Oklahoma: Lab Report Finds Medical Cannabis Less Potent Than Advertised
Oklahoma City, OK: Cannabis sold in medical dispensaries in Oklahoma frequently contains lower quantities of THC than are advertised on the products’ labels, according to reporting from NPR.
An independent laboratory analysis of 15 varieties of cannabis flower obtained at three dispensaries identified discrepancies between the products’ labels and their THC content. In each instance, the products’ advertised THC potency was inflated.
“The average reported THC level of the strains tested is about 24 percent, but the average measured THC number was just over 14 percent,” NPR reported.
Results from the lab analysis were provided to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. The agency indicates that it is in the process of improving lab testing regulations and standards.
Oklahoma voters in 2018 approved a statewide ballot initiative permitting the licensed production and retail sale of cannabis for those with a physician’s authorization. The state currently has more licensed cannabis businesses per capita than any other medical-only jurisdiction.
Lab analyses of certain cannabis products sold in other states – including California, Colorado, and Washington – have identified similar incidences of THC inflation.
A recent analysis in the Journal of Cannabis Research of 107 flower samples obtained in California, Colorado, and Oregon reported that nearly 70 percent of the products over-labelled the THC content. However, the authors did not specify whether the samples came from state-licensed or unlicensed retailers.
Full text of the study, “Evaluation of dispensaries’ cannabis flowers for accuracy of labeling cannabinoids content,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
Analysis: Heavy Metals Present In Some Cannabis Vape Cartridges
Ontario, Canada: The use of certain cannabis vape cartridges may result in heavy metal exposure, according to an analysis of products available in the Canadian marketplace. The findings were presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Canadian scientists analyzed 41 products for heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. Several of the liquids in vape cartridges tested positive for metal contamination. In some instances, nano-sized particles were present prior to the products’ heating mechanism being turned on – suggesting that metal contaminants may be produced during the production process rather than during the products’ use.
Products obtained from unregulated producers were more likely than legally regulated products to contain elevated levels of heavy metals.
The findings are consistent with US data reporting that the use of some commercially available cannabis e-liquid devices may result in exposure to unwanted metals, including copper, nickel, and lead.
Third-party testing of unregulated delta-8 products and CBD vape cartridges has also identified the presence of heavy metals, including arsenic, chromium, and mercury.
Study: Opioid Maintenance Patients Frequently Report Using Cannabis In Place Of Other Drugs
Mannheim, Germany: Nearly sixty percent of people undergoing opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) use cannabis to reduce their cravings for other drugs, including heroin, according to survey data published in the journal European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.
German investigators assessed cannabis use trends in 118 subjects enrolled in OMT. Fifty-seven percent of respondents acknowledged consuming herbal cannabis, despite its use being a violation of the program’s rules.
Nearly half (45 percent) of cannabis consumers said that they used it “to reduce cravings for heroin,” and 24 percent acknowledged doing so to reduce cravings for cocaine. Respondents also reported using cannabis as a substitute for alcohol, benzodiazepines, and other controlled substances.
The study’s authors concluded: “A substantial proportion of patients using cannabis in our sample reported beneficial effects of cannabis use on craving for and use of other drugs, in many cases arguably more harmful substances. … [These results question whether] restricting cannabis use in general really promotes health in OMT patients. … Overall, our results suggest that cannabis should be considered as a strategy for harm reduction in OMT with the goal to reduce use of more dangerous drugs.”
The results of a 2021 study concluded that those in treatment for opioid use disorder who used cannabis were less likely to suffer from a non-fatal opioid overdose than were non-cannabis consumers. Other studies have reported that cannabis use is associated with greater opioid treatment retention rates and that it may mitigate opioid-related cravings among dependent subjects.
Full text of the study, “Does cannabis use substitute for opioids? A preliminary exploratory survey in opioid maintenance patients,” appears in the European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.
Washington: New Law Exempts Patients From Taxes When Purchasing Eligible Cannabis Products
Olympia, WA: Legislation (HB 1453) signed into law by Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee provides a tax break for patients who purchase certain cannabis products.
Under the new law, patients registered in the state’s voluntary medical cannabis access program are exempt from the state’s 37 percent excise tax when they purchase designated products. The exemption only applies to products designated ‘DOH (Department of Health) compliant.’ DOH-compliant products have undergone more rigorous safety testing than is typically required under state law.
The new law sunsets on June 30, 2029.
Most states minimize patients’ tax burdens when purchasing medical cannabis products.
Washington legalized medical marijuana access in 1998. State voters approved an initiative legalizing the adult-use marijuana market in 2012.
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