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Tag: cannabinoids

  • What’s inside the vaping devices Virginia students are using? – WTOP News

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    Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University have found that vaping devices confiscated in the region mainly contained nicotine, with a fraction having cannabinoids.

    Vaping devices confiscated from students in Virginia schools last year mainly contained nicotine, but a fraction had chemicals found in cannabis plants, and newer devices pose health risks to kids using them, according to researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University.

    During a joint School Board and Board of Supervisors meeting in Loudoun County last week, leaders were briefed on new trends connected to vaping in schools.

    Since 2019, VCU has analyzed vaping devices confiscated from students at Virginia schools. Some of the devices reviewed are from Northern Virginia, including in Loudoun County.

    The initiative launched as a result of some school leaders worrying that kids were putting cocaine into vapes. It’s since evolved to create a snapshot of what’s inside the devices and who’s using them.

    Researchers evaluated about 1,300 devices taken away during the last school year. Eighty-three percent had nicotine, and 14% had cannabinoids, according to VCU data.

    “The kids continue to have access to them, and we monitor how the devices themselves are evolving,” Michelle Peace, a professor of forensic sciences at VCU, said. “Because it’s always necessary to chase what the kids have access to.”

    In the Northern district, Peace said, 30% of the vapes were cannabinoids.

    Dual chamber devices, Peace said, have become increasingly popular in recent years. They have two e-liquids in different chambers and, depending on the device, they can be mixed together or used one at a time. In some, one liquid is nicotine and the other is a cannabinoid, Peace said.

    But, in others, both are cannabinoids.

    Some of the newer devices have a fidget element to them, and some feature games. One brand allows users to treat a vape pen as a pet, which is kept alive by inhaling the pen.

    “Tracking all of these things in terms of how they are appealing to children continues to be important to us,” Peace said.

    Because students sometimes share vaping devices, researchers tested them to determine whether they have yeast, mold or bacteria. Some vapes fail those tests, Peace said.

    “Do they leave the device and get into the aerosol so that you’re inhaling them into your deep lung tissue?” Peace said. “And so the answer was absolutely yes.”

    The aerosol is “more loaded than the device itself,” Peace said. Inhaling those substances could lead to fevers, headaches, hacking coughs or pneumonia.

    The number of vapes with nicotine decreased, but cannabinoid vapes increased, according to Peace’s presentation. But some elementary school students are also starting to use vapes.

    Vaping devices are sometimes mislabeled, Peace said, so it can be hard for students to know exactly what product they’re using.

    As part of the briefing, Peace described the prevalence of bakeries, dispensaries and social clubs in Virginia’s unregulated cannabis market. Researchers often engage in surveillance shopping, reviewing the products and checking whether there is misleading or unknown information.

    “This is about raising public awareness about the nature of these shops,” Peace said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Is CBN Right For You

    Is CBN Right For You

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    Sitting at the crossroads of THC and CBD – CBD helps with sleep and pain. Could it be right for you?

    Marijuana is been proven a benefit to the medical world and the American Medical Association, Health and Human Services, the American College of Physicians and the Food and Drug administration all support increasing it’s reach and for more research.  It has been shown to be particularly helpful with chronic pain, nausea, and sleep. The cannabis plant provide a variety of cannabinols, including CBD, marijuana and CBN. But the medical question is CBN right for you? It sits at the crossroads between CBD and THC can be useful with health issues.

    RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

    Like CBD and THC, CBN is among the 100+ molecules in the cannabis plant. When THC is heated and exposed to CO2 (oxygen), it converts to CBN. The compound is said to have a mild psychoactive effect, slightly more so than CBD but much less than THC. Specifically, it is said to have a sedating effect on most users and to have promising sleep aid applications, similar to melatonin (among other potential uses).

    Photo by Bacsica/Getty Images

    The marketing of CBN as a dietary supplement may be viable, provided that no unapproved health claims are made and could be nationally legal as long as they have a THC concentration of 0.3% or less. Unlike CBN and like THC, CBN is legal in some states, but not federally. The FDA likes to point out that the 2018 Farm Bill explicitly preserved FDA’s authority to regulate products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds under the Food Drug & Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) and section 351 of the Public Health Service Act. But the marketing of CBN as a dietary supplement may be viable nonetheless, provided that no unapproved health claims are made.

    RELATED: What Is CBG And Is It Legal?

    Unlike CBD, CBN not been approved as a drug, and FDA itself has acknowledged “parts of the cannabis plant that do not contain THC or CBD might fall outside the scope of the [drug exclusion rule].” As with CBG, if CBN is approved as a drug at some point down the line, it also seems likely that the drug exclusion rule would not apply: this is because the rule contains an exception for substances marketed as foods or dietary supplements prior to any FDA clinical investigation. People are already marketing CBN products as foods and dietary supplements.

    Photo by Adrianna Calvo via Pexels

    But the question is still, is CBN right for you? With regards to sleep, it is can be a bit stronger than CBD alone. While melatonin is a known as a good over the counter sleep aid, it doesn’t work for everyone.

    A clinical study looked into sleep improvements from 15 mg of CBD with or without 15 mg of CBN compared with 5 mg of melatonin. In the study, all groups reported improved sleep quality, and there were no significant differences between products. Since this study didn’t look at CBN alone, it isn’t a direct comparison. But it seems to indicate that products containing an equal amount of CBD and CBN are similarly effective to melatonin for sleep. And adding a CBD/CBN product to melatonin didn’t provide any added benefit.

    RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

    CBN use showed relief in muscle and joint pain conditions with inflammation. Limited studies show The study also noted that pain relief was better when CBD and CBN were used together.

    So CBN can be helpful if you need a little extra in over the counter help.

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    Amy Hansen

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  • Should You Stir CBD Into Your Morning Coffee

    Should You Stir CBD Into Your Morning Coffee

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    Every morning, roughly 63% of Americans and 71% of Canadians savor a hot cup of coffee. It is a morning ritual shown in movies, memories and memes. But can it be a vehicle to help improve your mood and general state of mine.  CBD oil, which has gained popularity as a stress reliever over the last few years. Studies also show CBD reduces aggressive behavior and effectively helps you chill out. If it is all true, should stir CBD in into your morning coffee?

    Studies have shown CBD contains anti-anxiety, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Add the caffeine boost you receive from coffee and it seems like the perfect way to start your day. It’s widely reported by those who use both caffeine and CBD oil the combination can remove the jittery edge.

    However, combining CBD with your coffee fundamentally changes how it affects your body. That’s why experts recommend not doing so if you’re using the extract for medicinal purposes.

    RELATED: 5 Morning Activities To Help You Feel Happier

    “Those who want to use CBD for serious medical conditions, such as seizure disorders or inflammation from autoimmune disorders, should not take CBD in this manner, as accurate CBD dosing is extremely important for efficacy in these types of illnesses,” Bonni Goldstein, a California-based physician specializing in cannabinoid therapy.

    Photo by Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash

    A study backed up Goldstein. According to researchers analyzing cannabis tea, temperature changes CBD content in both hot and cold liquids. So, if you require precise dosing of medicine, it’s best not to dump your CBD oil into a hot cup of joe.

    RELATED: How Many People Can You Date At One Time

    Those approaching the issue from a wellness perspective don’t have such concerns. Anecdotal evidence of the therapeutic effects combining CBD and coffee to boost your day-to-day proceedings is mixed. Some say that CBD-infused coffee diminishes the buzzing rush caffeine delivers while lowering anxiety symptoms. But others find the pairing disorienting. Since CBD is also used to achieve a good night’s sleep, the cannabinoid’s drowsy properties fight with coffee’s caffeine to leave you groggy and unsatisfied.

    Most importantly, you should understand that CBD affects each individual differently. What works for you might not work for someone else. But we know for certain that dumping CBD oil into your coffee dramatically decreases its bioavailability, or the extent and rate at which the drug enters your body’s circulation to produce the desired effects. CBD oil taken sublingually, or underneath your tongue, maintains a bioavailability between 20-30%, but received orally, like in a drink, drops the bioavailability down to 6%. This is another reason medical experts don’t recommend patients combining the two.

    RELATED: CBD Coffee Is The Easy Way To Pain-Free Mornings

    If you’re committed to starting your day with CBD-infused coffee, but don’t want to sacrifice efficacy, we have a recommendation. A 2016 study reported that combining cannabinoids into a fatty acid allows CBD to bypass your metabolism — which is responsible for diminishing the plant’s impact — and increases bioavailability. This explains why many report the most therapeutic effects are found by adding organic butter or coconut oil to make a CBD coffee concoction. It’s a little more work, but your body will thank you for it later.

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    Sarah Johns

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  • False Dosage Labels on 96% of Tested Amazon Hemp Products, Many With No Hemp or CBD

    False Dosage Labels on 96% of Tested Amazon Hemp Products, Many With No Hemp or CBD

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    In the midst of blossoming cannabis and CBD reform throughout the West, hemp-derived cannabinoid products are increasingly taking center stage as legislators continue to raise red flags surrounding the lack of regulation and intoxicating potential of these products.

    Just in the past several months, a number of states have moved to introduce new policies to limit or ban the sale of psychoactive hemp-derived cannabinoid products, like delta-8 THC. Similarly, many are calling out some of the issues surrounding the regulatory gaps surrounding hemp-derived products in the market.

    Among them is CBD Oracle, a consumer research company aiming to improve safety and transparency surrounding cannabis products. 

    Most recently, it turned its attention to CBD gummies and other hemp products available for purchase on Amazon.com. While the company notes that Amazon will “tell you confidently” that they do not allow CBD gummies on the platform, CBD Oracle’s new independent analysis on such products begs to differ.

    A Look at Amazon’s Approach to Hemp and CBD Products

    While Amazon doesn’t technically allow CBD products, CBD Oracle suggests that sellers on the site largely get around this obstacle by avoiding the term “CBD” and instead using “hemp” on packaging and in product descriptions. 

    Neurogan CEO Jan Brandup said that Amazon’s “hemp products” are not related to actual hemp and rather use the term as a sales tactic.

    “It’s alarming how easily consumers are deceived into trusting these products, just because they are sold on a reputable platform like Amazon,” Brandup said. “The best case is they may drain your wallet.”

    Sunday Scaries CEO Mike Sill agreed, adding that many of the products on Amazon automatically lack credibility and ultimately quality due to the nature of the platform’s regulations.

    “When you search for ‘CBD gummies’ on the platform, no reputable brands populate in your search results,” Sill said. “The reason for this is that credible brands like Sunday Scaries, Charlotte’s Web and cbdMD are not allowed to sell on Amazon without being banned.”

    Rather, Sill said these companies engage in “brand burning,” meaning that once they are banned from Amazon, they essentially rebrand with a new name and packaging only to reupload the same products to the site and continue sales.

    “Their business model doesn’t include a focus on building a reputable brand and providing the highest quality and safest products to consumers; they are just looking for a quick sale and will do whatever is necessary to stay ‘live’ on Amazon,” Sill said.

    So what exactly do Amazon “hemp” products contain?

    Investigating the Contents of Amazon’s ‘Hemp’ Products

    In an effort to analyze the specific contents of CBD products on Amazon, the company purchased 56 of the most popular hemp products on the site and tested them through InfiniteCAL Labs. Most of the products (80%) were gummies, with eight tinctures, two topical creams and one pack of mints. A majority (89%) also made specific numerical claims regarding dosage.

    Around 30% (17 of 56) of the products tested contained CBD, averaging 547 mg per package. However, there was a large variance in CBD quantity between products, with a minimum of 28 mg of CBD and a maximum of 1,582 mg. While CBD Oracle notes that this at least shows Amazon isn’t being totally dishonest about some of these products containing hemp and hemp compounds, it still violates Amazon’s policies and may not be legally compliant.

    THC is also banned from Amazon sales, though six (11%) of the tested products contained the cannabinoid with the three containing the most comprised primarily of delta-8 THC. While all of the products were under the THC threshold set by the 2018 Farm Bill, the three delta-8 products “had very high quantities of THC” with 641, 2,507 and 3,028 mg per pack. The product with the highest amount of THC had 76 mg per gummy.

    The majority of tested products (35 of 56 products, or 62.5%) contained no cannabinoids at all with more than a third (24 of 56 products, or 43%) containing no hemp.

    InfiniteCAL Lab Manager Dr. Erik Paulson explains that hemp is typically infused into consumable products through hemp seeds, which contain no cannabinoids, or through extractable material pulled out of leaves, stems or buds — generally to create cannabinoid-infused products.

    “Simply put, if you buy ‘hemp’ from Amazon it is likely that you will actually be buying an expensive jar of gummy bears. Gelatin and sugar, priced at a premium,” CBD Oracle notes in the report.

    The report also confirmed that a whopping 96% of tested products did not advertise an accurate dosage.

    “If we assume the dosage listing refers to cannabinoids (and not just the total mass of hempseed oil), just two products were confirmed by lab testing to have a dosage within 10% of that listed on their labels,” the report states. “They contained an average of just 25% of the advertised dosage. In most cases, this was less than advertised, but one product primarily containing delta-8 THC had twice the promised dosage.”

    In addition, 52% of the products appeared to make an unapproved medical claim, and almost 95% of products did not provide Certificates of Analysis (COA), typically considered an essential for reputable companies selling hemp products.

    A Growing Issue and Potential Solutions

    While the report focused on Amazon products, CBD Oracle notes the prevalence of this trend, as other companies like eBay, Walmart and Alibaba carry similar products — sometimes the exact same options.

    Authors note the potential ramifications of selling these products, beyond safety and health concerns, in that it could undermine the broader hemp and cannabis industries and the reform progress so many are actively pushing for.

    “Amazon has demonstrated that they don’t understand the difference between hemp seed oil and hemp extract that contains cannabinoids,” said Forge Hemp’s Kelly Lombard. “As long as sellers are vague about a product’s contents, Amazon doesn’t seem to care. This is problematic because U.S. consumers need more information about hemp and CBD, not less. Amazon’s convenience and return policy may entice more consumers to try hemp products, but if their experience is negative, that hurts the industry.”

    CBD Oracle also lists some potential solutions to remedy these issues, though they largely fall on Amazon to either adhere to more strict verification and COA guidelines, if not completely remove any products making false claims. They note that customers tend to have limited impact and that individual efforts to combat or report these products may ultimately result in frustration and wasted time. 

    Authors also cite that the current model, a blanket ban on CBD encouraging companies to be dishonest and actively work around it, may not be the answer.

    “Even establishing a bare minimum requirement for hemp sellers — showing an up-to-date lab report — would be enough to send the snake oil sellers running for the hills,” the report concludes. “Will you be able to pretend that CBD isn’t available on your platform? No. But customers who are buying CBD on your platform — who already exist, like it or not — would be much, much more likely to get safe products that offer what they say on the label.”

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    Keegan Williams

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  • Can Cannabinoids Help People Wean Off Opioids? | High Times

    Can Cannabinoids Help People Wean Off Opioids? | High Times

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    Doctors desperately need tools to battle the opioid epidemic, and they’re turning to cannabinoids for new ways to approach the problem of opioid use disorder (OUD). Recently researchers aimed to create an open-access framework designed to help people wean off and eventually replace opioids with cannabinoids as an alternative. 

    Last August, a study provided a clinical framework for cannabinoids in the battle against the opioid epidemic. The study, entitled “An answered call for aid? Cannabinoid clinical framework for the opioid epidemic,” was published in Harm Reduction Journal.

    Researchers provided an evidence-based clinical framework for the utilization of cannabinoids to treat patients with chronic pain who are dependent on opioids, seeking alternatives, and tapering off of opioids.

    “Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and epidemiological evidence to date, cannabinoids stand to be one of the most interesting, safe, and accessible tools available to attenuate the devastation resulting from the misuse and abuse of opioid narcotics,” researchers wrote. “Considering the urgency of the opioid epidemic and broadening of cannabinoid accessibility amidst absent prescribing guidelines, the authors recommend use of this clinical framework in the contexts of both clinical research continuity and patient care.”

    Recent research has shown a role for CBD in treating cannabis use disorder, and likewise, the compound could be useful in treating OUD. Researchers are also exploring the potential of THC and acidic cannabinoids as well. Cannabis is known anecdotally for the treatment of low-to-moderate amounts of pain despite working in very different ways than opiates.

    The open-access framework includes opioid tapering recommendations that are in accordance with the CDC’s latest clinical practice guidelines for managing opioids for pain. 

    “As opioid deaths continue to be a global problem, patients are increasingly self-medicating with cannabis while researchers struggle to standardize protocols and providers feel uncomfortable recommending cannabinoids amidst absent prescribing guidelines,” researchers wrote. “If we consider cannabis as a harm reduction tool that patients are already using without medical guidance, we can realign our focus to supporting researchers and providers with a clinical framework for standardizing research and recommending cannabinoids more informatively as safe, effective, accessible tools for assisting in the management of chronic pain. To our knowledge, this is one of the first comprehensive evidence-based peer-reviewed clinical frameworks for the safe use of cannabinoid products for chronic pain and OUD.”

    The researchers acknowledged that many of their patients have already begun their own self-guided journey into pain management with cannabinoids.

    The Devastating Toll of Opioid Overdoses

    Opioids continue to wreak havoc on people in America, leading to confusion about who needs powerful opioids and who doesn’t, and overdose deaths continue a steady pace of devastation.

    According to The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths rose from 2019 to 2021 with over 106,000 drug overdose deaths reported in 2021. Deaths involving synthetic opioids—primarily fentanyl and excluding methadone—continued its death march with 70,601 overdose deaths reported in 2021. Fentanyl in particular kills 150 Americans per day.

    Over-prescription of opioids could be part of the problem. A 2018 longitudinal analysis showed that prescriptions for all opioids in the U.S. fell by 14.4% when medical cannabis dispensaries opened—particularly for hydrocodone and morphine, but also for benzodiazepines, stimulants, and many other medications known to be over-prescribed and addictive. 

    In some states, opioid use disorder is a qualifying condition for the use of medical cannabis. Researchers are still learning about the efficacy of cannabinoids in animal and human trials.

    Studies on Cannabis and Opioid Abuse Vary

    Opioid addiction is a complex phenomenon, and studies vary in their results of whether or not cannabinoids are effective. One study concluded that there is “no evidence that cannabis reduces opioid misuse.”

    According to research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers instead found “no evidence” showing that cannabis may not be an effective long-term strategy for reducing opioid abuse.

    “There are claims that cannabis may help decrease opioid use or help people with opioid use disorders keep up with treatment. But it’s crucial to note those studies examine short-term impact and focus on treatment of chronic pain and pain management, rather than levels of opioid use in other contexts,” Dr Jack Wilson, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney in Australia, said in a statement.

    “Our investigation shows that cannabis use remains common among this population, but it may not be an effective long-term strategy for reducing opioid use,” he added.

    Recent studies show the vast potential of cannabis in the fight against the opioid epidemic that continues to ravage the U.S.

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    Benjamin M. Adams

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  • Cannabeginners: What are Cannabis Alkaloids? | High Times

    Cannabeginners: What are Cannabis Alkaloids? | High Times

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    What does cannabis, coca leaf, and all coffee have in common? They all contain alkaloids, a powerful group of medicinal compounds found in plants around the world. While little is presently known about cannabis alkaloids, they are suspected to possess impressive medical benefits like other plant alkaloids. 

    Alkaloids vs. Cannabinoids

    Alkaloids are “one of the most common groups of chemicals that [have] medicinal properties found in plants,” commonly used alkaloids include “morphine, cocaine, nicotine, caffeine, quinine, ephedrine, and many more.” They derive their name, alkaloid, from the word alkali, chemicals that react like bases, counteracting acids. Usually found in the outer tissues of plants, the bitter flavor of alkaloids is believed to be a natural defense in plants to prevent them being eaten by herbivores, similar to cannabinoids and terpenes which both assist in preventing predation. 

    While cannabinoids like THC, CBD, CBG, and THCv, are oily, lipohpilic (binds to fats), and hydrophobic (do not bind to water) compounds, alkaloids are a very different class of chemicals. The biggest chemical difference between alkaloids and cannabinoids is that all alkaloids include a nitrogen atom which binds to additional hydrogen atoms. Cannabinoids, on the other hand, do not have any nitrogen atoms and contain a chain of carbon atoms, which gives them their oily character. 

    Courtesy Duke University

    Despite their differences, efficient methods to extract both alkaloids and cannabinoids from plants is to simply burn the leaves or other parts that contain the chemicals, or perform a chemical extraction. These methods have been used for thousands of years for both types of chemicals; the caffeine in coffee is chemically extracted by brewing with water, cannabis is smoked, and cocaine was originally extracted through chewing or brewed as a tea. 

    Discovery of Alkaloids in Cannabis

    Cannabis is a very complicated plant and “more than 500 compounds have been reported from C. sativa, of which 125 cannabinoids have been isolated and/or identified as cannabinoids.” Non-cannabinoid constituents of cannabis include “42 phenolics, 34 flavonoids, 120 terpenes and 2 alkaloids.” Though, there is some debate over the number of alkaloids which have been identified.

    The discovery of alkaloids in cannabis actually manages to predate the discovery of the first cannabinoid, CBN, back in 1896, by more than a decade. In 1881, the first research on the alkaloid cannabinine was presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference, and two years later another physiologically active alkaloid, tetanocannabin, was discovered. Cannabis alkaloid research then remained dormant until the 1970s.

    In 1971, a group of scientists isolated four different alkaloids from cannabis, which they named cannabimines A-D. In 1975, two teams of researchers at the University of Mississippi (UMiss) identified and isolated the first spermidine alkaloid, cannabisativine, from the roots, leaves, and stems of both Mexican and Thai cultivars. The next year, the same researchers at UMiss isolated the second spermidine alkaloid, anhydrocannabisativine and showed that cannabisativine could be converted to anhydrocannabisativine. 

    While the cannabis alkaloids cannabisativine and annhydrocannabisativine were first discovered in Mexican and Thai cultivars, anhydrocannabisativine has since been “found in plant samples of Cannabis from 15 different geographical locations.”

    Which Part of The Plant Has the Most Alkaloids?

    Just like how not every part of a cannabis plant has the same amount of cannabinoids, alkaloids are also unequally distributed around the plant. Research has repeatedly shown that, “cannabis roots are not a significant source of cannabinoids or the aforementioned terpenes, but are rich in other compounds, including … alkaloids.” So while terpenes and cannabinoids are concentrated primarily in the trichomes on the leaves, cannabis alkaloids are primarily found in the roots (but can be found in the stems and leaves as well). 

    Medical Effects of Cannabis Alkaloids

    While cannabis alkaloids have a lot of medical potential, the specifics of that potential are unknown. In the case of cannabisativine and anhydrocannabisativine, “no pharmacological information is available,” but it is believed that “there are several compounds in cannabis root with potential anti-inflammatory activity, including alkaloids.” 

    Other researchers have noted that, as a class of compounds, “alkaloids may be used as analgesics, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, antiarrhythmics, asthma medications, antimalarials, anticholinergics, bronchodilators, laxatives, miotics, oxytocics, vasodilators, psychotropics, and stimulants,” and that likely includes cannabis alkaloids. One study of cannabis alkaloids found them to “have diuretic, analgesic, anticancer, antipyretic, and antiemetic effects.”

    In one study, a petroleum ether solution of cannabis alkaloids and cannabinoids had “a course of action comparable to that of atropine,” a drug commonly given to reduce fluid in the respiratory tract during surgery, which “can also treat insecticide or mushroom poisoning.” It is not clear to what extent those observed effects were due to the alkaloids or the cannabinoids. 

    A Quick Hit

    Despite being one of the most common groups of medicinal chemicals found in plants, alkaloids are some of the least known chemicals in cannabis. Early research shows that they may have strong medical benefits as part of the entourage of medicinal compounds in cannabis. 

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    Mitchell Colbert

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  • Making Cannabis Oil In A Slow Cooker Is Easy

    Making Cannabis Oil In A Slow Cooker Is Easy

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    What about combining the magic of the slow cooker with the benefits of cannabis!  A match made in chill heaven

    Marijuana has become mainstream popular, but not as popular as the slow cooker. Over 70% of homes has one and the last major statistics reported in 2019 say approximately 11.6 million slow cookers were sold in the US and Canada.  The slow cooker, originally known as the crock pot, was introduced in the 40s and has become a staple for meals ever since.  But what about a different use? Making cannabis oil in a slow cooker is easy!

    Cannabis oil has a ton of uses, from massage candles to pizza sauce, and the benefits from incorporating a little CBD into your diet are just as endless as its uses in cooking and salves.

    Luckily, making cannabis-infused oil at home is super simple, especially if you have a slow cooker. The recipe is easy to remember: You’ll need two cups of an oil of your choosing for every ounce or ounce-and-a-half of weed. Adjust the marijuana amount to your liking, and choose whichever oil you enjoy the flavor of—coconut and olive oil work best, for their high fat content which absorbs all those good cannabinoids.

    RELATED: Smoking Marijuana For The First Time: A Beginner’s Guide

    Next, grab your slow cooker and throw the oil in there. In goes the weed next! Don’t panic over throwing an ounce of good bud in there, it’ll be great. Gently mix it up, cover, and cook on the lowest setting for three hours. Allow it to cool, then repeat the heating process again for a more potent infusing.

    It’ll smell up the place, so make sure you’re in a friendly environment (or be ready to light a few non-infused candles).

    When you’re satisfied with the potency, strain out the oil from the leaves. Now you’re ready to try any one of our oil-infused recipes!

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    Sam Jones

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  • Hemp Cannabinoids Could Be Source of New Pesticides | High Times

    Hemp Cannabinoids Could Be Source of New Pesticides | High Times

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    Recent research into the potential uses of hemp shows that cannabinoids produced by the plant could one day be the source of new natural pesticides, according to researchers at Cornell University in New York. The study by scientists at the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell AgriTech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) found that a higher concentration of cannabinoids in the leaves of hemp plants showed less damage from chewing insects compared with leaves less rich in cannabinoids. 

    The researchers hope that further study could build on these findings to eventually produce new natural insecticides, most likely for use on non-edible plants only. The potential for using the new pesticides on food crops seems unlikely at this point because of the pharmacological effects of cannabinoids including CBDA, THCA and GBGA, which can be converted to CBD, THC and CBG, respectively, with the addition of heat in a process known as decarboxylation. 

    Larry Smart, a plant breeder and professor at CALS, says that researchers have studied the intoxicating and medicinal effects of cannabinoids, which are produced almost exclusively by cannabis plants, since the compounds were first identified decades ago. But little research has been conducted to determine exactly why cannabis plants first developed the more than 100 distinct substances.

    “It has been speculated that they are defensive compounds, because they primarily accumulate in female flowers to protect seeds, which is a fairly common concept in plants,” said Smart, the senior author of the study, according to a report from Hemp Today.

    “But no one has put together a comprehensive set of experimental results to show a direct relationship between the accumulation of these cannabinoids and their harmful effects on insects,” Smart continued. 

    Cornell’s Hemp Breeding Program Launched in 2017

    The research was conducted as part of Cornell’s hemp breeding program, which was launched by the Ivy League university in upstate New York in 2017. The program began its work by evaluating different commercially available hemp cultivars so recommendations could be made to farmers about which varieties are best suited to the local soil and climate. 

    The researchers noticed that varieties of hemp sourced from a breeding program in Ukraine that did not produce cannabinoids were all highly susceptible to damage from Japanese beetles. Other hemp varietals that produce cannabinoids were not similarly prone to damage from the insects.

    “In the absence of cannabinoids, we saw heavy insect damage, and in the presence of cannabinoids, we saw much less damage,” said Smart.

    The researchers then isolated CBDA and CBGA for use in controlled insect feeding studies. THCA was not studied as part of the research because strict federal limits on THC in hemp crops prevent Cornell researchers from working with the compound.

    The cannabinoid extracts were added to an artificial insect diet in varying concentrations. The researchers determined that insect larvae grew less and had lower rates of survival as the concentration of cannabinoids was increased.

    “The study gives us insight into how cannabinoids function in natural systems, and can help us develop new THC-compliant hemp cultivars that maintain these natural built-in defenses against herbivores,” said George Stack, a postdoctoral researcher in Smart’s lab and one of the authors of the new study.

    The researchers plan further investigation to determine if sap-sucking insects such as aphids are also adversely affected by cannabinoids. However, Stack noted that the research is hindered by the continued illegality of marijuana at the federal level.

    “The potential use of cannabinoids as a pesticide is an exciting area for future research, but there will certainly be regulatory barriers due to pharmacological activity of the compounds, and more studies are needed to understand what pests cannabinoids will be effective against,” Stack said.

    The study, “Cannabinoids Function in Defense Against Chewing Herbivores in Cannabis Sativa L.,” was published in October by the peer-reviewed journal Horticulture Research.

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    A.J. Herrington

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  • Cannabeginners: CBD for Sleep | High Times

    Cannabeginners: CBD for Sleep | High Times

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    One of the most common reasons why people use cannabis or hemp products is for help with sleep. Those who are looking for help sleeping but want to avoid feeling high generally assume CBD will help them sleep without any intoxication, but actually, depending on the dose of CBD they take, it could make it even harder to get to sleep.

    The Discovery and History of CBD

    Though cannabinol (CBN) has the honor of being the first cannabinoid ever discovered, CBD was a close second. In 1940, Roger Adams and his colleagues at the University of Illinois first isolated CBN and then later that same year isolated CBD. At that point, little was known about the effects or the chemical structure. 

    It took until 1963, when Raphael Mechoulam elucidated the chemical structure of CBD, one year before elucidating THC. As soon as THC’s intoxicating effects were discovered by Raphael Mechoulam in 1964, CBD was largely ignored, even by the research community. Then in 2008, with the advent of the first cannabis testing lab in the world, CBD was “rediscovered” and has since been the subject of considerable study. 

    CBD for Sleep

    In 1981, one of the earliest studies to explore CBD’s relationship to sleep showed that “Subjects receiving 160 mg cannabidiol reported having slept significantly more than those receiving placebo.” While some of the volunteers in the study used doses lower than 160mg, those lower doses were not reported to have had as strong of a sedating effect. A 2012 literature review summarized the extent of research over the preceding three decades on CBD and sedation, “clinical trials suggest that high-dose oral CBD (150–600 mg/d) may exert a therapeutic effect for social anxiety disorder, insomnia and epilepsy, but also that it may cause mental sedation.” The following year, a study done on rats found those sedating effects applied to rodents as well as humans, with the rodents experiencing increased “total sleep time, in addition to increasing sleep latency.” 

    Most recently, a 2019 study using people rather than rodents, found sleep benefits for some patients, but their data is limited because the dosing was inconsistent. Still, they observed that “Sleep scores improved within the first month in 48 patients (66.7%) but fluctuated over time,” that fluctuation largely happened once patients were receiving outpatient care and consistent dosing became even more difficult. The researchers did not do a good job reporting what dose of CBD corresponded to what benefit for sleep, but they noted the past research that higher doses did result in a longer “duration of sleep.”

    CBD for Alertness

    Astute readers might now be wondering, if the research is pretty consistent that a high dose of CBD, generally over 160 mg of CBD, produces feelings of sedation, what about a lower dose? That is where the science of CBD and sleep gets really complicated, and is a perfect illustration of the biphasic properties of many cannabinoids (where low doses produce one effect, and higher doses produce a radically different response). 

    In 1977, four years before Carlini and Cunha released their study showing high doses of CBD could improve sleep, Monti demonstrated that CBD could cause rats to sleep less. In 2006, Eric Rodríguez led a team of researchers, including Raphael Mechoulam, on a study which expanded on Monti’s research and showed that low doses of CBD “induces alertness” and suggested “it might be of therapeutic value in sleep disorders such as excessive somnolence.” Rodríguez followed up on his study two years later, which showed CBD was “a wake-inducing compound” at low doses. In 2014, Rodríguez did a literature review of CBD’s effects on sleep, which noted “contradictory results on the effect of CBD on sleep,” going back to the earliest days of CBD research. Rodríguez’ literature review pointed to differences in “route of administration, vehicle used, doses, subjects, etc” as a cause for the paradoxically different effects of CBD on sleep and alertness. In a 2019 study on narcolepsy, Rodríguez and his team suggested that “CBD might prevent sleepiness in narcolepsy.”

    What Do Consumers Actually Want?

    Now that we have dug into the research on CBD’s effects on sleep, let’s take a moment to talk about what it is consumers are actually looking for when they are looking for a CBD product to help with sleep. It is important for individuals to ask themselves, “What is it that is preventing me from sleeping?” Is their core issue a lack of sedation, i.e. they can’t get tired? Or is it racing thoughts, pain, or something else that is preventing them from sleeping? The Budtender’s Guide is a wonderful handbook for aspiring budtenders and consumers alike to have a deeper understanding of different cannabis products and the medical effects of cannabis.

    If someone’s core issue is not getting drowsy, in other words, they do not feel tired, then it is likely that they will need a much higher dose of CBD to achieve their desired outcome. If their main problem is pain, racing thoughts, or one of the myriad of other things CBD can help with, they may be able to use a lower dose to achieve their desired results for sleep but they should take their CBD a couple of hours before bed so the alerting effects have some time to wear off.

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    Mitchell Colbert

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  • Cannabeginners: Delta-8, Delta-9, Is All THC Created Equal?

    Cannabeginners: Delta-8, Delta-9, Is All THC Created Equal?

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    Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8, also seen as ∆8-THC) is a psychoactive and intoxicating cannabinoid similar to Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (the commonly found THC we all know well). Delta-8 has seen a surge in popularity due to a legal loophole in federal regulations that limits THC to 0.3% in hemp products but has no limit for delta-8.

    The History of Delta-8

    Roger Adams and a team of researchers at the University of Illinois were the first to report partial synthesis of delta-8 in 1941. It wasn’t until 1966, when Dr. Raphael Mechoulam and his colleague Dr. Yechiel Gaoni, achieved a total synthesis of delta-8 as part of their groundbreaking work at Hebrew University. In 2002, Dr. Mechoulam applied for a patent on the conversion of CBD into delta-8 and THC through various methods, which he received in 2008, and expired in 2022. As delta-8 is an isomer of THC, they have a similar chemical structure, and the only difference is the location of a double bond between two carbons. They are both psychoactive chemicals with intoxicating, euphoric properties. 

    A year before Dr. Mechoulam’s patent expired was the first time the American Association of Poison Control Centers “introduced a product code specific to delta-8 THC into its National Poison Data System, allowing for the monitoring of delta-8 THC adverse events.” That would mean that, officially, 2020 was the year that the delta-8 craze began in America. 

    Is Delta-8 Natural or Synthetic?

    The answer to this question is complicated and depends on how you define a synthetic cannabinoid. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that “Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals … they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant.” In order to be synthetic, a cannabinoid must be made by humans and be similar to chemicals found in the plant. In the case of delta-8, it is not similar to a cannabinoid found in the plant, it naturally is found there in very small amounts. Even though the majority of delta-8 on the market is from a lab, not the plant, the cannabinoids were still made by the plant, they were converted by humans. 

    The FDA’s guidance is a little more complicated. While they note delta-8 is “produced naturally by the cannabis plant,” they are clear that “concentrated amounts of delta-8 THC are typically manufactured from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD).” As the word “manufactured” is another way of saying something was “made,” it is ambiguous on if the FDA would view delta-8 as synthetic, and it would likely depend on where it was sourced from (a plant versus a lab). 

    How Most Delta-8 Gets Produced

    As there are only trace amounts of delta-8 found in hemp and cannabis plants, an incalculably high percentage of delta-8 on the market was produced in a lab using the chemical conversion that Dr. Mechoulam discovered. 

    The publication Chemical and Engineering News (CEN) described the process as “refluxing CBD in an organic solvent, such as toluene or heptane, with p-toluenesulfonic acid or another acid that serves as a catalyst.” In a controlled, regulated environment, these reactions would be done by PhD chemists to ensure there are no harmful by-products left in products sold to consumers, but the hemp industry is notoriously under-regulated with no requirements for lab testing. Experts who spoke to CEN described the conversion process as “pretty aggressive” and noted that it used “strong acids,” and in order to neutralize those conditions they would need to use strong bases, metal catalysts, or a number of other methods.

    While it is possible to purify converted delta-8 from unwanted contaminants, reaction leftovers, or other by-products, most people doing those conversions are not chemists and do not properly distill it or use appropriate testing methods. 

    Is Delta-8 Dangerous?

    A literature review published last year found that, “No comprehensive review articles have been published that focus exclusively on Δ8-THC,” meaning their study was the first to focus on delta-8. Rather than finding delta-8 to be more harmful than THC, they found “that Δ8-THC has [a] weaker potency than Δ9-THC.”

    Jeffrey Raber, is a cofounder and the CEO of the Werc Shop, a California-based cannabis contract manufacturing and testing firm, who saw the potential of delta-8 several years ago. “It’s a very interesting molecule, one that has very different physiological activity depending upon the entourage,” said Raber, who is urging regulators to address the testing and purity concerns around delta-8 while still allowing safe use.

    The FDA received 104 reports of adverse events in people who used delta-8 products between December 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022. None of those were fatal, and the events included “hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness.” Poison control centers around the US received 2,362 cases of delta-8 exposure from January 1, 2021 (when delta-8 was first coded) and February 28, 2022, with one pediatric case that resulted in death. 

    What is not clear is if those negative experiences and that one death were caused by delta-8 itself, or the rampant impurities in delta-8 products. Due to the lack of regulations, much of the delta-8 on the market is tainted with trace amounts of other cannabinoids (possibly THC or even Delta-10-THC, another isomer) and by-products from the chemical conversion. 

    Kyle Boyar is a research associate at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, and has reported that olivetol, a chemical precursor to THC, is a common by-product found in delta-8 products, adding “I don’t think anybody really knows the safe inhalation dose of olivetol.” As there are a range of solvents used for the conversion from CBD, there can be a wide variety of residual solvents in delta-8 products, and some, like dichloromethane and trichloroacetic acid, don’t even have standardized testing methods developed. 

    What Caused the Delta-8 Craze?

    While 2020 was the year of the craze, what was the “why” behind the delta-8 craze? Some sources note that the delta-8 craze began only after the price of CBD plummeted, and hemp companies needed a new way to turn a profit. So was a need to stay profitable the reason behind the delta-8 craze?

    It certainly was a contributing factor, but the real cause of the delta-8 craze, like the CBD craze before it, was cannabis prohibition. If there was no cannabis prohibition, then everyone using less safe hemp products could use legal, lab tested cannabis products. As long as whole plant cannabis containing over a certain amount of THC is illegal, people around the world will look for ways to get around that limit and create legal loopholes, and that is all delta-8 is, a new loophole to circumvent prohibition. 

    The post Cannabeginners: Delta-8, Delta-9, Is All THC Created Equal? appeared first on High Times.

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    Mitchell Colbert

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