Author: Ben Adlin

[ad_1] Medical marijuana and opioids are “equally efficacious” at mitigating pain intensity in patients with chronic pain, according to a new study in the Journal of Cannabis Research—but cannabis also provided more “holistic” relief, such as by improving sleep, focus and emotional wellbeing. Researchers said their findings support the hypothesis that medical cannabis (MC) “alleviates pain through holistically altering the pain experience” rather than “only targeting pain intensity.” “The results of the present study support the hypothesis that the effects of MC on pain experience are more holistic than those of opioids,” their report says. “MC may alleviate pain through…

[ad_1] South Dakota’s attorney general issued a draft explanation on Friday for a second proposed ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Unlike a separate would-be initiative filed earlier this year, the new proposal includes plans for licensed, regulated retail sales to adults in addition to legalizing possession and home cultivation. The measure, sponsored by Rapid City resident Emmett Reistroffer, “allows individuals 21 of age or older to possess, grow, ingest, and distribute marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia,” the draft attorney general’s statement says, adding that adults could possess up to three ounces of marijuana and grow up to…

[ad_1] A study published this month in the Journal of Neuroscience Research found that regular cannabis users “have a greater understanding of the emotions of others,” findings that authors say “highlight positive effects of cannabis on interpersonal relationships and potential therapeutic applications.” The study, from a team of neurobiologists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, compared measurements of empathy between a group of 85 regular cannabis users and 51 nonconsumers, using both a 33-item test and MRI images of the participants. The written test, authors wrote, “analyzes the empathic ability of the subject, assessing both cognative and affective empathy.”…

[ad_1] A New Hampshire commission charged with issuing a report by December 1 on how to legalize adult-use marijuana sales through a novel system of state-controlled stores held a marathon meeting on Thursday, ultimately finishing its line-by-line review of a 37-page draft bill circulated last month by the body’s chair, Sen. Daryl Abbas (R). With one meeting remaining before the commission’s deadline, the group now has to incorporate members’ feedback into a revised draft bill that the legislature can consider enacting in the 2024 session. They must also assemble a report that conveys the sharply conflicting views of the 19-member…

[ad_1] The cannabis component CBD can alleviate acute dental pain and may provide an equally effective, far safer alternative to opioids, researchers at Rutgers University and the University of Texas say in newly published research. “Our results indicate that a single dose of CBD is as potent as current analgesic regimens and can manage emergency dental pain effectively,” the authors wrote in the study, published this month in the Journal of Dental Research. They said their work appears to be “the first randomized clinical trial testing CBD for managing emergency dental pain.” “This novel study can catalyze the use of…

[ad_1] Republican lawmakers in Maryland are aiming to undo a law that prevents police from stopping or searching people and vehicles based merely on the smell of marijuana, claiming the measure has put motorists at risk and took away an important tool used by law enforcement to seize people’s firearms. The effort is one of five legislative proposals that the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Republican Caucus unveiled this week as part of its public safety agenda for the coming legislative session, which runs from January to April of next year. “There is no doubt about it, people using cannabis while…

[ad_1] Legalizing medical marijuana is associated with a “lower frequency” of nonprescribed pharmaceutical opioid use, according to a study published this month in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. While the decrease was rather small—between about 0.6 percent and 1.5 percent for regular to frequent opioid use—and was concentrated in people who met diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder, the researchers said it could signal “substitution effects with partial replacement of opioids by cannabis.” The research team, from the schools of public health at Rutgers and Columbia universities as well as the University of Arizona’s School of Government…

[ad_1] A Massachusetts company that bills itself as “the first and only licensed provider of psychedelic health plans” announced on Tuesday that it will cover psilocybin-assisted therapy in states where it’s legal. “Given the evidence of effectiveness seen in clinical trials in the U.S. and elsewhere, we have decided to give our employers the option of including psilocybin-assisted therapy in their benefit plans,” said Sherry Rais, CEO and co-founder of Enthea, a third-party health insurance benefits administrator. “Oregon and Colorado have already legalized the use of psilocybin, and we expect others to do so next year.” Enthea announced earlier this…

[ad_1] New state guidance for addiction services and treatment programs in New York advises against routine screening for marijuana use, an approach designed to parallel that used for alcohol. Some clinicians see the change, which is being implemented following the state’s legalization of cannabis, as a step away from an abstinence-only view of recovery and toward a more flexible approach aimed at minimizing harm. “With the legalization of adult-use cannabis in NYS, testing for the metabolite of THC routinely is not recommended unless the patient has identified a reduction in, or cessation of cannabis as part of their treatment goals,”…

[ad_1] A new guidebook examines possible avenues to regulating the nonmedical use of psychedelics, including psilocybin, LSD, DMT and mescaline, encouraging policymakers to take a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to regulation—one that authors say is too often overlooked amid the “madness” of the global drug war. “Regulating risky products and behaviors is just one of those things that governments around the world have been doing for generations, for centuries. And in many ways, they’re very good at it,” said Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at the UK-based Transform Drug Policy Foundation, which published the new guide on Tuesday. Governments already weigh…

[ad_1] A new survey of cannabis consumers with sleep issues found that most preferred to use marijuana instead of other sleep aids to help get to bed, reporting better outcomes the next morning and fewer side effects. Smoking joints or vaping products that contained THC, CBD and the terpene myrcene were especially popular. Compared to using conventional sleep aids or no sleep aids at all, respondents reported that cannabis made them feel more refreshed, focused and better able to function the morning after, with fewer headaches and less nausea. But they also reported some side effects from marijuana use, including…

[ad_1] Legal cannabis retailers in Connecticut sold nearly $25 million worth of marijuana last month, including a record high amount of adult-use products. While overall marijuana sales in October were down slightly compared to September’s $25.2 million, sales of recreational products set yet another monthly record, coming in at $14.7 million. That means every single month since Connecticut’s adult-use market opened in January has set a new record for sales. Sales numbers were released Monday by the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). In addition to selling a higher value of adult-use products than ever, retailers also moved a record-high…