Analysis: Jurisdictions Permitting Adult-Use Retail Facilities Experience Employment Growth
Albuquerque, NM: Local jurisdictions that permit licensed marijuana operations experience job growth at higher rates than do localities that prohibit them, according to data published in the IZA Journal of Labor Economics.
A team of economists affiliated with the University of New Mexico and with California Polytech State University compared county-level economic data in Colorado between the years 2011 and 2018. They reported that unemployment fell in counties where dispensaries opened relative to counties in which they did not.
Authors reported, "[W]e find consistent evidence of a decrease in unemployment and increases in the number of employees in manufacturing."
They concluded: "Overall, the findings in this paper provide evidence that recreational cannabis dispensaries improved county-level labor market conditions in Colorado. ... Our results suggest that policymakers considering recreational access to cannabis should consider employment effects as a potential outcome from recreational cannabis legalization."
Separate studies have previously reported that marijuana retailers are positively associated with rising property values and reductions in certain types of localized criminal activities, such as larceny.
NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said that the data should guide local city councilmembers when deciding whether to regulate marijuana-related retail activities in their jurisdictions. "Locally-elected officials must choose which sort of cannabis marketplace they want operating in their neighborhoods - an above ground, transparent, legally regulated marketplace or an underground illicit market. These data should reassure local politicians that licensing the marijuana marketplace provides economic benefits without compromising public health or safety."
Full text of the study, "The effects of recreational cannabis access on labor markets: Evidence from Colorado," appears in the IZA Journal of Labor Economics.
Study: Chronic Pain Patients Significantly Decrease Opioid Use Following Initiation of Medical Cannabis
Washington, DC: Chronic pain patients dramatically reduce their use of prescription opioids following their enrollment into a statewide medical cannabis access program, according to data published in the journal Cureus.
A team of investigators assessed opioid use trends in a cohort of 63 pain patients following their registration into Delaware's medical cannabis program. All 63 patients were using prescription opioids at the time of their enrollment.
Consistent with dozens of other studies, subjects significantly decreased their overall use of opioids over time.
Authors reported: "For non-outlier individuals with positive baseline opioid use before receiving medical marijuana certification (n=63), the average percent change in opioid use was found to be -31.3 percent. Examining subgroups based upon pain location, individuals with low back pain (n=58) displayed a 29.4 percent decrease in MME [morphine milligram equivalent] units, while individuals with neck pain (n=27) were observed to have a 41.5 percent decrease in opioid use. Similarly, individuals with knee pain (n=14) reduced their opioid use by 32.6 percent. ... Since the underlying pathology and their source of pain in the individuals was unlikely to significantly change during the period examined, medical marijuana use could have played a large role in allowing the individuals to decrease their opioid use."
They concluded: "The results of this study indicate that medical marijuana certification is associated with a decrease in prescription opiate use for chronic pain treatment and supports greater use of this adjunct treatment modality. Given the significance of opioid addiction in American society, any treatment or additional resource to reduce opioid overuse can aid in the multifactorial management of chronic pain. Although marijuana use causes a variety of side effects, the findings here suggest that the use of medical cannabis as an adjunct treatment for chronic pain may be beneficial to public health."
Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis certification is associated with decreases opiate use in patients with chronic pain: A retrospective cohort study in Delaware," appears in Cureus.
Analysis: Unregulated Delta-8 Vape Products Frequently Mislabeled, May Contain Heavy Metals
Rochester, NY: Delta-8 vapor products frequently contain heavy metals and are typically far less potent than advertised on the products' labeling, according to data published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
A pair of researchers affiliated with the University of Rochester, Department of Environmental Medicine assessed the purity of 27 e-cigarette products containing synthetically derived delta-8 THC.
Researchers determined that none of the products provided accurate labeling regarding delta-8 THC content - a finding that is consistent with prior research. They wrote, "Delta-8 THC levels can vary as much as 40 percent from the label value, suggestive of poor testing capabilities and falsified results."
Additionally, 11 of the products contained high levels of "unlabeled cutting agents," and all of the products tested positive for the presence of heavy metals - including magnesium, chromium, nickel, and mercury. Investigators suggested, "These metals are likely leachates from vaporizer components or production materials, and their inhalation could cause deleterious effects on the respiratory tract that stem from the generation of reactive oxygen species." Prior analyses of commercially available vapor cartridges have similarly identified the presence of metal contaminants following the use of the cartridges' heating mechanisms.
"Further chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological testing of these and similar products is necessary," authors concluded.
Although delta-8 THC appears organically in cannabis, it is only produced in minute amounts. By contrast, the elevated quantities of delta-8 THC in grey market products is the result of a chemical synthesis during which manufacturers convert CBD to delta-8 THC. Manufacturers engaged in synthetizing delta-8 THC are not regulated and often use potentially dangerous household products to facilitate this process.
In October, NORML issued a report on delta-8 THC and other novel, synthetically derived cannabinoids that cautioned consumers to avoid these unregulated products because they are untested and may contain impurities.
Full text of the study, "Novel delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol vaporizers contain unlabeled adulterants, unintended byproducts of chemical synthesis, and heavy metals," appears in Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Oral THC Treatment Associated with Prolonged Survival Times in Palliative Outpatient Care Patients
Kleinmachnow, Germany: The administration of oral THC (e.g., dronabinol) is associated with prolonged survival times in patients with advanced illnesses who are at the end-stages of their lives, according to preliminary data posted online by a team of German researchers.
Investigators assessed the use of cannabis-based medicines in relation to survival times in a cohort of patients in Specialized Palliative Outpatient Care (SAPV). SAPV offers team-based home care for patients with advanced and progressive diseases whose life expectancies are limited to days, weeks or months.
Researchers reported, "The therapy with CBM [cannabis-based medicines] was associated with prolonged median survival ... from 44 to 65 days." Prolonged survival was most pronounced among female patients and those over 75 years of age.
Authors concluded, "From the available data, we can conclude that ... CBM therapy should be included as first line therapy for the patient groups considered due to the significant prolongation of survival time."
They added: "Due to the pressing relevance of our observations for palliative care patients, we are making the preliminary data from our ongoing retrospective study available in this pre-publication. Based on the current trend in the evaluation, we consider that patients could promptly benefit from a low and slowly increasing dose."
A summary of the data, "Cannabis-based medicines prolong survival time in patients under Specialized Palliative Outpatient Care," is available online.
European Island Nation of Malta Moves to Depenalize Marijuana Possession
Valletta, Malta: Lawmakers in the island nation of Malta (population 525,000) have approved legislation permitting the personal possession of marijuana by adults without penalty.
Members of Parliament voted in favor of the legislation Tuesday and it is expected to be signed into law imminently. Under the measure, those ages 18 and older may legally possess up to seven grams of cannabis and/or home-cultivate up to four plants for personal use. (Up to 50 grams of homegrown flower may be legally stored at home.) Possessing higher amounts will trigger civil fines.
The measure does not formally regulate the commercial cannabis marketplace, but it does permit not-for-profit cooperatives to provide personal use quantities of cannabis flowers and seeds to their members.
The nation's President is anticipated to sign the legislation into law as soon as this weekend.
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