Voters in Growing Number of States to Decide on Marijuana Legalization This November
Bismarck, ND: State officials this week approved a citizens’ initiative for the November ballot that seeks to legalize the adult-use possession and sale of marijuana in North Dakota.
The proposed ballot measure allows adults to possess, purchase, and home-cultivate specific quantities of cannabis. It also establishes guidelines for the licensing and regulation of commercial cultivators and retailers.
North Dakotans will join voters in several other states who will also be deciding on marijuana legalization proposals this election. Similar adult-use legalization measures have qualified for the ballot in Maryland, Missouri, and South Dakota.
In July, representatives from Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws turned in over 50,000 more signatures than required to place an adult-use legalization measure on the ballot. Those signatures are still awaiting verification from election officials.
Proponents of an Arkansas initiative to legalize the adult-use marijuana market are engaged in a legal appeal before the Supreme Court after election officials rejected their proposed ballot title. Justices have ruled that the proposal must appear on the election ballot, but they have yet to determine whether the votes will be counted.
Proponents of a Nebraska effort to authorize medical cannabis access are also awaiting verification from election officials.
In addition to these statewide efforts, voters in dozens of cities will be deciding on municipal ballot questions this fall. For instance, voters in five Texas cities – Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos – will decide on measures seeking to amend local laws curtailing police officers’ authority to “issue citations or make arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana offenses” absent a defendant’s alleged involvement in a “felony level narcotics” case. Voters in several Ohio cities will also decide on municipal measures depenalizing activities involving marijuana possession.
In Rhode Island, voters in 31 towns will decide on measures determining whether or not to allow licensed cannabis retailers in their localities. Voters in cities in several other states, including Colorado, Michigan, and Montana, will decide on similar local ballot measures as well.
Analysis: Propagation of Cannabis Retailers Not Associated with Changes in Traffic Safety
La Jolla, CA: The establishment of licensed cannabis retailers is not independently associated with an increase in traffic crashes, according to data published in the journal Health Economics.
A researcher affiliated with the University of California, San Diego examined county-level data from Colorado to assess the relationship between retail cannabis stores and trends in traffic safety.
The investigator reported, “[T]he entry of retail cannabis stores is not associated with a statistically significant change in traffic crashes per 100,000 population in Colorado.”
He concluded: “The findings of a lack of relationship between expanding access to marijuana through retail stores and traffic crash[ees] may seem counterintuitive, especially since the use of marijuana has been linked to lower neuromotor/neurocognitive performance required to drive safely and a higher risk of being involved in a traffic crash. However, recent studies have found evidence of substitutability between marijuana and other substances that can impair driving performance, such as alcohol. In this case, the net effect of expanding access to marijuana on traffic crashes could be quite small. The findings of this study are consistent with this hypothesis.”
Several prior studies have assessed whether the enactment of adult-use legalization is associated with an increased risk in the likelihood of motor vehicle accidents. The findings of those studies have yielded inconsistent results, with some studies identifying a minor uptick in crash rates in specific states several years following legalization, and others finding no such change.
Full text of the study, “Does expanding access to cannabis affect traffic crashes? County-level evidence from recreational marijuana dispensary sales in Colorado,” appears in Health Economics.
Study: In-Utero Cannabis Exposure Not Linked with Elevated Risk of ADHD in Children
Quebec, Canada: Prenatal cannabis exposure is not associated with an increased risk of attention deficit disorders among children, according to data published in the journal BMJ Open.
Canadian investigators evaluated the relationship between in-utero marijuana exposure and attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder in a cohort of 2,408 children.
Researchers reported “no significant association” between either occasional or regular prenatal cannabis exposure and ADHD after adjusting for potential confounders.
“In our study, we did not find any association between in-utero occasional or regular exposure to cannabis and the risk of ADHD in children, as well as overall exposure to cannabis and the risk of ADHD in children,” authors concluded. “Further research focusing on the timing of exposure during pregnancy (e.g., first, second, third trimester), as well as using different methods for quantifying prenatal cannabis exposure (e.g., biological samples), is needed to better understand the impact of cannabis use during pregnancy and developmental outcomes in children.”
Full text of the study, “Is in-utero exposure to cannabis associated with the risk of attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder? A cohort study within the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort,” appears in BMJ Open.
Study: Cannabis Extract Effective in Patients with Refractory Chronic Pain
Sydney, Australia: The administration of cannabis extracts containing equal quantities of THC and CBD is associated with reduced pain intensity and improved sleep in patients with chronic refractory pain conditions, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of whole-plant cannabis oil in a cohort of 151 chronic pain patients. Participants in the trial used the extract daily for at least three months. All of the subjects in the trial suffered from conditions that were unresponsive to conventional analgesics, such as opioids and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Trial subjects were most likely to be diagnosed with neuropathy, musculoskeletal pain, or arthritis.
Researchers reported, “Pain impact scores were significantly reduced across the cohort. Additionally, most subjects reported improvements in sleep disturbances and fatigue.” The majority of side-effects reported by patients were categorized as mild; these most frequently included sleepiness, dizziness, and dry-mouth.
They concluded: “This analysis presents real-world data collected as part of standard of care. … The results of this study demonstrated a significantly positive effect of [a proprietary formulation of] oral medicinal cannabis oil on the impact of pain. … Amelioration of the impact of pain confirms continued prescribing of this formulation and validates our observational methodology as a tool to determine the therapeutic potency of medicinal cannabinoids.”
Survey data estimate that nearly one-third of patients suffering from chronic pain conditions acknowledge using cannabis products. Among patients in US states where medical cannabis access is permitted, over 60 percent are qualified to use it to treat pain.
Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic refractory pain: An investigation of the adverse event profile and health-related quality of life impact of an oral formulation,” appears in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
Roskilde, Denmark: The short-term administration of CBD oil extracts is safe and effective in patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to data published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.
Danish investigators assessed the twice daily administration of CBD oil (300 mg/daily) in patients receiving either oxaliplatin or paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Subjects used CBD for a period of eight days immediately following their first cycle of chemotherapy. Patients outcomes were compared to those of similarly matched controls.
Researchers reported that the use of CBD was associated with pronounced improvements in patients’ pain-related outcomes, including cold sensitivity and throat discomfort.
“CBD attenuated early symptoms of CIPN with no major safety concerns,” they concluded. “Long-term follow-up is ongoing. Results should be confirmed in a larger, randomized study.”
Separate studies have identified an association between patients’ long-term use of cannabis products and statistical improvements in cancer-related symptoms as well as significant reductions in their use of prescription painkillers.
Full text of the study, “Oral cannabidiol for prevention of acute and transient chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,” appears in Supportive Care in Cancer.
Analysis: History of Cannabis Use Inversely Associated with Urological Cancers
London, United Kingdom: Women with a past history of cannabis use are at lower risk of suffering from certain types of urological cancers, according to population-based data published in the journal Cancer Medicine.
An international team of researchers from China, France, and the United Kingdom assessed the relationship between cannabis use and cancer risk in a cohort of more than 151,000 subjects.
Investigators reported, “Previous use of cannabis was a significant protective factor” in women against renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and bladder cancer (BCa). They further reported that “previous cannabis use was a significant protective factor for PCa (prostate cancer) in men with a history of tobacco smoking.” A history of cannabis use had a null effect on rates of testicular cancer.
Authors concluded: “In the current study, we investigated the association between the use of cannabis and the risk of urological cancers. We observed that: (1) previous use of cannabis was a significant inverse association with both RCC and PCa; (2) cannabis use was associated with the lower risk of BCa in the point estimates; (3) the protective effect of cannabis on RCC and BCa was significant for females but not for males; (4) cannabis use had a causal effect on lower incidence of RCC.”
Prior studies have similarly identified an inverse association between a past history of cannabis use and the development of certain types of cancers, including bladder cancer, liver cancer, and head and neck cancers.
Full text of the study, “Association between cannabis use with urological cancers: A population-based cohort study and mendelian randomization study in the UK biobank,” appears in Cancer Medicine.
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