Weekly Stories, Studies, Surveys, Poll Results, Laws, etc.
Study: Cannabis Use Inversely Associated With Rhinitis
Houston, TX: Cannabis consumers are far less likely than non-users to develop chronic rhinitis and similar sinonasal diseases, according to case-control data published in the journal Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.
Researchers affiliated with Houston’s Methodist Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, assessed rates of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), allergic rhinitis (AR), and chronic rhinitis (CR) in a nationally representative sample of 25,164 cannabis consumers and 113,418 matched controls.
Contrary to investigators’ expectations, subjects who consumed cannabis were less likely than non-users to suffer from symptoms of sinonasal diseases, with more frequent consumers possessing the lowest risk. This inverse relationship persisted regardless of whether subjects smoked cannabis or orally ingested marijuana products.
“Given the known detrimental impact of tobacco smoking use on sinonasal tissue and inflammation, it was expected that patients who more regularly used cannabis would also be more likely to have sinonasal inflammatory diseases, especially in those who smoked cannabis. However, the present study results do not support this hypothesis,” the study’s authors concluded. “Instead, … certain user cohorts were almost half as likely to develop CRS, AR, and CR as never users. … To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate this finding.”
Sinonasal diseases are characterized by persistent inflammation of the nasal passages. They are estimated to adversely impact the health of approximately one-quarter of the global population.
Full text of the study, “The associative impact of recreational cannabis on sinonasal diseases,” appears in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.
Michigan: Industry Association Files Legal Challenge To Halt Lawmakers’ Cannabis Tax Hike
Lansing, MI: Representatives of the state’s largest cannabis industry trade organization have filed a lawsuit to block the implementation of the state’s newly enacted marijuana tax.
Earlier this month, lawmakers passed a budget bill imposing a 24 percent wholesale tax on marijuana products sold in the state. The tax increase takes effect on January 1, 2026.
Last week, the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association filed litigation declaring the tax hike to be illegal because it improperly amends the state’s voter-initiated marijuana legalization law. They argue that any changes to marijuana-related taxes must be approved by a three-quarters supermajority in both chambers. (Another group has also filed a similar suit.)
Lawmakers narrowly passed the budget bill despite significant pushback from cannabis advocacy and industry groups.
“Raising taxes on adult-use cannabis products will escalate prices out of reach for many consumers,” stated NORML in an action alert that was shared with state lawmakers over 3,000 times. “This will drive a growing percentage of consumers to the unregulated market, thereby undermining the primary goal of legalization, which is to provide adults with safe, affordable, above-ground access to lab-tested products of known purity, potency, and quality. This proposed tax increase will also hurt state-licensed businesses and their employees because it will increase their costs and reduce their customer base.”
An estimated 40,000 Michiganders work in the state-regulated cannabis industry.
Last month, a legislative effort led by California NORML successfully rolled back marijuana-related taxes in that state. By contrast, lawmakers in Maryland and Minnesota both enacted cannabis-related tax hikes this year.
JAMA Commentary: Indefensible for Clinicians To Remain “Willfully Ignorant” About Medical Cannabis
Boston, MA: Clinicians must have a better understanding of cannabis and its effects so that they may competently and adequately serve their patients, according to a commentary published in the journal JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Network Open.
“Clinicians are increasingly confronted by patients using cannabis, often unsupervised and poorly informed,” the commentary states. “It is no longer defensible for clinicians to remain willfully ignorant. … Medical cannabis is here. Will physicians catch up, or will we, through omission, continue to let patients navigate therapeutic uncertainty alone?”
The commentary demands that medical professionals receive formal training encompassing six core competencies: “endocannabinoid system physiology; pharmacokinetics of tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and other cannabinoids; relevant indications (e.g., chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea); risk profiles, dosing and administration methods; legal and regulatory frameworks; and strategies for patient-centered communication and shared decision-making.” An accompanying paper highlighting these topics also appears in the journal.
“Opponents may decry the Schedule I classification as a barrier to training or research. But clinicians routinely practice in ethically fraught and politically charged realms (e.g., abortion, addiction, reproductive health), navigating care even when laws lag. Cannabis demands the same professional responsibility,” the commentary concludes. “We need not wait for the US Drug Enforcement Administration reclassification to act. Education can and must advance based on patient needs, accumulated clinical evidence, and ethical obligations.”
Numerous surveys of medical professionals – including nurses, pharmacists, clinicians, and other health care practitioners – find that health practitioners believe that they are inadequately trained in matters specific to medical cannabis. Separate survey data also report that fewer than 1 in 5 patients think that their primary care providers are sufficiently knowledgeable about cannabis-specific health-related issues. Instead, patients typically acknowledge obtaining cannabis-related information from either “friends and family” or from non-governmental websites.
Full text of the commentary, “Cannabis education – A professional and moral obligation for physicians,” appears in JAMA Network Open.
Literature Review: Cannabis Formulations Reduce Dementia-Related Agitation and Aggression
Padova, Italy: Cannabinoids reduce dementia-induced agitation in older patients and “offer a promising therapeutic option for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia,” according to the findings of a systematic review published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
A team of Italian investigators reviewed data from ten published studies involving 278 participants. Study subjects were at least 60 years old and suffered from either Alzheimer’s, vascular, or mixed dementia.
“Most studies identified a positive effect of [cannabinoid] intervention in reducing behavioral disturbances,” researchers reported. “Agitation emerged as the symptom most consistently benefiting from cannabinoid use … Notably, the observed changes surpassed those reported in similar RCTs [randomly controlled trials] evaluating the effects of antipsychotics and antidepressants. In addition, improvements were reported in nocturnal disturbances, physical and verbal aggression, resistance to care, and vocalizations.”
The studies also reported that cannabinoids were “sufficiently safe and well-tolerated” in this older patient population.
“In conclusion, cannabinoids show promising potential in managing symptoms such as agitation and aggression in people with dementia, with an overall favorable safety and tolerability profile,” the study’s authors determined. “Among the various formulations studied, the available evidence indicates that CBD-rich, low-THC preparations deserve particular attention. These formulations are more widely available in many countries and are associated with a lower risk of side effects. … These findings, together with the need for safer and better-tolerated therapeutic strategies, support further investigation of CBD- rich formulations as a potential first-line option in future clinical research on BPSD [behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia].”
Full text of the study, “Can cannabinoids alleviate behavioral symptoms in older adults with dementia? A systematic review,” appears in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
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