Weekly Stories, Studies, Surveys, Poll Results, Laws, etc.
Analysis: Cannabis Use Associated With Less Stress, Better Sleep Quality Among Military Veterans With PTSD
Santa Monica, CA: Cannabis use by veterans with post-traumatic stress is linked to reduced stress and better same-night sleep quality, according to data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
A team of investigators affiliated with the RAND Institute and the University of Southern California assessed cannabis and alcohol consumption on stress and sleep quality in a cohort of 74 recently discharged military veterans with elevated post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Study participants provided baseline data and completed daily follow-up assessments for three months.
On days when subjects acknowledged using cannabis, they reported “lowers levels of stress that day … and better sleep quality that night.” By contrast, subjects who consumed greater levels of alcoholic drinks during the day reported “poorer sleep quality that same evening.”
Researchers concluded: “While alcohol use appears to perpetuate a reinforcing cycle of stress and poor sleep, cannabis use may offer short-term stress relief and perceived sleep benefits. … Future research should aim to elucidate the chronic effects of cannabis use on sleep and stress to guide evidence-based recommendations for veterans seeking to manage these issues.”
The study’s conclusions are consistent with those of others, finding that cannabis products reduce levels of anxiety and provide other improvements in patients with post-traumatic stress.
Thirty-nine percent of military veterans say that they “know a veteran” who is using cannabis medicinally, and 75 percent say that they “would be interested in using cannabis or cannabinoid products as a treatment option if it were available.”
Full text of the study, “Daily associations between sleep quality, stress, and cannabis or alcohol use among veterans,” appears in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Clinical Trial: Orally Administered Delta-8 THC Possesses Similar But Milder Effects Than Delta-9 THC
Baltimore, MD: Orally ingested delta-8 THC produces dose-dependent psychoactive effects that are similar but milder than those associated with equivalent quantities of delta-9 THC, according to clinical trial data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Researchers affiliated with Johns Hopkins University assessed the effects of delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC in a cohort of 19 healthy adults. Study participants consumed brownies infused with standardized dosages of either synthetic delta-8 THC or synthetic delta-9 THC. The trial is the first study in over five decades to assess the effects of delta-8 THC in human subjects.
Investigators reported: “Overall, ingestion of delta-8 THC produced dose-dependent increases in subjective, cognitive performance, and physiological outcomes that were qualitatively similar to delta-9 THC. Consistent with prior findings, delta-8 THC exhibited lower potency compared to delta-9 THC at equivalent doses, though this reduced potency was overcome by increasing the delta-8 THC dose. Together, these findings demonstrate that delta-8 THC products have the potential to produce psychoactive and physiological effects that are comparable to delta-9 THC.”
The study’s authors concluded, “With the widespread availability of retail delta-8 THC to consumers as a byproduct of the 2018 Farm Bill, the findings from the present study underscore the importance of establishing regulatory frameworks that address safety, labeling, and consumer education related to delta-8 THC products.”
Although delta-8 THC occurs organically in the cannabis plant, it is only produced in nominal quantities. By contrast, elevated quantities of delta-8 THC in commercially available products are typically the result of a chemical synthesis during which manufacturers convert hemp-derived CBD to delta-8 THC.
NORML and others have urged the FDA to establish regulatory guidelines governing the production, testing, labeling, and marketing of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. In 2021, NORML issued a report on delta-8 THC and other novel, synthetically derived cannabinoids, cautioning consumers that these products are unregulated and may contain impurities.
Full text of the study, “A within-subject cross-over trial comparing the acute effects of oral delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in healthy adults,” appears in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Study: CBD Reduces Chronic Pelvic Pain, Related Symptoms
Ann Arbor, MI: Women suffering from chronic pelvic pain frequently report that CBD mitigates their symptoms.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Michigan surveyed 477 women diagnosed with pelvic pain who also reported current marijuana use.
Eighty-one percent of participants reported reduced pain following their use of CBD products. Many respondents reported improved sleep, reduced anxiety, less depression, less fatigue, and better overall health. A large proportion of those using CBD reported substituting it instead of prescription medications – a finding consistent with prior research.
Prior surveys estimate that some 20 percent of subjects with chronic pelvic pain consume either cannabis or CBD therapeutically, with many reporting that cannabinoids reduce their reliance on prescription opioids.
Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol use and perceptions of effectiveness in women with chronic pelvic pain,” appears in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada.
Florida: Appeals Court Throws Out Cannabis Conviction Because Canines Can’t Distinguish Between Hemp and Marijuana
Tampa, FL: Judges on Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeals have reversed a marijuana trafficking conviction because the prosecution failed to take adequate steps to distinguish whether the defendant possessed marijuana or hemp.
The defendant had been convicted of marijuana trafficking after he was intercepted at Tampa International Airport with a duffle bag containing 50 vacuum-sealed bags of a “leafy green” substance. A canine had alerted to the duffle bag. Law enforcement later provided one of the 50 bags for a chemical analysis. It tested positive for cannabis.
The defendant appealed his conviction, arguing that he believed the packages contained hemp products, which are legal federally and in Florida. The court agreed, opining that there was no way to determine whether the defendant was carrying hemp or marijuana absent analytical testing of every bag.
It determined: “Legal hemp and illegal cannabis are indistinguishable by appearance, texture, and odor. … Because there is an identifiable danger of misidentification between legal hemp and illegal cannabis, where the contents of multiple packages are to be considered in proving the quantity of illegal cannabis, the state can no longer rely solely on appearance and odor to extend an inference of illegal cannabis to the remaining untested packets and must chemically test each packet of green, leafy substance to meet the threshold weight required for trafficking. To hold otherwise and allow the state to rely on the identification of similar packages of a green, leafy substance by appearance and odor alone would undermine a defendant’s presumption of innocence and erroneously negate the state’s burden to prove the identity and weight of the alleged substance.”
The case is Campbell v. Florida.
Montana: Lawmakers Approve Bills Imposing New Restrictions on Cannabis Edibles, Zero-Tolerant Per Se Limits for Drivers Under 21
Helena, MT: House and Senate lawmakers have sent bills to the Governor mandating new restrictions on edible cannabis products and imposing new penalties for motorists with trace levels of THC in their blood.
House Bill 636 stipulates that a single serving of an edible cannabis product may not exceed 5 milligrams of THC. Under current law, single servings are capped at 10 mgs.
Senate Bill 508 imposes new criminal penalties for motorists under the age of 21 who operate a vehicle with any detectable amounts of THC in their system, regardless of whether they are under the influence. (The measure does not impose penalties for those who test positive solely for inactive cannabis metabolites.) State law already prohibits anyone from operating a motor vehicle with THC levels above 5ng/ml.
Because THC may be present in blood even after several days of abstinence, NORML opposes the imposition of per se THC thresholds for motorists and alternatively calls for the expanded use of mobile performance technology like DRUID to determine whether someone is under the influence.
A bill (Senate Bill 27) extending the moratorium on new marijuana business licenses was also approved by lawmakers. All three bills await action from Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte.
Separate legislation seeking to impose a mandatory registry for cannabis consumers and significantly restricting the potency of adult-use cannabis products failed to make it out of committee.
Montana voters legalized the adult-use marijuana market in 2020.
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