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Is CBD Just a Molecule or a Miracle

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Ask any home health nurse if she sees patients with medical cannabis in their homes. Her answer will be: “Most definitely Yes”. My hospice patients taught me how to treat pressure ulcers with Manuka honey and cannabis tinctures over ten years ago. Now I see research proving my antidotal experience. Medical and recreational programs have become a free-for-all in the national Cannabidiol (CBD) market since the passage of the Farm Bill in 2018. Through our patients, we became familiar with cannabinoid-infused topicals marketed to treat minor aches and pains. Because they’re easy to use and non-intoxicating, these products may serve as familiar, low-risk entry points for elderly, wary, or cannabis-naive individuals into the wider world of cannabis products.

Cannabis-infused salves, and lotions, work because cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, are abundantly expressed in skin cells. Cannabis topicals also bind directly with secondary targets including TRP (“trip”) channels, PPARs (nucleus receptors), and serotonin receptors. These receptors thus reduce local inflammation and pain.

Cannabinoids for Inflammatory Skin Diseases

A recent article in the journal Pharmaceuticals examines previous research into cannabis-based medicines for inflammatory skin diseases such as acne, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. Topically delivered active ingredients in the other human studies cover quite a bit of ground: Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabigerol (CBG), delta9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), hemp seed oil, the endocannabinoid anandamide, the cannabinoid-like endogenous compound palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and the synthetic research cannabinoid HU210. see article https://www.ruthahillrn.com/2022/10/10/can-cannabis-treat-long-covid/

The Skin Endocannabinoid System

A recent review, published in the journal Cells in December 2022 demonstrates a deeper appreciation not only of the endocannabinoid system, (ECS) the body’s master regulator but also of the skin itself, the body’s largest organ. This is a concise collection of ECS-mediated skin functions includes a graft worth viewing delineating the issues below:

  • Melanogenesis (the production and distribution of melanin, critical to protecting the skin from UV radiation and oxidative stress)
  • Wound healing
  • Cutaneous barrier function (including both “inside-out” protection against water loss and “outside-in” protection from external threats like infectious agents, chemicals, and allergens)
  • Sebocyte biology (or the function of sebaceous glands, which produce an oily substance called sebum, the overproduction of which can cause acne)
  • Hair follicle biology and the control of hair growth
  • Effects of photo exposed epithelium (CBD may reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation)
  • Cutaneous pain, or pain transmission and perception in the skin
  • Keratinization (the process in which cells from beneath the skin are converted to keratin, a protein that helps form hair, nails, and the skin’s outer layer or epidermis)
  • Skin aging processes
Formulations Abound for Each Disease

As I have mentioned in my lectures cannabis topicals are as prevalent as Kleenex brands. They come in many dilutions, high CBD, high THC, or a balance of 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC. Also, you can find Sativa THC or Indica THC. Varies doses of THC and CBD work on various skin issues. Researchers at Germany’s Rostock University found evidence of the potential of cannabinoids to treat diseases of the skin. These include allergic contact dermatitis, scars and keloids, epidermolysis bullosa, pyoderma gangrenosum, acute inflammation, androgenetic alopecia, eczema, atopic dermatitis, Dermatomyositis hidradenitis, suppurativa, histamine-induced itch postherpetic neuralgia, pruritus, psoriasis, systemic sclerosis, urticaria, and last but not least, venous leg ulcers.

If you are willing to experiment, you can also treat these skin issues above independently with several products that produce the greatest result. Talking to the creator of the particular product you want to use will garner the best results. One product available in Coachella Valley is Wild Bills Balm created by Wild Bill’s Family and found in The MicroBuddery in Desert Hot Springs or at the Vault Dispensary of Palm Springs.

previously published in https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/is-cbd-just-a-molecule-or-a-miracle/

The Dark Side of Sleeping Pills

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Recent studies indicate that hypnotics (a sleep-inducing drug) might take as much as five years from the life span of the average hypnotic drug taker. Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., a Senate Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD, “maintains by endorsing addicting hypnotics, the FDA bumps off old folks and reduces the population. In reducing the U.S. population, hypnotics would reduce those human-made pollutants that cause global warming.”

Controlled clinical trials proved that hypnotics doubled occurrences of depressed moods and added about 44% to new infections. Hypnotic hangover causes average patients more sleepiness the next day. Pharmaceutical sleep aids are associated with increased lung and esophageal cancer, perhaps multiplying those risks several times.

Kripke’s eBooks are on the web for free: Happiness needs Bright Light and The Dark Side of Sleeping Pills Kripke demonstrates statistically significant cancer risks specifically for zolpidem and temazepam. For patients prescribed over 2-3 sleeping pills per week, there was a 35% increased risk of developing cancer within an average of 2.5 years.

A new study from Taiwan studied zolpidem, which is the most popular hypnotic in Taiwan and the United States. With over eight years of follow-up, the Taiwan authors found a considerably larger cancer hazard associated with zolpidem than the Kripke study found with shorter follow-up. There have been additional studies with similar results.

Sleeping Pills Associated with Significant Mortality Risk
Zolpidem, Temazepam, Eszopiclone, Zaleplon, Triazolam, Flurazepam, Estazolam, Quazepam, Barbiturates (esp. phenobarbital), Antihistamines, mainly diphenhydramine are all linked to mortality risk.

All approved sleeping pills can cause “hangover,” that is, they not only reduce the action potentials of our brain cells during sleep, but they can also reduce brain cell activity during the day. This can make a user sleepy, less alert, confused, and weak. Falls are much more common among elderly people who are taking hypnotics. Of patients given Lunesta, 10% had accidents as compared to 6% given a placebo.

Why is Insomnia so Hard to Treat? Sleep disorders are a symptom of many chronic diseases. There are over 80 million sleep disorders in six categories, and 18,000+ studies in Pub.Med.gov.

  • Insomnia – when one cannot fall asleep or stay asleep.
  • Sleep apnea – which involves impaired breathing while sleeping.
  • Restless leg syndrome – characterized by tingling, discomfort and even pain in the legs that increases at night and is relieved by movement.
  • Circadian rhythm disorders – when one’s internal clock is off and one’s sleep patterns are disturbed.
  • Parasomnias – which entails abnormal movements and activities while sleeping, including sleep-walking and nightmares.
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness – when an individual experiences persistent drowsiness during daylight hours from narcolepsy or another medical condition.

Given the problems with conventional sleep medications, medical scientists are exploring other ways to improve sleep by targeting the endocannabinoid system (ECS). As the primary homeostatic regulator of human physiology, the ECS plays a major role in the sleep-wake cycle and other circadian processes.

Cannabis has been used for centuries. A German researcher Bernard Fronmueller observed in 1860, of all anesthetics ever proposed, Indian hemp is the one that produces a narcotism most closely resembling natural sleep without causing any extraordinary side effects and does not kill. People with mood disorders who use cannabis have the highest rates of sleep benefits at 93%. (Babson & Bonn-Miller, 2014).

There is conflicting research on cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD). CBD has a biphasic dose response. A low dose increases wakefulness and calm. However, a high dose of CBD will act as a sleep aid. A high dose can be up to 160 mg. Cannabinol (CBN) can potentiate sleepiness when combined with THC or CBD. Melinda Misuraca gives a recipe in projectcbd.org for a one-to-one of THC and CBD that is very effective.  Her recipe is rich with ginger, passion flower, chamomile, valerian, dried hops, CA poppy, and lemon balm.

For more information on Marijuana Without the High contact me at the Vault Dispensary Lounge.
Previously published in https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/the-dark-side-of-sleeping-pills/

Has COVID Added New Believers to our Reluctant Audience

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COVID is occupying our thoughts and time in 2022, so there is barely a moment to think about anything else. Family and friend relationships were put on hold or dissolved altogether. Lost jobs due to the economy or forced inoculation of an experimental drug found anxiety, depression, and suicides increase exponentially.

Negative Effects of Lockdowns

Pathirathna, M.L. et.al. researched over 1052 studies and published his analysis in BMC Psychiatry. Eighteen of the studies showed 12,746 suicidal attempts and 33,345 suicidal deaths. The mental health impact of social distancing, COVID-19 quarantine, and financial crises due to loss of employment was associated with risk factors for suicide and/or suicidal attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six common thematic recommendations for preventing suicidal deaths and suicide attempts are identified.

As a consequence of these behavior problems, it is no surprise the pandemic created a new set of cannabis stoners. The Covid-19 nightmare sparked a number of shake-ups to the social order – a burgeoning anti-work movement, a sharp economic swoon, and tiresome new polarities in the culture war.

Reluctant Audience Turns to Cannabis

According to the data analytics firm Headset, legal marijuana sales increased by 120% in 2020, and 61% in 2021. Fortune reported that Americans bought $18bn worth of cannabis in our first coronavirus year, $7bn more compared with 2019 transactional figures. An increasing number of people are abstaining from alcohol, which is a rebound effect from early pandemic debauchery. As we come out of this COVID nightmare I wonder what is in store for cannabis in 2023.

The year started with the promise by a Democratic Congress to pass the MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement). This act would no longer make it a crime to be a cannabis consumer, a marijuana convict, or the expansion of the gay-market industry. The Senate did not take up the mantle. Consequently, the MORE Act went nowhere. The strategy of tacking a cannabis bill at the end of spending bills is proved to be a failure.

Research Expansion Act

What did happen however is Congress passed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This was a stand-alone bill introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to expand research into marijuana-derived medications. The medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits, but our federal laws today are standing in the way of us finding those answers.

This bill removes excessive barriers that make it difficult for researchers to study the effectiveness and safety of marijuana, and hopefully, give patients more treatment options. The strategy of a stand-alone cannabis bill proved successful.

Giving Compassion in 2023

Dr. Robert Malone, a famous COVID physician, reminds me of compassion in his thoughts daily on the pandemic. I look forward to his words of wisdom in my email every day. He summarizes the arc of this most disappointing of years. “The cognitive dissonance is almost overwhelming. Yet we must somehow come to terms with the profound widespread loss of integrity which has become a defining characteristic of both US and global governance (not to mention corporate media).”

He invites us to exercise compassion for our friends and family are enduring the brunt of being called crazy or conspiracy theorists. Consider the stress of being told relentlessly on TV, social media, or print media that the COVID restrictions are mitigating the spread of this deadly virus. Yet we see our athletes dropping dead on the playing field.  Our continence is frozen in place.

First, let us embrace our relationships with renewed hope notwithstanding the other person’s views pro or con regarding vaccines. I do pray that 2023 is a year of healing and renewal. Second, let us dissent without anger, discuss without ridicule, and forgive without regret our transgressions on one another while honoring the spirit of the baby Jesus’ birth.

My lectures on Marijuana Without the High will occur in a new timeframe. Join me on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Vault Dispensary Lounge. Call 760-866-9660

CAN CANNABIS TREAT PTSD in HEALTH CARE WORKERS

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Returning from her ICU shift, a nurse removes her clothes and shoes in her garage and throws them into the washing machine. She proceeds to take a shower before touching or greeting anyone. Afterward, she slumps in a chair only to awaken an hour later with tremors. As silent tears stream down her face, she envisions the six times, she removed a patient from his/her ventilator. The patient’s family is not present. The nurse takes up the baton of priest and counselor. There is no one else there. One more prayer to be whispered, one more significant lover to console.

This scenario, of a health care worker (HCW), repeats every night for the next 10 days on, four days off, 10 days on, 4 days off of work for over a year. Quarantined in the basement living room so as not to infect her husband she wonders how long this will last without the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Essential workers have the highest rates of adverse mental health outcomes compared to all other employment groups surveyed by the CDC.

WebMD defines PTSD as shell shock or battle fatigue syndrome, a serious condition that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic or terrifying event in which there was serious physical harm or threat. PTSD is a lasting consequence of traumatic ordeals that cause intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Families of victims can develop PTSD, as can emergency personnel and rescue workers.

Panic attacks, a key component of the diagnosis of panic disorder, along with chest tightness, a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness, unsteadiness, and numbness often send patients to the emergency room. However, multiple studies show panic patients also exhibit respiratory irregularities such as chronic hyperventilation, sighing, and breath-holding compared to the general population, indicating important underlying physiological factors.  Some research reveals a precursor to panic attacks and PTSD can be sensitivity to CO2.

A study review evaluates three major Coronavirus outbreaks of the last two decades to investigate resilience factors for PTSD and PTSS in HCWs. It included Nineteen studies on the SARS 2003 outbreak, two on the MERS 2012 outbreak, and three on the COVID-19 ongoing outbreak. Risk factor variables included exposure level, working role, years of work experience, social and work support, job organization, quarantine, age, gender, marital status, and coping styles. It will be critical to account for these factors when planning effective intervention strategies to treat HCWs facing the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Treatments in the past for PTSD include Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Eye Movement Desensitization, Reprocessing, Antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs), and FreeSpira, a nonmedication treatment all reimbursed by insurance. The Freespira platform combines a proprietary sensor, a nasal sampling cannula, a connected tablet, and proprietary software that measures the users’ CO2 hypersensitivity then normalizes CO2 and respiratory rates. Freespira claims 62% of patients were panic attack free at 2-month follow-up, 68% of patients were panic attack free one-year post treatment and 93% demonstrated clinically significant improvement in the number or severity of panic attacks.

As far back as 2011 studies in New Mexico and elsewhere showed a 75% reduction in symptoms with cannabis use. Recent years have brought a wealth of new scientific understanding regarding how medical marijuana or cannabis can be beneficial for treating PTSD/PTS.

One study, from researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, looked at the impact cannabis exerts on the amygdala response of those dealing with trauma related anxiety, such as PTSD. Previous research shows cannabis has the potential to reduce anxiety, or even prevent heightened anxiety in threatening situations.

As more and more states legalize marijuana, the federal government passes the M.O.R.E. ACT, and medical institutions defer testing for THC, HCW will finally be allowed to self treat their mental illness of PTSD. HCW may not want to use employer benefits due to confidentiality issues. My prayer is these legal issues become resolved before it is too late for our traumatized medical workers.

Sign up for the virtual Cannabis Summit 2021 to learn cannabis use for anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD.

published in https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/can-cannabis-treat-ptsd-in-health-care-workers/

Breast Cancer and Cannabis Harmful or Beneficial

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October is breast cancer awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer (BC) is detected early and is in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. Early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams and scheduling regular clinical breast exams and mammograms. Five to ten percent of BC cases in the US are related to an inherited gene mutation, most cases are linked to other factors – including lifestyle.

Treatments

Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation (cut/kill/burn) which unfortunately kills normal cells and causes multiple side effects. Cannabis is not only used for the relief of symptoms, but women are embarking on their own intuition and seeking holistic treatments. Cannabis, medical mushrooms, and high doses of Vitamin C are just a few, and embracing Susan Komen’s suggestions for healthy life choices may prevent BC.

Lifestyle Prevention

Limit alcohol intake to less than 1 drink a day and men to less than 2 drinks a day. One study found women who had 2-3 alcoholic drinks per day had a 20 percent higher risk of breast cancer than women who don’t drink. Women with high blood levels of carotenoids have a decreased risk of BC. In general, fruits and vegetables are the best sources of carotenoids (rather than supplements) as supplements may have some health risks.

A study of nearly 320,000 European women pointed to a slight correlation between BC incidence and a high intake of saturated fat. Trans fats, frequently found in baked snacks and other processed foods, may also raise BC risk. Being overweight or obese after menopause increases a woman’s BC risk by 30-60 percent. That’s because fat cells make estrogen after menopause.

Tobacco smoke has at least 250 harmful chemicals, at least 69 of which have been shown to cause cancer. There’s growing evidence that smoking may slightly increase BC risk. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be a risk. Talk to your gynecologist about taking natural HRT compounded by a pharmacist that does not include progestin which can increase the risk of BC.

Cannabis Treatments

The ability of plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids to control cancer cell growth, invasion, and death has been demonstrated in numerous experimental studies using cancer cell lines and genetically engineered mouse models.  THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) promotes death in a CB-receptor-dependent manner, while Cannabidiol (CBD) exerts this effect independently of CB1/CB2 receptors and possibly includes the activation of the TRPV2 receptor.

High-dose CBD rather than high-dose THC is found to induce BC cell death. Dosages are based on weight and can be 200-400mg of CBD/day with minimal THC only for the synergistic effect. Other protocols showing results are a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC. Women with BC can be resistant to the use of estrogen receptor modulators, like tamoxifen, which bind to CB receptors and decelerate the ability of cells to divide and grow and metastasize. However, issues lie in the fact that women need to take them chronically between five to 10 years and there are quite severe side effects of these drugs.

New Research in Israel

Dr. Meiri, a cancer and cannabis researcher from Israel, exclaims that “more than 30% of women will stop [treatment] after one year, more than 50% will stop after three years; so, they are not finishing the treatment which causes a problem that cancer will come back.” Dr. Meiri discovered “new phytocannabinoids”, not a known one, that is actually blocking the estrogen receptor from entering the nucleus, making the BC cells more sensitive to cancer-killing drugs. This can lead to lowering the dose of tamoxifen when cannabis is included.

Another newly discovered cannabinoid suggests that cannabitriol (CBT) could have better inhibitory activity than tamoxifen. In conclusion, is cannabis beneficial or harmful to consume in women with BC? Cannabis harm is minuscule compared to other treatments for BC. Women are not waiting for research to catch up to observational awareness by cannabis users. Women know cannabis helps kill cancer cells.

Learn more about how to use Marijuana Without the High on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the Month from 11 AM to 1 PM at the Vault Dispensary Lounge. Call 760-866-9660

What Should We Do About Vaping Marijuana

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I can tell the holidays are here in my neighborhood because houses began decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. At my thanksgiving dinner, someone asked what the difference is between smoking a cigarette and vaping. It was a difficult question to answer because most of the guests were over seventy. This age group, who lived through WWII started smoking cigarettes to calm their anxiety. They may have used marijuana, but it was considered “dope,” a substance that fried your brain. That was the thinking in the ’50s and ’60s.

HOLIDAY DISCUSSION ON ‘DOPE’

I attempted to explain the benefits of marijuana, but the conversation could not get away from the belief that marijuana is “dope.” It when downhill quickly. So, what is the difference between smoking a cigarette and vaping? That is a valid question.

People vape with battery-operated devices used to inhale an aerosol, which can contain nicotine, marijuana, flavorings, and other chemicals. Puffing activates the battery-powered heating device, which vaporizes the liquid in the cartridge or reservoir. The benefits or harm depends on what substance is in the cartridge.

The electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS), or e-cigarette, entered the US market in the mid-2000s and rapidly gained popularity among tobacco smokers and never-smokers. Currently, an estimated 10 million US adults and over 3 million high school age adolescents are active ENDS users. Vaping tobacco is not the same as vaping cannabis. Legal cannabis cartridges are regulated and tested for mold, metals, purity, and pesticides.

Unregulated Vape Additives

According to the CDC, a confirmed case of Vaping-Related Lung Injury (VRLI) is defined as an individual that: (i) has vaped within the past 90 days, (ii) has pulmonary infiltrates which appear as ground-glass opacities on a CT scan, and (iii) has no infection, heart condition, or another disease that could explain respiratory distress.

Martin E. Lee states in an article posted on projectcbd.org, that inhaling additive-free, artisanal whole-plant cannabis oil with a well-made vaping device is just as safe, if not more so, than smoking organically grown.
cannabis. Tobacco smoke and cannabis smoke both contain noxious polyaromatic hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, but the negative effects of cannabis smoke are significantly mitigated by the cytoprotective and antitumoral properties of THC, CBD, and other cannabis components. Currently, there is no causal link between smoking cannabis and cancer. Try explaining that to the over-80 crowd. It’s complicated.

I am sure over the holidays’ parents are offering small servings of alcohol. Does the parent then teach the harms and benefits of alcohol? I doubt that is the case. This dichotomy between alcohol and cannabis needs to be discussed.

Teenage children today are more educated about intoxicants than prior age groups. With over 48 million people in the U.S. using cannabis, it is difficult to convince youngsters that cannabis is harmful. The U.S. cannabis market size is estimated at 10.8 billion dollars in 2021 and is expected to reach 13.2 billion dollars in 2022.

VRLI are more related to the contaminants in the cartridge than to the cannabis or tobacco itself. The CDC has not been able to conclusively link a single product or substance to vaping disease incidents.

Vaping vs Smoking

One of the advantages of vaping over smoking is the odorless discretion it affords the consumer in a society that continues to stigmatize cannabis. My suggestion to parents is to research with their children the dangers of both alcohol and plant cannabis vs synthetic cannabis.

This contradiction between alcohol good, and cannabis bad leads youngsters to dismiss warnings. Over the holidays when families are gathering for dinner and a toast teach them to research their beliefs and argue the pros and cons based on science instead of myths that extoll the dangers of “dope”. Show them the dangers of synthetic cannabis vs regulated cannabis. Teenagers will have more respect for your advice if it is grounded in science rather than fear and prohibition.

Learn more about how to use Marijuana Without the High on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 11 AM to 1 PM at the Vault Dispensary Lounge.

RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH: CANNABIS & AUTISM

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This is the last week to enjoy the 15th Annual Concert for Autism presented by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.  The Main Event is Saturday, October 22, from 3 p.m. to midnight at the Tack Room Tavern in Indio, CA. Autism (ASD) is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It impacts the normal development of the brain in areas of social interaction and communication skills. A person with ASD may exhibit repeated body movements. ASD also exhibits unusual responses to people or attachments to objects, resistance to changes in routine, and aggression. ASD is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the country.

Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses

Childhood vaccines were considered the culprit, due to thimerosal, a preservative toxic to the nervous system. Today, the most commonly used vaccine preservative is aluminum, not thimerosal. According to a 2018 study, people with autism were found to have high amounts of aluminum in brain tissue.

In 2014 a senior scientist at the CDC admitted to omitting data suggesting a 3.36 times increase in autism in African American males who received the MMR vaccine before the age of 36 months. The latest estimates show that 1 in 30, or 3.49%, of children ages 3 to 17 were diagnosed with ASD in 2020.

Environmental Toxins Affecting Autism

Stephanie Seneff has for decades investigated possible causes for the high rates of ASD in American children. Her YouTube video shows the increased risk for ASD when children are exposed to the active ingredient glyphosate, in Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller. Glyphosate is also present in many foods.

The Mystery of Acetaminophen

In October 2021 more than 90 scientists, doctors, and public health researchers called for new safety reviews of the common painkiller acetaminophen. Mounting evidence of fetal exposure to acetaminophen could increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders and reproductive system effects. Taking acetaminophen in the second trimester had a 226% higher risk of being diagnosed with ADHD or ASD. A 2017 study even claims the use of acetaminophen in babies and young children may be much more strongly associated with autism than its use during pregnancy.

Treatment Options

The benefit/risk profile of medical marijuana seems fairly benign when compared to Risperdal the least useful and most dangerous of psychotropic drugs. Reports from parents indicate that medical marijuana often works when no other treatments, drug, or non-drug, have helped.

Mieko Hester-Perez, the founder of the Unconventional Foundation for Autism, is an advisory board member to Cannabis Science and advocates for medical cannabis. Coming from a conservative family with deep roots in law enforcement, she’s an unlikely cannabis advocate. However, she is the mother of Joey, the boy for whom the cannabis strain, “Joey’s” was developed. Buds and Roses Collective in Los Angeles carried this strain developed by master cultivator Kyle Kushman.

Biomarkers Determining Effectiveness of Cannabis

Dr. Bonnie Goldstein, is a pediatric physician, specializing in treating refractory childhood diseases with cannabis. Her groundbreaking research used cannabis-responsive Biomarkers, chemicals in our body, that are part of chemical pathways that help our cells to function. These chemical biomarkers can be picked up in saliva, or blood, and used to measure specific behaviors or diseases. An example is when a physician measures the white blood cell (WBC) count when someone gets an infection. WBC count is an example of a biomarker for infection. Another biomarker is the PSA level which shows prostate cancer.

Goldstein’s research measured 31 biomarkers for autism, that shifted physiological changes when cannabis was ingested. A number of studies found children with autism have low levels of anandamide (THC), which is a natural endocannabinoid that we make. Low levels, or a deficiency, of anandamide is present in autism. CBD is not a direct replacement for anandamide. It can help make the body’s own anandamide work better, but some patients need THC. We know from Dr. Mechoulam and others, THC seems to be the direct replacement for anandamide.

Learn more about how to use Marijuana Without the High on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the every month from 11 AM to 1 PM at the Vault Dispensary Lounge. Call 760-866-9660

 

The Cannabis Silent Election Effects

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The election pundits are talking about the “Dobbs effect.” The silent response by young voters, to the Supreme Court decision on abortion, turned the red tsunami into a red mirage. I am suggesting there will be a silent cannabis effect in the 2024 election. Polls conducted by Fox News of voters and non-voters showed some interesting dynamics. Let me point to some progress in the 2022 elections paving the path to reform.

Maryland

Voters opted to pass their ballot measure, with 65.5% of voters in favor. Adults in Maryland will be allowed to possess up to 1.5 ounces or two plants.

Missouri

Missouri approved a constitutional amendment with 53.1% of voters in favor of the measure. Amendment 3 “remove(s) state prohibitions on purchasing, possessing, consuming, using, delivering, manufacturing, and selling.” It also releases all incarcerated individuals, paroled individuals, and individuals on probation for any nonviolent marijuana-related crimes. Criminal records and civil records for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses will also be expunged.

Pennsylvania

A poll released in September found that two in three Pennsylvania voters say they support marijuana legalization. With a Democrat Governor and Assembly 2023 looks to be a good year for approving adult use cannabis.

South Dakota

In South Dakota, a red state, voters rejected an adult-use legalization measure with roughly 53 percent opposed and 47 percent in support. That’s not the sentiment poll respondents expressed, however, with the survey showing support at 57 percent and opposition at 43 percent.

North Dakota

The vote and poll results for North Dakota, another red state, where legalization was rejected on the ballot, are more consistent. The current ongoing ballot count shows it lost 55 percent to 45 percent, and the survey has 59 percent of respondents opposed to the reform, versus 41 percent who supported it.

Arkansas

Arkansas, a medical marijuana state, has a poll with 55 percent of voters saying they support ending prohibition and 45 percent opposing the reform. Yet in

2022 they rejected Issue 4, which would have legalized recreational cannabis for adult use. There are many ads that will become more prevalent in the 2024 elections cycle. View one here and here.

Texas

Texas, a red state, continues to reject even medical cannabis. However, voters in the cities of Denton, Killeen, San Marcos, Elgin, and Harker Heights decided ‘yes’ to cannabis measures. Specifically, the ordinances limit local law enforcement from making arrests or issuing citations for most marijuana-related violations. It also prohibits police in most circumstances from considering the odor of cannabis as a probable cause of a crime. This will have a positive impact on the almost half a million people living in these cities. Look out 2024.

Schedule VI

In October 2022, President Biden indicated an interest in marijuana reform. Schedule VI is designed to be a part of the solution. Gibson McKay is a pre-eminent political strategist, campaign authority, and government relations specialist. McKay helped defend the Arizona cannabis industry from predatory & punitive legislation since 2017. He is working with some of his clients to develop a framework for Schedule VI that protects medical cannabis patients, adult consumers, & existing cannabis businesses.

Per https://schedule6.org “Schedule VI solves a litany of problems for over three million American medical cannabis patients who cannot utilize Health Savings & Flexible Spending Accounts for their medicine. Rescheduling to state control allows veterans access to a diverse set of cannabis products to mitigate the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Registered patients who use medical cannabis shall not be subjected to additional federal taxes while maintaining their Second Amendment rights.”

Thirteen states are left with no medical or recreational cannabis use: Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

I believe if the Republican candidates in 2024 fail to talk about cannabis reform in Congress or their respective states, there may be a silent green tsunami of millennials.

The new time frame for lectures in 2023 is the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Vault Dispensary Lounge. Call 760-866-9660