Tag: Weed Connection

Clinical Trial: Cannabis Extracts Significantly Reduce Myofascial Pain

São Paulo, Brazil: The sublingual administration of cannabis extracts containing equal amounts of THC and CBD significantly reduces myofascial pain in patients with Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD), according to data published in the journal Clinics.

Brazilian researchers compared the efficacy of cannabis extracts versus a placebo in 20 patients with chronic myofascial pain. Study participants consumed the placebo for 90 days. They then consumed cannabis extracts daily for 90 additional days. Patients initiated cannabis treatment with a dose of 2 mg/day for the first week, gradually increasing by 2 mg/week until reaching 10 mg/day in the fifth week.

The cannabis intervention yielded a “robust analgesic effect on all evaluated outcomes,” researchers reported. Overall, patients experienced a nearly 4-point reduction in their TMD-related pain (on a zero to 10 numerical scale) during cannabis treatment.

“Cannabinoid therapy was effective in reducing painful symptoms in TMD patients, associated with relevant functional improvements in mandibular opening, protrusion, and laterality compared to placebo,” the study’s authors concluded. “These findings indicate the clinical potential of cannabinoids as a promising therapeutic alternative for managing TMD, highlighting the need for future studies with larger samples and randomized designs to validate and enhance the action mechanisms.”

A pair of placebo-controlled trials from Poland previously reported that the use of topical gels containing CBD can reduce pain and other symptoms in patients with TMD.

Full text of the study, “Effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on myofascial pain modulation in patients with Temporomandibular Disorder: A prospective crossover study,” appears in Clinics.

Study: CBD-Dominant Cannabis Products Provide Significant Anxiety Relief

Boulder, CO: Daily cannabis use – and the use of CBD-dominant cannabis products especially – is associated with decreases in anxiety, according to observational data published in the International Journal of Research and Public Health.

Investigators affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder examined daily associations between cannabis use and anxiety across 30 days in 345 adults. Participants used flower or edible products ad libitum. They were randomly assigned to one of three product groups: (1) THC-dominant (flower: 24 percent THC, <1 percent CBD | edible: 10 mg THC, 0 mg CBD), (2) CBD-dominant (flower: <1 percent THC, 24 percent CBD | edible: 0 mg THC, 10 mg CBD), or (3) balanced THC and CBD (12 percent THC, 12 percent CBD | edible: 10 mg THC, 10 mg CBD). Participants independently purchased their assigned product from a local partner dispensary.

Participants in all three groups experienced significant decreases in their anxiety during the study, with those using CBD-dominant edibles showing the most consistent reductions from day 1 to day 30. Prior studies have similarly concluded that the daily use of plant-derived CBD extracts leads to “dramatic reductions” in anxiety among patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

“This study provides within-person, naturalistic findings that cannabis use is associated with short-term reductions in anxiety, with CBD products producing the most consistent benefits,” the study’s authors concluded. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the day-to-day associations between cannabis use and anxiety among individuals who use legal market cannabis to cope with anxiety.”

Full text of the study, “Therapeutically motivated cannabis use for anxiety: Daily and longitudinal reductions vary between flower and edible products,” appears in the International Journal of Research and Public Health.

Massachusetts: Voters Overwhelmingly Oppose Ballot Effort To Repeal Marijuana Legalization

Boston, MA: More than six in ten voters oppose a ballot measure that seeks to repeal the state’s adult-use marijuana legalization laws, according to statewide polling compiled by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

Sixty-three percent of respondents, including strong majorities of Democrats (74 percent) and Independents (69 percent), oppose the ballot question. Just 20 percent of respondents expressed support for the measure.

“There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among the public when it comes to legalizing cannabis,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “That’s because these policies are largely working as intended and because Massachusetts voters prefer legalization and regulation over the failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”

The initiative, entitled ‘An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy,’ will appear on the November ballot. It seeks to repeal state laws permitting adults to home-cultivate marijuana and regulating the adult-use retail cannabis market. Those laws were enacted by voters in 2016.

Multiple media sources have reported that the campaign behind the ballot measure is being funded almost entirely by out-of-state dark money. Prohibitionist interests are funding similar repeal efforts in Arizona (for 2026) and Maine (for 2027).

Oklahoma: Governor Reiterates Call To “Shut Down” State’s Voter-Approved Medical Marijuana Access Program

Oklahoma City, OK: Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is reiterating demands that the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis access program be “shut down.”

In a March 3rd post on X, the Governor wrote: “Oklahoma’s marijuana ‘experiment’ has failed. … It’s time to shut this broken system down.”

The governor made similar remarks in February during his State of the State address. Following those remarks, Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton said that he disagrees with the governor’s stance, adding that he believes the program should be better regulated but not abolished.

In his latest post, the governor claimed that marijuana use by teens has risen following medicalization. However, state data provided by the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavioral Survey shows that youth cannabis use is largely unchanged since 2019 and that it has declined over the past two decades.

Fifty-seven percent of Oklahomans approved a ballot initiative in 2018 legalizing the production and dispensing of cannabis for authorized patients. Approximately 315,000 Oklahomans are registered with the state to access medical cannabis products.

NORML has an action alert directing Gov. Stitt to preserve Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program in the Take Action Center.

MMJ Substituting CBD Study; Hemp THC Analysis

Study: Many Consumers Report Substituting CBD for Traditional Medications

La Jolla, CA: A significant percentage of US adults who have consumed CBD products acknowledge either substituting it for traditional medications or using it adjunctively, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Researchers affiliated with the University of California at San Diego assessed responses from a nationally representative sample of adults.

They reported that 35 percent of adults have used CBD products, a finding that is consistent with previously published data. Among consumers, 11 percent said they used CBD in place of other medications. Twenty-four percent said that they used CBD in combination with other medications.

Respondents were most likely to have used CBD in place of or in concert with pain medications (including ibuprofen and gabapentin) or anxiolytics.

“These findings highlight that millions of US adults use CBD as a substitute and adjunct for a wide range of health conditions,” the study’s authors concluded. “Clinical care should emphasize open, nonjudgmental communication so that patients feel comfortable disclosing CBD use, alongside a pragmatic, harm-reduction approach focused on safety. This includes reviewing concomitant medications, discussing uncertainty in dose and product composition (including possible THC exposure), monitoring for adverse effects in higher-risk situations (e.g., individuals using higher doses), and helping patients identify more reliable products and appropriate follow-up when symptoms emerge.”

In December, the Trump administration announced that Medicare recipients would be able to begin seeking financial reimbursement for certain CBD products later this year.

Full text of the study, “Self-reported use of cannabidiol as a substitute or adjunct for approved medications,” appears in Frontiers in Public Health.

Analysis: Many Unregulated Hemp-Derived Intoxicants Contain THC, Synthetic Cannabinoids

Milwaukee, WI: Many commercially marketed hemp products contain THC levels exceeding federal limits as well as synthetically produced novel cannabinoids, according to an analysis published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Reporters purchased 30 unregulated hemp products from area retailers and had them independently tested for purity and potency.

Consistent with the results of prior analyses of commercially available intoxicating hemp products, most products contained THC percentages exceeding legal limits (above 0.03 percent). Half of the products tested positive for the presence of lab-produced cannabinoids, including HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) and THCP (tetrahydrocannabiphorol). Over one-third of the products contained mold and pesticides, while one product tested positive for the presence of the chemical solvent methylene chloride, which is commonly used in paint stripper. At least one product contained a forged COA (certificate of analysis).

In November, federal lawmakers approved legislation recriminalizing the sale of certain hemp-derived intoxicating products. Specifically, the bill redefines federally legal hemp products as only those containing no more than either 0.3 percent or 0.4 milligrams of THC or other cannabinoids that produce similar effects, including THCA. In addition, it criminalizes “any intermediate hemp-derived cannabinoid products which are marketed or sold as a final product or directly to an end consumer for personal or household use” as well as products that are produced following chemical synthesis, such as those high in delta-8 THC content.

In 2021, NORML issued a report on delta-8-THC and other novel synthetically derived cannabinoids, cautioning consumers to avoid these unregulated products because they are often mislabeled and may contain impurities. NORML has urged the FDA to establish regulatory guidelines governing the production, testing, labeling, and marketing of hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoid products, but has argued against recriminalizing them.

The full report is available from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Study: Plant-Derived THC Extracts Reduce Fibromyalgia-Related Pain

Novara, Italy: Fibromyalgia (FM) patients suffering from treatment-resistant pain experience therapeutic benefits following the daily use of plant-derived cannabis extracts, according to observational data published in the Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Critical Care.

Italian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of THC-dominant cannabis extracts in a cohort of 65 FM patients. Study participants, on average, had lived with the disease for seven years and were generally unresponsive to conventional pharmacological therapies. Patients in the study administered THC extracts three times daily for six months.

On average, participants experienced a 2.6-point reduction in pain on a ten-point numerical rating scale. Improvements were most pronounced in younger patients. Six patients elected to discontinue the study because of self-reported side effects, including dry mouth, headache, drowsiness, and impaired thinking.

In December, British researchers published longitudinal data finding that the adjunctive use of cannabis preparations provided sustained improvements in fibromyalgia patients’ pain, anxiety, sleep, and overall quality of life. Numerous other studies have reported similar results.

Full text of the study, “Real-world use of cannabis oil for pain management in fibromyalgia,” appears in the Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Critical Care.

Study: Medical Cannabis Products Provide Improved Sleep Outcomes for Patients With Insomnia

London, United Kingdom: Patients diagnosed with insomnia experience sleep-related improvements following their use of medical cannabis preparations, according to long-term observational data published in the journal PLoS Mental Health.

British investigators assessed the adjunctive use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in a cohort of 124 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. (British healthcare providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Patients’ outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Study participants consumed either herbal cannabis or oil extracts containing standardized concentrations of THC and CBD.

Consistent with other studies, participants reported improvements in their sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life. Fewer than 1 in 10 participants reported an adverse event, most of which were categorized as mild or moderate (e.g., fatigue, dry mouth).

“These findings indicate a promising association between cannabis-based medicinal product treatment and improvements in sleep-specific outcomes and general HRQoL [health-related quality of life] measures,” the study’s authors concluded. They cautioned, however, that the magnitude of participants’ improvements declined over time – suggesting that some patients may become tolerant to the sleep-inducing effects of cannabis. Therefore, there remains “a need for high quality RCTs [randomized clinical trials] to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of cannabis-based medicinal products for primary insomnia.”

Placebo-controlled clinical trial data have previously documented the short-term efficacy of plant-derived cannabis extracts in patients suffering from chronic insomnia. A 2025 observational study reported sustained improvements in subjective sleep scores among state-registered medical cannabis patients over one year.

Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry have reported them to be beneficial for those diagnosed with treatment-resistant epilepsy, cancer-related pain, anxiety, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease, hypermobility disorders, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, substance use disorders, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.

Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for insomnia,” appears in PLoS Mental Health.

Analysis: Over One-Third of US Adults Acknowledge Having Consumed CBD Products

Palo Alto, CA: A growing percentage of those ages 18 and older have consumed CBD products, according to nationwide survey data published in The Journal of Cannabis Research.

Investigators at Stanford University and the University of California at San Diego surveyed a nationally representative sample of adults regarding their use of CBD, as well as other plant-derived or synthetic cannabinoids.

More than 35 percent of those surveyed acknowledged having consumed CBD, with respondents indicating that they primarily used it to mitigate pain, relieve anxiety, or improve sleep. Fewer than five percent of respondents acknowledged having consumed products containing the plant cannabinoids CBN (cannabinol) or CBG (cannabigerol).

Nearly eight percent of respondents acknowledged having used delta-8-THC products. Most respondents said they did so primarily for recreational purposes. (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.) Fewer than two percent of respondents said that they had ever tried the synthetic novel cannabinoid HHC (hexahydrocannabinol). Both products are mood-altering.

“A considerable proportion of US adults have ever used cannabinoid products, especially CBD and delta-8 THC,” the study’s authors concluded. Pain, anxiety, insomnia and arthralgia [are] common medical reasons for use across the different cannabinoids assessed. These differences underscore the complexity of the derived cannabinoid product landscape and the diverse motivations driving their use.”

Consumers are more likely to use delta-8-THC products in jurisdictions where cannabis remains legally unavailable. Neither commercially available delta-8-THC nor HHC products are subject to regulatory testing for purity or potency.

Full text of the study, “Prevalence and reasons for using cannabidiol, delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, cannabigerol, and hexahydrocannabinol among US adults,” appears in The Journal of Cannabis Research.

Analysis: Medical Cannabis Products Provide Sustained Improvements in Patients With Chronic Pain, Anxiety, and Depression

Toronto, Canada: Patients authorized to use medical cannabis products experience sustained improvements in their pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life, according to observational data published in the Canadian Journal of Pain.

Researchers assessed the real-world effectiveness of cannabis products in a cohort of 139 Canadian patients authorized to use medical cannabis. (Nearly 200,000 Canadians are currently registered in Canada’s medical cannabis access program.) Patients’ symptoms were assessed at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 weeks.

Consistent with other long-term observational studies, patients experienced notable improvements in their pain, anxiety, depression, sleep duration, and quality of life. These improvements were maintained throughout the duration of the study. Few, if any, significant adverse events were associated with cannabis treatment.

The study’s authors concluded: “Patients in the study had improved scores with respect to a reduction in pain and pain-related disability, anxiety, depression, sleep, and overall quality of life. Often, the benefits of MC [medical cannabis] were maintained long-term into Week 24. Further data from the … study may offer additional insights into the usage of medical cannabis products and their potential benefits in the general population and inform dosing for future clinical trials focused on cohorts with specific medical conditions or indications.”

According to a recently published meta-analysis of 64 studies, most patients consuming medical cannabis products experience sustained improvements in their health-related quality of life. “Improvements [are] observed across multiple health conditions over short-, medium- and long-term follow-up,” researchers determined.

Full text of the study, “Canadian real-world evidence: Observational 24-week outcomes for health care practitioner authorized cannabis,” appears in the Canadian Journal of Pain.