legalization - ReportWire

Legalization Associated With Declines in Prescription Drug Expenditures

State-level marijuana legalization is associated with declines in prescription drug spending, according to data published last week in the journal Health Economics.

Researchers affiliated with Bowling Green State University in Ohio and Illinois State University assessed the impact of marijuana legalization laws on prescription drug expenditures among privately insured working-age adults.

They identified pronounced declines in prescription drug expenditures among enrollees of small group insurance plans (plans typically sold to employers with fewer than 50 employees).

“We find that net prescription drug claims in small group insurance markets are reduced by approximately six percent following recreational cannabis legalization,” they determined. “The reduction in claims in the small group market grows stronger in magnitude over time and gains statistical significance during the second full year of legalized cannabis.”

Investigators did not identify a similar reduction among enrollees in large group insurance plans. Researchers speculated that this null result could be because larger companies typically impose mandatory marijuana testing among their employees.

“Recreational cannabis laws result in significant relative declines in prescription drug claims that are concentrated in small group insurance markets,” the study’s authors concluded. “The legalization of cannabis offers a potential substitute to traditional prescription drugs and alternative methods for health maintenance.”

The study’s findings are consistent with those of others concluding that marijuana legalization is associated with lower health care premiums and reduced Medicaid spending.

Commenting on the data, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Cannabis has established efficacy in the treatment of multiple conditions, including chronic pain, and it possesses a safety profile that is either comparable or superior to many prescription medicines, like opioids. As legal access continues to expand, one would expect more patients to integrate cannabis products into their wellness strategies in a manner that reduces their overall disease burden as well as their reliance on traditional prescription medications.”

The full text of the study, “The effects of medical and recreational cannabis laws on prescription drug claims in commercial group insurance markets,” appears in Health Economics. Additional information on prescription drug substitution is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’

Study: U.S. Medical Cannabis Laws Increase Patient’s Mental Health

Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland recently published a study on April 2 to analyze how medical cannabis legalization in the U.S. has affected the country and its patients’ well-being.

Entitled “Medical marijuana laws and mental health in the United States,” researchers wanted to determine the effects of medical cannabis policies on patients over time. “The consequences of legal access to medical marijuana for individuals’ well-being are controversially assessed,” researchers wrote. “We contribute to the discussion by evaluating the impact of the introduction of medical marijuana laws across U.S. states on self-reported mental health considering different motives for cannabis consumption.”

Researchers analyzed the responses of 7.9 million people who participated in phone surveys between 1993-2018. This information was collected through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which focuses on data collection regarding “mental well-being.” In addition to this, researchers also utilized data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Participants were placed in specific groups, such as those who were “highly likely to abstain from using marijuana, to use marijuana as a recreational drug, or to use it for medical reasons” in order to determine the overall affect of medical cannabis legalization on their mental health. Additionally, researchers took into account the use of cannabis specifically for overall chronic pain.

Mental health was measured by asking participants to self-assess themselves by recording how many days they encountered mental health problems during the month prior to the assessment.

Ultimately, researchers found that medical cannabis legalization had no effect on either recreational consumers or youth. “We find weak evidence of positive effects on mental health due to the liberalisation of medical marijuana for the U.S. population overall,” researchers wrote in their conclusion. “While the estimated overall reduction in poor mental health days is not statistically significant, the result still implies an absence of evidence for the critical perspectives that highlight the risk of aggravated mental health problems due to MML [medical marijuana laws] introductions.”

“Easier access improves the mental health of individuals who use marijuana for medical reasons,” stated a University of Basel press article. “The same applies to people who are very likely to suffer from pain. The study authors estimate that these two groups spend 0.3 days less per month in poor mental health due to the change in the law.”

Professor Alois Stutzer summarized these findings in his own statement as well. “Overall, our results show that medical cannabis legislation in the USA benefits the people it is intended for without harming other groups,” Stutzer said. He explained that recreational cannabis consumers aren’t worse off after legalization, either, and ultimately there is “a clear relationship between liberalization and mental well-being.”

Both the U.S. and Switzerland both share a federal government structure. While Stutzer calls the most recent study an “experimental article” because it can help pave the way toward more studies that analyze Switzerland’s future cannabis industry.

The most recent study only extended to data collected prior to 2018, so it would be interesting to see a future study analyze even more recent data that accompanies the many other states that have legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis within the past five years.

Switzerland has been conducting isolated cannabis pilot programs to analyze consumer trends, sales patterns, and more. Recently at the end of March, the first data connected to one of these programs was released.

The ZüriCan study includes 1,928 people who have been approved to purchase cannabis for the study (a total of 2,100 individuals can participate). The newest data shared that of current participants, 80.7% are men, 18% are women, and 1% are nonbinary people. The demographic disparity was not a surprise, however, as researchers expected there to be a vast difference in gender-related consumers.

Additionally, researchers found that participants between the ages of 28-32 represented the highest percentage among all age groups (the average age of consumers is currently 35 years old). “Participation in the study seems to be particularly attractive for people who consume frequently,” researchers wrote. “However, people who only use cannabis a few times a month also take part in the study. This will allow us to compare people with different consumption habits in our study.”

The program data also showed that 6,500 sales have been made so far, with approximately 309 pounds of cannabis sold (individual packs were available only in five gram amounts).

Tobias Viegener, the head of marketing Cannavigia, a company that is working directly with the Swiss Federal Office on Public Health, told Forbes about the significance of this early data. “The initial data from the ‘ZüriCan’ pilot, published this month, reveals promising insights into the regulated cannabis market’s functionality and its acceptance among participants,” Viegener said. “This level of engagement indicates a positive reception and an effective distribution system, setting a solid foundation for informing future cannabis policy and regulation.”

Nicole Potter

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April 8, 2024

Hawaii House Advances Bill That Regulates ‘Entire’ Cannabis Plant – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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Tom Hymes

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March 21, 2024

Study: German Patients Have ‘Greater Satisfaction’ With MMJ Than Previous Treatments | High Times

It’s no secret that cannabis can work as an alternative to other longstanding medicinal options as it pertains to curbing and treating pain and related symptoms. A number of studies have already confirmed the efficacy of cannabis and its compounds as it relates to pain management, though a new study suggests that patients believe it may be even more effective than conventional treatments.

A recent survey of German patients published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine explored experiences with cannabis products, with more than 200 anonymous participant perspectives. As with many previous studies, patients largely reported reductions in their daily pain after starting cannabis therapy along with other benefits.

Notably, they reported “greater satisfaction” with cannabis, calling it “more effective” than their previous treatments.

Exploring German Prescription Cannabis for Pain

Researchers note that part of the intent behind the research is to explore “perspectives of patients whose experiences are not well enough known to date.”

Using a web-based survey of prescription cannabinoid patients, conducted between May 31, 2021 and June 2022, researchers conducted the research anonymously “to reduce treatment provider influence and stigma.” Subjects were asked to complete questionnaires regarding their cannabis therapy twice in the same session, once for the time of the survey and another for the period prior to their cannabis treatment.

Participants were asked to rate their daily pain levels, along with questions around the details of the cannabinoid prescription process — namely any issues they ran into obtaining the medication — and their general attitudes around cannabis.

Chronic pain was the most common diagnosis, with 72% of participants indicating that pain relief was the primary reason for their prescriptions.

Germany is currently making waves in the global cannabis space for its pending legalization of recreational cannabis, though plant cannabis and cannabinoid treatments were legalized by prescription use in the country back in 2017. Cannabis medication is also typically only authorized when patients are unresponsive to traditional options.

Researchers also note a study finding that the most common reason for German cannabinoid prescriptions from 2017 to 2022 was for pain.

Patients Report MMJ Benefits for Pain Treatment and More, Despite Access Barriers

“The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that most of the surveyed outpatients treated with prescription cannabinoids in Germany subjectively experience health benefits and symptom reduction associated with these therapies,” researchers state in their discussion.

Across all diagnoses and symptom groups, authors report that participants shared positive effects on physical functioning, emotional states and quality of life. Additionally, they reported fewer problems around fulfilling their social roles and their pain symptoms were perceived to have a lesser impact on their daily lives. Satisfaction was rated by perceived effectiveness, side effects and overall satisfaction.

Researchers suggest that the stress-reducing effect of cannabis drugs could be a “significant mediating factor,” in that opioids may have “more ambivalent effects on stress regulation because the kappa opioid receptor signaling pathway is activated by stress stimuli that produce both aversion and dysphoria in humans and other animal species.”

Prior to cannabis therapy, participants generally had a neutral to slightly positive attitude toward cannabis, which shifted to “predominantly positive” during therapy.

Most of the problems during the prescription process didn’t originate with physicians but rather with reimbursement issues involving health insurance providers. Approximately 25% of participants with statutory health insurance coverage reported that they opted to pay out of pocket.

“This is likely due to the current legal situation in Germany, where the prescription of cannabinoid medications is characterized by significant complexity and administrative hurdles, comparable to those encountered when prescribing off-label drugs, both for patients and practitioners,” researchers said.

‘Starting Points’ for Further Research

The study notes that comparable studies, in which German patients are directly questioned about cannabinoid therapy, are rare, with most surveys only questioning physicians. Those studies similarly found that pain was the main reason for cannabis prescriptions.

Standing apart from much of the current research in the region, researchers note risk of selection bias, in that patients may have been more willing to participate in the study due to successful treatments. They also note potential “expectation bias,” in that the high access barriers for cannabinoid therapies in Germany give many eligible patients high expectations, which could lead to a more favorable evaluation of such therapies, among other potential limitations.

“This observational study nevertheless provides starting points for further discussion in the context of planning clinical cannabinoid trials and formulating appropriate research questions, involving the patients’ perspectives,” researchers concluded.

Keegan Williams

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January 24, 2024

Study: Canadian MJ Legalization Has No Association with Increasing Psychosis Rates | High Times

Amidst the growing cannabis reform across the West, there have been growing conversations surrounding cannabis-induced psychosis, suggesting that regular cannabis use and highly concentrated products may exacerbate mental health symptoms as access increases.

However, a recent study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy took a closer look at shifting cannabis policy following Canada’s cannabis legalization in October 2018, ultimately finding no association with legalization and increasing rates of cannabis-related psychosis.

The research suggests that, at least so far, changing cannabis legislation is not related to increasing cases of psychotic disorders, though researchers also cautioned that “a longer post-legalization observation period … is needed to fully understand the population-level impacts of non-medical cannabis legalization.”

No Association Between Psychotic Disorders and Cannabis Reform

The research highlights the concern that has made waves in recent years, with cannabis as a “risk factor in the onset and persistence of psychotic disorders” and the notion that recreational cannabis legalization could elevate these risks.

A team of Canadian researchers examined regional changes in health services use and incidences of psychotic disorders over the months immediately following cannabis legalization through a cross-sectional interrupted time-series analysis from January 2014 to March 2020.

Researchers examined psychosis-related outpatient visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations and inpatient length of stay along with incident cases of psychotic disorders among people aged 14 to 60 years.

Ultimately, researchers did not find evidence of increase in health service use or incident cases of psychotic disorders over the short-term period, 17 months, following cannabis legalization. However, they noted “clear increasing trends in health service use and incident cases of substance-induced psychotic disorders” throughout the 2014-2020 observation window as a whole.

“Our findings suggest that the initial period of tight market restriction following legalization of non-medical cannabis was not associated with an increase in health service use or frequency of psychotic disorders,” authors concluded, stressing the need for a longer, post-legalization observation period to fully understand the population-level impacts of legalization and reform.

“Thus, it would be premature to conclude that the legalization of non-medical cannabis did not lead to increases in health service use and incident cases of psychotic disorder,” they state.

Further Proof That Legalization Does Not Increase Psychosis Instances

The study adds to a growing body of research similarly affirming that cannabis reform is not associated with significant changes surrounding cannabis-induced psychosis.

Another 2022 study looking at Canada’s cannabis legalization framework in relation to cannabis-induced psychosis and schizophrenia emergency department presentations also found that reform was not associated with these cases. Researchers still noted that there is a need for further research on the topic.

Looking at the United States and recent reform trends, recent research has also suggested that states with legal cannabis programs do not have elevated rates of psychosis. A 2023 study looked at the relationship between adult-use cannabis legalization and psychosocial functioning among a cohort of 240 pairs of identical twins, with one residing in a state where adult-use cannabis was permitted and the other where it was criminally prohibited.

While researchers noted a slight uptick in the frequency subjects reported cannabis use, they found that legalization was not positively correlated with increased psychotic or substance abuse disorder instances, along with other adverse outcomes. The research also found that those in legal cannabis states were less likely to engage with problematic alcohol use behaviors.

Additionally, 2022 data examining a cohort of 233,000 European cannabis consumers found that cannabis consumption rarely triggers episodes of acute psychosis among those without a pre-existing psychiatric disorder. Authors reported that less than one-half of 1% of subjects reported ever having “cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms,” with those at higher risk being younger subjects and those with a prior diagnosis of bipolar, anxiety, or depressive disorder, or psychosis.

Cannabis and Psychosis Messaging: Modern Resurgence of ‘Reefer Madness?’

While further research on the topic is still needed, many cannabis professionals, experts and advocates have deemed the new trend of associating legal cannabis with newly onset psychosis symptoms as a modern-day form of “reefer madness.”

Many have drawn comparisons of these modern-day conversations, associating legal cannabis with psychosis symptoms and mental health concerns, as mirroring the conversations had in the 1900s, when cannabis use became more prominent and broader messaging suggested that cannabis use and access innately carries greater mental health risks across populations.

While research has found a correlation between schizophrenia and heavy cannabis use, and psychiatrists have also long known that substance abuse disorders carry psychiatric comorbidities, there is limited evidence showing how this relationship translates to the general population. There is also limited information surrounding how much substance use disorders are driven by such comorbidities.

Studies have shown that heavy alcohol use can be shown to cause organic psychosis and dementia, though these potential risks typically don’t promote the idea of avoiding alcohol use entirely, especially among those who don’t already have associated risk factors.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of pro-cannabis advocacy organization NORML, wrote about this topic last year, noting that those with certain psychiatric disorders or predispositions may carry additional risks of increased mental health symptoms when it comes to cannabis consumption, “but sensationalizing the potential risks of cannabis will do little to protect them.”

“Calling for the re-criminalization of cannabis in state-legal markets won’t either,” Armentano writes. “Rather, the establishment of a regulated market designed to keep cannabis products away from young people, and that provides clear warnings to those specific populations who may be more vulnerable to its effects — coupled with a policy of consumer education — is the best way to protect public health and mitigate consumers’ risks.”

Keegan Williams

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January 8, 2024

30,000 Papers on Cannabis Published By Scientists in Last Decade | High Times

The wave of legalization that has swept over the United States in the last decade has coincided with a swell in published research on cannabis.

That is the finding unearthed by the marijuana advocacy group NORML this week.

Citing the results of a keyword search of the the National Library of Medicine/PubMed.gov website, NORML said that, for the third year in a row, “researchers worldwide published over 4,000 scientific papers specific to cannabis, its active constituents, and their effects.”

“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,” NORML said.

According to NORML, “more than 70 percent of all peer-reviewed scientific papers about marijuana have been published in the past ten years, and over 90 percent of this literature has been published since 2002.”

“As of this writing, PubMed.gov cites over 45,900 scientific papers on marijuana dating back to the year 1840. Available to the public online since 1996, PubMed is a free resource supporting the search and retrieval of biomedical and life sciences literature,” the organization added.

NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said that the finding refutes critics who argue that there is insufficient research on cannabis.

“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,” Armentano said in a statement. “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.”

It seems that each week brings a fresh study on marijuana, and its effects on the mind and body. And not all of the findings provided support to marijuana advocates.

One such study, published last month, found scant evidence that using cannabis can help addicts reduce or stop their long-term intake of illicit opioids.

The study out of Australia involved more than 600 heroin addicts, and spanned 20 years.

“Cannabis use is common among individuals with opioid use disorder, but it remains unclear whether cannabis use is associated with an increase or a reduction in illicit opioid use. To overcome limitations identified in previous longitudinal studies with limited follow-ups, the authors examined a within-person reciprocal relationship between cannabis and heroin use at several follow-ups over 18 to 20 years,” the researchers wrote in their introduction.

“After accounting for a range of demographic variables, other substance use, and mental and physical health measures, an increase in cannabis use 24 months after baseline was significantly associated with an increase in heroin use at 36 months (estimate=0.21, SE=0.10). Additionally, an increase in heroin use at 3 months and 24 months was significantly associated with a decrease in cannabis use at 12 months (estimate=−0.27, SE=0.09) and 36 months (estimate=−0.22, SE=0.08). All other cross-lagged associations were not significant,” they said, in detailing their findings.

While the study produced “some evidence of a significant relationship between cannabis and heroin use at earlier follow-ups,” the researchers noted that it was “sparse and inconsistent across time points.”

“Overall, there was insufficient evidence to suggest a unidirectional or bidirectional relationship between the use of these substances,” they said.

Another study, also published in November, explored whether or not cannabis is a psychedelic substance. The answer, it turns out, isn’t so simple.

“Cannabis and classic psychedelics are controlled substances with emerging evidence of efficacy in the treatment of a variety of psychiatric illnesses. Cannabis has largely not been regarded as having psychedelic effects in contemporary literature, despite many examples of historical use along with classic psychedelics to attain altered states of consciousness,” the researchers said.

“Research into the ‘psychedelic’ effects of cannabis, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in particular, could prove helpful for assessing potential therapeutic indications and elucidating the mechanism of action of both cannabis and classic psychedelics. This review aggregates and evaluates the literature assessing the capacity of cannabis to yield the perceptual changes, aversiveness, and mystical experiences more typically associated with classic psychedelics such as psilocybin. This review also provides a brief contrast of neuroimaging findings associated with the acute effects of cannabis and psychedelics. The available evidence suggests that high-THC cannabis may be able to elicit psychedelic effects, but that these effects may not have been observed in recent controlled research studies due to the doses, set, and settings commonly used.”

They added, “Research is needed to investigate the effects of high doses of THC in the context utilized in therapeutic studies of psychedelics aimed to occasion psychedelic and/or therapeutic experiences. If cannabis can reliably generate psychedelic experiences under these conditions, high-THC dose cannabis treatments should be explored as potential adjunctive treatments for psychiatric disorders and be considered as an active comparator in clinical trials involving traditional psychedelic medications.”

Thomas Edward

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December 22, 2023

Global CBD Market to Hit $36B Over Next Decade, Report Predicts | High Times

The popularity of CBD and other hemp-derived compounds continues to surge in terms of sales. A new report predicts that the CBD market is poised to surpass $36 billion dollars by 2033.

According to market.us, the global Cannabidiol Market Size was valued at $7.6 billion in 2023 and is predicted to reach approximately $36.6 billion by 2033. During the period ranging from 2024 to 2033, it is projected to undergo the highest Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.5%.

“The cannabidiol (CBD) industry has witnessed remarkable growth driven by several key factors,” market.us announced in a press release. “Legalization and regulatory changes have removed barriers, allowing for the cultivation and sale of hemp-derived CBD products. Consumer awareness has surged with increasing recognition of CBD’s potential health benefits, contributing to a growing demand for CBD products. Medical acceptance, backed by research on CBD’s therapeutic properties, has further propelled its adoption. The industry’s diverse product offerings, ranging from oils to edibles, cater to varied consumer preferences, fostering market expansion. Accessibility through various distribution channels and retail outlets has played a crucial role in making CBD products widely available.”

Beyond legislative changes, CBD is growing in popularity, driven by the changes in the way it’s perceived.

“Additionally, the CBD industry has benefited from investment influx, supporting research, development, and marketing efforts. Changing attitudes toward cannabis, coupled with the globalization of the market, have expanded opportunities on a global scale. The industry’s response to quality concerns, with the establishment of standards and certification, has enhanced consumer confidence. Despite the growth, challenges such as regulatory uncertainties and quality control issues persist, influencing the industry’s trajectory. Ongoing developments in regulations and market dynamics will continue to shape the future of the CBD industry.

The report provided six main takeaways to sum up their predictions in a nutshell:

Market Growth: The global cannabidiol (CBD) market reached USD 7.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to surge to approximately USD 36.6 billion by 2033, with a remarkable CAGR of 17.5% during 2024-2033.
Product Types: CBD oil is the most dominant product type, with a market share of over 30%, largely due to its effectiveness in managing chronic pain.
Source: Hemp represents the most lucrative segment, accounting for over 63.2% of the market, driven by the fact that hemp contains high levels of CBD and very low levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the psychoactive compound responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana.
Sales Type: B2B holds the largest market share (55.1%) as the B2B transactions typically involve larger quantities of products or services compared to B2C. The segment is also expected to grow in the future as demand for CBD as a raw material is anticipated to increase.
End-Use: Pharmaceuticals represent the most lucrative segment, accounting for over 37.2% of the market, driven by CBD’s neuroprotective and pain-relieving properties.
Regional Dominance: North America leads the market, holding a 60% market share, with Europe and Asia-Pacific showing emerging demand.

North America is the world’s largest CBD market, comprising 72.1% market share during the forecast period. This is mostly due to the loosening of regulations on CBD products in countries like the U.S. and Canada. Consumer preferences continue to evolve, as the food, pharmaceutical, and This could change soon however, the report notes, as North America’s dominance could soon be challenged by Europe.

In the Asia Pacific region—covering China, Japan, and India—there is a notable growth in the CBD market, partly due to recent changes in law. The increasing demand for CBD products and continual changes in the legal status and acceptance leads to significant opportunities, the report reads.

The hemp sector emerges as the most profitable CBD-related market, commanding a robust 63.2% share of the global CBD market as of 2023.

A full copy of the report in PDF is available for download here.

Aligning with Other Reports

The hemp and CBD markets generally overlap, and other reports predict a similar rise in hemp sales, driven in part by CBD.

A report in December 2022 arrived at similar predictions. In the “Global Hemp Market by Type” report from Research and Markets, which analyzed the numerous applications of hemp as a textile, food item, construction material, and more, a surge in hemp products is predicted.

The report projects that the next five years will see the industry’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6%, suggesting that this percentage will rise because many other countries have legalized industrial hemp, or will do so in the near future.

Given that hemp accounts as the origin of over 60% of CBD products, the rise in sales are interconnected.

Benjamin M. Adams

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December 12, 2023

Kannabis Kulture Kollectibles Special, Humor Times

Season’s Greetings Humor Times Readers,

Humor Times content contributor Regi Taylor, creator of the DC C.R.A.P. (Donald Chump’s Contemporary Reality Absurdly Packaged) satirical meme series, has joined with the Humor Times to offer some goodies during this gift-giving season.

Over 100 great political satire memes are available to be printed on t-shirts and mugs at the DC C.R.A.P. Store. You may see the images in the DC C.R.A.P. Gallery on this website as well.

A legal cannabis advocate, Taylor is commemorating an important milestone in American civil liberties, when Ohio became the 26th state last month to fully legalize pot, taking the country over the 50% mark.

Regi is featuring items on the Kannabis Kulture Kollectibles cannabis-themed merchandise web store at a special rate for Humor Times readers, and sharing the proceeds with the Humor Times. (The website built on a franchise platform available to entrepreneurs interested in exploring a comparatively inexpensive niche in the legal cannabis industry.) The new web store features thoughtful, custom designed inexpensive pot merch in two-dozen varieties that make unique holiday gifts.

As a special incentive, any purchaser of merch from Kannabis Kulture Kollectibles or the DC Crap store between now and December 23rd will receive a special gift courtesy of Regi and the Humor Times, a free virtual copy of Regi’s book, Satirical Postcards from the Edge of The Swamp: A Chronicle of Donald Trump’s Tantrums, Treachery and Treason. The book was developed from Regi’s selected entries to the DC C.R.A.P. Meme Gallery on this website.

Mr. Trump’s likelihood as the Republican presidential nominee and his promise of retribution upon his return to the Oval Office make this comprehensive, humorous book on The Donald a must-read gift as we close-in on next year’s presidential election.

Another gift? Exclusive discounts and incentives to entrepreneurs interested owning a web store franchise like Kannabis Kulture Kollectibles is available for a limited time, until December 23rd. Contact Regi for details.

Happy Holidays from Kannabis Kulture Kollectibles and the Humor Times!

Humor Times

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December 8, 2023

Legal Marijuana And Property Values

Ohio just became the 24th recreational legal state and over 50% of the country live where you can got to a dispensary and buy a pre-roll, gummies, etc. States with legal weed benefit greatly from tax revenue, usually more than alcohol review and crime doesn’t increase. But what about legal marijuana and property values?

On average, in states where recreational marijuana is legal, cities with retail dispensaries saw home values increase $22,888 more than cities where marijuana is illegal from 2014 to 2019 according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

In general, states with full legalization are also states with a younger population and a larger industry bases, attracting a more broadminded population. Also, a Gallup poll suggested household with over $100,000 income are most likely to support legalization.

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

There are downsides in the home real estate market for cannabis users. Like tobacco, weed can leave an oder in a home which can directly affect selling/leasing a property. A survey by NAR released in April of 2023 discovered in states where medical marijuana is legal and roughly two-fifths of members in states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal had no issues leasing a property after the use of marijuana in a property (similar to 2021). When there were issues, the most common issue was the smell, which 30 to 35 percent of these members had encountered.

RELATED: Great Fall Whiskeys

With commercial real estate, there is also interesting data. States where medical and recreational marijuana use is legal, there has been an increased demand in warehouses and storefronts. There is also an increase in property purchasing over leasing in the past year, the majority have seen the increases with warehouses, followed by land, and storefronts.

Another study shows residential property values in legal states outpaced those which still ban marijuana by $48,983 over the past decade. This recently released research is from Real Estate Witch, an online publication owned by Clever Real Estate.

Sarah Johns

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November 13, 2023

Support For Marijuana Legalization Reaches Record High Of 70 Percent, Including Strong Majority Of Republicans, Gallup Poll Shows

Support for cannabis legalization has reached a new record high nationally, with seven in 10 Americans — including a sizable majority of Republicans, Democrats, and independents — now backing an end to prohibition, according to a Gallup poll.

The survey, released on Wednesday, shows that support for legalization is at its highest level since the firm started tracking public opinion on the issue in 1969, with majorities of every demographic polled in favor of the reform. Overall, seventy percent of respondents say they back legalization, a two percentage point increase from last year. Just 29 percent of Americans think cannabis should remain illegal.

Notably, Gallup found “no difference in support for legalization” between people living in states that have already enacted the reform and those living in states where cannabis is only medically legal or altogether criminalized. “Seventy percent of adults in both groups are in favor,” the firm said.

There’s majority support for legalization across all genders, age categories, races, education levels, regions, party affiliations, and ideology.

“The nation has reached a broad consensus on legalizing marijuana, with a full seven in 10 now supportive,” Gallup said. “Not only do most U.S. adults favor it, but so do majorities of all major political and ideological subgroups.”

“Although some health organizations and political commentators have raised concerns about the medical risks of marijuana, this hasn’t blunted the public’s desire for legalization thus far,” the analysis says. “For now, the high level of support among younger adults suggests national backing will only expand in the years ahead, likely resulting in more states, and perhaps the federal government, moving to legalize it.”

Support has gradually increased over recent decades, and it’s grown dramatically as more states started to enact legalization before seeming to level off at 68 percent from 2019 to 2022.

The latest poll shows that 79 percent of those aged 18-34 back legalizing marijuana, compared to 71 percent of those 34-54 and 64 percent of those 55 and older.

Democrats were most likely to support legalization at a record 87 percent, followed by independents (69 percent) and Republicans (55 percent). Support among Republicans has increased by four percentage points since 2022.

The poll — which involved interviews with 1,009 Americans from October 2-23—signals that, despite the overwhelming popularity of marijuana legalization among the public, there’s still room to expand that majority opinion.

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

For historical context, when Gallup started surveying Americans about legalization in 1969, just 12 percent of respondents said they opposed prohibition.

Despite majority support for legalization among Republicans, Gallup pointed out in a report earlier this year that a partisan divide has widened over the past two decades as Democrats have been even quicker to embrace the issue.

That’s consistent with a broader trend that the firm identified in the report, showing how partisan gaps have widened on various issues, including those where there’s still majority support across party lines. Marijuana legalization still sees a smaller divide compared to many of the other hot-button issues like global warming, gun control, and abortion.

Still, a series of other polls that were released earlier this year similarly show that most Americans are ready to end federal marijuana prohibition, regardless of party affiliation.

While 24 states have now enacted adult-use legalization—in addition to the vast majority that authorize some form of medical cannabis—federal reform has lagged far behind the public. GOP lawmakers in particular have generally resisted the issue despite the growing bipartisan support among their constituencies.

Voters in the swing state of Ohio were the latest to approve legalization at the ballot on Tuesday. And based on the outcome of a state Supreme Court case, the critical presidential election state of Florida could also decide on the issue next year.

This article originally appeared on Marijuana Moment.

Marijuana Moment

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November 8, 2023

Access to CBD Leads to Decrease in Opioid Prescriptions, Study Shows | High Times

A recent report published in the Southern Economic Journal on Oct. 26 found evidence that legal access to CBD has helped lead to a decrease in opioid prescriptions.

A study called “CBD as a cure-all? The impacts of state-level legalization of prescription cannabidiol (CBD) on opioid prescriptions,” was authored by economists associated with South Carolina-based Wofford College, and California State University Bakersfield. “We find that the ability to purchase CBD legally leads to 6.6% to 8.1% fewer opioid prescriptions,” the authors stated.

Researchers make it clear that it wasn’t just CBD legalization that led to opioid prescription reduction, but that of legal access to CBD products. “In general, we find that state level legalization of CBD products only leads to a statistically significant reduction in opioid prescriptions when states also allow for open and legal dispensaries, suggesting that adequate supply-side access is necessary to realize the potential benefits of legalization,” authors wrote.

The report stated that stores selling CBD help decrease opioid prescriptions by 3.5% just two years after legalization goes into effect. It’s not the same for every state though, as this statistic varied for states with stricter regulations on CBD sales, including the requirement that people provide their ID or submit their personal info to a registry. “…(i) state legalization of prescription CBD alone does not reduce opioid usage; (ii) regulations limited purchasing, such as ID laws, negate nearly all of the benefits of demand-side legalization; and (iii) supply-side access, either via interstate purchasing or legal and open dispensaries, are vital in using pain-management substances to fully combat the opioid epidemic.”

“Our paper provides important preliminary evidence that CBD may in fact reduce opioid prescription rates,” the authors said. “While CBD products may not necessarily be the cure-all they are marketed as, they do appear to be net substitutes for opioids.”

The authors examined individual state laws and regulations specifically focused on CBD, such as Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas, between 2010-2019. During that window, there was a significant shift in CBD as an accepted and mainstream product. “Although the fastest growing segment of the CBD market is over-the-counter [OTC] usage, the vast majority of states that have established industrial hemp programs did not do so until 2016, meaning that OTC CBD products were largely unavailable until later in our study period.”

They also examined Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data for opioid prescriptions on a county level, but noted that it suggests “…that further research on the impacts of CBD is warranted.”

The 2018 Farm Bill transformed the hemp industry in the U.S. Prior to the passage of the bill though, access was more limited. As time passed, states such as Tennessee decided to permit legal importation of CBD products from outside the state in 2016.

The authors explained that while opioid prescriptions were reduced in those CBD-only states, the states that also allowed medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and/or recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) still made more of an impact on opioid prescription reduction. “Compared to states with no legal usage of marijuana, those who have adopted MMLs or RMLs prescribe fewer opioids per 100 population. However, these areas tend to be healthier and have more doctors, suggesting it is possible difference in opioid usage rates are not due to the presence of legal marijuana.”

A state with a variety of CBD-only dispensaries appears to lead to the most significant drops in opioid prescriptions though. “Importantly, we see that [states with] CBD laws have lower opioid prescribing rates than states with no laws, though still higher than in states with MMLs or RMLs,” However, when we look at states that have allowed CBD dispensaries, we see that opioid prescribing rates are lower than those found in states with MMLs or RMLs, even with similar objective health measures (obesity and diabetes) to states with CBD laws.”

Medical cannabis states experienced a 35% decrease in opioid prescriptions, but states that have not yet legalized still saw a decrease of 33%.

Researchers concluded that their study is just a glimpse into the positive benefits of CBD and its effect on opioid prescriptions. “While further work is needed to understand the degree to which our results are generalizable to the over-the-counter market for CBD, our results suggest policy makers should consider the costs of regulation and carefully balance the tradeoffs between ensuring the quality of and restricting access to CBD,” authors said in their conclusion.

In 2020, a former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Anthony Armour, who tried to swap opioids with CBD was fired from his position. Most recently in September 2023, the DEA defended its decision to fire the individual. “Mr. Armour argues that he ‘displayed negligence or poor decision-making,’ and DEA properly held him accountable for his poor decisions when they resulted in a verified positive drug test. DEA lost trust in Mr. Armour and properly removed him.”

Separately, the DEA is currently considering recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s uncertain if the agency will move forward to reschedule cannabis into a less restrictive category that shows medical value of the plant.

Nicole Potter

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November 2, 2023

Survey: 65% Willing To Use Cannabis Under Guidance of Clinician | High Times

A survey, released this week by the cannabis wellness company EO Care, found that “18 percent of respondents have used cannabis for health reasons in the past year, 19 percent have used cannabis for recreational reasons, and 14 percent have used it for both.”

It also revealed that the “top three reasons for their cannabis use are anxiety, pain and sleep. 88 percent of medical cannabis users say it reduced their use of prescription drugs, alcohol, or both,” and that “51 percent said they would be likely/very likely to use cannabis if it were offered by their health plan.”

But perhaps most notable was the finding that “65 percent of respondents said they would feel more comfortable using cannabis if it were screened and dosed by a clinician.”

Sean Collins, co-founder and CEO of EO Care, said that the survey highlights the need for readily available medical advice on marijuana treatment.

“Finding clinical guidance for medicinal cannabis is difficult because most doctors lack the knowledge and retail dispensaries are not equipped to provide medical advice,” Collins said in a press release. “As a result we have tens of millions of Americans using cannabis for health reasons without guidance on specific product recommendations, dosage amounts, possible drug interactions, or consideration of their health history and other potential health risks. Given that sales of cannabis for health reasons is far higher than most prescription drugs, this is a highly concerning situation for healthcare generally.”

EO Care said that the survey was based on responses of 1,027 Americans who are “employed at least part-time and were from US states where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational use.”

“94 percent of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal in some form,” added Collins. “And we know a large percentage of Americans have used cannabis in the past year, so this is definitely impacting employees and health outcomes. With the right medicinal cannabis guidance employers have an opportunity to help their employees, improve health outcomes and be progressive leaders in offering this important benefit that employees will come to expect.”

Thirty-eight states have legalized some form of medical cannabis treatment, and polls routinely show that broad swaths of the country are in favor of making it legally available.

That trend holds true even in states where cannabis remains illegal. A poll released earlier this year found that 76% of adults in South Carolina are in favor of legal medical cannabis. Both recreational and medical marijuana are illegal in the state.

Last year, a survey from the Pew Research Center showed that an “overwhelming share of U.S. adults (88%) say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use by adults (59%) or that it should be legal for medical use only (30%).”

“With a growing number of states authorizing the use of marijuana, the public continues to broadly favor legalization of the drug for medical and recreational purposes…Over the long term, there has been a steep rise in public support for marijuana legalization, as measured by a separate Gallup survey question that asks whether the use of marijuana should be made legal – without specifying whether it would be legalized for recreational or medical use. This year, 68% of adults say marijuana should be legal, matching the record-high support for legalization Gallup found in 2021,” Pew wrote in its analysis.

“There continue to be sizable age and partisan differences in Americans’ views about marijuana. While very small shares of adults of any age are completely opposed to the legalization of the drug, older adults are far less likely than younger ones to favor legalizing it for recreational purposes.”

The survey from EO Care, which was released on Tuesday, also found that “56 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to take a job at a company whose health plan offered cannabis care,” and that “44 percent would reconsider applying for a job at a company that tested for prior use of cannabis use or prohibited cannabis outside of the workplace.”

EO Care bills itself as “the first clinically guided cannabis health and wellness solution for employers,” saying that its “digital health service gives HR and benefits leaders the necessary tools to help employees determine if cannabis should be part of their healthcare journey or not by providing clinical education and personalized care guidance – including cannabis overuse, which is increasingly common given the lack of medical guidance.”

“Built on data from leading cannabis clinicians and researchers, EO Care provides clinician guidance and proprietary data models to help employers tackle unguided cannabis use and give employees an effective option for relief in cancer treatment, pain management, opioid replacement, anxiety, and sleep management. The company is led by a team of experts in CX healthcare, biotech and data intelligence,” this week’s press release read.

Thomas Edward

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October 27, 2023

Marijuana legalization effort could be hitting roadblock again in New Hampshire Senate – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

Marijuana legalization effort could be hitting roadblock again in New Hampshire Senate

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