Medical Cannabis

The House and Senate introduced a revised bill to mandate Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct research on the effects of medical cannabis on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.

A major focus area when it comes to medical cannabis is patient and healthcare education, or rather the lack of that education and rampant misinformation. When Megan Mbengue, BSN, RN, CHPN, saw this gap in educational resources firsthand for people who are looking to use cannabis as a treatment, she decided to launch Trusted Canna Nurse with a mission to break stigma through education. Voted a Cannabis Nurse Entrepreneur of the Year by Cannabis Nurses Networks in 2022, Mbengue and her team offer cannabinoid education, consultations, and a line of products for the spectrum of chronic illnesses. In this interview, Mbengue shares how and why she provides guidance as a cannabis nurse for symptoms of conditions such as ADHD, cancer, autism, chronic pain, and more. She also describes the difficulties presented by the lingering stigma of cannabis and explains her hopes for the role of nurses in medical cannabis.

In results from a recent study, respondents reported that cannabis use led them to decrease their use of pharmacological treatments, including opioids.

This study, which evaluated the potential of a well-designed unidirectional aseptic processing approach to both hydrocarbon and supercritical carbon dioxide extract manufacturing, suggests that the extraction process is capable of deactivating or removing the tested microbial contaminants when highly contaminated Cannabis spp. Inflorescence is used as feed material.

The 2022 Canna Pharma Conference was held October 12-13 in San Diego, California.

In the work presented here, the author shares research from collecting reports from the New Jersey State laboratory (the Department of Health’s Environmental and Chemical Laboratory Services), which has conducted testing for the state’s medicinal program. He documented an average variance of 20% in potency levels from different samples of the same test lot.

In this video interview, Dr. Dustin Sulak of Healer.com and Integr8 Health shares the most surprising results and quality of treatment response he sees when treating his patients with medical cannabis and psychedelics.

In this video interview, Dr. Dustin Sulak of Healer.com and Integr8 Health shares the biggest challenge he encounters when educating other healthcare professionals on medical cannabis, both in the past and today.

Dr. Stephen Barnhill, founder, chairman, and CEO of Apollon Formularies, plc., explained to Cannabis Science Conference East 2022 attendees, his findings on how cannabis and mushrooms can be the ultimate weapon in the war against cancer.

In this interview, Dr. David “Dedi” Meiri discusses his important work at Technion, challenges and opportunities in cannabis research, and a preview of his upcoming presentation for CSC East.

When a patient isn’t able to access the care or medication that they need in their home country, they aren’t left with much of a choice but to travel to a country that will give them the treatment they need. In part II of this interview series, Nikki Lawley, founder of Nikki and the Plant, LLC, and retired licensed practical nurse (LPN), continues discussing her journey to health, the broken healthcare system hurting medical cannabis patients in the US, and what needs to change to make access better for patients.

Recently, Leaf411, the United States’ first cannabis nurse guidance call service, welcomed as its newest member Healer.com, a cannabis education and training resource founded by osteopathic physician, Dr. Dustin Sulak.

In early June 2022, the New York State Senate approved a bill which mandated public health insurance programs to cover medical cannabis expenses and defined how private insurers are allowed to handle these expenses as well (1).

What happens when traditional medicine fails a patient? When all recourses have been tried and the patient still suffers? In part I of this interview series, Nikki Lawley, founder of Nikki and the Plant, LLC, and retired licensed practical nurse (LPN), takes us through her journey from a medical professional in the healthcare industry to a brain injury survivor. Lawley also describes the medical cannabis industry from a patient perspective, learning about the medicinal properties of the plant, and finding what ways cannabis could be beneficial to her symptoms.

Otha Smith III shares his personal journey with medical cannabis and how it led to founding the Tetragram app.

In this interview, Abbey Roudebush, Director of Government Affairs for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), explains the goals of ASA and provides an in-depth analysis of their annual State of the States report.

In this article, regulatory requirements are explored as they are meant to create confidence that cannabis and cannabis-infused products are safe to use.

Dr. Richard van Breemen from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy discusses his COVID-19 and cannabis research.

Dr. Alison Draisin discusses her work at the forefront of cannabis assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic assisted psychotherapy.

In this piece, we touch on the benefits and challenges associated with autoflowering genetics, and provide justification for why these unique varietals may be the catalyst for making cannabis medicine more accessible and approachable for the general population.

Working with Doctors for Cannabis Regulation and other stakeholders, David L. Nathan, MD, proposed the Universal Cannabis Product Symbol (UCPS) in 2019. After its publication in 2020, a broad discussion with various stakeholders led to a series of changes to the UCPS. Working with the standards organization ASTM, the authors of this paper co-designed a modified version of the UCPS, which was renamed the International Intoxicating Cannabis Product Symbol (IICPS). This article presents the IICPS and next steps for the industry to start implementing its use.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission recently announced several appointments so their Cannabis Advisory Board, the members of which will study and make recommendations to the Commission regarding the regulation and taxation of marijuana in the state.

Dr. Denise Vidot shares some of her research findings that examine the impact of phytocannabinoids on multiple diseases.

Medical cannabis patients and adult-use consumers alike are faced with an overwhelming amount of options when they first enter a dispensary. Across the industry, producers are looking for ways to simplify things for consumers. One company, Volunteer Botanicals, recently partnered with an investment group to create cannabidiol (CBD)-based tablets that also combine other cannabinoids and have the potential to create a unique consumer experience. In this interview, Jason Pickle, co-founder and chief sales officer for Volunteer Botanicals, sits down to discuss this recent product, the need for standardization throughout the cannabis industry, and more.

Society’s ability to treat medical conditions is intimately tied to the extent of its knowledge and use of science and technology. No doubt, we’ve come a long way over the millennia. On the other hand, we still have so far to go.

The partnership will focus on sharing patient and advocate experiences and educating the public on the medical benefits of cannabis.

The Cannabis Center of Excellence, Inc., Medicinal Genomics, and UMass Dartmouth have established the Healthcare Provider Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Related to Medical Cannabis Research Study to help better understand the experiences of healthcare providers have seen with medical cannabis.

In this interview, learn about Nicole DiMonda’s incredible story and Jaime Brambila’s research efforts to document her case and help the lives of other cancer patients.

Congress passes the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act and the Medical Marijuana Research Act in two historic votes, signifying a growing shift toward cannabis legalization.

United Nations hold historic vote announcing cannabis's Schedule IV removal from the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics.