systems. Prescription drugs, on the other hand, have been responsible for over 25,000 deaths in 2014 according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse; while the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that 6 Americans die every day from alcohol poisoning.

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Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized Across The Globe

Marijuana Has the Potential to Cure These 7 Types of Cancer

As the years progress, marijuana has been shying away from their known Schedule I drug category. The once tabooed plant is being accepted by many medical professionals across the country because of their studied, and proven, medical benefits. Multiple states across the United States have legalized the medical use of marijuana, while a few states have gone so far as to legalize recreational use. Along with the United States, many countries have also been accepting marijuana for medical use.

Cannabinoids, which are found in hemp and cannabis, have a great impact on rebuilding the immune system, and have been proven to reduce cancer cells. It is important to note that not all strains of cannabis carry the same effect; and that it is more effective for medicinal purposes when consumed, rather than smoked.

Listed below are several studies that suggest the benefits of cannabis use to fight against cancer.

1. Oral Cancer

According to a study done by the US National Library of Medicine, cannabinoids are shown to be highly toxic to inhibitors of cellular respiration and malignant oral tumors. It is shown that cannabinoids can inhibit cellular respiration among oral cancer cells because they contain Delta (8)-THC and Delta (9)-THC; which are known to possess antitumor activities and resulted in a rapid decline in cellular respiration when added to the cells.

2. Brain Cancer

The Journal of Neuroscience published a study that provided evidence that THC, which is the main component found in marijuana, can aid in protecting the brain against neurodegeneration. The study was done on rats and examined the biochemical events in progressive neurodegenerative diseases, as well as acute neuronal damage. It was shown that THC possessed antitumor properties and can protect the brain from neuronal injuries.

3. Lung Cancer

Harvard Medical School conducted a study, published by the US National Library of Medicine; that concluded that cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, inhibited lung metastasis and in vivo tumor grown in non-small cell lung cancer. CB1 and CB2 were also observed to inhibit phosphorylation of AKT; which is a molecule that controls cell migration, survival, and apoptosis. This study suggests that these cannabinoid receptors could be used as novel therapeutic targets against non-small cell lung cancer.

4. Breast Cancer

The journal, Molecular Cancer, published a study that suggests that tumor growth, and numbers, could be reduced by THC. The study determined that JWH-133, a non-psychotropic CB2, impairs tumor angiogenesis, inhibits cancer cell proliferation, and induces cancer cell apoptosis in ErbB2-positive breast cancer.

5. Pancreatic Cancer

The American Journal of Cancer published a study that apoptosis was induced by cannabinoid administration. Administration of cannabinoids also selectively increased TRB3 expression in pancreatic tumor cells, and inhibited the spreading, and growth, of tumor cells.

6. Prostate Cancer

US National Library of Medicine published multiple studies that determined that cannabidiol (CBD) inhibited cell viability, significantly. There was a decrease in prostatic cancer cells when acted through cannabinoid receptors, and was shown to have a more potent affect when BDS was in the presence of serum, versus pure cannabinoid compounds. The data produced from these studies all support the clinical testing of CBD against prostate carcinoma.

7. Liver Cancer

Because hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HCC) is the third cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, it has been essential to search for new treatments since there are few therapeutic options available once the advanced stages of the tumor set it. A study done by the US National Library of Medicine determined that THC reduced the growth of human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell lines, as well as reduced their viability. These findings may contribute to a new therapeutic strategy in the management of HCC.

Sources:

Marijuana Has the Potential to Cure These 7 Types of Cancer

The Marijuana Industry in Arizona: 5 Need-to-Know Facts

Marijuana is a booming business in Arizona and with more companies popping up every day, the industry continues to grow. In 2014, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported that over 10 tons of marijuana was sold through local dispensaries. That grossed an impressive revenue of approximately $ 110 million dollars!

Today, patients who cultivate their own plants are no longer able to do so within 25 miles of a dispensary. And with over 80 dispensaries in Arizona, the pot business is good! Here are just five need-to-know facts about the changing cannabis industry in Arizona:

5 Need-to-Know Facts About Cannabis in Arizona

1. We Are Still Fighting for Legalization. Marijuana has been legal for medicinal use since 2011. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is now on the November 2016 ballot as Proposition 205. Under the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, anyone over the age of 21 would be able to possess up to one (1) ounce of marijuana and cultivate six (6) plants of their own in a secure area. This initiative would include a 15% retail tax on marijuana sale by licensed businesses that would be allocated directly to the education system. A much needed aid! A recent survey of 500 Arizona voters revealed that 49% of voters would reject legalization for recreational use, 43% would vote “yes,” and around 8% of voters were undecided according to the Arizona Republic.(1)


2. Our Growers Are Educated. The Arizona Department of Health Services allows qualifying patients to grow their own medicine. For this reason, many people have acquired a green thumb but that doesn’t mean that the average Arizona resident can maintain 6 healthy cannabis plants. That’s where professionals come in. Colleges across the state including the University of Arizona now offer classes and degree programs to prepare students for the professional and sustainable cultivation of marijuana. The budding industry has help develop thousands of lucrative jobs in research, biology, chemistry, law, horticulture and medical treatment sectors. Now that’s higher education.


3. There is a Sense of Community. When medical marijuana co-ops first opened in Arizona, everyone had something different to bring to the table. Menus were loaded with distinctive cannabis-infused items to choose from: homemade baklava, cookies, candy… People were making salad dressings, peanut butter – you name it! The same people that were in those collectives are still creating concoctions and sharing them with the rest of us cardholders. Even with dispensaries, the friendship remains and innovators are still happily incorporating cannabis into their healthy lifestyles. And that’s a great thing!


4. Cannabis is an OTC Takeover. You may have already heard that marijuana is safer than pharmaceutical drugs. What you may not know is that many OTC (over the counter drugs) contain acetaminophen. The problem with that is that a staggering amount of people accidentally overdose every year. This added up to over 1,500 deaths in the United States – just between 2001 and 2010! Acetaminophen overdose sends close to 80,000 people to emergency rooms every year and is the leading cause of acute liver failure according to the National Institutes for Health. These shocking statistics pave the way for a not-so-hostile marijuana takeover. If Americans replaced just one NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) like Tylenol with marijuana, hundreds of lives could be saved.(2-3)


5. We Aren’t Pot Heads. In Arizona, it’s estimated that between 2013 and 2014 there were approximately 52,374 active cardholders. As a legitimate medical patient, I can tell you that we are NOT just sitting around getting high. Chatting with other patients at clinics, I have become accustom to discussing topics including the laboratory data for CBD (non-psychoactive component) content, THC (psychoactive component) content, flavor profiles and sales! Arizona dispensaries provide high-quality medicine to patients, and as we share in this new experience, collectively we are realizing that marijuana is highly effective for treating many different health problems. There are millions of ways to use marijuana, and many of them don’t include a high at all. Just consider topical products and CBD oil!

What’s Next for Cannabis in Arizona?

As Arizona continues to fight a grassroots battle for legalization, in November 2016 the game may change… in a BIG way. Currently, the average medical marijuana patient in Arizona consumes approximately 166 grams. But cardholders must be approved under these qualifying conditions: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s), Crohn’s, Alzheimer’s, cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures (like epilespy), and severe and persistent spasms (like multiple sclerosis).

If Arizona voters vote “Yes” on Prop 205, marijuana use will be open to all citizens over the age of 21. Stay Tuned!!

References:

1. Wingett Sanchez, Yvonne. Poll: Arizona marijuana-legalization campaign could fail if voted on today? http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/politicalinsider/2016/04/20/poll-marijuana-legalization-campaign/83250834/


2. Mosbergen, Dominique. Tylenol Overdose Risk Is Staggering; Acetaminophen Safeguards Remain Insufficient: Report. The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/tylenol-overdose_n_3976991.html

The Marijuana Industry in Arizona: 5 Need-to-Know Facts

Illnesses Treatable with Medical Marijuana

As far back as 3,000 years ago, in ancient China and India, marijuana was used to treat many medical conditions. These ancients left us with texts that tell about the usefulness of marijuana for treating these conditions, which included gout, constipation, malaria, and even absent-mindedness. These are just a few of the many conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana, and today, more and more doctors are realizing the benefits and prescribing marijuana to their patients. Here is a small sampling of the conditions that can be successfully treated with medical marijuana.

1. HIV/AIDS

While there is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, there are medications that can help treat the symptoms. Medical marijuana is one of them. By taking regular doses of THC, the T-cell count can be modified and there is less damage to the immune tissue. It also helps to ease neuropathic pain.

2. Cancer

Studies show that some marijuana extracts can kill some cancer cells. There are other studies that show how marijuana can stop the growth of cancer in mice. The THC can also help increase the effectiveness of radiation treatments. It can also help to prevent nausea that is associated with chemotherapy. Many patients report that they are able to function much better through their treatments when they are using marijuana.

3. Brain Inflammation

There are many brain conditions that are difficult to treat with medications because of the harmful side effects. These conditions can often be better treated with THC and CBD neuroprotective antioxidants than with a number of prescription medications that can cause adverse reactions in many patients.

4. Obesity

Even though marijuana is known to cause “the munchies”, it is actually good for fighting obesity. Studies show that there is actually a higher rate of obesity in those who do not use cannabis than with those who do use it.

5. Autoimmune Disease

THC can work with a patient’s DNA to help reduce autoimmune reactions. This is because THC helps with the chronic inflammation, which is a common symptom of many autoimmune diseases. Because it is good for treating inflammation, it is also helpful for a variety of injuries that cause pain and swelling.

6. Heart Disease

Very low doses of THC before ischemia is an effective treatment that is also safe to use for treating myocardial ischemic damage to a patient’s heart. While it has been said in the past that smoking marijuana can lead to heart disease, new studies are proving this to be faulty science, and are showing that it is helpful for some heart patients.

7. Crohn’s Disease

Studies show that using cannabis that has higher THC levels can be quite effective for Crohn’s disease patients as it helps the disease go into remission. This doesn’t mean that the patients are cured, but they are better able to enjoy a better quality of life with fewer to no symptoms appearing for many years.

8. Alzheimer’s Disease

Many Alzheimer’s patients have benefited from cannabis therapy, and there are signs that marijuana can help to undo a lot of the degenerative effects caused by Alzheimer’s disease. It can also help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, as well as memory loss, both short-term and long-term.

9. PTSD

There are many different forms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and it can manifest itself in many ways. One thing it can do is cause the cannabinoid receptors in the brain to become unbalanced. Medical marijuana can control this, thereby treating PTSD effectively.

10. ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

With the neurological degeneration that comes with ALS come imbalances in the endocannabinoid system. Medical marijuana can help to correct those imbalances.

Resources:

Illnesses Treatable with Medical Marijuana

Largest active veterans group calls for legalizing marijuana to treat PTSD

Faced with stark numbers of brain trauma and psychological distress cases among combat veterans, the nation’s largest active veteran’s organization has thrown its weight behind the growing movement to push for relaxing federal restrictions on marijuana.

The American Legion, the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization, took a position on medical marijuana for the first time last week. At its national convention, it passed a resolution calling on Congress to amend its laws to “at a minimum … recognize cannabis as a drug with potential medical value”.

Marijuana is currently classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule 1 drug, putting it alongside drugs such as heroin and cocaine. The designation, which the DEA reaffirmed last month, means that the federal government officially believes there is no “accepted medical use” for the drug.

“It’s a tool in a toolbox,” said William Detweiler, who serves as the chairman of the American Legion’s traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) committee and who is a past national commander of the organization. “We’re not advocating the use of marijuana or any other drugs,” but he said veterans “have a right to anything that may help them”.

The American Legion’s new policy platform comes amid greater medical understanding and scientific research in recent years on the causes and consequences of TBI and PTSD.

In the aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the incidence of PTSD and TBI among veterans has rapidly increased, leading to a national crisis that has also coincided with alarming rates of depression and suicide.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 22% of combat casualties from the post-9/11 conflicts are brain injuries, compared to 12% for Vietnam veterans. It also estimates that between 60% and 80% of combat vets who have blast injuries may also have brain trauma.

A large and growing body of literature suggests that cannabis can be an effective medical treatment to alleviate the worst effects of PTSD. About two decades ago, scientists discovered the presence of an endocannabinoid system in the brain which responds to some 60 chemicals that are found in marijuana.

Detweiler said he and the organization as a whole were convinced of the case for allowing more study into the possible effects of treating PTSD and TBI with marijuana after coming into contact with the work or Dr Sue Sisley, a medical researcher who has pushed to reform cannabis laws so she can study the potential of cannabis for treating PTSD.

Detweiler admitted that he was initially concerned about how the push into the terrain of medical marijuana would be received, but he said those concerns were quickly allayed once people heard the case on its merits. “I’ve heard nothing but good things” from fellow Legion members and combat vets who urged the organization to consider taking a position on medical cannabis, he said.

In April, after seven years of trying to get the necessary federal approval, Sisley and other researchers were given a DEA license to begin a private study into the correlation between cannabis and PTSD, although the DEA’s official position remains that there is no medical value for the drug. The study is the first of its kind, involving a randomized, controlled study that uses actual marijuana plants, rather than oils or synthetic forms of the drug.

To that end, the American Legion’s resolution also calls on the DEA to “license privately-funded medical marijuana production operations in the United States to enable safe and efficient cannabis drug development research”.

“I consider this a major breakthrough for such a conservative veterans organization,” Sisley said after the vote. “Suddenly the American Legion has a tangible policy statement on cannabis that will allow them to lobby and add this to their core legislative agenda. The organization has a massive amount of influence at all levels.”

According to a major survey released in July by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, one of the nation’s largest veterans empowerment groups, some 68% of combat veterans support medical marijuana legalization in their states, while a further 75% said that the Department of Veterans Affairs ought to allow medical cannabis as a treatment option.

Marijuana reform groups have hailed the American Legion’s decision.

“Medical marijuana has been found to be a safe and effective treatment for PTSD, chronic pain, and other conditions that often affect veterans,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications at the Marijuana Policy Project. “Those who serve in our nation’s armed forces deserve access to every medical treatment option that could help them live a healthier and more productive life.”

Largest active veterans group calls for legalizing marijuana to treat PTSD

Doctors make easy money from medical marijuana. What happens when it"s legal?

Frank Lucido, a California physician, received a phone call in 2012 from a doctor in Colorado.

Like Lucido – one of California’s best-known cannabis-friendly physicians – the Colorado doctor had been writing recommendations for medical marijuana, the paperwork required for patients to access cannabis at medical marijuana retail outlets in his state.

Unlike Lucido, the Colorado doctor was worried about the future of his practice.

Related: California marijuana initiative qualifies for the ballot

There was a legalization measure on the ballot for recreational marijuana in Colorado that fall. If it passed, he was looking for somewhere to move, where he could continue writing recommendations in the semi-legal gray area of medical cannabis.

“What’s the climate in California?” he asked.

Colorado voters did approve Amendment 64, one of the first two state legalization measures to pass. Lucido isn’t sure if the doctor did end up moving west. But if he did, he may need to move again.

This November, California – along with three other states – will vote on whether to approve recreational use of the drug. The state’s measure – Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act – would allow adults aged 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and buy the drug in stores – no doctor’s note required.

If approved, Prop 64 could spell the end of a cottage industry that has attracted entrepreneurs and brought mockery on the notion of medical cannabis.

Cannabis recommendations are often issued by places such as San Francisco Green Evaluations, a “clinic” in an upstairs office at Amoeba Music, a record store in the city’s tourist-friendly Haight-Ashbury district. There, Samuel Dismond III, a former primary care physician with nearly 30 years of experience, writes recommendations for as little as $ 45 – and “super fast”, as multiple Yelp reviewers put it.

Frank Lucido is one of California’s best-known cannabis-friendly physicians. Photograph: Courtesy of Frank Lucido

Dismond says he started writing cannabis recommendations after two serious car accidents left him disabled. Unable to continue with primary care, he started writing recommendations one day a week.

“I was holding my nose when I tried it,” he said. “But then I saw an opportunity.”

“It’s been gangbusters-good.”

There’s also the likes of Roger J Foster, dubbed Dr Skype, who gave “exams” to patients in his Sacramento, California, office from his Las Vegas home via Skype. For these doctors, medical marijuana has meant easy money: $ 50 or $ 100 cash for a few minutes’ work, with the requirement that the recommendation be renewed annually.

“Most of the physicians – not all of them – but most of the physicians doing this had some kind of problem with their medical license,” Dismond said. “They had restrictions; they couldn’t do any other kind of medicine. They were doing rubber-stamp recommendations because they didn’t give a fuck. That’s how the bad reputation of cannabis physicians came about.”

Conservatives and law enforcement officials have criticized medical marijuana as a sham, with “script mills” akin to the “pill mills” churning out questionable prescriptions for opiates.

This has meant professional ridicule and ostracism for doctors like Lucido, who have sometimes been lumped in with the Dr Skypes and Venice Beach clinics where street hawkers try to wheedle tourists into seedy offices. Prosecutors in Santa Clara County, south of San Francisco, allege that at least one chain of clinics, 420 MD, is tied to organized crime.

The seasoned political operatives secured by Spotify billionaire Sean Parker, Prop 64’s main bankroller, took this into account in their campaign. The measure promises to reform medical marijuana and “reduce the number of unscrupulous medical MJ clinics”, said campaign spokesman Jason Kinney.

If the measure passes, medical cannabis would still exist in California, but patients would need a new recommendation from an “attending physician” and would be required to obtain a state-issued medical marijuana patient ID card.

The card will exempt them from state sales tax on cannabis, though a 15% excise tax would still apply, plus any local taxes cities and counties might apply.

The tax difference – plus the allowance for 18-to-20-year-olds to continue to access medical cannabis (children whose doctors recommend cannabis are allowed in dispensaries if accompanied by an adult) – give doctors such as Lucido reassurance that there will still be a demand for medical marijuana post-legalization.

They are also banking on legalization drawing more people, like those with chronic pain, to try non-psychoactive cannabis strains and products. Only about 5% of Californians say they use medical marijuana, according to a 2012 survey.

When Dr Jeffrey Hergenrather, of Sebastopol, California, started writing recommendations 16 years ago, only 10% of his patients had never tried cannabis. Now, he says, about half his patients seeking a 90-minute, $ 300 exam are new to the drug, including “kids with autism, kids with seizure disorder”.

For startups like HelloMD – which offer recommendations via mobile apps, marketed especially to tech-savvy, well-off consumers who use Uber and Airbnb – legalization could mean a segue to telehealth – patients videoconferencing with doctors over a secure channel.

“There’s a misconception that this market is really just a recreational market,” said Mark Hadfield, the founder of HelloMD. “We think that there’s a much bigger market for health and wellness consumers.”

Under Prop 64, Lucido expects “25% to 50%” of his practice to go away.

“But we’ll still see patients who need guidance,” he said.

As for the Dr Skypes, the doctors in record stores, and his Colorado colleague? Lucido defends them – to a degree.

“They gave us a bad name and delayed legalization by a few years,” he said. “But say what you want about the script mills – they never harmed anybody.” At the same time, “90% of the doctors doing that will have to go out and find a job.”

Doctors make easy money from medical marijuana. What happens when it"s legal?

Canada reaffirms their efforts to legalize marijuana in 2016!

A recent Gallup poll suggests that 58 % of American’s feel that marijuana use ought to be created legal in the United States. (one)  For U.S. citizens the battle continues although Canada is creating headlines in their hard work to legalize marijuana.

Fifty-eight percent of U.S. citizen’s think marijuana must be created legal!

New Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has affirmed that the administration continues to make movement to legalize marijuana given that the parliament resumed.  In a speech offered on December 4th , Governor Basic, David Johnston, mentioned that the new liberal government would make recreational use of marijuana legal but it would also regulate and restrict accessibility.  (2)
Johnston reported that getting rid of the “criminal element” of marijuana would assist repair a broken method.  (two)

Canada could turn out to be very first nation in G7 group to legalize marijuana!

Due to these efforts, Canada could turn into the very first country in the G7 group to legalize marijuana.  The Prime Minister manufactured globe information due to his place on marijuana and has not wavered from this place given that turning into the leader of the Liberal celebration.  Trudeau’s position on marijuana is influenced by the fate of his late brother, who was charged with drug possession for getting “a tiny amount” of marijuana.  His brother died in 1998 due to an avalanche. (3)

Trudeau’s stance on marijuna is influenced by his late brother who was charged with drug possession for having a “tiny amount” of marijuana on his man or woman

Currently healthcare marijuana is legal to use in Canada in dried and edible varieties as long as it is not smoked.  Growing cannabis at property is also legal.  (three)
The government is also planning to reduce taxes for citizens with middle earnings and supply higher child positive aspects to those in need.  They also prepare to reduce military paying and restrict the spending budget deficit to ten billion Canadian dollars per 12 months and decrease greenhouse fuel emissions.  (three)

Sources integrated:

(one) http://www.gallup.com/poll/186260/back-legal-marijuana.aspx

(two)http://time.com/4137644/canadian-prime-minister-reaffirms-prepare-to-legalize-marijuana/

(three) https://www.rt.com/news/324870-canada-government-legalize-marijuana/

Canada reaffirms their efforts to legalize marijuana in 2016!

Marijuana Taxes Swell, Not Up In Smoke After All

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Colorado’s tax revenue from Marijuana just doubled from final year, and that is only based on five months. Are black market place revenue offering way to legal distribution?

Marijuana Taxes Swell, Not Up In Smoke After All

Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Profits Before Safety?

As recreational use of marijuana not too long ago became legal in Washington state, many concerned dad and mom and educators feel this determination is sending the incorrect message to our youth and teens.  While product sales carry on to be brisk in Colorado, a single expert voices concern about the drug serving as a gateway for youth and teenagers browsing for tougher drugs.

“It’s actually a shame that however yet another state has permitted and is now peddling recreational marijuana,” mentioned Janina Kean, substance abuse and addiction specialist and President and CEO of Large Observe Recovery Center.  “Allowing the sale of recreational marijuana in Washington will only perpetuate drug use in the state and offer a gateway for our youth for undertaking more hardcore, illicit drugs this kind of as heroin, which is presently plaguing the nation.”

Logo of the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse, element of the National Institutes of Well being. (Photo credit score: Wikipedia)

Kean is on the front lines in the war towards substance abuse. Her interaction with youth, teens and mothers and fathers in excess of the previous 16 many years in her treatment method facility has shaped her views about the recently approved legislation legalizing recreational use of marijuana in Washington State. As an internationally recognized specialist and spokesperson in the field of substance abuse, Kean led the initial AA meeting to ever take spot in the Opiate Triangle of the Globe, the Yunnan Province of China, exactly where she was invited to teach doctors how to appropriately care for individuals with heroin addiction.

Keen has firsthand knowledge that marijuana is not as benign a drug as most folks feel, and contrary to well-known belief, marijuana is addictive.

She explains that many of her present opiate addicts she treats, who began using marijuana only a decade earlier, often stated “Marijuana is safe, it’s not addictive, it can’t hurt you.”

“Well, the recent legalization of recreational marijuana has only reinforced the belief of adolescents—that this is a safe drug,” explains Kean.

“If it employed for medicine or medicinal purposes”, her sufferers argue, and is legal, “it can not harm me.”

Estimates from the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse indicate that about 9 % of consumers turn out to be addicted. The number increases to 1 in six, or 17 percent, in end users who start off in their teenagers, and to 25-50 percent in day-to-day end users.

Kean explains that numerous sufferers she taken care of, whom only “casually” utilised  marijuana, have given that gone on to use more difficult drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and MDMA or Molly following reaching a plateau, and finish up back at her therapy facility.

In truth, in accordance to a 2010 Nationwide Survey on Drug Use and Wellness (NSDUH), marijuana accounted for 4.5 million of the estimated 7.one million Americans who had been addicted to, or abusing illicit medication. Data from 2009 in a related examine signifies that marijuana was the primary drug of abuse in these 12 many years and older entering drug therapy plans. And 61 % of individuals under the age of 15 also reported marijuana as their principal drug of abuse.

In response to permitting recreational use of the drug, Kean feels that states such as Washington and Colorado that want to make money off the sale of recreational marijuana want to incorporate statutes in their legislation which dictate that a specified fixed percentage of recreational marijuana profits be directed toward treatment method beds and study on the use and misuse of marijuana in every single state.

In truth, in accordance to an report in USA Right now, Colorado has previously collected practically 24 million in marijuana taxes from state licensed shops, and Washington State seems forward to collecting up to 190 million dollars in the up coming 4 many years based mostly on government projections.

“These states are only allowing use and revenue of marijuana because there is funds to be made and as such, they need to have to pay out for the consequences of their revenue, improved drug abuse and addiction amid the youth,” added Kean.

As of now, there is no allocation of funds as element of legislation in Washington or Colorado which dictates (or mandates) care or study to examine and measure abuse and addiction that may stick to from marijuana use.  Kean feels this is the moral thing to do if these states will be allowed to carry on to sell the drug for recreational functions.

With two deaths straight stemming from marijuana edibles (1 suicide and 1 murder case) in the past 12 months, along with the ever-present query regarding “legal” or “allowable” quantities of marijuana in drivers, defining the potential of recreational marijuana use in the US continues.

Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Profits Before Safety?

ACT could take into account legalising health-related marijuana for terminally sick

Terminally ill Canberra residents will be allowed to use marijuana to ease their soreness if a proposal by the ACT Greens is adopted.

Shane Rattenbury, a member of the ACT legislative assembly, has launched draft legislation and a discussion paper for legalising medical cannabis.

But he will need support from both the Labor government or the Liberal opposition to get it via the territory’s legislature.

Rattenbury is hoping neighborhood feedback over the subsequent couple of months will assist sway the significant events.

“This is an situation that can invite a knee-jerk response,” he stated. However, he explained he was keen to have a wise debate on the issue.

Under the proposal, the drug could be employed by residents who are anticipated to die inside of a 12 months, individuals with chronic illnesses this kind of as cancer or Aids, and people whose medical doctors say cannabis could mitigate signs of continuing medical conditions.

Any individual wanting to use the drug would have to get a health care declaration from their medical professional and apply for a one particular-yr utilization allow from the chief wellness officer.

The health officer would also issue permits to allow people to expand little quantities of cannabis for their individual use.

People convicted of a drug offence within five many years could not apply.

The scheme is related to one particular proposed by a NSW parliamentary committee in 2013 and does not set up any method for marketing the drug or government top quality control.

Rattenbury is taking suggestions on his proposal right up until 15 September and is assured the Canberra neighborhood will help the scheme out of compassion for the sick.

“Let’s pass this legislation for the advantage of people who do have a terminal sickness or suffer from chronic discomfort,” he stated.

Rattenbury is a minister with the minority Labor government but is proposing to introduce the bill as a private member.

ACT could take into account legalising health-related marijuana for terminally sick

Marijuana cookies to hit Washington shops but cannabis lollies are banned

Cookies and brownies laced with marijuana can go on sale in shops across Washington state after new rules were passed. Photograph: Erich Schlegel/Corbis

Marijuana stores in Washington state can sell marijuana in cookies, brownies and other baked goods but not in candies, lollipops or food items that might appeal to children, newly released rules stipulate.

Washington became the second US state to allow recreational sales of marijuana to adults on 8 July, when its first retail stores opened under a heavily regulated and taxed system approved by voters in 2012.

The state’s Liquor Control Board, which regulates the fledgling sector, published guidelines this week for the packaging and labelling of marijuana edibles. They prohibit any products, labels or packaging designed to be appealing to children, including lollipops and suckers, gummy candy and jelly beans. Edibles must be tested for potency and to ensure that the marijuana derivatives are spread evenly throughout the product.

Washington’s move to allow recreational sales comes amid a broader trend of liberalisation in the US. Recreational sales began in Colorado on 1 January.

So far, Washington state regulators have issued 25 licences to retailers and are still processing more than 300 others.

That has led to concerns about shortages. The first and only recreational marijuana shop to open in Seattle ran out of stock only three days after opening. Last week a Seattle-based company that makes marijuana-infused drinks and candies became the first business in the state to be approved, but it was not clear when the first products will hit shelves.

In Colorado, authorities ordered a recall of products made by the Denver-based company, At Home Baked, which was using a regular clothes washing machine to generate the cold water and centrifugal force needed to make “bubble hash”, a marijuana concentrate.

The Public Health Inspections division of the Denver Department of Public Health said it ordered the business to stop using the washing machine because it did not meet minimum sanitation standards.

Among the products recalled on Thursday were marijuana-infused brownies, candies and rice-crispy treats.

Marijuana cookies to hit Washington shops but cannabis lollies are banned

Marijuana cookies to hit Washington outlets but cannabis lollies are banned

Cookies and brownies laced with marijuana can go on sale in shops across Washington state after new rules were passed. Photograph: Erich Schlegel/Corbis

Marijuana stores in Washington state can sell marijuana in cookies, brownies and other baked goods but not in candies, lollipops or food items that might appeal to children, newly released rules stipulate.

Washington became the second US state to allow recreational sales of marijuana to adults on 8 July, when its first retail stores opened under a heavily regulated and taxed system approved by voters in 2012.

The state’s Liquor Control Board, which regulates the fledgling sector, published guidelines this week for the packaging and labelling of marijuana edibles. They prohibit any products, labels or packaging designed to be appealing to children, including lollipops and suckers, gummy candy and jelly beans. Edibles must be tested for potency and to ensure that the marijuana derivatives are spread evenly throughout the product.

Washington’s move to allow recreational sales comes amid a broader trend of liberalisation in the US. Recreational sales began in Colorado on 1 January.

So far, Washington state regulators have issued 25 licences to retailers and are still processing more than 300 others.

That has led to concerns about shortages. The first and only recreational marijuana shop to open in Seattle ran out of stock only three days after opening. Last week a Seattle-based company that makes marijuana-infused drinks and candies became the first business in the state to be approved, but it was not clear when the first products will hit shelves.

In Colorado, authorities ordered a recall of products made by the Denver-based company, At Home Baked, which was using a regular clothes washing machine to generate the cold water and centrifugal force needed to make “bubble hash”, a marijuana concentrate.

The Public Health Inspections division of the Denver Department of Public Health said it ordered the business to stop using the washing machine because it did not meet minimum sanitation standards.

Among the products recalled on Thursday were marijuana-infused brownies, candies and rice-crispy treats.

Marijuana cookies to hit Washington outlets but cannabis lollies are banned

Charlotte"s Net: the families making use of healthcare marijuana to support their children

Kim and Chris Clark had experimented with nearly each medical option available for their ten-yr old son Caden, who has serious epilepsy. Then they identified medical marijuana.

Caden Clark has Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, which provides him in between ten and 70 seizures a day. On poor days he would have over one hundred.

“We had genuinely began getting afraid, since he had reached what they phone expiration age,” explained Kim Clark. “These kids tend to get to this stage and they just seize so much, you know, it will get crucial.”

The Clarks have attempted over twenty diverse varieties of medication, a brain lobectomy and excessive diet programs to alleviate Caden’s seizures – with various degrees of success and side effects.

“I hesitate with the word ‘miracle’, since it truly is not that easy. We’re experiencing items we never ever would have with out it, but we’re nonetheless dealing with the delicate stability of his brain,” Kim explained.

For Chris Clark, health care marijuana was a last resort. Chris has worked for the Atlanta police department for 26 many years, and is presently in charge of monitoring Atlanta’s drug evidence.

“I was true nervous about what my peers would consider about me carrying out this,” he mentioned. “I ultimately came to the conclusion that if there is a possibility that this product could help my kid, then you’ve got to do it.”

In December 2013, the Clarks moved to Colorado Springs to legally obtain a strain of marijuana named Charlotte’s Net. Chris stayed behind in Atlanta for perform, and visits the rest of his family every time he can.

The move seems to have paid off. By the Clarks’ estimate, Caden has had a important reduction in seizures. “We had by no means had a seizure totally free day ever so to go 4 or 5 days (without a seizure) was thoughts-blowing,” Kim Clark stated.

The Stanley brothers very first developed Charlotte’s Web 5 years ago to explore the health care benefits of marijuana for men and women with cancer. When they were 1st approached by the Figi family members, who wished to give the drug to their younger daughter Charlotte, who suffered from extreme epilepsy, the brothers have been cautious.

“All I saw was us in orange jumpsuits at the time. But it was their final alternative,” Jesse Stanley stated.

Far more than 400 households are employing Charlotte’s Internet to treat their young children, and thousands more are on the waiting list. To meet the demand, the Stanley brothers are expanding their operation, and hope to get everyone in Colorado off the listing by the end of 2014.

Charlotte’s World wide web was as soon as acknowledged as ‘Hippie’s Disappointment’ since it doesn’t get its end users high. The drug has greater amounts of cannabidiol (CBD) and reduce doses of THC, which is the psychoactive component of the plant, compared to recreational marijuana.

There is no conclusive proof why CBD may limit seizure action, because marijuana is a routine 1 drug, which the DEA deems to have no healthcare use, and scientific research on marijuana is nevertheless in its infancy.

Dr Orrin Devinsky, who prospects the NYU Epilepsy Center, is one particular of handful of medical doctors who has commenced testing the results of CBD on youngsters. He need to store the drug in a one,200lb safe at his lab due to federal rules.

“It’s frequent for folks hearing extremely great anecdotal stories to feel like they know the answer, and no one should truly feel like these days, based on the data, that any individual has any of the solutions about safety or efficacy,” Dr Devinsky stated.

At the Children’s Hospital Colorado, physicians have reported cases of young children who have gotten worse on Charlotte’s Internet, and, in some situations, gone into intensive care units. Kim Clark says that dozens of households have had to give up the Charlotte’s Web treatment and move back property due to the fact it was both also pricey or didn’t function for their young children.

For now, the evolving legal status of marijuana will largely hold physicians and families guessing.

Charlotte"s Net: the families making use of healthcare marijuana to support their children

US Government"s marijuana farm grows for researchers

It may possibly be legal to get marijuana in 22 states, but increasing pot is nevertheless against federal law.

And however, the US government grows some of the purest pot in the nation, spending virtually a million dollars a yr on a contract with the University of Mississippi to expand cannabis and manufacture marijuana cigarettes.

The UMiss farm is presently the only source in the US for legal marijuana for researchers, and the government at the moment offers it away to researchers who get all the right approvals.

US Government"s marijuana farm grows for researchers

US Government"s marijuana farm grows for researchers

It may be legal to get marijuana in 22 states, but growing pot is nonetheless against federal law.

And nevertheless, the US government grows some of the purest pot in the country, paying almost a million bucks a year on a contract with the University of Mississippi to expand cannabis and manufacture marijuana cigarettes.

The UMiss farm is at present the only supply in the US for legal marijuana for researchers, and the government at the moment offers it away to researchers who get all the correct approvals.

US Government"s marijuana farm grows for researchers

US Government"s marijuana farm grows for researchers

It may possibly be legal to acquire marijuana in 22 states, but increasing pot is still towards federal law.

And nevertheless, the US government grows some of the purest pot in the country, spending virtually a million dollars a year on a contract with the University of Mississippi to develop cannabis and manufacture marijuana cigarettes.

The UMiss farm is currently the only supply in the US for legal marijuana for researchers, and the government at the moment gives it away to researchers who get all the appropriate approvals.

US Government"s marijuana farm grows for researchers

Why Eating A Marijuana Candy Bar Sent Maureen Dowd To Paranoia Hell

New York Times’ columnist Maureen Dowd not too long ago wrote about her unfortunate expertise with a cannabis edible—a pot-laced candy bar she purchased at a legal marijuana dispensary in Denver. Dowd took a nibble, and when nothing happened she took a couple of a lot more. For a while she seasoned no results at all, but ultimately they hit, and hit massive. Quoting from her column:

“But then I felt a scary shudder go by way of my entire body and brain. I barely created it from the desk to the bed, where I lay curled up in a hallucinatory state for the up coming eight hrs. I was thirsty but couldn’t move to get water. Or even flip off the lights. I was panting and paranoid, sure that when the room-support waiter knocked and I didn’t reply, he’d get in touch with the police and have me arrested for becoming unable to manage my candy.” (“Don’t Harsh Our Mellow, Dude” The New York Times, June three, 2014)

Dowd’s experience characteristics the two most common side effects for inexperienced marijuana users: anxiety and paranoia. As she mentions in the column, the packaging for the edible she’d obtained didn’t come with dosing directions. She was later on informed by a health care advisor that the candy bar was meant to be cut into 16 pieces for novices, not chomped down like a midday Snickers.

English: one particular higher-high quality “bud ” nugget of marijuana (Photo credit score: Wikipedia)

In comparison to the frequent street weed of yesteryear, today’s medical marijuana strains are amazingly potent. Going even a small overboard can send a novice brain into a whirlwind. Ironically, pot is proven to ease nervousness signs when appropriately dosed, but has the exact opposite impact in as well substantial a dose (when it comes to cannabis and anxiousness, less is undoubtedly more). And edibles like candy bars and brownies pose a special problem because they are rarely sold with dosing guidelines, and the percentage of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)–the principal psychoactive part in marijuana–may not be evenly distributed all through the edible. 1 nibble may possibly have practically nothing, whilst the subsequent could send you spinning.

The signs and symptoms Dowd describes in her column seem to be to be the outcome of an excessive volume of THC hitting the brain’s danger alert program, exclusively by overloading the cannabinoid (aka CB1) receptors in the amygdala.

The amygdala are two almond-shaped brain structures set deep within the temporal lobes of the brain that act as filters for our experiences, figuring out whether what’s coming at us up coming qualifies as a risk. As part of the brain’s limbic method, they are tightly interwoven with the “fight or flight” response. You may well believe of them as our brain’s alarm trip wire, evolved to keep us from falling prey to something out in the globe that might do us harm.

In a 2011 research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers examined the THC-paranoia query in rats that had been skilled to concern particular smells. In the initial part of the research, they blocked the CB1 receptors in the rats’ amygdala, and identified that the rats stopped responding fearfully to the smells as they’d been skilled. But when the researchers unblocked the CB1 receptors and exposed the rats to a synthetic kind of THC, the rodents experienced a hyper concern response to the same smells.

The implication from this examine is that THC can escalate worry responses properly past what’s warranted—a psycho-emotional final result far better identified to us humans as paranoia. Seasoned consumers are somewhat seasoned against this side result, but newbies who go also strong too rapidly are very likely to get, as did Dowd, a nightlong journey via the paranoia horror house.

I believe there’s a lesson in Dowd’s expertise for both legal sellers and customers of marijuana. For sellers, supplying dosing guidelines would be a splendid notion, as would enforcing good quality management steps to make sure that edibles have constant ranges of THC throughout the merchandise. For new users, the lesson is that taking it quite easy—no matter what form of marijuana you’re ingesting—is well-advised, except if you want to knowledge a edition of Dowd’s paranoia hell.

You can locate David DiSalvo on Twitter @neuronarrative, at his website The Daily Brain, and on YouTube at Your Brain Channel. His most current book is Brain Changer: How Harnessing Your Brain’s Electrical power To Adapt Can Alter Your Lifestyle.

Relevant on Forbes…

Why Eating A Marijuana Candy Bar Sent Maureen Dowd To Paranoia Hell

Corporate Cannabis? Legal Marijuana Goes Legit

Americans could discover from Canada, as the New York Occasions explains in When Cannabis Goes Corporate. Canada’s free of charge-for-all technique prompted complaints from police and nearby governments, so Canada adopted a regulated program for growth and product sales. Enter Tweed Marijuana, one particular of the organizations licensed to grow medical marijuana in Canada.

The new guidelines let prescription holders to get from authorized, large-scale, producers. Much more informal growing operations endure. But the adjustments have spawned an business of more genuine producers with greater enterprise versions. And that need to mean much more income.

Canada expects to gather taxes on in excess of three.1 billion in yearly sales. The figures stateside could be vastly much better. In Washington State, where even recreational marijuana is now legal, the Liquor Management Board hired Prof. Mark Kleiman of UCLA to study the state’s marijuana marketplace. He estimated Washington’s health care and illicit consumption created approximately $ one.two billion in sales yearly.

Medical marijuana neon signal at a dispensary on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Colorado too voted to legalize marijuana even for recreational use. Already, Colorado gets $ 2 million from marijuana taxes. And while there are rules in Colorado and Washington, both states look effectively on their way to regulating and profiting from the business. Medical use is far much more prevalent, now numbering 20 legal healthcare marijuana states and D.C.

Nevertheless in the Feds’ view, regardless of state legality, marijuana is a controlled substance and illegal below federal law. As much more states have clashed with federal law, this mismatch has grow to be much more contentious. The Division of Justice issued a response suggesting that it will lay off the raids and prosecutions.

But the feds will lay off only if the states produce “a tightly regulated market” with rules that handle federal “enforcement priorities” such as stopping interstate smuggling, diversion to minors, and “adverse public overall health consequences.” Those phrases seem to be imbued with discretion. This memo to U.S. attorneys helps make clear that the DOJ can nonetheless prosecute growers and sellers.

To be sure, this is a lot larger than a tax dilemma. And yet the tax troubles of the industry are large and are imagined to be a single of the industry’s major impediments. Section 280E of the tax code denies even legal dispensaries tax deductions. The main culprit is Congress, not the IRS. The IRS has stated it has no selection but to enforce the tax code passed by Congress.

How big is the industry’s issue? “The federal tax predicament is the biggest threat to organizations and could push the total market underground,” the foremost trade publication for the marijuana business reported. One reply has been for dispensaries to deduct expenditures from other firms distinct from dispensing marijuana. If a dispensary sells marijuana and is in the separate business of care-offering, the care-offering expenditures are deductible. If only 10% of the premises are used to dispense marijuana, most of the rent is deductible.

Another notion is for marijuana sellers to operate as nonprofit social welfare organizations. That way Section 280E shouldn’t apply. The market needs to operate far more like other businesses. Occasionally such issues involve structural inquiries. To keep away from problems with the IRS, some claim that dispensaries ought to be organized as cooperatives or collectives.

The Marijuana Tax Equity Act would end the federal prohibition on marijuana and let it to be taxed. The bill would also impose an excise tax on cannabis sales and an yearly occupational tax on staff in the growing area of legal marijuana.

You can reach me at Wood@WoodLLP.com. This discussion is not intended as legal guidance, and cannot be relied on for any function with no the solutions of a qualified specialist.

 

Corporate Cannabis? Legal Marijuana Goes Legit