News and research about cannabis is emerging at a rapid pace and it can be hard to keep up! Here we’ve started compiling the most relevant findings and CBD news from the past month to keep you updated. Stay tuned for more each month!
DEA Expands Scientific and Medical Research for Marijuana
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced they will be approving more applications from growers who have registered to produce marijuana for research purposes. This comes after the number of approved applications already doubled from 384 in January 2017 to 542 in January 2019.
“DEA is making progress in the program to register additional marijuana growers for federally authorized research, and will work with other relevant federal agencies to expedite the necessary next steps,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “We support additional research into marijuana and its components, and we believe registering more growers will result in researchers having access to a wider variety for study.”
This is another step forward for the regulatory sector. It’s a sign of support for more research opportunities continue developing our understanding and knowledge of cannabis plants.
Retired NFL Players Team Up with Harvard to Study CBD and CTE
Former star wide receiver Calvin Johnson and ex-NFL lineman Rob Sims have partnered with Harvard University to study the potential benefits and effects of cannabis and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CTE is a form of brain damage that’s become a hot topic with football players and the violent nature of their sport. It’s something that’s found postmortem, but 99% of football players have some form of CTE damage. Clinical trials are being targeted for Q1 2020.
“We can be in position to develop a treatment for CTE,” Sims told ESPN. “There’s been suggestion that CBD [cannabidiol, a compound in cannabis] and stuff can help cognitive disease, and we think that potentially there could be a treatment going forward that we can produce.”
Studying cannabis’ effect on all types of chronic pain is starting to show the diversity in potential applications. With the amount of turmoil over head and brain injuries in the NFL, this seems like the natural next step.
Democratic Candidates Butt Heads on Marijuana Stance
Presidential candidates engaged in lengthy debates over marijuana policy during the recent democratic debate.
Much was made of Joe Biden’s history of supporting harsh criminalization policies for anti-drug laws. On the other end of the spectrum, Pete Buttigieg promised to decriminalize possession of all drugs during his first term should he be elected.
Drug laws have always been a sensitive subject among political debates. We are increasingly seeing marijuana as a focal point for reform policies as more states continue the wave of legalization in the United States.
Young Americans More Likely to Smoke Marijuana than Cigarettes
A new Gallup survey shows that adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are more likely to smoke marijuana (22%) than cigarettes (14%). And when asked about vaping, 19% said they have vaped in the past week.
We’re seeing the movement away from cigarettes (which have a strong negative health stigma) and towards marijuana products (which are building a stronger positive health image).
Adults over 30 remain more likely to smoke cigarettes, but is heavily correlated with the smoking habits of their generation. As these patterns evolve, and there is more access to legal marijuana products, it will have a significant effect on both the tobacco and cannabis industries.
Overall CBD Usage is Climbing
Gallup also released a study that revealed 14% of Americans say they use CBD products. Similar to the report above, usage is much more common with younger generations, as 20% of those under 30 use CBD.
What’s probably more interesting is the reasons why people are using CBD. The report found that the leading conditions were:
- Pain – 40%
- Anxiety – 20%
- Sleep & Insomnia – 11%
Other common purposes included arthritis, migraines, headaches, and stress. We should expect these numbers to grow as awareness surrounding CBD and cannabis are spreading and even older generations are starting to take notice.
