Category: Media

Government-Funded Survey Shows Unprecedented Decline in Marijuana Use by Young People

Ann Arbor, MI: Data provided by the University of Michigan's annual Monitoring the Future survey shows an unprecedented year-over-year decline in young people's self-reported use of marijuana and other controlled substances.

Authors reported, "The percentage of students who reported using marijuana (in all forms, including smoking and vaping) within the past year decreased significantly for eighth, 10th, and 12th grade students."

Specifically, the data identified a 38 percent year-over-year reduction in self-reported marijuana use among eighth graders, a 38 percent decline among 10th graders, and a 13 percent decrease among 12th graders.

"We have never seen such dramatic decreases in drug use among teens in just a one-year period," said Nora Volkow, Director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the study. "These data are unprecedented and highlight one unexpected potential consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused seismic shifts in the day-to-day lives of adolescents."

In September, Dr. Volkow publicly acknowledged that the enactment of statewide laws regulating the adult-use cannabis market has not led to an increase in the percentage of young people experimenting with the substance.

The MTF findings come just months after the US National Institutes of Health released similar conclusions. That study also reported dramatic year-over-year decreases in cannabis use by those ages 12 to 17.

NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "These latest findings add to the growing body of scientific literature showing that marijuana regulation policies can be implemented in a manner that provides access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse."

The Monitoring the Future findings are consistent with numerous other studies - such as those here, here, here, and here - concluding that statewide marijuana legalization policies are not associated with any significant rise in either the use of marijuana by young people or in their ability to access it.

Study: CBD-Dominant Extracts Associated with Behavioral Improvements in Children with Autism

Istanbul, Turkey: The long-term use of cannabis extracts containing high percentages of CBD and low percentages of THC is associated with reduced symptoms in adolescent patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to data published the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Turkish investigators reported on the use of CBD-dominant extracts in a cohort of 33 adolescent subjects diagnosed with mild-to-severe autism. Authors reported: "[M]ain improvements of the treatment were as follows: a decrease in behavioral problems was reported in 10 patients (32.2 percent), an increase in expressive language was reported in 7 patients (22.5 percent), improved cognition was reported in 4 patients (12.9 percent), an increase in social interaction was reported in 3 patients (9.6 percent), and a decrease in stereotypes was reported in 1 patient (3.2 percent). The parents reported improvement in cognition in patients who adhered to CBD-enriched cannabis treatment for over two years."

Six patients reported no significant improvements in behavior.

Compared to conventional treatments, cannabis extracts were not associated with any significant side effects.

Authors concluded, "Using lower doses of CBD and trace THC seems to be promising in managing behavioral problems associated with autism."

The study's findings are consistent with those of several other small trials similarly finding improvements in patients' ASD symptoms following the use of cannabinoid products. Survey data published in October by the publication Autism Parenting Magazine reported that 22 percent of US caregivers or parents have provided CBD to an autistic child. Survey data from the United Kingdom recently reported that autistic adults were nearly four times as likely as controls to report having used CBD within the past year.

Full text of the study, "CBD-enriched cannabis for autism spectrum disorder: An experience of a single center in Turkey and reviews of the literature," appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Survey: Over 70 Percent of US Physicians Believe Cannabis Has Medical Value

Orlando, FL: A supermajority of practicing US physicians believe that cannabis possesses medical value, according to survey data published in the journal Cureus.

A pair of researchers anonymously surveyed 539 US physicians attending the 2018 American College of Emergency Physicians' Annual Conference. The conference is the largest gathering of emergency medicine physicians in the country.

Seventy-one percent of survey respondents "believed that cannabis has medical value."

The survey's finding is consistent with that of another recent poll, compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control, which reported that 69 percent of US clinicians believe that cannabis possesses medical utility. The CDC survey also acknowledged that over 25 percent of physicians have recommended medical cannabis treatment to their patients.

Commenting on the findings, NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "Overwhelming majorities of patients and their providers acknowledge that cannabis is medicine. Politicians should not be standing in their way by opposing efforts to permit medical professionals from recommending cannabis to their patients in instances where they believe it is therapeutically appropriate."

Full text of the study, "Emergency room physicians would prefer using cannabis over opioids for first-line treatment of a medical condition if provided with medical evidence: A national survey," appears in Cureus.

Case Series: Whole-Plant Cannabis Extracts Effective in Pediatric Patients with Intractable Epilepsy

London, United Kingdom: The use of whole-plant cannabis extracts of varying potencies is effective in reducing seizure frequency in pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy, according to a case series published in the journal BMJ Paediatrics Open.

A team of British researchers assessed seizure frequency data on 10 children, including two participants who had failed to respond to treatment with Epidiolex. Epidiolex, which contains plant-derived CBD, is approved in both the United Kingdom and in America as a prescription treatment for rare forms of childhood epilepsy.

Study participants were treated with a variety of whole-plant medical cannabis oils, including those dominant in THC and in CBD. Individual dosing regimens were determined by the children's clinicians.

Researchers reported: "Seizure frequency across all ten participants reduced by 86 percent with no significant adverse events. Participants reduced use of antiepileptic drugs from an average of seven to one following treatment with medical cannabis."

They concluded: "This study shows the effectiveness of whole-plant medical cannabis in a group of patients suffering with severe intractable childhood-onset epilepsies. The reduction in monthly seizure frequency in our group demonstrates the feasibility for this medication in such patients. ... Moreover, our data suggest that whole-plant medical cannabis products are superior to isolated CBD products in the patients examined. ... We believe that our data on whole-plant medical cannabis in childhood-onset severe treatment-resistant epilepsy, provides evidence to support its introduction into the NHS [National Health Service] within current NICE [National Institute for Clinical and Healthcare Excellence] prescribing guidelines."

Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis for severe treatment-resistant epilepsy in children: A case series of 10 patients," appears in BMJ Paediatrics Open.

NORML Files Amicus Brief in Case Asking SCOTUS to Rule on Whether Medical Cannabis Costs Can Be Reimbursed by Employers

New York, NY: Lawyers are petitioning the Supreme Court to rule on the issue of whether employees can be reimbursed for their medical marijuana-related costs through their workers' compensation insurance plans following divergent rulings from various state supreme courts.

A friend-of-the-court (amicus) brief filed on behalf of Empire State NORML and two other groups - the New York City Cannabis Industry Association and the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry - is urging justices to take the case and to use it as an opportunity to settle broader conflicts between state and federal marijuana laws. The brief reads, "Upholding the supremacy of the designation of cannabis under the CSA [Controlled Substances Act] is futile when the coordinate branches of government have affirmatively promoted and protected state medical cannabis programs. ... [T]he doctrine of estoppel is needed to end the nullification crisis and to protect those who relied on the guidance of federal officials and agencies and engaged in the cannabis industry despite federal illegality."

David C. Holland, Esq, the Executive and Legal Director of Empire State NORML and author of the brief said: "The United States Supreme Court needs to step in and hear this case to resolve not only the split amongst state supreme courts regarding medical cannabis reimbursement laws, but also whether the Schedule I classification of cannabis under the federal Controlled Substances Act is still enforceable in light of the 25 years of flourishing medical programs in [the majority of] states. Refusing to hear the case not only prolongs that uncertainty, but also provides no definitive answer to the issue of preemption of state medical marijuana laws as a result of that continued Schedule I status."

In the case in question, Musta v. Mendota Heights Dental Center and Hartford Insurance Group, the Minnesota Supreme Court held that employees are ineligible for reimbursement because cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. That determination is inconsistent with a separate ruling issued this year by the New Jersey Supreme Court which held that the use of cannabis is eligible for reimbursement under the states' workers' compensation laws because both state and federal marijuana laws can "coexist."

Currently, five states — Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York - explicitly allow for employees to have their medical cannabis expenses reimbursed. By contrast, seven states expressly prohibit workers' compensation insurance from reimbursing medical marijuana-related costs: Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida, North Dakota, Ohio, and Washington.

In all other jurisdictions, the law is either silent on the issue or states that insurers are "not required" to reimburse employees who are injured on the job for the costs related to their use of medical cannabis.

Study: Inhaled CBD Limits Tumor Growth in Animal Model

Augusta, GA: The inhalation of CBD provides anti-cancer activity in animals with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.

A team of investigators affiliated with Augusta University in Georgia and with the Georgia Cancer Center assessed the effects of inhaled CBD on GBM (glioblastoma) tumor growth in mice.

Authors reported that CBD administration limited tumor growth and also altered several other factors necessary for tumor progression.

They concluded, "Overall, our novel findings support the possible therapeutic role of inhaled CBD as an effective, relatively safe, and easy to administer treatment adjunct for GBM with significant impacts on the cellular and molecular signaling of TME [tumor microenvironment] warranting further research."

Although several previous preclinical trials have similarly associated anti-tumor growth activity with cannabinoids, this is the first study to assess inhalation as an effective mode of administration in an animal model of cancer.

Limited human data has identified an association between the administration of plant-derived cannabinoid extracts and improvements in quality of life and survival rates in glioma patients.

Full text of the study, "Inhalant cannabidiol inhibits glioblastoma progression through regulation of tumor microenvironment," appears in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Study: CBD Not Associated with Liver Abnormalities in Healthy Volunteers

Los Angeles, CA: The repeated use of oral CBD products is not associated with liver abnormalities, including the elevated production of certain liver enzymes, according to observational data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Buffalo and the University of California at Los Angeles assessed the effect of oral CBD products on liver function in a cohort of nearly 1,500 healthy volunteers. Subjects consumed the products for a minimum of 30 days.

Lab testing failed to identify any association between the use of CBD products and liver abnormalities. Specifically, authors identified "no relationship between continuing to take CBD, daily dose of CBD and ALT [alanine transaminase - an enzyme found mostly in the liver] levels or change in ALT elevation severity." Elevated amounts of ALT in the blood can indicate liver disease.

Prior studies assessing the influence of CBD on the liver have yielded inconsistent results. While some studies have theorized that CBD products may adversely impact the liver's ability to effectively metabolize certain prescription medications, others have reported few if any changes on liver function. Other studies have identified an inverse association between cannabis use and certain liver diseases, including cirrhosis and fibrosis.

Full text of the study, "Observed impact of long-term consumption of oral cannabidiol on liver function in healthy adults," appears in the journal "Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research."