#NORML #News @WeedConnection

Survey: IBD Patients Frequently Report Using Medical Cannabis for Symptom Relief

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Nearly one in four patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g., ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease) report using medical cannabis, according to survey data published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

A team of investigators from Puerto Rico and the United States surveyed 162 IBD patients regarding their attitudes toward cannabis.

Twenty-three percent of respondents said that they consumed cannabis products specifically to address symptoms of IBD, such as pain, decreased appetite, insomnia, and anxiety. Over 85 percent of respondents who consumed cannabis for therapeutic purposes said that it improved their symptoms.

The findings are consistent with those of other surveys showing that a significant percentage of IBD patients acknowledged using cannabis and gaining relief from it.

“The use of medical cannabis to relieve symptoms is frequent in patients with IBD, although knowledge about cannabis among patients and physicians is limited,” the study’s authors concluded. “Our study supports the need for more investigation in this area, as well as an increase in educational programs for patients and physicians.”

Observational trials have previously documented that cannabis use by IBD patients is associated with fewer ER visits. In a randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 21 patients with refractory Crohn’s disease, nearly half achieved disease remission following their use of herbal cannabis.

Full text of the study, “A survey of cannabis use among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) appears in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Study: Daily Use of CBD Tinctures Associated with Decreased Daytime Drowsiness, No Increased Risk of Liver Disease

Chicago, IL: Adults who consume CBD daily experience less daytime drowsiness and are not at an increased risk of suffering from either low testosterone or liver abnormalities, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Chicago and with Tarleton University in Texas assessed the daily use of CBD in a cohort of over 1,000 adults. Most of the study’s participants reported having consumed full-spectrum CBD tinctures for at least one year.

Investigators concluded: “In this large-sample study, self-dosing [with] CBD was not associated with an increased prevalence of elevation of LT [liver tests] or low levels of TT [total testosterone] in men. Furthermore, CBD administration decreased DD [daytime drowsiness] and was associated with a lower prevalence of low testosterone levels in older men as compared to age-adjusted population norms. ... [I]n those over 45 years of age, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was significantly lower than that of the general population.”

Several population-based studies have reported that cannabis consumers typically possess lower BMI and other favorable indices related to diabetic control. Observational studies have also shown that the past use of cannabis is significantly associated with lower odds of diabetes in adults.

Data published in 2021 similarly determined that the repeated use of oral CBD products is not associated with liver abnormalities, such as the elevated production of the enzyme alanine transaminase.

Full text of the study, “The effects of long-term self-dosing of cannabidiol on drowsiness, testosterone levels, and liver function,” appears in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Montana: Lawmakers Table Legislation That Sought to Eliminate Adult-Use Cannabis Sales

Helena, MT: Senators on the Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee voted to halt any further consideration of legislation, Senate Bill 546, to repeal much of the state’s voters-approved marijuana legalization law.

The proposed legislation sought to shut down all licensed adult-use cannabis retailers and imposed a one-plant limit upon those who home-cultivate marijuana. It also sought to dramatically increase the taxes imposed on the sale of medical cannabis products, while capping the THC potency of those products at 10 percent.

Voters approved a pair of complementary citizen-initiated ballot measures in 2020 legalizing the personal possession, commercial production, and retail sales of marijuana. Licensed retailers began legally selling marijuana products to those ages 21 and older on January 1, 2022. (Voters on two prior occasions had approved medical cannabis access initiatives.)

Twenty-one states have approved legislation regulating the adult-use cannabis market. No state has ever rolled back or repealed an adult-use legalization law.

Kentucky: Lawmakers Fail to Advance Senate-Backed THC Per Se Law

Frankfort, KY: House lawmakers failed to advance Senate-backed legislation, Senate Bill 228, that sought to impose new criminal penalties for any motorist who operates a vehicle with the presence of THC in their blood above 5ng/ml.

Senators passed the measure in March, but House members failed to move it out of committee before the session’s adjournment.

Numerous scientific studies have concluded that the presence of THC in blood is an unreliable predictor of either recent cannabis exposure or impairment of performance. A report by the Congressional Research Service similarly concludes: “Research studies have been unable to consistently correlate levels of marijuana consumption, or THC in a person’s body, and levels of impairment. Thus, some researchers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have observed that using a measure of THC as evidence of a driver’s impairment is not supported by scientific evidence to date.”

NORML has long opposed the imposition of THC per se thresholds for cannabinoids in traffic safety legislation, opining: “The sole presence of THC and/or its metabolites in blood, particularly at low levels, is an inconsistent and largely inappropriate indicator of psychomotor impairment in cannabis consuming subjects. ... Lawmakers would be advised to consider alternative legislative approaches to address concerns over DUI cannabis behavior that do not rely solely on the presence of THC or its metabolites in blood or urine as determinants of guilt in a court of law. Otherwise, the imposition of traffic safety laws may inadvertently become a criminal mechanism for law enforcement and prosecutors to punish those who have engaged in legally protected behavior and who have not posed any actionable traffic safety threat.”

Six states -- Illinois, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington -- impose various per se limits for the presence of specific amounts of THC in blood while 11 states (Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota Utah, and Wisconsin) impose zero tolerant per se standards. In those states, it is a criminal violation of the traffic safety laws to operate a motor vehicle with any detectable levels of THC in blood. Colorado law infers driver impairment in instances where THC is detected in blood at levels of 5ng/ml or higher.

In 2021, lawmakers in Indiana and Nevada repealed their per se traffic safety limits for the presence of THC in blood.

Literature Review: CBD Beneficial for Treating Insomnia

Decorah, Iowa: The administration of plant-derived CBD is associated with improvements in patients suffering from insomnia, according to a review of human trials published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Investigators affiliated with Luther College in Iowa and with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota reviewed data from 34 human trials assessing the use of CBD on insomnia symptoms.

“All studies reported improvement in the insomnia symptoms of at least a portion of their participants,” authors reported.

They concluded, “The results of our systematic review suggest that CBD alone or with equal quantities of THC may be beneficial in alleviating the symptoms of insomnia.”

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial data published in December reported that the short-term use of plant-derived cannabis extracts is well-tolerated and effective in patients diagnosed with insomnia. Patients in the study were administered either extracts containing 10mg of THC and 15mg of CBD or placebo for two weeks. Those receiving cannabis extracts experienced improved sleep quality by up to 80 percent and “60 percent of participants no longer classified as clinical insomniacs at the end of the two-week intervention period.”

Full text of the study, “Use of cannabidiol in the management of insomnia: A systematic Review,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.