'Over the past decade these problems have cast long shadows, but we have
been slow to recognize them. Most of those best fitted to develop
natural controls and assist in putting them into effect have been too
busy laboring in the exciting vineyards of chemical control. It was
reported in 1950 that only 2 per cent of all the economic entomologists
in the country were then working in the field of biological controls. A
substantial number of the remaining 98 per cent were engaged in research
on chemical insecticides.
Why should this be? The major chemical companies are pouring money into the universities to support research on insecticides. This creates attractive fellowships for graduate students and attractive staff positions. Biological control studies, on the other hand, are never so endowed - for the simple reason that they do not promise anyone the fortunes that are to be made in the chemical industry. These are left to state and federal agencies, where the salaries paid are far less.'
Why should this be? The major chemical companies are pouring money into the universities to support research on insecticides. This creates attractive fellowships for graduate students and attractive staff positions. Biological control studies, on the other hand, are never so endowed - for the simple reason that they do not promise anyone the fortunes that are to be made in the chemical industry. These are left to state and federal agencies, where the salaries paid are far less.'
- Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate
scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased
exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a
record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according
to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So
far this year, scientists have published over 2,600 papers. In all,
PubMed.gov now cites over 37,000 scientific papers on the topic of
cannabis.'
- NORML
'The number of publications collectively published on the topic of
cannabis follows an upward trend. Over the past 20 years, the volume of
cannabis research has grown steeply, which can be largely attributed to
the existence of a large amount of funding dedicated to research this
topic. Future research should continue to investigate changes in the
publication characteristics of emerging cannabis research, especially as
it is expected that the body of publications on this topic is expected
to rapidly grow.'
- Europe PMC
'A new analysis of cannabis research funding in the United States,
Canada, and the United Kingdom has found that $1.56 billion was directed
to the topic between 2000 and 2018—with about half of the money spent
on understanding the potential harms of the recreational drug. Just over
$1 billion came from the biggest funder, the U.S. National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA), which doled out far more money to research cannabis
misuse and its negative effects than on using cannabis and
cannabis-derived chemicals as a therapeutic drug'
- Sciencemag.org
The cannabis plant has hundreds of compounds, many with yet unknown properties and effects. Two cannabis compounds dominate the public focus at the moment, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These two compounds have themselves already spawned hundreds of products in the market in the areas of food, beverages, medicine, wellness and recreational products. Out of the remaining hundreds of compounds, many await discovery. The cannabis plant, as a whole, finds vast applications in industry,
particularly in textiles, biodegradable plastics, fibers, animal feed, medicine, construction, agriculture and other areas. The industrial applications of the plant are said to number in the thousands. The plant is a treasure chest for research.
The cannabis plant offers scope for research in so many areas that it is mind boggling. It provides opportunities for research in:
- Cannabis biology - the evolution of cannabis and its biodiversity
- Cannabis and its relationship with man - the history of its usage, the nature of its social and religious usage across various cultures, usage by different age demographics, especially the young and old, the varying perspectives regarding cannabis usage, its harm reduction potential, its usage among sports persons, musicians, film industry, scientists, armed forces and all walks of life
- Cannabis as medicine for the treatment of various ailments - both physiological and psychological, its versatility and its safe usage profile
- Cannabis for industrial purposes including as a source of biodegradable plastics, as fabrics, construction material
- Cannabis as an environmental solution against climate change with its carbon sequestering properties, its bio-accumulator properties, its nutritional benefits for animals, birds and insects, and its ability to grow in diverse conditions
- Cannabis as a sustainable agricultural crop that can serve the purposes of food, medicine and industrial uses and form a vital cash crop for farmers
- The political forces that are at play with regard to cannabis in the form of advocacy, opposition, politicians and grassroots movements
- The legal aspects of cannabis prohibition and legalization, including equity, cannabis laws, convictions and imprisonments, law and drug enforcement, black markets, role of media
- Cannabis for recreational purposes and how it compares to other options such as alcohol, tobacco, natural psychedelics and synthetic drugs - legal and illegal, such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids and novel psychotropic substances.
- The business and economics of cannabis including job creation, medical cannabis industry, global cannabis companies, capital investment, events, tourism, social consumption areas, farming, packaging, extraction, distribution, retailing, regulation, licensing, testing, IT based tracking systems, revenue and taxes, marketing, standards
The cannabis plant opens an entire world of research material. It is no surprise then that in the last decade or so, the number of research studies focusing on cannabis has increased exponentially, and is only increasing by the day.
The cannabis plant is said to have branched out of the Humulus plant around 28 million years ago. It is said to have originated somewhere in Central Asia and the Tibetan plateau. Over millions of years, the plant has spread all over the world, with the number of varieties and their specific properties yet unknown. The plant has been a part of humanity's recreational and medicinal history for tens of thousands of years.
Not only is the plant largely unknown, but its effect on human and animal physiology and psychology also remain largely unknown. It was only as recently as the 1990s that the endo-cannabinoid system (ECS) was discovered in humans by Raphael Mechoulam. These are receptors in the human body, CBR1 and CBR2 for example, that couple with the compounds of cannabis in fascinating and mysterious ways. These receptors are spread all over the human body, with high concentrations in the brain, skin, stomach, and central nervous system, to name just a few. Similar endo-cannabinoid systems have been found to exist in other mammals, who have also enjoyed a long relationship with the plant. Most research has studied the effects of the plant on mice, as our closest physiological relatives that can be studied in lab conditions. The relationship of the plant with the animal world is, thus, as large an unknown as it is with humans. Birds and insects are also known to use the plant for its nutritional value.
There are few places where advanced research is happening currently on the plant. The US, Israel, Netherlands and Canada are a few places that come to mind. Research has been initiated at various levels - the government, universities, industries, etc. The plant biology and its effects on the human biology are slowly emerging.
What is it then that limits the research into such an invaluable plant, and why are only so few places currently involved in it? The number one hurdle to research on the plant is the classification of the plant as illegal worldwide. The UN, WHO and most countries classify the plant as a dangerous drug, scheduling it with laws to destroy it on sight. Access for researchers to the plant is extremely difficult and often impossible. Quite often researchers have had to rely on the black market or cannabis seized by drug and law enforcement agencies to further their study. Researchers themselves run the risk of legal action, and so most are reluctant to study the plant.
There are few places where advanced research is happening currently on the plant. The US, Israel, Netherlands and Canada are a few places that come to mind. Research has been initiated at various levels - the government, universities, industries, etc. The plant biology and its effects on the human biology are slowly emerging.
What is it then that limits the research into such an invaluable plant, and why are only so few places currently involved in it? The number one hurdle to research on the plant is the classification of the plant as illegal worldwide. The UN, WHO and most countries classify the plant as a dangerous drug, scheduling it with laws to destroy it on sight. Access for researchers to the plant is extremely difficult and often impossible. Quite often researchers have had to rely on the black market or cannabis seized by drug and law enforcement agencies to further their study. Researchers themselves run the risk of legal action, and so most are reluctant to study the plant.
There are a number of industries opposed to cannabis,
who view cannabis as a threat. These big businesses pose no small
measure of threat to research on the benefits of cannabis. They include the medical, the pharmaceutical, arms, petrochemical, textile, alcohol, tobacco, and construction industries. These are the biggest industries in the world today, controlling vast amounts of wealth and political clout. They control and dictate the areas in which research progresses, pumping in vast amounts of money into funding research institutions, sponsoring research scholarships, paying lucrative salaries and funding massive media and political campaigns promoting the misinformation and anti-cannabis propaganda that keeps the public opposed to cannabis and research limited. Through their collective clout they have managed to keep cannabis prohibited globally for many
decades now. These industries fund research that seeks to show cannabis in a bad light, portraying it as a harmful, dangerous drug with no medicinal or human value. Most of the anti-cannabis propaganda that we find in the world today is fueled by this sort of research. Studies show that more than half the research funding that has gone into cannabis in the past decades are for research that seek to highlight the harms of cannabis. The amusing thing is that much of this research has actually produced the opposite result, showing what a wonderful plant cannabis is.
This anti-cannabis stand has caused massive damage to cannabis. It has resulted in the destruction, and possible extinction, of a number of unknown varieties and strains with beneficial compounds for living beings. Many indigenous communities, with traditional knowledge on cannabis cultivation and biodiversity preservation, have been forced to abandon their practices for fear of imprisonment. The illegality of the plant, the very limited current knowledge about it, as well as the misinformation surrounding it, have led to cultivation under artificial conditions and hybridization, with the specific aim of increasing the potency of the one compound that we think we know a little about, which is the compound to which its psychotropic effects are attributed, THC. This has come at the cost of reduced potency of all other compounds, and the loss of, who knows, how many precious natural strains. This is the equivalent of a penis enhancement program in the cannabis world, at the cost of all other body parts, including the brain.
Now as all kinds of disasters now confront us, such as - climate change due to fossil fuels and unsustainable agriculture and industry; the health catastrophes from our abuse of synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, chemical fertilizers and pesticides; the vast number of persons (mostly from indigenous communities, poor economic backgrounds and minorities) who find themselves in prison or facing legal action; the increasing use of illegal drug trafficking to fund everything from terrorist organizations to drug cartels and political parties, we must increase the focus and scope of research with regard to the cannabis plant. It offers tremendous potential, and an ocean of knowledge and secrets waiting to be tapped. Cannabis offers a way out from numerous problems confronting life on the planet, many of the problems having risen, in the first place, because of the illogical, unscientific and unjust prohibition of the cannabis plant.
Hopefully, things will change and research into the plant will be greatly enhanced with legalization and improved access for researchers. There is some hope, as studies have shown that research publications on cannabis has significantly grown in recent times, in places where the plant is legal. But these are essentially in North America and Europe, while the vast majority of the countries in the world continue to shy away from cannabis as a topic of research, either out of complete disinterest, lack of knowledge about the plant's potential, or for fear of violating laws.
Related articles
The following set of articles aim to focus on the area of research around cannabis, the progress made and the problems currently faced. Articles have been sourced from news media and scientific journals.Comments and thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the respective article are shown in italics.
'That early foothold in cannabis research and development was solidified when Israel became one of the first countries to legalize medical marijuana and one of three countries, alongside Canada and the Netherlands, with a government-sponsored national medical cannabis program. Because of its less stringent policies over cannabis, Israel continues to be a central hub for research and development for other countries as well.
Despite becoming one of the largest exporters of medical marijuana in the world, many of the more than 100,000 medical license holders faced rising costs, "more bureaucracy" and difficulties obtaining their medicinal cannabis, the Jerusalem Post reported. In the face of complaints, Israel's Ministry of Health announced sweeping reforms in August aimed at significantly reducing regulation, improving production supervision, and giving more responsibility to cannabis farmers,
The regulators also eased restrictions on how patients gain access to medicinal cannabis products. The Ministry of Health additionally approved reforms that would allow physicians to prescribe patients cannabis as a "first-line treatment rather than as an option of last resort," NORML reported. Patients with licenses to consume medicinal cannabis have qualifying illnesses such as cancer, Crohn's, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, dementia, epilepsy, autism and post-trauma stress disorder. Previously, doctors had to prove the patient had failed to respond to other conventional treatments, including opioids, before prescribing cannabis products.
The regulations were reportedly meant to go into effect last December.
In the months after the Israel-Hamas conflict began, the Ministry of Health published data showing a "sharp expansion in the reach of the medical marijuana program in that country," Marijuana Moment reported. There was a spike in patient enrollment in the medical cannabis registry, "especially those tied to PTSD and pain," with doctors prescribing "more cannabis by weight than ever before." Enrollments rose by 2,202 people in October, which was "roughly twice the recent monthly average," the outlet noted.'
https://theweek.com/science/israel-medical-marijuana
'For the third consecutive year, researchers worldwide published over 4,000 scientific papers specific to cannabis, its active constituents, and their effects, according to the results of a keyword search of the National Library of Medicine/PubMed.gov website.
“Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientists’ interest in studying cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years, as has our understanding of the plant, its active constituents, their mechanisms of action, and their effects on both the user and upon society,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “It is time for politicians and others to stop assessing cannabis through the lens of ‘what we don’t know’ and instead start engaging in evidence-based discussions about marijuana and marijuana reform policies that are indicative of all that we do know.”
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in scientific inquiries about the cannabis plant — with researchers publishing more than 32,000 scientific papers about cannabis since the beginning of 2013. Much of this uptick is a result of researchers’ newfound focus on marijuana’s therapeutic activities as well investigations into the real-world effects of legalization laws.'
https://norml.org/blog/2023/12/19/scientists-have-published-over-30000-papers-on-cannabis-over-the-past-decade/
Despite becoming one of the largest exporters of medical marijuana in the world, many of the more than 100,000 medical license holders faced rising costs, "more bureaucracy" and difficulties obtaining their medicinal cannabis, the Jerusalem Post reported. In the face of complaints, Israel's Ministry of Health announced sweeping reforms in August aimed at significantly reducing regulation, improving production supervision, and giving more responsibility to cannabis farmers,
The regulators also eased restrictions on how patients gain access to medicinal cannabis products. The Ministry of Health additionally approved reforms that would allow physicians to prescribe patients cannabis as a "first-line treatment rather than as an option of last resort," NORML reported. Patients with licenses to consume medicinal cannabis have qualifying illnesses such as cancer, Crohn's, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, dementia, epilepsy, autism and post-trauma stress disorder. Previously, doctors had to prove the patient had failed to respond to other conventional treatments, including opioids, before prescribing cannabis products.
The regulations were reportedly meant to go into effect last December.
In the months after the Israel-Hamas conflict began, the Ministry of Health published data showing a "sharp expansion in the reach of the medical marijuana program in that country," Marijuana Moment reported. There was a spike in patient enrollment in the medical cannabis registry, "especially those tied to PTSD and pain," with doctors prescribing "more cannabis by weight than ever before." Enrollments rose by 2,202 people in October, which was "roughly twice the recent monthly average," the outlet noted.'
https://theweek.com/science/israel-medical-marijuana
'For the third consecutive year, researchers worldwide published over 4,000 scientific papers specific to cannabis, its active constituents, and their effects, according to the results of a keyword search of the National Library of Medicine/PubMed.gov website.
“Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientists’ interest in studying cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years, as has our understanding of the plant, its active constituents, their mechanisms of action, and their effects on both the user and upon society,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “It is time for politicians and others to stop assessing cannabis through the lens of ‘what we don’t know’ and instead start engaging in evidence-based discussions about marijuana and marijuana reform policies that are indicative of all that we do know.”
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in scientific inquiries about the cannabis plant — with researchers publishing more than 32,000 scientific papers about cannabis since the beginning of 2013. Much of this uptick is a result of researchers’ newfound focus on marijuana’s therapeutic activities as well investigations into the real-world effects of legalization laws.'
https://norml.org/blog/2023/12/19/scientists-have-published-over-30000-papers-on-cannabis-over-the-past-decade/
'Terpenes in the cannabis plant enhance the ability of THC to interact with the endogenous CB1 receptor, potentially heightening its effects, according to preclinical data published in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology.
Israeli scientists evaluated the role of terpenes in CB1 receptor-mediated functions. Researchers also assessed the extent to which terpenes acted as direct CB1 receptor agonists and as modulators of THC agonism.
Researchers reported certain terpenes – including borneol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, ocimene, sabinene, and terpineol – amplified THC activity at the CB1 receptor, even at low quantities.
They reported: “The results demonstrate that all terpenes, when tested individually, activate CB1 receptors, at about 10-50 percent of the activation by THC alone. The combination of some of these terpenes with THC significantly increases the activity of the CB1 receptor, compared to THC alone. In some cases, several fold. Importantly, this amplification is evident at terpene to THC ratios similar to those in the cannabis plant, which reflect very low terpene concentrations.”'
https://norml.org/news/2023/04/27/study-terpenes-in-cannabis-modulate-the-interaction-between-thc-and-its-endogenous-receptor/
NORML is saddened to report on the passing of Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, the “Father of Cannabis Research.” He was 92 years old.
Dr. Mechoulam began conducting pioneering scientific experiments with cannabis in the 1960s. His research team was the first to isolate THC, among other cannabinoids. In later years, his research played a key role in the discovery of the endogenous cannabinoids and their receptors.
For nearly five decades, Dr. Mechoulam served on the faculty of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In the 1990s, he was among the founding members of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines.
https://norml.org/blog/2023/03/10/norml-remembers-dr-raphael-mechoulam/
Israeli scientists evaluated the role of terpenes in CB1 receptor-mediated functions. Researchers also assessed the extent to which terpenes acted as direct CB1 receptor agonists and as modulators of THC agonism.
Researchers reported certain terpenes – including borneol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, ocimene, sabinene, and terpineol – amplified THC activity at the CB1 receptor, even at low quantities.
They reported: “The results demonstrate that all terpenes, when tested individually, activate CB1 receptors, at about 10-50 percent of the activation by THC alone. The combination of some of these terpenes with THC significantly increases the activity of the CB1 receptor, compared to THC alone. In some cases, several fold. Importantly, this amplification is evident at terpene to THC ratios similar to those in the cannabis plant, which reflect very low terpene concentrations.”'
https://norml.org/news/2023/04/27/study-terpenes-in-cannabis-modulate-the-interaction-between-thc-and-its-endogenous-receptor/
NORML is saddened to report on the passing of Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, the “Father of Cannabis Research.” He was 92 years old.
Dr. Mechoulam began conducting pioneering scientific experiments with cannabis in the 1960s. His research team was the first to isolate THC, among other cannabinoids. In later years, his research played a key role in the discovery of the endogenous cannabinoids and their receptors.
For nearly five decades, Dr. Mechoulam served on the faculty of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In the 1990s, he was among the founding members of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines.
https://norml.org/blog/2023/03/10/norml-remembers-dr-raphael-mechoulam/
'Last summer, Darshil Shah, a senior researcher at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., notably asserted (if without citing any studies) that hemp crops may capture atmospheric carbon more effectively than forests, estimating that industrial hemp absorbs between 3 to 6 tons of CO2 per acre.
The most-cited study about carbon sequestration in soil by growing industrial hemp was authored and submitted to the Australian government by GoodEarth Resources PTY, Ltd. (i.e., GoodEarth Resources), before the latter disbanded in 2014. The study claims that one acre of industrial hemp absorbs nearly 40,000 pounds of CO2 through its growing cycle.
According to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA), industrial hemp sequesters carbon through photosynthesis, storing it in the body of the plant and its roots. The CTHA states that approximately 40% of hemp biomass is carbon. While Shah and the GoodEarth Resources study address carbon sequestered in the soil from hemp production, the carbon in the stalk of the hemp plant equates to increased value by “permanently capturing” CO2 in long-life products (e.g., hurd-based concrete and cement). Those potentially carbon-negative biomaterials require comprehensive life-cycle assessments by qualified material scientists to quantify and spur that area of interest.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/with-abundant-hemp-hurd-coming-to-market-how-important-is-quality/
'“We have a contract with DEA. We are growing cannabis for [Food and Drug Administration] clinical trials and selling it to the DEA,” she said. “It’s unconscionable the way they are behaving—and further proof that the word ‘cannabis’ continues to be completely radioactive even though this is a 100 percent federally legal operation.”
“Fortunately, there are banks that care about the progress of federally regulated and federally legal research and are eager to step up and support us immediately,” Sisley added. “We will be moving our funding from Bank of America and never returning there. Our research continues without harm because other banks that care about scientific freedom were able to step up. Bank of America doesn’t even have the decency to provide an explanation after a decade of banking with an openly plant-touching business.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bank-of-america-cancels-account-of-marijuana-and-psychedelics-research-institute-registered-with-dea/
The most-cited study about carbon sequestration in soil by growing industrial hemp was authored and submitted to the Australian government by GoodEarth Resources PTY, Ltd. (i.e., GoodEarth Resources), before the latter disbanded in 2014. The study claims that one acre of industrial hemp absorbs nearly 40,000 pounds of CO2 through its growing cycle.
According to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA), industrial hemp sequesters carbon through photosynthesis, storing it in the body of the plant and its roots. The CTHA states that approximately 40% of hemp biomass is carbon. While Shah and the GoodEarth Resources study address carbon sequestered in the soil from hemp production, the carbon in the stalk of the hemp plant equates to increased value by “permanently capturing” CO2 in long-life products (e.g., hurd-based concrete and cement). Those potentially carbon-negative biomaterials require comprehensive life-cycle assessments by qualified material scientists to quantify and spur that area of interest.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/with-abundant-hemp-hurd-coming-to-market-how-important-is-quality/
'“We have a contract with DEA. We are growing cannabis for [Food and Drug Administration] clinical trials and selling it to the DEA,” she said. “It’s unconscionable the way they are behaving—and further proof that the word ‘cannabis’ continues to be completely radioactive even though this is a 100 percent federally legal operation.”
“Fortunately, there are banks that care about the progress of federally regulated and federally legal research and are eager to step up and support us immediately,” Sisley added. “We will be moving our funding from Bank of America and never returning there. Our research continues without harm because other banks that care about scientific freedom were able to step up. Bank of America doesn’t even have the decency to provide an explanation after a decade of banking with an openly plant-touching business.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bank-of-america-cancels-account-of-marijuana-and-psychedelics-research-institute-registered-with-dea/
'The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center (DEPC) invites researchers from universities and independent research centers in the United States to submit proposals for funded research focused on implementation and policy impacts of marijuana legalization and other emerging topics in drug enforcement and policy. We are specifically interested in research addressing questions related to criminal justice administration, public health, and public safety, as well as their various intersections. In selection for funding, we are likely to prioritize shorter-term research projects (e.g., completed before Fall 2022) that can help inform the work of lawmakers, regulators and advocates eager to promote evidence-based best practices and policies in emerging and future reforms efforts. In general, grant requests should not exceed $35,000. However, projects with proposed budgets exceeding this amount are still encouraged to apply as additional funding may be available for certain types of projects. The deadline for first-round submissions is January 14, 2022, but grants will be awarded on an ongoing basis until allocated funds are exhausted and earlier submissions may be able to be funded earlier.'
https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty-and-research/drug-enforcement-and-policy-center/marijuana-and-drug-policy-research-grants
'Results: Most of the samples (n=65; 51.2%) reported use of CBG-predominant products solely for medical purposes (n=46; 36.2% reported use for medical and recreational purposes; n=8; 6.3% reported recreational use only, and n=8 were missing). The most common conditions the complete sample reported using CBG to treat were anxiety (51.2%), chronic pain (40.9%), depression (33.1%), and insomnia/disturbed sleep (30.7%). Efficacy was highly rated, with the majority reporting their conditions were “very much improved” or “much improved” by CBG. Furthermore, 73.9% claimed superiority of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional medicines for chronic pain, 80% for depression, 73% for insomnia, and 78.3% for anxiety. Forty-four percent of CBG-predominant cannabis users reported no adverse events, with 16.5% noting dry mouth, 15% sleepiness, 11.8% increased appetite, and 8.7% dry eyes. Around 84.3% reported no withdrawal symptoms, with sleep difficulties representing the most frequently endorsed withdrawal symptom (endorsed by two respondents).
Conclusions: This is the first patient survey of CBG-predominant cannabis use to date, and the first to document self-reported efficacy of CBG-predominant products, particularly for anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and insomnia. Most respondents reported greater efficacy of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional pharmacotherapy, with a benign adverse event profile and negligible withdrawal symptoms. This study establishes that humans are employing CBG and suggests that CBG-predominant cannabis-based medicines should be studied in randomized controlled trials.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/can.2021.0058
'An heirloom strain is a cannabis strain that is cultivated in a geographically distinct location from where it originated, and has genetics that have been preserved over an extended period of time, often for generations or longer.
Heirloom strains have not been crossbred and usually display characteristics of pure indica or sativa plants rather than a hybrid of both. Heirloom strains have not been genetically manipulated and are meant to be pollinated openly without direct human interference. '
https://www.leafly.com/learn/cannabis-glossary/heirloom
https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty-and-research/drug-enforcement-and-policy-center/marijuana-and-drug-policy-research-grants
'Results: Most of the samples (n=65; 51.2%) reported use of CBG-predominant products solely for medical purposes (n=46; 36.2% reported use for medical and recreational purposes; n=8; 6.3% reported recreational use only, and n=8 were missing). The most common conditions the complete sample reported using CBG to treat were anxiety (51.2%), chronic pain (40.9%), depression (33.1%), and insomnia/disturbed sleep (30.7%). Efficacy was highly rated, with the majority reporting their conditions were “very much improved” or “much improved” by CBG. Furthermore, 73.9% claimed superiority of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional medicines for chronic pain, 80% for depression, 73% for insomnia, and 78.3% for anxiety. Forty-four percent of CBG-predominant cannabis users reported no adverse events, with 16.5% noting dry mouth, 15% sleepiness, 11.8% increased appetite, and 8.7% dry eyes. Around 84.3% reported no withdrawal symptoms, with sleep difficulties representing the most frequently endorsed withdrawal symptom (endorsed by two respondents).
Conclusions: This is the first patient survey of CBG-predominant cannabis use to date, and the first to document self-reported efficacy of CBG-predominant products, particularly for anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and insomnia. Most respondents reported greater efficacy of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional pharmacotherapy, with a benign adverse event profile and negligible withdrawal symptoms. This study establishes that humans are employing CBG and suggests that CBG-predominant cannabis-based medicines should be studied in randomized controlled trials.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/can.2021.0058
'An heirloom strain is a cannabis strain that is cultivated in a geographically distinct location from where it originated, and has genetics that have been preserved over an extended period of time, often for generations or longer.
Heirloom strains have not been crossbred and usually display characteristics of pure indica or sativa plants rather than a hybrid of both. Heirloom strains have not been genetically manipulated and are meant to be pollinated openly without direct human interference. '
https://www.leafly.com/learn/cannabis-glossary/heirloom
'The Biden administration proposed a change to the federal drug scheduling system on Thursday that it hopes will streamline research into Schedule I controlled substances including marijuana and psychedelics such as psilocybin.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said in a letter to congressional leaders and a plan posted on the agency’s website that it wants to encourage research in part by simplifying the registration process for scientists to access Schedule I drugs so that they match those for less-restricted Schedule II substances.
This is part of a broader White House initiative to develop what it says is a strategy to reduce the supply of illicit fentanyl analogues, while “protecting civil rights, and reducing barriers to scientific research for all schedule I substances.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bidens-drug-czar-wants-to-make-it-easier-to-research-marijuana-psychedelics-and-other-schedule-i-substances/
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said in a letter to congressional leaders and a plan posted on the agency’s website that it wants to encourage research in part by simplifying the registration process for scientists to access Schedule I drugs so that they match those for less-restricted Schedule II substances.
This is part of a broader White House initiative to develop what it says is a strategy to reduce the supply of illicit fentanyl analogues, while “protecting civil rights, and reducing barriers to scientific research for all schedule I substances.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bidens-drug-czar-wants-to-make-it-easier-to-research-marijuana-psychedelics-and-other-schedule-i-substances/
'This review highlights the chemistry, types and biological activities of the cannabinoids such as THC, CBD and CBN in focus with their anticancer activity, neuroprotective effect and nanoformulating the cannabinoid drugs.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135951132100266X
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135951132100266X
'CBN was discovered in the 1930s and then, in the 1940s, became the first cannabinoid to be isolated.
And while it provides a mild psychotropic effect, up until recently not much has been done with it.
Unlike CBD, CBN is hard to make.
Little to no CBN is created or contained in new or fresh cannabis plants.
The cannabinoid is produced when marijuana or hemp plants are exposed over long periods of time to air and sunlight.
As the cannabis dries and ages, an oxidation process turns the THC molecules found in marijuana and hemp into CBN.
Yet, until now, the time involved to produce consistent CBN naturally hasn’t been practical.
It took a growing sleep-aid market and tales of the sedative nature of smoking old marijuana to get the industry to rethink CBN.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabinoid-cbn-might-be-surprise-hit-in-cannabis-industry/
'Specifically, DOE is interested in the company’s HempWool product, which is described as “the most sustainable, high performing insulation material on the planet.”
Beyond being a non-toxic alternative to traditional insulation, the hemp-based product also has a strong thermal resistance and a low carbon footprint.
“The Department of Energy is interested in the decarbonization potential of insulation and other building materials made from hemp fibers,” Gibbons told HempBuildMag.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-fund-research-into-hemp-fiber-insulation-as-environmentally-friendly-alternative/
And while it provides a mild psychotropic effect, up until recently not much has been done with it.
Unlike CBD, CBN is hard to make.
Little to no CBN is created or contained in new or fresh cannabis plants.
The cannabinoid is produced when marijuana or hemp plants are exposed over long periods of time to air and sunlight.
As the cannabis dries and ages, an oxidation process turns the THC molecules found in marijuana and hemp into CBN.
Yet, until now, the time involved to produce consistent CBN naturally hasn’t been practical.
It took a growing sleep-aid market and tales of the sedative nature of smoking old marijuana to get the industry to rethink CBN.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabinoid-cbn-might-be-surprise-hit-in-cannabis-industry/
'Specifically, DOE is interested in the company’s HempWool product, which is described as “the most sustainable, high performing insulation material on the planet.”
Beyond being a non-toxic alternative to traditional insulation, the hemp-based product also has a strong thermal resistance and a low carbon footprint.
“The Department of Energy is interested in the decarbonization potential of insulation and other building materials made from hemp fibers,” Gibbons told HempBuildMag.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-fund-research-into-hemp-fiber-insulation-as-environmentally-friendly-alternative/
'This updated edition reviews over 450 peer-reviewed studies assessing the safety and efficacy of either whole-plant cannabis or individual cannabinoids in 23 different patient populations, including autism, chronic pain, diabetes, fibromyalgia, migraine, and post-traumatic stress.
Since NORML issued the previous edition of this report in 2017, scientists have published thousands of studies relevant to the medicinal properties of cannabis. This is reflected in NORML’s new report, which highlights nearly 100 newly published studies — making it one of the most up-to-date and comprehensive compendiums on the utility of medical cannabis available.
Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So far this year, scientists have published over 2,600 papers. In all, PubMed.gov now cites over 37,000 scientific papers on the topic of cannabis.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/28/revised-for-2021-norml-report-highlights-over-450-studies-assessing-the-therapeutic-efficacy-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids/
Since NORML issued the previous edition of this report in 2017, scientists have published thousands of studies relevant to the medicinal properties of cannabis. This is reflected in NORML’s new report, which highlights nearly 100 newly published studies — making it one of the most up-to-date and comprehensive compendiums on the utility of medical cannabis available.
Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So far this year, scientists have published over 2,600 papers. In all, PubMed.gov now cites over 37,000 scientific papers on the topic of cannabis.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/28/revised-for-2021-norml-report-highlights-over-450-studies-assessing-the-therapeutic-efficacy-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids/
'“We were pleased to see so many quality applications for research funding submitted for this competition. It is an indication of the level of interest in cannabis research by many top-notch researchers in the state,” said Chad Kinney, Director of the ICR.
Applications received proposed research covering medical and clinical research, public health and social impact research, and biology, chemistry, and agronomic research. The projects recommended for funding address potential medical applications of cannabis, as well as medical implications of use of cannabis or its derivatives. Other recommended research focuses on areas of public health concerns related to cannabis and advances in the biology and chemistry of cannabis and cannabinoids.'
https://www.csupueblo.edu/news/2021/05-26-institute-of-cannabis-research-cannabis-research-funding-awards-announced.html
Applications received proposed research covering medical and clinical research, public health and social impact research, and biology, chemistry, and agronomic research. The projects recommended for funding address potential medical applications of cannabis, as well as medical implications of use of cannabis or its derivatives. Other recommended research focuses on areas of public health concerns related to cannabis and advances in the biology and chemistry of cannabis and cannabinoids.'
https://www.csupueblo.edu/news/2021/05-26-institute-of-cannabis-research-cannabis-research-funding-awards-announced.html
'The director said researchers have “had all kinds of limitations” and there’s “limited opportunity for access.” He noted that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has recently moved to expand the number of marijuana manufacturers, but he said what the government “really needs” to do is “moderate the Schedule I limitation.”
He said he’s spoken with NIDA Director Nora Volkow about the issue and feels there should be a modified Schedule I category called Schedule I-R, “which would be basically a different pathway if you’re going to use this material for research.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-federal-health-official-touts-psychedelics-therapeutic-benefits-and-slams-marijuana-scheduling/
He said he’s spoken with NIDA Director Nora Volkow about the issue and feels there should be a modified Schedule I category called Schedule I-R, “which would be basically a different pathway if you’re going to use this material for research.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-federal-health-official-touts-psychedelics-therapeutic-benefits-and-slams-marijuana-scheduling/
'Conclusions
The results suggest a disparity between the common terms used by researchers in academia and those used by cannabis consumers. While there are advantages and limitations of using these terms to bridge views of researchers and individuals who use cannabis, this study underscores the importance of formally assessing chemical constituents rather than relying on self-report data and of incorporating cannabis user views on current terms used in research, potentially also incorporating descriptors of preparation and consumption methods.'
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00065-1
'This legislation would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, and relevant state health agencies to enter a ten-year arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct, and update, a study on the effects of legalized state marijuana programs biennially. This study would evaluate the impacts and effects of state-legalized medicinal and non-medicinal marijuana programs on state economies, public health, criminal justice, and employment.
Currently, numerous published peer-reviewed studies have assessed the impact of state-regulated marijuana legalization on these issues, but despite the publication of these reports, a lack of consensus and acceptance of this data continue, particularly amongst members of Congress and the Department of Justice.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/04/29/the-marijuana-data-collection-act-reintroduced/
The results suggest a disparity between the common terms used by researchers in academia and those used by cannabis consumers. While there are advantages and limitations of using these terms to bridge views of researchers and individuals who use cannabis, this study underscores the importance of formally assessing chemical constituents rather than relying on self-report data and of incorporating cannabis user views on current terms used in research, potentially also incorporating descriptors of preparation and consumption methods.'
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00065-1
'This legislation would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, and relevant state health agencies to enter a ten-year arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct, and update, a study on the effects of legalized state marijuana programs biennially. This study would evaluate the impacts and effects of state-legalized medicinal and non-medicinal marijuana programs on state economies, public health, criminal justice, and employment.
Currently, numerous published peer-reviewed studies have assessed the impact of state-regulated marijuana legalization on these issues, but despite the publication of these reports, a lack of consensus and acceptance of this data continue, particularly amongst members of Congress and the Department of Justice.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/04/29/the-marijuana-data-collection-act-reintroduced/
'Results:
A total of 29 802 publications (10 214 open access), published by 65 109 authors were published in 5474 journals from 1829 to 2021. The greatest number of publications were published over the last 20 years. The journal that published the largest number of publications was Drug and Alcohol Dependence (n=705). The most productive countries included the United States (n= 12 420), the United Kingdom (n=2236), and Canada (n=2062); many of the most common intuitional affiliations and funding sponsors also originated from these three countries.
Conclusions:
The number of publications collectively published on the topic of cannabis follows an upward trend. Over the past 20 years, the volume of cannabis research has grown steeply, which can be largely attributed to the existence of a large amount of funding dedicated to research this topic. Future research should continue to investigate changes in the publication characteristics of emerging cannabis research, especially as it is expected that the body of publications on this topic is expected to rapidly grow.'
https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr315188
A total of 29 802 publications (10 214 open access), published by 65 109 authors were published in 5474 journals from 1829 to 2021. The greatest number of publications were published over the last 20 years. The journal that published the largest number of publications was Drug and Alcohol Dependence (n=705). The most productive countries included the United States (n= 12 420), the United Kingdom (n=2236), and Canada (n=2062); many of the most common intuitional affiliations and funding sponsors also originated from these three countries.
Conclusions:
The number of publications collectively published on the topic of cannabis follows an upward trend. Over the past 20 years, the volume of cannabis research has grown steeply, which can be largely attributed to the existence of a large amount of funding dedicated to research this topic. Future research should continue to investigate changes in the publication characteristics of emerging cannabis research, especially as it is expected that the body of publications on this topic is expected to rapidly grow.'
https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr315188
'Toombs said that USDA hemp research includes working on standardizing THC and CBD testing and establishing a new collection of hemp germplasm with Cornell University.
She said USDA scientists “have a proven track record of revolutionizing American agriculture and pioneering technology advancements to bring new commodity innovations to consumers.”
“We have challenged ourselves to discover the next bold move in agriculture, and industrial hemp is positioned to achieve that same success,” she said.'
https://hempindustrydaily.com/usda-creating-hemp-germplasm-collection-funding-lab-to-study-plant-breeding/
She said USDA scientists “have a proven track record of revolutionizing American agriculture and pioneering technology advancements to bring new commodity innovations to consumers.”
“We have challenged ourselves to discover the next bold move in agriculture, and industrial hemp is positioned to achieve that same success,” she said.'
https://hempindustrydaily.com/usda-creating-hemp-germplasm-collection-funding-lab-to-study-plant-breeding/
'The demand for alternative fibers and the sustainability problems with cotton create a gap to be filled. Industry, innovation and adaptability will be keys to the growth of the fiber industry.
As I attend seminars and follow the industry, what strikes me is that while everyone seems to talk about how to get hemp products ready for market, there is little discussion on how to go to market. These are two different aspects of any business.'
https://hemptoday.net/demand-for-sustainable-textiles-is-big-opportunity-for-hemp-fiber/
'An oft-repeated byword among hemp advocates posits that there are over 25,000 different products that can be manufactured from the crop. In actual practice, however, but a fractional amount of those remains in active production today. As has been detailed here before, the hemp fiber industry suffers from a crisis in infrastructure and critical gaps in its supply chains which are stifling product development and stymying growth. The good news is, those gaps are steadily being connected by a host of new fiber-processing companies. As a reliable domestic supply of hemp fiber emerges, the industry is faced with deciding exactly what to do with it, i.e., which product categories to establish first.
In quick summary of the growth prospects for some of the most promising hemp fiber product categories:'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/which-hemp-fiber-product-categories-will-develop-first/
As I attend seminars and follow the industry, what strikes me is that while everyone seems to talk about how to get hemp products ready for market, there is little discussion on how to go to market. These are two different aspects of any business.'
https://hemptoday.net/demand-for-sustainable-textiles-is-big-opportunity-for-hemp-fiber/
'An oft-repeated byword among hemp advocates posits that there are over 25,000 different products that can be manufactured from the crop. In actual practice, however, but a fractional amount of those remains in active production today. As has been detailed here before, the hemp fiber industry suffers from a crisis in infrastructure and critical gaps in its supply chains which are stifling product development and stymying growth. The good news is, those gaps are steadily being connected by a host of new fiber-processing companies. As a reliable domestic supply of hemp fiber emerges, the industry is faced with deciding exactly what to do with it, i.e., which product categories to establish first.
In quick summary of the growth prospects for some of the most promising hemp fiber product categories:'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/which-hemp-fiber-product-categories-will-develop-first/
'CBG was discovered in the 1960s but for decades has been ignored, its uses unclear and its economics difficult to support. CBG is the first — and so, parent — cannabinoid to form as the cannabis plants grow. Yet by the time the plants are normally harvested, it gives way to more familiar cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). CBG constitutes less than 1 percent by weight of most cannabis strains by that point.
But a growing body of recent research suggests that CBG can directly help improve our immunity, sleep, mood and appetite. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, improves bone health and positively affects bladder, skin and bowel health. Some studies have even suggested that it might help with cancer treatment. '
https://www.ozy.com/the-new-and-the-next/can-the-rolls-royce-of-cannabis-reach-the-masses/411227/
'The predominant analytical methods for measuring cannabinoid content are gas chromatography (GC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with the latter becoming increasingly popular. Terpenes, on the other hand, are usually measured separately using GC, partly because the optimal extraction of cannabinoids and terpenes requires different conditions, most notably the solvents used. The researchers focused on the conditions of sample preparation and extraction that allowed simultaneous measurements using GC. Dried and powdered hemp material was extracted in solvents by sonication, followed by centrifugation.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/chromatographic-method-measures-cannabinoid-and-terpene-levels-simultaneously/
But a growing body of recent research suggests that CBG can directly help improve our immunity, sleep, mood and appetite. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, improves bone health and positively affects bladder, skin and bowel health. Some studies have even suggested that it might help with cancer treatment. '
https://www.ozy.com/the-new-and-the-next/can-the-rolls-royce-of-cannabis-reach-the-masses/411227/
'The predominant analytical methods for measuring cannabinoid content are gas chromatography (GC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with the latter becoming increasingly popular. Terpenes, on the other hand, are usually measured separately using GC, partly because the optimal extraction of cannabinoids and terpenes requires different conditions, most notably the solvents used. The researchers focused on the conditions of sample preparation and extraction that allowed simultaneous measurements using GC. Dried and powdered hemp material was extracted in solvents by sonication, followed by centrifugation.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/chromatographic-method-measures-cannabinoid-and-terpene-levels-simultaneously/
'Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said that the legislation “takes us in the right direction by reducing barriers to cannabis research.”
“The bill and the changes included in the [amendment in the nature of a substitute] would create a less onerous registration process for those who want to advance cannabis research and encourage additional manufacturers and distributors to supply cannabis for purposes of research, making it easier for legitimate researchers to obtain products that better reflect the changing cannabis landscape,” he said.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressional-committee-approves-marijuana-bill-that-will-allow-research-on-dispensary-cannabis/
'Researchers believe that if farmers were able to use leftover parts of hemp plants as cattle feed, it would make cultivation of the crop more economical and could boost the industry globally.
“We don’t believe that the degree of absorption is sufficient for us to be concerned about potential intoxication following the consumption of meat and milk,” Hans Coetzee, also with Kansas State, said in an interview with KSNW-TV. “If we can prove that that is of no concern of consequence to the consumer, we feel that that would remove one of the major impediments to the widespread production of hemp worldwide.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-fund-research-on-whether-cows-can-eat-hemp-without-milk-drinkers-getting-high/
“The bill and the changes included in the [amendment in the nature of a substitute] would create a less onerous registration process for those who want to advance cannabis research and encourage additional manufacturers and distributors to supply cannabis for purposes of research, making it easier for legitimate researchers to obtain products that better reflect the changing cannabis landscape,” he said.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressional-committee-approves-marijuana-bill-that-will-allow-research-on-dispensary-cannabis/
'Researchers believe that if farmers were able to use leftover parts of hemp plants as cattle feed, it would make cultivation of the crop more economical and could boost the industry globally.
“We don’t believe that the degree of absorption is sufficient for us to be concerned about potential intoxication following the consumption of meat and milk,” Hans Coetzee, also with Kansas State, said in an interview with KSNW-TV. “If we can prove that that is of no concern of consequence to the consumer, we feel that that would remove one of the major impediments to the widespread production of hemp worldwide.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-fund-research-on-whether-cows-can-eat-hemp-without-milk-drinkers-getting-high/
'A new analysis of cannabis research funding in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom has found that $1.56 billion was directed to the topic between 2000 and 2018—with about half of the money spent on understanding the potential harms of the recreational drug. Just over $1 billion came from the biggest funder, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which doled out far more money to research cannabis misuse and its negative effects than on using cannabis and cannabis-derived chemicals as a therapeutic drug'
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/cannabis-research-database-shows-how-us-funding-focuses-harms-drug
'As with the CBD marketing craze, it is believed that minor cannabinoids hold the potential to address any number of chronic medical conditions ranging from anxiety and nausea to joint inflammation or some types of cancer. Groff took care to note that some evidence exists at least anecdotally to support such claims, it remains too soon and the research too preliminary to confirm which and to what degrees that minor cannabinoids provide treatment or relief to medical patients.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/getting-onboard-with-the-coming-cannabinoid-caravan/
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/cannabis-research-database-shows-how-us-funding-focuses-harms-drug
'As with the CBD marketing craze, it is believed that minor cannabinoids hold the potential to address any number of chronic medical conditions ranging from anxiety and nausea to joint inflammation or some types of cancer. Groff took care to note that some evidence exists at least anecdotally to support such claims, it remains too soon and the research too preliminary to confirm which and to what degrees that minor cannabinoids provide treatment or relief to medical patients.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/getting-onboard-with-the-coming-cannabinoid-caravan/
So we contaminate our environment, food and water with dangerous man-made chemicals in the pursuit of quick money. These chemicals cause cancers in our bodies. To treat these cancers we make dangerous synthetic drugs, in the pursuit of quick money, that not only fail to treat the cancers, but also result in a collapse of most other body systems. This leads to a weakening and collapse of humans on increasingly larger scales as time goes by. But we do nothing to stop the contamination and weakening of our bodies that evolved over hundreds of millions of years and the contamination of our environment, food and water. Instead we continue searching for more powerful man made chemicals, to make more money faster, in the name of medicine for our environment, bodies and minds believing that we are masters of nature or, if not that, smarter than nature, whom we can fool like our gullible fellow men...but nature is not looking to make more money faster..she only deals in life and death...
'There is still very limited awareness of the nature of the threat. This is an era of specialists, each of whom sees his own problem and is unaware or intolerant of the larger frame into which it fits. It is also an era dominated by industry, in which the right to make a dollar at whatever cost is seldom challenged. When the public protests, confronted with some obvious evidence of damaging results of pesticide applications, it is fed little tranquilizing pills of half truth. We urgently need an end to these false assurances, to the sugar coating of unpalatable facts. It is the public that is being asked to assume the risks that the insect controllers calculate. The public must decide whether it wishes to continue on the present road, and it can only do so when it is in full possession of the facts. In the words of Jean Rostand, 'The obligation to endure gives us the right to know.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'It would seem that junk is the only habit-forming drug. Cats cannot be addicted to morphine, as they react to an injection of morphine with acute delirium. Cats have a relatively small quantity of histamine in the blood stream. It would seem that histamine is the defense against morphine, and that cats, lacking this defense, cannot tolerate morphine. Perhaps the mechanism of withdrawal is this: Histamine is produced by the body as a defense against morphine during the period of addiction. When the drug is withdrawn, the body continues to produce histamine.' -- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Let all the external improvements that religious and scientific people dream of be accomplished; let all men accept Christianity and all the improvements the Bellamys and Richets desire be accomplished with all possible additions and corrections, but if at the same time the hypocrisy remains that now exists, if people do not profess the truth they know but continue to feign belief in what they do not themselves believe and veneration for what they do not respect, the condition of people will not only merely remain what it is but will become worse and worse. The better men are materially provided for, the more telegraphs, telephones, books, papers and periodicals they have the more means there will be of spreading contradictory lies and hypocrisies, and the more disunited and consequently unhappy will men become, as indeed occurs now.
Let all those external alterations be realized and the position of humanity will not be bettered. But let each man according to the strength that is in him profess the truth he knows and practises in his own life - or at least cease to excuse the falsehood he supports by representing it as truth - and at once, in this very year 1893, such changes would be accomplished towards man's liberation and the establishment of truth on earth, as we dare not hope for in hundreds of years.' - Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'The motive of science was the extension of man, on all sides, into nature, till his hands touch the stars, his eyes see through the earth, his ears understand the language of beast and bird, and the sense of the wind; and through his sympathy, heaven and earth should talk with him. But that is not our science. These geologies, astronomies, seem to make wise, but they leave us where they found us. The invention is of use to the inventor, of questionable help to any other. The formulas of science are like the papers in your pocket-book, of no value to any but the owner. Science in England, in America, is jealous of theory, hates the name of love and moral purpose.' - Beauty, Emerson, The Basic Writings of America's Sage
'In a world where education is predominantly verbal, highly educated people find it all but impossible to pay serious attention to anything but words and notions. There is always money for, there are always doctorates in, the learned foolery of research into what, for scholars, is the all-important problem: Who influenced whom to say what when? Even in this age of technology the verbal Humanities are honoured. The non-verbal Humanities, the arts of being directly aware of the given facts of our existence, are almost completely ignored.' - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954.
Collection and conservation of germplasm of indigenous populations of Central and South Asian landraces in their centers of diversity is urgently needed. The germplasm base outside their centers of diversity has become genetically contaminated by widespread crossbreeding. In the context of climate change and unpredictable future needs, in situ conservation of agrobiodiversity is much preferable for crop plants and their wild relatives, but given the precarious continued existence of unaltered aboriginal wild populations of Cannabis in Asia, preservation in seed banks is an immediate priority. Hopefully the unambiguous names provided may help prevent extinction of these taxa.'
https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/46700/
'Dr Riley indicated that the SRC also has the capabilities to test the entire spectrum of terpenes — the taste profiles and aroma of cannabis — which have been linked to the treatment of cancer in a recent university study.
“Public safety is one of the major focuses of the SRC, and we aim to always use advanced technologies to ensure that precise information is provided, which can guide policy and can also inform the public in terms of making good decisions,” Dr Riley emphasised.'
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/medical-cannabis-related-evaluations-begin-september_173511?profile=1373
'Given the importance of patients knowing the laws regarding medical cannabis in the jurisdictions they visit, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the largest national member-based organization promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research, has created The Medical Cannabis Patient’s Guide for U.S. Travel. This guide will help patients understand the laws in the states and territories in which they are eligible to obtain medical cannabis so that they may do so safely and legally'
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/travel
'According to the agency's filing in the Federal Register, it "intends to promulgate regulations" to evaluate several dozen applications before it from private entities that wish to cultivate cannabis for FDA-approved research. However, this is not the first time the agency has made such a promise. In 2016, the DEA similarly announced the adoption of new rules to expand to supply of research-grade cannabis, but failed to take any further action.'
https://norml.org/news/2019/08/29/dea-promises-progress-on-federal-cultivation-applications-but-provides-no-timetable-for-action
'The full scope of the dangerous interaction of chemicals is as yet little known, but disturbing findings now come regularly from scientific laboratories. Among this is the discovery that that the toxicity of an organic phosphate can be increased by a second agent that is not necessarily an insecticide. For example, one of the plasticizing agents may act even more dangerously than another insecticide to make malathion more dangerous. Again, this is because it inhibits the liver enzyme that would normally 'draw the teeth' of the poisonous insecticide.
What of other chemicals in the normal human environment? What, in particular, of drugs? A bare beginning has been made on this subject, but already it is known that some organic phosphates (parathion and malathion) increase the toxicity of some drugs used as muscle relaxants, and that several others (again including malathion) markedly increase the sleeping time of barbiturates.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'As such, hemp and hemp-derived CBD preparations that have 0.3% THC or less are not controlled substances, the DEA confirmed. “DEA registration is not required to grow or research” them.
The confirmation will be good news to the CBD industry, which has exploded recently. But any manufacturers making health claims about the CBD-containing products will still receive scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, individual state laws and restrictions may apply.'
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/08/dea-may-finally-let-others-grow-cannabis-for-research/
'In fact, according to advocates of small cannabis businesses, if the sector evolves under the right conditions, craft will be the future of the marijuana sector.
Conversely, they say, under the wrong conditions, craft will perish and leave the space to a handful of cannabis conglomerates.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/craft-cannabis-is-the-marijuana-industrys-small-batch-sector/
'There is little industry-wide consensus on cultivation best practice. Some outdoor growers might divert streams to water crops, whereas others pursue dry farming, which uses no irrigation. Indoors, growers sometimes choose cooler, light-emitting diode (LED) lights to substantially decrease water use. Meanwhile, others simply expand small, energy-intense facilities into larger operations. “There is a wide range of energy efficiency,” Smith says. “Outdoor crops planted from seeds might have a zero footprint, while old-style indoor cultivation can be 500 times more energy intensive.”'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02526-3
'For years, the popular image of cannabis growers has been scruffy hippies getting high on their own supply in a disorganized underground economy, rather than shiny white industrial agriculture facilities. Even larger-scale operations involved minimal quality control or lacked formal record keeping.
But as legal medical — and increasingly, recreational — cannabis becomes more widespread, the cannabis industry is becoming more professional. By adopting the methods and rigour of plant science and analytical chemistry, it is ensuring that it can produce safe, consistent and high-quality products for a fast-growing and lucrative market.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02527-2
'Sisley, the petitioner in the DEA lawsuit, says she’s staying realistic for now. She says she recently received word from a former DEA official in Arizona on the matter, who claimed that it’s very likely the case that the DEA’s recent announcement is the agency’s latest in a series of stall tactics. “Rule-making process is code word for delay,” Sisley continues. “[The DEA] could slow play us for years. So I’m not celebrating yet.”'
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/pot-research-university-mississippi-cannabis-license-dea-886606/
'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder.
But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0
'Proponents and doubters agree that further research, including double-blind clinical trials, is needed to confirm whether the entourage effect exists and, if so, to understand how it works. “That way, you are taking out bias and expectation,” Wilson-Poe says.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02528-1
'For many adults, researchers say, moderate use is probably fine. “I compare it to alcohol,” says Earl Miller, a cognitive neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in Cambridge. “Too much or the wrong situation can be bad, but in other situations it can be beneficial. I think we’re going to find the same thing with cannabis.”'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02530-7
'A few things that do not work well should be phased out, including the excessively detailed labelling of cannabis products, a cap on the THC percentage that is permitted in such products and overzealous drug-awareness campaigns and messaging. These measures have had the opposite of their intended effects. The priority should be to facilitate research, which will help to inform education and policy agendas as the cannabis industry takes root.
Incremental progress is being made in pursuing policies that support crucial medical research that might unearth discoveries that could benefit millions of people and protect public health, in both the United States and abroad. Here’s to a dab of optimism about what the future could hold.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02531-6
'Our findings demonstrate that THC produced robust antinociception equivalent to the whole extract in models of thermal and inflammatory nociception. Thus, other cannabinoid constituents including terpenes do not add to the analgesic actions of cannabis beyond that of isolated THC. This analgesia across several pain models suggest a range of clinical applications for THC.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2018.0054
'The study, published in the journal Justice Quarterly and funded by the federal National Institute of Justice, found that violent and property crimes rates were not affected in a statistically significant way in the years after Colorado and Washington State became the first in the nation to legalize marijuana for adult use.
“Our results suggest that marijuana legalization and sales have had minimal to no effect on major crimes in Colorado or Washington,” the paper concluded. “We observed no statistically significant long-term effects of recreational cannabis laws or the initiation of retail sales on violent or property crime rates in these states.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-legalization-doesnt-cause-increased-crime-federally-funded-study-finds/
What of other chemicals in the normal human environment? What, in particular, of drugs? A bare beginning has been made on this subject, but already it is known that some organic phosphates (parathion and malathion) increase the toxicity of some drugs used as muscle relaxants, and that several others (again including malathion) markedly increase the sleeping time of barbiturates.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'As such, hemp and hemp-derived CBD preparations that have 0.3% THC or less are not controlled substances, the DEA confirmed. “DEA registration is not required to grow or research” them.
The confirmation will be good news to the CBD industry, which has exploded recently. But any manufacturers making health claims about the CBD-containing products will still receive scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, individual state laws and restrictions may apply.'
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/08/dea-may-finally-let-others-grow-cannabis-for-research/
'In fact, according to advocates of small cannabis businesses, if the sector evolves under the right conditions, craft will be the future of the marijuana sector.
Conversely, they say, under the wrong conditions, craft will perish and leave the space to a handful of cannabis conglomerates.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/craft-cannabis-is-the-marijuana-industrys-small-batch-sector/
'There is little industry-wide consensus on cultivation best practice. Some outdoor growers might divert streams to water crops, whereas others pursue dry farming, which uses no irrigation. Indoors, growers sometimes choose cooler, light-emitting diode (LED) lights to substantially decrease water use. Meanwhile, others simply expand small, energy-intense facilities into larger operations. “There is a wide range of energy efficiency,” Smith says. “Outdoor crops planted from seeds might have a zero footprint, while old-style indoor cultivation can be 500 times more energy intensive.”'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02526-3
'For years, the popular image of cannabis growers has been scruffy hippies getting high on their own supply in a disorganized underground economy, rather than shiny white industrial agriculture facilities. Even larger-scale operations involved minimal quality control or lacked formal record keeping.
But as legal medical — and increasingly, recreational — cannabis becomes more widespread, the cannabis industry is becoming more professional. By adopting the methods and rigour of plant science and analytical chemistry, it is ensuring that it can produce safe, consistent and high-quality products for a fast-growing and lucrative market.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02527-2
'Sisley, the petitioner in the DEA lawsuit, says she’s staying realistic for now. She says she recently received word from a former DEA official in Arizona on the matter, who claimed that it’s very likely the case that the DEA’s recent announcement is the agency’s latest in a series of stall tactics. “Rule-making process is code word for delay,” Sisley continues. “[The DEA] could slow play us for years. So I’m not celebrating yet.”'
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/pot-research-university-mississippi-cannabis-license-dea-886606/
'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder.
But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0
'Proponents and doubters agree that further research, including double-blind clinical trials, is needed to confirm whether the entourage effect exists and, if so, to understand how it works. “That way, you are taking out bias and expectation,” Wilson-Poe says.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02528-1
'For many adults, researchers say, moderate use is probably fine. “I compare it to alcohol,” says Earl Miller, a cognitive neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in Cambridge. “Too much or the wrong situation can be bad, but in other situations it can be beneficial. I think we’re going to find the same thing with cannabis.”'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02530-7
'A few things that do not work well should be phased out, including the excessively detailed labelling of cannabis products, a cap on the THC percentage that is permitted in such products and overzealous drug-awareness campaigns and messaging. These measures have had the opposite of their intended effects. The priority should be to facilitate research, which will help to inform education and policy agendas as the cannabis industry takes root.
Incremental progress is being made in pursuing policies that support crucial medical research that might unearth discoveries that could benefit millions of people and protect public health, in both the United States and abroad. Here’s to a dab of optimism about what the future could hold.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02531-6
'Our findings demonstrate that THC produced robust antinociception equivalent to the whole extract in models of thermal and inflammatory nociception. Thus, other cannabinoid constituents including terpenes do not add to the analgesic actions of cannabis beyond that of isolated THC. This analgesia across several pain models suggest a range of clinical applications for THC.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2018.0054
'The study, published in the journal Justice Quarterly and funded by the federal National Institute of Justice, found that violent and property crimes rates were not affected in a statistically significant way in the years after Colorado and Washington State became the first in the nation to legalize marijuana for adult use.
“Our results suggest that marijuana legalization and sales have had minimal to no effect on major crimes in Colorado or Washington,” the paper concluded. “We observed no statistically significant long-term effects of recreational cannabis laws or the initiation of retail sales on violent or property crime rates in these states.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-legalization-doesnt-cause-increased-crime-federally-funded-study-finds/
'Unfortunately for all of us, opportunities for this sort of thing to happen are legion. A few years ago a team of Food and Drug Administration scientists discovered that when malathion and certain other organic phosphates are administered simultaneously a massive poisoning results - up to 50 times as severe as would be predicted on the basis of adding the toxicities of the two. In other words, 1/100 of the lethal dose of each compound may be fatal when the two are combined.
The discovery led to the testing of other combinations. It is now known that many pairs of organic phosphate insecticides are highly dangerous, the toxicity being stepped up or 'potentiated' through the combined action. Potentiation seems to take place when one compound destroys the liver enzyme responsible for detoxifying the other. The two need not be given simultaneously. The hazard exists not only for the man who must spray this week with one insecticide and the next week with another; it exists also for the consumer of sprayed products. The common salad bowl may easily present a combination of organic phosphate insecticides. Residues well within the legally permissible limits may interact.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'To date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have adopted medical cannabis laws, or MCLs, which legalize either home cultivation or dispensary-based sales of cannabis for qualifying medical conditions.
The researchers want to determine if MCLs alter the health behaviors of people living with chronic pain and whether they substitute or reduce traditional pain treatments while using medical cannabis.
The research project is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.'
https://news.uga.edu/researchers-to-study-medical-cannabis-and-chronic-pain/
'They are the latest generation of bioplastics, which are plastic materials produced from renewable sources such as agricultural by-products, straw, wood chips, sawdust and recycled food waste -- and now hemp.
Hemp seems to satisfy some plant-based plastics researchers looking for alternatives to plastic waste that has filled landfills and oceans.'
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/02/24/Products-made-from-hemp-based-plastics-enter-consumer-market/8661582241399/
'The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applications to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) of special interest in grant applications to conduct rigorous research on cannabis and potentially addictive, psychoactive prescription drug use (specifically opioids and benzodiazepine) in older adults. This program will focus on two distinct older adult populations (over the age of 50): (1) individuals with earlier use onset of cannabis and the specified drug classes who are now entering older age, or (2) individuals who initiate use of cannabis and the specified drug classes after the age of 50. Insights gained from this initiative have the potential to inform the public and health care systems regarding use of cannabis and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines in older populations.'
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-20-014.html
'At the baseline, in the first quarter of 2018, nearly 14 per cent of Canadians (12.2 per cent of women and 15.8 per cent of men) reported that they had used cannabis, including cannabis products for medical purposes, in the past three months. The highest prevalence rates were reported among those aged 25–34 (26 per cent) and 15–24 (23 per cent). By the beginning of 2019, the prevalence of use in the past three months had increased to 17.5 per cent, and it remained close to that level until the third quarter of 2019 (17.1 per cent). While the prevalence of cannabis use in the past three months rose in most age groups in 2019, the most marked increase was observed in the oldest age group (65 and older), for which the prevalence nearly doubled in comparison with 2018. There also seems to be a larger proportion of new users among older adults than in other age groups: while 10 per cent of new cannabis users were aged 25–44 in the second and third quarters of 2019, more than one quarter were aged 65 and older.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'To monitor the outcome of the new cannabis regulations, the Government of Canada has invested in a formal system that may eventually help to evaluate their impact and support the further development of policies and programmes. One of the main measures taken to that end is a cannabis survey that established a baseline in 2018 and is repeated every quarter in order to provide objective information on trends in the use of cannabis products, both medical and non-medical, as well as on how the legal cannabis market has evolved over time.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'"With hundreds of new companies rushing into the CBD space, many in the industry are looking beyond CBD towards other minor cannabinoids," New Frontier reports. "For farmers feeling the effects of CBD oversupply, minor cannabinoids can offer higher prices and less regulatory oversight."
Both the New Frontier report and several members of the hemp industry with whom we've spoken see CBN (cannabinol) and CBG (cannabigerol) as the next big thing in the hemp and cannabis industries. Despite not being as popular or studied as CBD (which is new to clinical research itself), both CBN and CBG have shown potential in wellness areas such as fighting inflammation, pain, nausea and potentially even certain cancer cells.'
https://www.westword.com/marijuana/as-cbd-prices-drop-will-cbn-and-other-cannabinoids-become-more-alluring-to-hemp-farmers-11746876
'The technological provenance of cannabinoids might not matter as much to the pharmaceutical sector, where consumers tend to be less averse to genetic engineering. But according to Ethan Russo, director of research and development at the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute in Prague, biochemically derived cannabinoids, even when mixed and matched into therapeutic formulations, will probably never equal the botanical synergy of the hundreds of molecules that are found in cannabis.
The existence of this ‘entourage’ effect is not universally accepted. But to Russo, “The plant is nature’s design for this panoply of chemicals”.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02525-4
'With the gifts to HMS and MIT’s School of Science (through the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research), the Broderick funds will support independent studies of the neurobiology of cannabis; its effects on brain development, various organ systems, and overall health, including treatment and therapeutic contexts; and its cognitive, behavioral, and social ramifications.
“I want to destigmatize the conversation around cannabis — and, in part, that means providing facts to the medical community, as well as the general public,” said Broderick, who argues that independent research needs to form the basis for policy discussions, regardless of whether it’s good for business. “Then we’re all working from the same information. We need to replace rhetoric with research.”'
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/04/alumnus-gives-harvard-and-mit-9-million-for-cannabis-research/
The discovery led to the testing of other combinations. It is now known that many pairs of organic phosphate insecticides are highly dangerous, the toxicity being stepped up or 'potentiated' through the combined action. Potentiation seems to take place when one compound destroys the liver enzyme responsible for detoxifying the other. The two need not be given simultaneously. The hazard exists not only for the man who must spray this week with one insecticide and the next week with another; it exists also for the consumer of sprayed products. The common salad bowl may easily present a combination of organic phosphate insecticides. Residues well within the legally permissible limits may interact.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'To date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have adopted medical cannabis laws, or MCLs, which legalize either home cultivation or dispensary-based sales of cannabis for qualifying medical conditions.
The researchers want to determine if MCLs alter the health behaviors of people living with chronic pain and whether they substitute or reduce traditional pain treatments while using medical cannabis.
The research project is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.'
https://news.uga.edu/researchers-to-study-medical-cannabis-and-chronic-pain/
'They are the latest generation of bioplastics, which are plastic materials produced from renewable sources such as agricultural by-products, straw, wood chips, sawdust and recycled food waste -- and now hemp.
Hemp seems to satisfy some plant-based plastics researchers looking for alternatives to plastic waste that has filled landfills and oceans.'
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/02/24/Products-made-from-hemp-based-plastics-enter-consumer-market/8661582241399/
'The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applications to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) of special interest in grant applications to conduct rigorous research on cannabis and potentially addictive, psychoactive prescription drug use (specifically opioids and benzodiazepine) in older adults. This program will focus on two distinct older adult populations (over the age of 50): (1) individuals with earlier use onset of cannabis and the specified drug classes who are now entering older age, or (2) individuals who initiate use of cannabis and the specified drug classes after the age of 50. Insights gained from this initiative have the potential to inform the public and health care systems regarding use of cannabis and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines in older populations.'
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-20-014.html
'At the baseline, in the first quarter of 2018, nearly 14 per cent of Canadians (12.2 per cent of women and 15.8 per cent of men) reported that they had used cannabis, including cannabis products for medical purposes, in the past three months. The highest prevalence rates were reported among those aged 25–34 (26 per cent) and 15–24 (23 per cent). By the beginning of 2019, the prevalence of use in the past three months had increased to 17.5 per cent, and it remained close to that level until the third quarter of 2019 (17.1 per cent). While the prevalence of cannabis use in the past three months rose in most age groups in 2019, the most marked increase was observed in the oldest age group (65 and older), for which the prevalence nearly doubled in comparison with 2018. There also seems to be a larger proportion of new users among older adults than in other age groups: while 10 per cent of new cannabis users were aged 25–44 in the second and third quarters of 2019, more than one quarter were aged 65 and older.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'To monitor the outcome of the new cannabis regulations, the Government of Canada has invested in a formal system that may eventually help to evaluate their impact and support the further development of policies and programmes. One of the main measures taken to that end is a cannabis survey that established a baseline in 2018 and is repeated every quarter in order to provide objective information on trends in the use of cannabis products, both medical and non-medical, as well as on how the legal cannabis market has evolved over time.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'"With hundreds of new companies rushing into the CBD space, many in the industry are looking beyond CBD towards other minor cannabinoids," New Frontier reports. "For farmers feeling the effects of CBD oversupply, minor cannabinoids can offer higher prices and less regulatory oversight."
Both the New Frontier report and several members of the hemp industry with whom we've spoken see CBN (cannabinol) and CBG (cannabigerol) as the next big thing in the hemp and cannabis industries. Despite not being as popular or studied as CBD (which is new to clinical research itself), both CBN and CBG have shown potential in wellness areas such as fighting inflammation, pain, nausea and potentially even certain cancer cells.'
https://www.westword.com/marijuana/as-cbd-prices-drop-will-cbn-and-other-cannabinoids-become-more-alluring-to-hemp-farmers-11746876
'The technological provenance of cannabinoids might not matter as much to the pharmaceutical sector, where consumers tend to be less averse to genetic engineering. But according to Ethan Russo, director of research and development at the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute in Prague, biochemically derived cannabinoids, even when mixed and matched into therapeutic formulations, will probably never equal the botanical synergy of the hundreds of molecules that are found in cannabis.
The existence of this ‘entourage’ effect is not universally accepted. But to Russo, “The plant is nature’s design for this panoply of chemicals”.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02525-4
'With the gifts to HMS and MIT’s School of Science (through the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research), the Broderick funds will support independent studies of the neurobiology of cannabis; its effects on brain development, various organ systems, and overall health, including treatment and therapeutic contexts; and its cognitive, behavioral, and social ramifications.
“I want to destigmatize the conversation around cannabis — and, in part, that means providing facts to the medical community, as well as the general public,” said Broderick, who argues that independent research needs to form the basis for policy discussions, regardless of whether it’s good for business. “Then we’re all working from the same information. We need to replace rhetoric with research.”'
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/04/alumnus-gives-harvard-and-mit-9-million-for-cannabis-research/
'Malathion, another of the organic phosphates, is almost as familiar to the public as DDT, being widely used by gardeners, in household insecticides, in mosquito spraying, and in such blanket attacks on insects as the spraying of nearly a million acres of Florida communities for the Mediterranean fruit fly. It is considered the least toxic of this group of chemicals and many people assume they may use it freely and without fear of harm. Commercial advertising encourages this comfortable attitude.
The alleged 'safety' of malathion rests on rather precarious ground, although - as often happens - this was not discovered until the chemical had been in use for several years. Malathion is 'safe' only because the mammalian liver, an organ with extraordinary protective powers, renders it relatively harmless. The detoxification is accomplished by one of the enzymes of the liver. If, however, something destroys this enzyme or interferes with its action, the person exposed to malathion receives the full force of the poison.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
Can we start by just letting people smoke ganja everywhere before creating complex synthetic expensive and potentially dangerous therapeutic solutions? Preventive medicine accessible to all first and foremost...
'This endocannabinoid system modulates behaviors and physiological processes, i.e. food intake, the sleep-waking cycle, learning and memory, motivation, and pain perception, among others. The rather broad distribution of endocannabinoids in the brain explains the different effects marihuana induces in its users. However, this very same anatomical and physiological distribution makes this system a useful target for therapeutic endeavors. In this review, we briefly discuss the potential of small molecules that target the endocannabinoids as therapeutic tools to improve behaviors and treat illnesses. We believe that under medical supervision, endocannabinoid targets offer new advantages for patients for controlling multiple medical disorders.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0188440919304746?via%3Dihub
'Cannabidiol (CBD) is an illegal drug with no redeeming value. It is also a useful prescription medicine for epilepsy, with considerable potential for treating numerous other conditions. And it is a natural dietary supplement or ‘nutraceutical’ with countless evangelists in the health and wellness community. Although contradictory, all three statements are true from different perspectives, and clinical researchers are frustrated.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02524-5
'A few things that do not work well should be phased out, including the excessively detailed labelling of cannabis products, a cap on the THC percentage that is permitted in such products and overzealous drug-awareness campaigns and messaging. These measures have had the opposite of their intended effects. The priority should be to facilitate research, which will help to inform education and policy agendas as the cannabis industry takes root.
Incremental progress is being made in pursuing policies that support crucial medical research that might unearth discoveries that could benefit millions of people and protect public health, in both the United States and abroad. Here’s to a dab of optimism about what the future could hold.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02531-6
'Proponents and doubters agree that further research, including double-blind clinical trials, is needed to confirm whether the entourage effect exists and, if so, to understand how it works. “That way, you are taking out bias and expectation,” Wilson-Poe says.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02528-1
'Highlights from laboratory studies and clinical trials.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02532-5
'Researchers interested in the history of marijuana and medicine will appreciate learning about the Tod Mikuriya Papers (1933–2015), a newly-available archival collection here at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Tod Mikuriya (1933–2007) was a psychiatrist and medical marijuana activist. In addition to his work in addiction medicine and biofeedback, he is well-known for compiling Marijuana: Medical Papers, 1839–1972, a master bibliography of historical resources on marijuana, and for campaigning for California Proposition 215 (Prop 215) which legalized medical marijuana in the state in 1996. Dr. Mikuriya conducted research on marijuana use and founded the California Cannabis Research Medical Group, a non-profit educational organization.'
https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2020/02/25/tod-mikuriya-papers-now-available-for-research/
The alleged 'safety' of malathion rests on rather precarious ground, although - as often happens - this was not discovered until the chemical had been in use for several years. Malathion is 'safe' only because the mammalian liver, an organ with extraordinary protective powers, renders it relatively harmless. The detoxification is accomplished by one of the enzymes of the liver. If, however, something destroys this enzyme or interferes with its action, the person exposed to malathion receives the full force of the poison.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
Can we start by just letting people smoke ganja everywhere before creating complex synthetic expensive and potentially dangerous therapeutic solutions? Preventive medicine accessible to all first and foremost...
'This endocannabinoid system modulates behaviors and physiological processes, i.e. food intake, the sleep-waking cycle, learning and memory, motivation, and pain perception, among others. The rather broad distribution of endocannabinoids in the brain explains the different effects marihuana induces in its users. However, this very same anatomical and physiological distribution makes this system a useful target for therapeutic endeavors. In this review, we briefly discuss the potential of small molecules that target the endocannabinoids as therapeutic tools to improve behaviors and treat illnesses. We believe that under medical supervision, endocannabinoid targets offer new advantages for patients for controlling multiple medical disorders.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0188440919304746?via%3Dihub
'Cannabidiol (CBD) is an illegal drug with no redeeming value. It is also a useful prescription medicine for epilepsy, with considerable potential for treating numerous other conditions. And it is a natural dietary supplement or ‘nutraceutical’ with countless evangelists in the health and wellness community. Although contradictory, all three statements are true from different perspectives, and clinical researchers are frustrated.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02524-5
'A few things that do not work well should be phased out, including the excessively detailed labelling of cannabis products, a cap on the THC percentage that is permitted in such products and overzealous drug-awareness campaigns and messaging. These measures have had the opposite of their intended effects. The priority should be to facilitate research, which will help to inform education and policy agendas as the cannabis industry takes root.
Incremental progress is being made in pursuing policies that support crucial medical research that might unearth discoveries that could benefit millions of people and protect public health, in both the United States and abroad. Here’s to a dab of optimism about what the future could hold.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02531-6
'Proponents and doubters agree that further research, including double-blind clinical trials, is needed to confirm whether the entourage effect exists and, if so, to understand how it works. “That way, you are taking out bias and expectation,” Wilson-Poe says.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02528-1
'Highlights from laboratory studies and clinical trials.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02532-5
'Researchers interested in the history of marijuana and medicine will appreciate learning about the Tod Mikuriya Papers (1933–2015), a newly-available archival collection here at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Tod Mikuriya (1933–2007) was a psychiatrist and medical marijuana activist. In addition to his work in addiction medicine and biofeedback, he is well-known for compiling Marijuana: Medical Papers, 1839–1972, a master bibliography of historical resources on marijuana, and for campaigning for California Proposition 215 (Prop 215) which legalized medical marijuana in the state in 1996. Dr. Mikuriya conducted research on marijuana use and founded the California Cannabis Research Medical Group, a non-profit educational organization.'
https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2020/02/25/tod-mikuriya-papers-now-available-for-research/
'Thus, through the circumstances of their lives, and the nature of our own wants, all these have been our allies in keeping the balance of nature tilted in our favor. Yet we have turned our artillery against our friends. The terrible danger is that we have grossly underestimated their value in keeping at bay a dark tide of enemies that, without their help, can overrun us.
The prospect of a general and permanent lowering of environmental resistance becomes grimly and increasingly real with each passing year as the number, variety, and destructiveness of insecticides grows. With the passing of time we may expect progressively more serious outbreaks of insects, both disease-carrying and crop-destroying species, in excess of anything we have ever known.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'In 2010, at a conference honoring Mechoulam, Russo presented a paper called “Taming THC,” which compiled more than 400 studies that strengthened the case for the role terpenes played in the variable effects of pot. It did not directly mention Russo’s D.I.Y. research, but a careful reader could find observations about the effects of specific combinations on memory, cognition and mood — that myrcene-heavy strains may produce “couchlock,” that pinene might be an “antidote” to the negative effects of THC — that were at least as indebted to Russo’s experiments in Amsterdam as to anything in the scientific literature. The paper was published the following year in the prestigious, widely read British Journal of Pharmacology.'
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/magazine/cannabis-science.html
It is quite interesting to see a surge of articles in Pub Med Central exploring links between cannabis and psychosis in the last two - three weeks. Its almost as if a battery of researchers are suddenly working overtime to try and highlight this long flogged subject in the middle of what the medical research community widely alleges is the worst virus pandemic known to man in modern times..the sudden surge of these articles will itself be an interesting research topic for anybody interested...
May 29, 2020, 3:01 PM
'Cannabis is a species whose exploitation for applications in various fields has sparked great controversy. Nonetheless, there is a consensus that from a scientific perspective, the research on the plant could lead to significant advances for applications of extracts or individual metabolites in medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. Currently, the recently introduced legislation on Cannabis in many countries around the world has enabled research on the plant and the vast array of its products. Cannabis matrices are extremely complex, requiring the implementation of advanced bioanalytical tools in order to gain meaningful insights into their bioactivity, medicinal properties, and risk assessment.
Based on its unique capacities and the developments in bioanalytics, is expected that metabolomics will greatly assist in impending Cannabis R&D contributing to the development of new, superior, efficient, and safe for the consumer, products. As a functional genomics tool, metabolomics could be ideally employed in the monitoring of cannabinoid and terpenoid profiles and their alterations in response to genotypic changes or agricultural treatments (e.g., fertilizers, bioelicitors, environmental conditions) and also in the biomarker-assisted selection of chemovars.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7225349/
'Cannabis sativa is a well-known plant species that has great economic and ecological significance. An incomplete genome of cloned C. sativa was obtained by using SOAPdenovo software in 2011. To further explore the utilization of this plant resource, we generated an updated draft genome sequence for wild-type varieties of C. sativa in China using PacBio single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C technology. Our assembled genome is approximately 808 Mb, with scaffold and contig N50 sizes of 83.00 Mb and 513.57 kb, respectively. Repetitive elements account for 74.75% of the genome. A total of 38,828 protein-coding genes were annotated, 98.20% of which were functionally annotated. We provide the first comprehensive de novo genome of wild-type varieties of C. sativa distributed in Tibet, China. Due to long-term growth in the wild environment, these varieties exhibit higher heterozygosity and contain more genetic information. This genetic resource is of great value for future investigations of cannabinoid metabolic pathways and will aid in promoting the commercial production of C. sativa and the effective utilization of cannabinoids. The assembled genome is also a valuable resource for intensively and effectively investigating the C. sativa genome further in the future.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195422/
'CONCLUSION: CBD and CBD and THC combinations have potential to provide safe, effective therapy for several psychiatric and neurologic conditions and diseases. However, such achievement will require a uniform standard of CBD purity and strength, and corroboration from adequately large and rigorously controlled clinical research studies.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1078390320929410
'Meiri is best known for his work matching specific components of cannabis to affect different types of cancer. But when the interviewer asked the Israeli researcher which areas of medicine he thought cannabis offered the most promise, the answer was surprising.
On top of what is already known and treated… pain, sleep, epilepsy, anxiety and these kinds of things, I think that one of the things that is still not being treated with cannabis … and I really, really believe in it, and in my lab I have phenomenal results, is dementia and Alzheimer’s.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosner/2020/06/18/notes-from-the-cutting-edge-israeli-researcher-dedi-meiri-on-cannabis-alzheimers-and-dementia/
'Here we describe stable isotope based models using hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios to predict geographic region-of-origin and growth environment for marijuana, with the intent of applying these models to analyses of marijuana trafficking in the USA. The models were developed on the basis of eradication specimens and border specimens seized throughout the USA. We tested reliability of the geographic region-of-origin and growth environment models with a “blind” set of 60 marijuana eradication specimens obtained from counties throughout the USA. The two geographic region-of-origin model predictions were 60–67% reliable and cultivation environment model predictions were 86% accurate for the blind specimens. We demonstrate here that stable isotope ratio analysis of marijuana seizures can significantly improve our understanding of marijuana distribution networks and it is for that purpose that these models were developed.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1355030609001750?via%3Dihub
'Opium is formed in the unripe seed pods of the poppy plant. Its function is to protect the seeds from drying out until the plant is ready to die and the seeds are mature. Junk continues to function in the human organism as it did in the seed pod of the poppy. It protects and cushions the body like a warm blanket while death grows to maturity inside. When a junkie is really loaded with junk he looks dead. Junk turns the user into a plant. Plants do not feel pain since pain has no function in a stationary organism. Junk is a pain killer. A plant has no libido in the human or animal sense. Junk replaces the sex drive. Seeding is the sex of the plant and the function of opium is to delay seeding.
Perhaps the intense discomfort of withdrawal is the transition from plant back to animal, from a painless, sexless, timeless state back to sex and pain and time, from death back to life.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The study of herbal medicine spans the knowledge of biology, history, source, physical and chemical nature, and mechanism of action, traditional, medicinal and therapeutic use of drug. This article also provide knowledge about macroscopically and microscopically characters of Cannabis sativa with geographical sources. The wellknown cannabinoids are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabichromene (CBC) and their pharmacological properties and importance have been extensively studied. Hence, efforts are required to establish and validate evidence regarding safety and practices of Ayurveda medicines.
Conclusion: These studies will help in expanding the current therapeutic potential of C. sativa and it also provide a strong support to its future clinical use as herbal medicines having safe in use with no side effects'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/183226/article
'Results and conclusion: Through a detailed analysis of the available resources about the origins of C. sativa we found that its use by ancient civilizations as a source of food and textile fibers dates back over 10,000 years, while its therapeutic applications have been improved over the centuries, from the ancient East medicine of the 2nd and 1st millennium B.C. to the more recent introduction in the Western world after the 1st century A.D. In the 20th and 21th centuries, Cannabis and its derivatives have been considered as a menace and banned throughout the world, but nowadays they are still the most widely consumed illicit drugs all over the world. Its legalization in some jurisdictions has been accompanied by new lines of research to investigate its possible applications for medical and therapeutic purposes.'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/182145/article
Perhaps the intense discomfort of withdrawal is the transition from plant back to animal, from a painless, sexless, timeless state back to sex and pain and time, from death back to life.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The study of herbal medicine spans the knowledge of biology, history, source, physical and chemical nature, and mechanism of action, traditional, medicinal and therapeutic use of drug. This article also provide knowledge about macroscopically and microscopically characters of Cannabis sativa with geographical sources. The wellknown cannabinoids are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabichromene (CBC) and their pharmacological properties and importance have been extensively studied. Hence, efforts are required to establish and validate evidence regarding safety and practices of Ayurveda medicines.
Conclusion: These studies will help in expanding the current therapeutic potential of C. sativa and it also provide a strong support to its future clinical use as herbal medicines having safe in use with no side effects'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/183226/article
'Results and conclusion: Through a detailed analysis of the available resources about the origins of C. sativa we found that its use by ancient civilizations as a source of food and textile fibers dates back over 10,000 years, while its therapeutic applications have been improved over the centuries, from the ancient East medicine of the 2nd and 1st millennium B.C. to the more recent introduction in the Western world after the 1st century A.D. In the 20th and 21th centuries, Cannabis and its derivatives have been considered as a menace and banned throughout the world, but nowadays they are still the most widely consumed illicit drugs all over the world. Its legalization in some jurisdictions has been accompanied by new lines of research to investigate its possible applications for medical and therapeutic purposes.'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/182145/article
'Why does the spider mite appear to thrive on insecticides? Besides the obvious fact that it is relatively insensitive to them, there seems to be two other reasons. In nature it is kept in check by various predators such as ladybugs, a gall midge, predaceous mites and several pirate bugs, all of them extremely senstitive to insecticides. The third reason has to do with population pressure within the spider mite colonies. An undisturbed colony of mites is a densely settled community, huddled under a protective webbing for concealment from its enemies. When sprayed, the colonies disperse as the mites, irritated though not killed by the chemicals, scatter out in search of places where they will not be disturbed. In so doing they find a far greater abundance of space and food than was available in the former colonies. Their enemies are now dead so there is no need for the mites to spend their energy in secreting protective webbing. Instead, they pour all their energies into producing more mites. It is not uncommon for their egg production to be increased threefold - all through the beneficient effect of insecticides.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'“While there are many varying opinions on the issue of marijuana, one thing we all can agree on is that we need qualified researchers to study the science to determine if there are any potential medicinal benefits to chemicals derived from cannabis,” Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said in a statement.'
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/pot-weed-marijuana-medical-studies-724394/
See, marijuana may be the worst thing you ever put in your body. It may also be the best thing to treat your ailments or even to help you relax more than any happy hour ever could. The shame is, currently federal law prohibits either side of that debate from having pristine, multi-layered, peer-reviewed science on their side.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/inside-bipartisan-push-legal-weed-research-w519640
As expected, researchers would like to do a lot more research on the subject..
'Bearing this in mind, our current knowledge on cannabis use suggests that cannabis presents as an appropriate alternative therapy option for patients who have epilepsy, movement disorders, and pain. For individuals with MS, GI disorders, anorexia, and headaches, further research is recommended to improve our understanding of the effects of MM, and caution is advised when considering the authorization of MM use. For patients who are under the age of 25 years, pregnant, or present with a history of mental health and substance use, it is safe to err on the side of caution and avoid MM authorization. Overall, MM is an exciting field of exploration, and the diverse range of receptor expression in the human body offers many therapeutic benefits, yet additional research is required for a more robust understanding and characterization of the mechanism of action of MM to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6001746/
Legalize recreational use of cannabis worldwide so that the hundreds of natural varieties with the various combinations of cannabinoids, terpenes, etc are available to the entire human population. This is simultaneous research, clinical trials and preventive care. Clinical trials in the current fashion is totally infeasible knowing the diversity of the herb and patient physiology. We need to look beyond the money...
'In sum, the one million dollar question of “what would be the best cannabis chemotype and, in particular, THC/CBD ratio for each particular patient in each particular pathological status?” remains a pending question in the field.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5961457/
'Frequency, age of onset, and quantity of cannabis use are increasingly being recognized as important variables to consider when examining the effects of cannabis in humans. However, investigations into these variables have been hindered by a lack of psychometrically sound inventories for their measurement. The present study was conducted to fill this gap; specifically, to assess the psychometric properties of a new inventory that was developed to measure frequency, age of onset, and quantity of cannabis used.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5446174/
'Together, the articles in this special issue highlight advances in using alternative methods and data to better understand the changing phenomenon of cannabis use, products, and distribution in the United States. Future research will need to continue in these directions, from better emulation of human use of cannabis in animal model research, to leveraging a broader array of data and methods now available, to asking new questions using established approaches. The United States is in the process of substantial changes in the legality and use of cannabis. Optimal support of policy, medical, and personal decisions regarding cannabis can only be helped by continued creative evolution of well-designed scientific research.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5960846/
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/pot-weed-marijuana-medical-studies-724394/
See, marijuana may be the worst thing you ever put in your body. It may also be the best thing to treat your ailments or even to help you relax more than any happy hour ever could. The shame is, currently federal law prohibits either side of that debate from having pristine, multi-layered, peer-reviewed science on their side.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/inside-bipartisan-push-legal-weed-research-w519640
As expected, researchers would like to do a lot more research on the subject..
'Bearing this in mind, our current knowledge on cannabis use suggests that cannabis presents as an appropriate alternative therapy option for patients who have epilepsy, movement disorders, and pain. For individuals with MS, GI disorders, anorexia, and headaches, further research is recommended to improve our understanding of the effects of MM, and caution is advised when considering the authorization of MM use. For patients who are under the age of 25 years, pregnant, or present with a history of mental health and substance use, it is safe to err on the side of caution and avoid MM authorization. Overall, MM is an exciting field of exploration, and the diverse range of receptor expression in the human body offers many therapeutic benefits, yet additional research is required for a more robust understanding and characterization of the mechanism of action of MM to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6001746/
Legalize recreational use of cannabis worldwide so that the hundreds of natural varieties with the various combinations of cannabinoids, terpenes, etc are available to the entire human population. This is simultaneous research, clinical trials and preventive care. Clinical trials in the current fashion is totally infeasible knowing the diversity of the herb and patient physiology. We need to look beyond the money...
'In sum, the one million dollar question of “what would be the best cannabis chemotype and, in particular, THC/CBD ratio for each particular patient in each particular pathological status?” remains a pending question in the field.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5961457/
'Frequency, age of onset, and quantity of cannabis use are increasingly being recognized as important variables to consider when examining the effects of cannabis in humans. However, investigations into these variables have been hindered by a lack of psychometrically sound inventories for their measurement. The present study was conducted to fill this gap; specifically, to assess the psychometric properties of a new inventory that was developed to measure frequency, age of onset, and quantity of cannabis used.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5446174/
'Together, the articles in this special issue highlight advances in using alternative methods and data to better understand the changing phenomenon of cannabis use, products, and distribution in the United States. Future research will need to continue in these directions, from better emulation of human use of cannabis in animal model research, to leveraging a broader array of data and methods now available, to asking new questions using established approaches. The United States is in the process of substantial changes in the legality and use of cannabis. Optimal support of policy, medical, and personal decisions regarding cannabis can only be helped by continued creative evolution of well-designed scientific research.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5960846/
'The current vogue for poisons has failed utterly to take into account these most fundamental considerations. As crude a weapon as the cave man's club, the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of life - a fabric on the one hand delicate and destructible, on the other miraculously tough and resilient, and capable of striking back in unexpected ways. These extraordinary capacities have been ignored by the practitioners of chemical control who have brought to their task no 'high-minded orientation', no humility before the vast forces with which they tamper.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
In January, 2018, California became the eighth state in the USA to introduce the sale of recreational cannabis. Despite this milestone, the absence of a standardised cannabis unit continues to impede research investigating the harms of smoking cannabis.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30088-9/fulltext
Numerous opportunities for research and the pharma industry's uncontrollable natural urge to break a good thing down and synthesize it into its constituents so that billions can be made..
'While the overall number of scientific publications per year on PubMed increased 2.5 times during the years in review, the number of publications that examine cannabis increased 4.5 times, from 620 to 2388. The number of studies focused on medical cannabis increased nine times over the same period, from 82 in 2000 to 742 in 2017.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-research-is-exploding-in-the-age-of-legalization-new-study-finds/
'In the first quarter of 2018, we’ve seen advances in our understanding of cannabis’ therapeutic benefits in a range of disorders, diseases, and cancers. Below are just some of the biggest cannabis research headlines we’ve seen over the last few months. The list is by no means exhaustive and only represents peer-reviewed research articles, but stay tuned for more emerging research this summer.
Studies at a Glance:
'The pace of cannabis research continues to escalate as we’ve hit midway through 2018. Perhaps unsurprisingly, cannabidiol (CBD) continues to be a hot topic in medicine. Here are five medical research studies from the last quarter that made particularly important strides.
Studies at a Glance:
In January, 2018, California became the eighth state in the USA to introduce the sale of recreational cannabis. Despite this milestone, the absence of a standardised cannabis unit continues to impede research investigating the harms of smoking cannabis.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30088-9/fulltext
Numerous opportunities for research and the pharma industry's uncontrollable natural urge to break a good thing down and synthesize it into its constituents so that billions can be made..
'While the overall number of scientific publications per year on PubMed increased 2.5 times during the years in review, the number of publications that examine cannabis increased 4.5 times, from 620 to 2388. The number of studies focused on medical cannabis increased nine times over the same period, from 82 in 2000 to 742 in 2017.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-research-is-exploding-in-the-age-of-legalization-new-study-finds/
'In the first quarter of 2018, we’ve seen advances in our understanding of cannabis’ therapeutic benefits in a range of disorders, diseases, and cancers. Below are just some of the biggest cannabis research headlines we’ve seen over the last few months. The list is by no means exhaustive and only represents peer-reviewed research articles, but stay tuned for more emerging research this summer.
Studies at a Glance:
- Cannabis Is Safe and Effective at Treating Pain in the Elderly
- CBD Protects Against the Damaging Effects of Iron in Aging Brain Diseases
- A Case for Balanced THC and CBD in Colorectal Cancer Prevention
- CBD Protects Against Endometrial Cancer by Activating TRPV1 Receptors
- THC Enhances the Pain-Relieving Effects of Opioids in Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study'
'The pace of cannabis research continues to escalate as we’ve hit midway through 2018. Perhaps unsurprisingly, cannabidiol (CBD) continues to be a hot topic in medicine. Here are five medical research studies from the last quarter that made particularly important strides.
Studies at a Glance:
- CBD Treats Brain Changes Caused by Regular Cannabis Use
- Transdermal CBD for the Treatment of Non-Opioid Addictions
- Plant-Derived Cannabinoids Improve the Efficacy of Cancer Treatment
- CBD’s Fast-Acting, Long-Lasting Antidepressant Effects in Rodents
- Cannabis-Based Pharmaceutical Improves Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis'
'When you are junk sick you dream about junk. A curious fact about junk dreams is that something always happens to prevent you from getting a shot. The cops rush in, the needle stops up, the dropper breaks. Anyway, you never get it. I have talked to other users, and I have never known anyone who ever got fixed in a dream.' - - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The 'control of nature' is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature exists for the convenience of man. The concepts and practices of applied entomology for the most part date from that Stone Age of science. It is our alarming misfortune that so primitive a science has armed itself with the most modern and terrible weapons, and that in turning them against the insects it has also turned them against the earth.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Divide up what you possess with others, do not gather riches, do not exalt yourself, do not steal, do not cause suffering, do not kill anyone, do not do to another what you would not have done to yourself, was said not only nineteen hundred years ago but five thousand years ago. And there can be no doubt of the truth of this law, and but for hypocrisy it would be impossible for men - even if they themselves did not conform to it - to fail to recognize at least its necessity, and that he who does not do these things is doing wrong.
But you say that there is a public welfare for the sake of which these rules may and should be infringed: for the public good it is permissible to kill, torture, and rob. You say, as Caiaphas did, that it is better for one man to perish than the whole nation, and you sign the death sentence of a first, a second, and a third man, load your rifles against this man who is to perish for the public welfare, put him in prison, and take his possessions. You say that you do these cruel things because as a member of society and of the State you feel that it is your duty to serve them: as a landowner, judge, emperor, or military man to conform to their laws. But besides belonging to a certain State and having duties arising from that position, you belong also to eternity and to God and have duties arising from that.' - Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'The third quarter of this year [2018] was full big headlines for the cannabis industry. Epidiolex became the first cannabis-based medicine to gain FDA-approval in the United States, Coca-Cola and Budweiser are preparing to jump into the cannabis market, and cannabis companies are causing waves in the stock market. All of this excitement is enhanced by the groundbreaking research studies that deepen our understanding of cannabis’ vast potential to improve our health and wellness. Here are five of the most exciting scientific studies from this quarter.
Studies at a Glance:
'Pharmaceutical companies and beverage behemoths are hedging on cannabis’ widespread appeal and therapeutic benefits, and bipartisan support of the Agricultural Farm Bill highlights a shift in acceptance even among the federal government. The cannabis research momentum carried into the final quarter of 2018.
Here are the top five research stories to close out the year.
Studies at a glance:
'It’s with a mix of excitement and trepidation that we move into the next phase of cannabis research, still hoping to unlock the plant’s incredible therapeutic potential without letting Big Pharma swoop in and reap all the profits.
In the meantime, this past year produced some of the most promising research to date on cannabis as a treatment for a wide range of serious ailments.
Here’s what we learned in 2018.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/the-most-important-cannabis-studies-of-2018
'So far, the science on CBD isn’t mature enough to weigh in, one way or another. But judging by the number of studies and clinical trials under way, this nascent research field is growing up fast, seeking to quickly fill the space between the science and what people want to know.'
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cbd-product-boom-science-research-hemp-marijuana
But you say that there is a public welfare for the sake of which these rules may and should be infringed: for the public good it is permissible to kill, torture, and rob. You say, as Caiaphas did, that it is better for one man to perish than the whole nation, and you sign the death sentence of a first, a second, and a third man, load your rifles against this man who is to perish for the public welfare, put him in prison, and take his possessions. You say that you do these cruel things because as a member of society and of the State you feel that it is your duty to serve them: as a landowner, judge, emperor, or military man to conform to their laws. But besides belonging to a certain State and having duties arising from that position, you belong also to eternity and to God and have duties arising from that.' - Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'The third quarter of this year [2018] was full big headlines for the cannabis industry. Epidiolex became the first cannabis-based medicine to gain FDA-approval in the United States, Coca-Cola and Budweiser are preparing to jump into the cannabis market, and cannabis companies are causing waves in the stock market. All of this excitement is enhanced by the groundbreaking research studies that deepen our understanding of cannabis’ vast potential to improve our health and wellness. Here are five of the most exciting scientific studies from this quarter.
Studies at a Glance:
- The Entourage Effect in Rodent-Model Breast Cancer
- A Deeper Understanding of Cannabis’s Anti-Nausea Effects
- A Shift in Cannabis & Schizophrenia Theory
- Clinical Trial Finds Benefits of CBD in Autism
- A Novel Target for Low-Dose CBD Is Identified'
'Pharmaceutical companies and beverage behemoths are hedging on cannabis’ widespread appeal and therapeutic benefits, and bipartisan support of the Agricultural Farm Bill highlights a shift in acceptance even among the federal government. The cannabis research momentum carried into the final quarter of 2018.
Here are the top five research stories to close out the year.
Studies at a glance:
- THC Boosts the Efficacy of a Traditional Neuropathic Pain Medication
- CBD Blocks Toxin’s Ability to Promote Schizophrenia-like Symptoms
- Cannabis Protects Against Alcohol’s Damaging Effects on the Stomach
- A Balanced Cannabis Approach May Treat Spasticity in ALS
- Cannabis Smoke Improves Working Memory in Underperformers'
'It’s with a mix of excitement and trepidation that we move into the next phase of cannabis research, still hoping to unlock the plant’s incredible therapeutic potential without letting Big Pharma swoop in and reap all the profits.
In the meantime, this past year produced some of the most promising research to date on cannabis as a treatment for a wide range of serious ailments.
Here’s what we learned in 2018.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/the-most-important-cannabis-studies-of-2018
'So far, the science on CBD isn’t mature enough to weigh in, one way or another. But judging by the number of studies and clinical trials under way, this nascent research field is growing up fast, seeking to quickly fill the space between the science and what people want to know.'
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cbd-product-boom-science-research-hemp-marijuana
'Where pesticides are involved, the chemicals that figure most prominently in the case histories are DDT, lindane, benzene hexachloride, the nitrophenols, the common moth crystal paradichlorobenzene, chlordane, and, of course, the solvents in which they are carried. As this physician emphasizes, pure exposure to a single chemical is the exception, rather than the rule. The commercial product usually contains combinations of several chemicals, suspended in a petroleum distillate plus some dispersing agent. The aromatic cyclic and unsaturated hydrocarbons of the vehicle may themselves be a factor in the damage done [to] the blood-forming organs. From the practical rather than the medical standpoint this distinction is of little importance, however, because these petroleum solvents are an inseparable part of most common spraying practices.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
So the medical societies say keep marijuana in Schedule 1 status till further research is done and the head of NIDA Nora Volkow says keeping marijuana in Schedule 1 status is preventing further research but she is sceptical about its benefits. I am thinking that all these parties fear that they may not have much to do once marijuana is legalized federally and so are doing the best they can to put hurdles in the path of legalization.
'The presidents of the Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and New York medical societies recently signed a letter expressing opposition to marijuana legalization efforts in their states, saying “not enough research has been done to prove marijuana is safe.”'
https://apnews.com/084a43dd92bb48b49470cc63534f0be3
No other plant has probably been researched as much as the cannabis plant. Yet the plant remains largely a mystery with researchers stating that what they have discovered is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost every research paper ends with statements about how the plant seems to have great potential for the area studied but further research is required to understand things better. Researchers are mainly handicapped by the illegal status of the plant worldwide. The result of this is lack of access to sufficient quantities of the plant and lack of access to the thousands of varieties of the plant found worldwide. Global legalization of the plant will hugely benefit research by providing researchers access to both sufficient quantities and wider varieties of the plant without having to go through the kind of restrictions that they currently face. The plant holds enough mysteries to engage possibly hundreds of thousands of researchers for decades of research. It is certain that the outcome of this research will only benefit man and nature in terms of medical, recreational and industrial applications. This is one more key reason to legalize the cannabis plant worldwide.
Going by the diversity of Indian languages, food and geography, the likelihood of the existence of a huge variety of Indian ganja is high. Each variety is likely to have adapted to its local geography, environmental conditions and evolved over millions of years to develop its own distinct characteristics. The threat however is the rampant destruction of the plant in the name of law enforcement, economic development and sheer ignorance. There is no telling how many varieties have been lost forever. As worldwide research on the plant gathers speed, newer benefits of the plant are being discovered by the day both in terms of medical use and industrial applications. Medical conditions for which the plant may be useful are already in the range of 25-30 or more conditions as recognized by medical bodies in the US. Industrial applications are in the range of a whopping 25,000 or so! The body of evidence in both areas continues to grow rapidly. The urgent need of the hour in India is to study and document the different varieties of the ganja plant that exist and to understand their biological compositions. There is also an urgent need to set up protective measures such as building a seed bank and understanding the gene pool of the plant better. There is also an equally urgent need to change the laws which are fueling the blind destruction of the plant. Last but definitely not least, is the need to spread awareness about the plant, its protection and revival.
'Together, the articles in this special issue highlight advances in using alternative methods and data to better understand the changing phenomenon of cannabis use, products, and distribution in the United States. Future research will need to continue in these directions, from better emulation of human use of cannabis in animal model research, to leveraging a broader array of data and methods now available, to asking new questions using established approaches.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1178221818774264
'Measured by the standards established by Warburg, most pesticides meet the criterion of the perfect carcinogen too well for comfort. As we have seen in the preceding chapter, many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons, the phenols, and some herbicides interfere with oxidation and energy production within the cell. By this means they may be creating sleeping cancer cells, in which an irreversible malignancy will slumber undetected until finally - its cause long forgotten and even unsuspected - it flares into the open as recognizable cancer.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
So the medical societies say keep marijuana in Schedule 1 status till further research is done and the head of NIDA Nora Volkow says keeping marijuana in Schedule 1 status is preventing further research but she is sceptical about its benefits. I am thinking that all these parties fear that they may not have much to do once marijuana is legalized federally and so are doing the best they can to put hurdles in the path of legalization.
'The presidents of the Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and New York medical societies recently signed a letter expressing opposition to marijuana legalization efforts in their states, saying “not enough research has been done to prove marijuana is safe.”'
https://apnews.com/084a43dd92bb48b49470cc63534f0be3
No other plant has probably been researched as much as the cannabis plant. Yet the plant remains largely a mystery with researchers stating that what they have discovered is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost every research paper ends with statements about how the plant seems to have great potential for the area studied but further research is required to understand things better. Researchers are mainly handicapped by the illegal status of the plant worldwide. The result of this is lack of access to sufficient quantities of the plant and lack of access to the thousands of varieties of the plant found worldwide. Global legalization of the plant will hugely benefit research by providing researchers access to both sufficient quantities and wider varieties of the plant without having to go through the kind of restrictions that they currently face. The plant holds enough mysteries to engage possibly hundreds of thousands of researchers for decades of research. It is certain that the outcome of this research will only benefit man and nature in terms of medical, recreational and industrial applications. This is one more key reason to legalize the cannabis plant worldwide.
Going by the diversity of Indian languages, food and geography, the likelihood of the existence of a huge variety of Indian ganja is high. Each variety is likely to have adapted to its local geography, environmental conditions and evolved over millions of years to develop its own distinct characteristics. The threat however is the rampant destruction of the plant in the name of law enforcement, economic development and sheer ignorance. There is no telling how many varieties have been lost forever. As worldwide research on the plant gathers speed, newer benefits of the plant are being discovered by the day both in terms of medical use and industrial applications. Medical conditions for which the plant may be useful are already in the range of 25-30 or more conditions as recognized by medical bodies in the US. Industrial applications are in the range of a whopping 25,000 or so! The body of evidence in both areas continues to grow rapidly. The urgent need of the hour in India is to study and document the different varieties of the ganja plant that exist and to understand their biological compositions. There is also an urgent need to set up protective measures such as building a seed bank and understanding the gene pool of the plant better. There is also an equally urgent need to change the laws which are fueling the blind destruction of the plant. Last but definitely not least, is the need to spread awareness about the plant, its protection and revival.
'Together, the articles in this special issue highlight advances in using alternative methods and data to better understand the changing phenomenon of cannabis use, products, and distribution in the United States. Future research will need to continue in these directions, from better emulation of human use of cannabis in animal model research, to leveraging a broader array of data and methods now available, to asking new questions using established approaches.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1178221818774264
'Measured by the standards established by Warburg, most pesticides meet the criterion of the perfect carcinogen too well for comfort. As we have seen in the preceding chapter, many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons, the phenols, and some herbicides interfere with oxidation and energy production within the cell. By this means they may be creating sleeping cancer cells, in which an irreversible malignancy will slumber undetected until finally - its cause long forgotten and even unsuspected - it flares into the open as recognizable cancer.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'If people tell you that all this is necessary for the maintenance of the existing order of life and that this social order, with its destitution, hunger, prisons, executions, armies and wars, is necessary for society, that still more miseries will ensue were that organization infringed; all that is said only by those who profit by such an organization. Those who suffer from it - and they are ten times as numerous - all think and say the contrary. And in the depth of your soul you yourself know it is untrue, you know that the existing organization of life has outlived its time and must inevitably be reconstructed on new principles, and that therefore there is no need to sacrifice all human feeling to maintain it.' - Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'The race to become the global hub for medical research and innovation in cannabis is now on, but it appears that no Canadian city or leading politician has decided to champion this unique opportunity. While some would strongly argue that Israel is miles ahead in this sprint—the Knesset, country’s legislative body, has only recently passed a bill to decriminalize cannabis with fines for those caught smoking cannabis'
http://theprovince.com/cannabis-business/shhh-the-race-to-become-the-global-centre-of-excellence-in-medical-cannabis-research-and-innovation-is-quietly-underway/wcm/b5387f28-91c1-43c4-9d38-1534c274be9f
'This article provides the necessary level of procedural detail on the GDS (Global Drug Survey) methodology to complement the interpretation of our results-oriented papers. It answers the questions raised by many of those who have reviewed our papers. We hope that, along with other publications led by the first author, this article helps to demystify the conduct of internet research with groups that are understandably suspicious of researchers, who have historically misrepresented their issues and perpetuated, rather than challenged, stereotypes of drug use and drug users. We conclude that opt-in web surveys of hard-to-reach populations are an efficient way of gaining in-depth understanding of stigmatised behaviours, and are appropriate, as long as they are not used to estimate drug use prevalence of the general population.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1178221817716391
'A delegation of Chinese businessmen and academic researchers in the fields of technology and agriculture is set to arrive in Israel next week, to meet with Israeli cannabis researchers. The delegation is also set to meet with Israeli companies in the domain, especially pharmaceutical companies and those developing technological innovations in the field of cannabis.
Israel is considered a leader when it comes to medical cannabis-related research, with both the government and the academia actively participating in the domain for decades.
Raphael Mechoulam, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was the first person to identify the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, THC.'
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3753688,00.html
'The race to become the global hub for medical research and innovation in cannabis is now on, but it appears that no Canadian city or leading politician has decided to champion this unique opportunity. While some would strongly argue that Israel is miles ahead in this sprint—the Knesset, country’s legislative body, has only recently passed a bill to decriminalize cannabis with fines for those caught smoking cannabis'
http://theprovince.com/cannabis-business/shhh-the-race-to-become-the-global-centre-of-excellence-in-medical-cannabis-research-and-innovation-is-quietly-underway/wcm/b5387f28-91c1-43c4-9d38-1534c274be9f
'This article provides the necessary level of procedural detail on the GDS (Global Drug Survey) methodology to complement the interpretation of our results-oriented papers. It answers the questions raised by many of those who have reviewed our papers. We hope that, along with other publications led by the first author, this article helps to demystify the conduct of internet research with groups that are understandably suspicious of researchers, who have historically misrepresented their issues and perpetuated, rather than challenged, stereotypes of drug use and drug users. We conclude that opt-in web surveys of hard-to-reach populations are an efficient way of gaining in-depth understanding of stigmatised behaviours, and are appropriate, as long as they are not used to estimate drug use prevalence of the general population.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1178221817716391
'A delegation of Chinese businessmen and academic researchers in the fields of technology and agriculture is set to arrive in Israel next week, to meet with Israeli cannabis researchers. The delegation is also set to meet with Israeli companies in the domain, especially pharmaceutical companies and those developing technological innovations in the field of cannabis.
Israel is considered a leader when it comes to medical cannabis-related research, with both the government and the academia actively participating in the domain for decades.
Raphael Mechoulam, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was the first person to identify the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, THC.'
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3753688,00.html
'Today we find our world filled with cancer-producing agents. An attack on cancer that is concentrated wholly or even largely on therapeutic measures (even assuming a 'cure' could be found) in Dr. Heuper's opinion will fail because it leaves untouched the great reservoirs of carcinogenic agents which would continue to claim new victims faster than the as yet 'elusive' cure could allay the disease.
Why have we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,' says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is 'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many different and biologically distinct ways.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
Why have we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,' says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is 'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many different and biologically distinct ways.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'All the symptoms of shock can be produced by an overdose of histamine. Histamine is produced by body tissue wherever injury occurs. Histamine enlarges blood vessels so that extra blood comes to the place of injury. When a blood vessel is enlarged, its walls are stretched thin and porous and so fluid escapes. Loss of blood leads to lowered blood pressure. Excess histamine leads to lowering of blood pressure and shock, as occurs in serious injury. Adrenaline is the body's defense against excess histamine, and before the specific antihistamine drugs, was the only chemical antidote for histamine poisoning.' -- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'But it was the advent of DDT, and all its many relatives that ushered in the true Age of Resistance. It need have surprised no one with even the simplest knowledge of insects or of the dynamics of animal populations that within a matter of a very few years an ugly and dangerous problem had clearly defined itself. Yet awareness of the fact that insects possess an effective counterweapon to aggressive chemical attack seems to have dawned slowly. Only those concerned with disease-carrying insects seem by now to have been thoroughly aroused to the alarming nature of the situation; the agriculturists still for the most part blightly put their faith in the development of new and even more toxic chemicals, although the present difficulties have been born of just such specious reasoning.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Agencies concerned with vector-borne disease are at present coping with their problems by switching from one insecticide to another as resistance develops. But this cannot go on indefinitely, despite the ingenuity of the chemists in supplying new materials. Dr. Brown has pointed out that we are traveling 'a one-way street. No one knows how long the street is. If the dead end is reached before control of disease-carrying insects is achieved, our situation will indeed be critical.
With insects that infest crops the story is the same.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'What manner of man does science make? The boy is not attracted. He says, I do not wish to be such a kind of man as my professor is. The collector has dried all his plants in his herbal, but he has lost weight and humor. He has got all snakes and lizards in his phials, but science has done for him also, and has put the man in a bottle. Our reliance on our physician is a kind of despair of ourselves. The clergy have bronchitis, which does not seem a certificate of spiritual health. Macready thought it came of the falsetto in their voicing.' - Beauty, Emerson, The Basic Writings of America's Sage
'Dr. Briejer says:
It is more than clear that we are traveling a dangerous road....We are going to have to do some very energetic research on other control measures, measures that will have to be biological, not chemical. Our aim should be to guide natural processes as cautiously as possible in the desired direction rather than to use brute force...
We need a more high-minded orientation and a deeper insight, which I miss in many researchers. Life is a miracle beyond our comprehension, and we should reverence it even where we have to struggle against it...The resort to weapons such as insecticides to control it is a proof of insufficient knowledge and of an incapacity so to guide the processes of nature that brute force becomes unnecessary. Humbleness is in order; there is no excuse for scientific conceit here.'- Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'These insecticides are not selective poisons; they do not single out the one species of which we desire to be rid. Each of them is used for the simple reason that it is a deadly poison. It therefore poisons all life with which it comes in contact: the cat beloved of some family, the farmer's cattle, the rabbit in the field, and the horned lark out of the sky. These creatures are innocent of any harm to man. Indeed by their very existence they and their fellows make his life more pleasant. Yet he rewards them with a death that is not only sudden but horrible.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The fisheries of fresh and salt water are a resource of great importance, involving the interests and the welfare of a very large number of people. That they are now seriously threatened by the chemicals entering our waters can no longer be doubted. If we could divert to constructive research even a small fraction of the money spent each year on the development of even more toxic sprays, we could find ways to use less dangerous materials and to keep poisons out of our waterways. When will the public become sufficiently aware of the facts to demand such action? - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Dr. Briejer says:
It is more than clear that we are traveling a dangerous road....We are going to have to do some very energetic research on other control measures, measures that will have to be biological, not chemical. Our aim should be to guide natural processes as cautiously as possible in the desired direction rather than to use brute force...
We need a more high-minded orientation and a deeper insight, which I miss in many researchers. Life is a miracle beyond our comprehension, and we should reverence it even where we have to struggle against it...The resort to weapons such as insecticides to control it is a proof of insufficient knowledge and of an incapacity so to guide the processes of nature that brute force becomes unnecessary. Humbleness is in order; there is no excuse for scientific conceit here.'- Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'These insecticides are not selective poisons; they do not single out the one species of which we desire to be rid. Each of them is used for the simple reason that it is a deadly poison. It therefore poisons all life with which it comes in contact: the cat beloved of some family, the farmer's cattle, the rabbit in the field, and the horned lark out of the sky. These creatures are innocent of any harm to man. Indeed by their very existence they and their fellows make his life more pleasant. Yet he rewards them with a death that is not only sudden but horrible.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The fisheries of fresh and salt water are a resource of great importance, involving the interests and the welfare of a very large number of people. That they are now seriously threatened by the chemicals entering our waters can no longer be doubted. If we could divert to constructive research even a small fraction of the money spent each year on the development of even more toxic sprays, we could find ways to use less dangerous materials and to keep poisons out of our waterways. When will the public become sufficiently aware of the facts to demand such action? - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'And now look at the history of mescalin research. Seventy years ago men of first-rate ability described the transcendental experiences which come to those who, in good health, under proper conditions and in the right spirit, take the drug. How many philosophers, how many theologians, how many professional educators have had the curiosity to open this Door in the Wall? The answer, for all practical purposes, is, None.' - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954.
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