Survey: A Plurality of Americans Prefer to Reside Where Cannabis Use is “Fully Legal”
New York, NY: A plurality of US adults desire to reside in a jurisdiction where “marijuana is fully legal.”
In a survey of new movers compiled by the real estate brokerage firm Redfin, 46 percent of respondents said that they would either “prefer” to live in a jurisdiction where cannabis was legal or that they would “only” live in a legalization state. Twenty-two percent of respondents did not want to reside in a legal state. Thirty-two percent of respondents had no opinion.
Studies have previously reported that cannabis legalization is correlated with increased property values. Data reported in July concluded, “[T]here is strong evidence that legalization drives higher property values – particularly in areas that allow recreational marijuana and welcome retail dispensaries. … These investments can improve quality of life in communities across the nation while attracting tourism and new residents who drive real estate demand.”
Separate data have shown that states experienced spikes in tourism following adult-use legalization.
Additional information is available in the NORML fact sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation: Impact on Health, Safety, Economy.’
Study: Cannabis Use Inversely Associated with Obesity in HBV Patients
Marseille, France: Cannabis consumption is associated with lower rates of obesity among patients with hepatitis B, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
A team of investigators affiliated with France’s National Institute of Health assessed the relationship between cannabis use and body weight in a cohort of 3,700 patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
After researchers adjusted for confounders, they reported that subjects who consumed cannabis possessed a 59 percent lower risk of central obesity (based on waist circumference) than did those with no history of use. The use of cannabis was also significantly associated with a lower risk of being overweight.
Authors concluded: “Cannabis use was associated with lower risks of overweight and obesity in patients with HBV chronic infection. Future studies should test whether these potential benefits of cannabis and cannabinoid use translate into reduced liver disease progression in this high-risk population.”
Previous studies involving nationally representative cohorts have similarly reported that cannabis use is linked with lower rates of obesity and with lower body mass index. Several other studies have also reported that marijuana is associated with the reduced prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Full text of the study, “Cannabis use is inversely associated with overweight and obesity in Hepatitis B virus-infected patients,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Survey: ADHD Patients Report Improvements Following Cannabis Consumption
Pullman, WA: Patients with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) report that cannabis mitigates symptoms of the disorder and reduces some of the adverse side effects associated with their prescription medications, according to survey data published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.
A pair of investigators with Washington State University conducted an online survey involving 1,738 students with ADHD.
They reported: “Participants with ADHD who have used cannabis reported that cannabis has acute beneficial effects on many symptoms of ADHD (e.g., hyperactivity, impulsivity). Further, they perceived cannabis to improve most of their medication side effects (e.g., irritability, anxiety). Finally, cannabis use frequency was a significant moderator of the associations between symptom severity and executive dysfunction.”
Authors concluded, “[P]eople with ADHD may be using cannabis to self-medicate for many of their symptoms and medication side effects and that more frequent use may mitigate ADHD-related executive dysfunction.”
Prior studies have reported that both inhaled cannabis as well as the administration of cannabis extracts mitigate ADHD symptoms in human subjects. Israeli data published last year further reported that ADHD patients with legal access to medical cannabis products significantly reduce their use of prescription medications.
Full text of the study, “Self-reported effects of cannabis on ADHD symptoms, ADHD Medication side effects, and ADHD-related executive dysfunction,” appears in the Journal of Attention Disorders.
Virginia: Officials Seal Nearly 400,000 Marijuana Convictions
Richmond, VA: State officials have sealed nearly 400,000 marijuana-related criminal records in recent months, according to data provided by the state’s Cannabis Oversight Commission.
At the Commission’s most recent meeting, officials announced that regulators have moved to seal some 330,000 low-level marijuana possession convictions and another 64,000 misdemeanor distribution convictions. Regulators were tasked with reviewing and sealing past records when the state first decriminalized and then later legalized adult-use marijuana possession.
“These initial record sealings by Virginia State Police are a small step toward righting the wrongs of cannabis prohibition,” said NORML Development Director, JM Pedini, who also serves as Virginia NORML Executive Director. “There remains much work to be done to permanently remove these stains from Virginians’ records, and we’re committed to continuing our efforts in the 2022 General Assembly to help expedite that process.”
Earlier this year, Virginia lawmakers enacted House Bill 2113, to establish a process for the automatic expungement of past criminal records for certain marijuana convictions.
Virginia is among several states in recent months to take steps to either vacate or seal marijuana-specific criminal records. In Illinois, officials have moved to expunge an estimated 500,000 marijuana-related records. California officials have cleared nearly 200,000 records, and New Jersey courts have expunged over 362,000 records.
More than a dozen states have enacted legislation explicitly permitting or facilitating the process of having past marijuana convictions expunged, vacated, otherwise set aside, or sealed from public view.
Minnesota: Supreme Court Denies Workers’ Compensation for Costs of Medical Marijuana
St. Paul, MN: Justices on the state’s Supreme Court have determined that employees cannot be financially reimbursed for their use of medical cannabis to recover from a workplace injury.
The ruling reverses an order from the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals which had determined that medical cannabis related costs were eligible for reimbursement. The Court’s decision also strikes down a 2015 administrative rule enacted by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry that excluded medical marijuana from the list of “illegal substances” ineligible for workers’ compensation.
The Court’s majority held that employees were ineligible for reimbursement because cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law and that it would be inappropriate to require employers to “finance” an employee’s acquisition of an illicit substance.
Supreme Courts in several other states have also ruled on this issue. This year, courts in three states upheld employees’ ability to be financially reimbursed for their use of medical cannabis.
Currently, five states – Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York – explicitly allow for employees to have their medical cannabis expenses reimbursed. By contrast, seven states expressly prohibit workers’ compensation insurance from reimbursing medical marijuana-related costs: Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida, North Dakota, Ohio, and Washington.
In all other jurisdictions, the law is either silent on the issue or states that insurers are “not required” to reimburse employees who are injured on the job for the costs related to their use of medical cannabis.
The case is Musta v. Mendota Heights Dental Center et al.
Case Report: THC/CBD Administration Associated with Lung Tumor Regression
Watford, United Kingdom: The daily consumption of cannabinoid extracts is associated with tumor regression in an elderly patient with lung cancer, according to a case study published in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
British investigators reported on the case of a woman in her 80s diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her lungs. She refused conventional anti-cancer treatments but reported ingesting cannabinoid extracts (21 percent CBD and 20 percent THC) two-to-three times a day for a period of 2.5 years. CT scans showed a 76 percent reduction in the size of her tumor over this time period.
Authors concluded, “The potential for cannabinoids to be used as an alternative to augment or replace conventional primary cancer treatments definitely justifies further research.”
Various cannabinoids have been shown to possess potent anti-cancer activity in preclinical models, though these effects have rarely been replicated in controlled human trials. A series of case studies published in 2019 linked the use of CBD with improved life expectancy in brain cancer patients, while other case reports have similarly reported reductions in tumor growth following the self-administration of cannabinoids.
Full text of the study, “Lung cancer patient who had declined conventional cancer treatment: Could the self-administration of ‘CBD oil’ be contributing to observed tumor regression,” appears in BMJ Case Reports.
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