Marijuana use is directly associated with both symptom mitigation and a reduction in prescription drugs in those with MS (multiple sclerosis), according to a new study published in the journal Neurology and epublished by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

“The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of medical cannabis in improving symptomatology in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS)”, states the study’s abstract. “We also sought to collect data on other pertinent outcomes related to the use of cannabis to enhance understanding of the potential benefits this complementary therapy offers.”

For the study,  “A retrospective chart review of 77 patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis participating in treatment with medical cannabis for symptom management was conducted (F=53, M=24, Mean Age=49±12). A variety of objective and subjective variables that pertain to alleviation of MS symptoms were collected from each of the first four appointments following initiation of medical cannabis.” In addition, “A cross-sectional review of self-rating scales completed by patients was also conducted to determine gross changes in mental health.”

Researchers found that “Patients with multiple sclerosis who initiated medical cannabis treatment experienced improved symptomology with good tolerability and were able to decrease or altogether discontinue

Read More Here…

The Canadian government is set to approve a second roadside device authorized for use by law enforcement personnel to detect the presence of THC in drivers. In an order released on April 20, the Canadian Department of Justice announced a proposal to add the SoToxa drug screening device to the list of approved equipment for roadside tests. The proposal would add three pieces of equipment that are designed to be used together– the SoToxa analyzer, a device to collect a saliva sample, and a cartridge used to hold the sample in the machine– to the list of equipment that may be used by police in roadside drug screenings. The SoToxa equipment analyzes a saliva sample provided by a driver to detect the presence of THC.

“Approval of the SoToxa™, the Abbott SoToxa™ Test Cartridge and the Abbott SoToxa™ Oral Fluid Collection Device, when used together, as ‘approved drug screening equipment,’ would permit its use by law enforcement. A positive result would be a strong indication of recent use,” the order reads.

Panel Recommends Approval

The Drugs and Driving Committee of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science, an independent group of forensic toxicologists, evaluated the SoToxa system and recommended that Attorney

Read More Here…

There was a four-year stretch in the 1980s when one state after another raised the drinking age to 21, a trend that was prompted by the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act.

The law was a powerful and straightforward illustration of the federal government’s ability to influence action at the state-level. States would be required to raise the drinking age to 21, the measure said, or lose 10% of federal highway funds, an act of legislative coercion that forced the entire country to fall in line by 1988.

But South Dakota did not accept the law so willingly, challenging its constitutionality in a case, South Dakota v. Dole, that eventually made it to the Supreme Court. The court upheld the bill, effectively forcing the state’s hand. South Dakota complied, becoming the 49th state to raise the drinking age to 21 (Wyoming has the distinction of being the last state).

There is a similar air of inevitability on the subject of recreational marijuana prohibition, which has been abolished by a dozens of states and cities since 2012. Whereas Congress and the executive branch flexed their dominion over states in upping the drinking age more than 30 years ago, the feds have

Read More Here…

Less than a week after the 4/20 grand opening of Louisiana’s newest CBD store and cafe, Cajun Cannabis, owner Travis DeYoung is facing multiple felony drug charges. Late Wednesday night, police stopped DeYoung in his vehicle for an alleged traffic violation. After searching DeYoung’s car and finding a gun and various forms of cannabidiol products, police obtained a warrant to raid his Cajun Cannabis storefront. The raid early Thursday morning turned up another firearm and a number of different CBD and CBD-THC products, according to police. DeYoung now faces multiple felony and misdemeanor drug charges, chief among them possession with intent of a “controlled dangerous substance:” completely non-psychoactive, medicinal, therapeutic, and widely legal cannabidiol (CBD).

CBD Retailer Charged With Multiple Felonies for “Controlled Dangerous Substance”

In Lafayette, Louisiana, Travis DeYoung wanted to change the perception around cannabis. So he founded Cajun Cannabis, a cafe and retail shop specializing in hemp CBD oils, edibles, topicals, and other products, from drinks to bath products and even candles. The coffee at Cajun Cannabis doesn’t have CBD in it; DeYoung just wanted to give the establishment a cafe vibe.

None of the CBD in the products on offer at Cajun Cannabis came from hemp’s

Read More Here…

This past 420 weekend was filled with fun, friends, laughter, and an abundance of our fave plant. It was also the weekend of our Central Valley Cannabis Cup. While all of the competitors performed admirably, there were a few entries that stood out to us. Here are the winners of the 2019 Central Valley Cannabis Cup:

Best Edible

1st Place: Gem Guice by Space Gem

2nd Place: Tropic Twist Gummies by Dixie

3rd Place: Sour Watermelon Fruit Chews by Smokiez

Best Sativa Flower

1st Place: Orange Soda by Team Elite Genetics

2nd Place: Gelonade by Connected

3rd Place: Candyland by Top-Shelf Cultivation

Best Indica Flower

1st Place: Whoa Si Whoa by Top-Shelf Cultivation

2nd Place: Cherry Meringue by Lumpy’s Flowers

3rd Place: Bacio by Scoopz

Best Hybrid Flower

1st Place: Lemon Trill by Lumpy’s Flowers

2nd Place: Nova Cane by Team Elite Genetics

3rd Place: Orange Cookies by Talking Trees Farms

Best Sun-Grown Flower

1st Place: Venom OG by Honeydew Farms

2nd Place: Orange Creamsicle by LoudPack

3rd Place: Galactic Gas by Alien Labs

Best Preroll

1st Place: Super Sour D by Nug &

Read More Here…

An American and two others have been arrested by police after a raid of a 20-acre cannabis plantation in Myanmar, according to a report in The New York Times. The Myanmar Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control announced on Wednesday that John Fredric Todoroki, 63, an American, and two citizens of Myanmar, U Shein Latt, 37, and Ma Shun Le Myat Noe, 23 had been detained in the township of Ngazun on Monday. All have been charged with offenses that could lead to the death penalty. Police are still searching for a second American, Alexander Skemp Todoroki, 49. The relationship between the two Todorokis is not clear at this time.

The raid occurred after photos of the site, which was referred to as an “industrial hemp plantation,” were posted on social media by cannabis activist group the Mahar Legalization Movement Myanmar. The group praised the operation, saying it was the kind of foreign investment in agriculture needed by the Southeast Asian nation of more than 53 million people. The post garnered thousands of views including some by Myanmar law enforcement.

“We took action as soon as we saw the post on Facebook,” said police officer San Win in a phone

Read More Here…

Synthetic marijuana is back in the headlines. And this time it’s hitting northern Alabama. Specifically, public health and law enforcement agencies are reporting a sharp uptick in overdoses related to synthetic marijuana. Now, officials are trying to warn the public of the dangers of smoking synthetic weed.

Synthetic Cannabis Use is Spiking in Northern Alabama

As reported by local news source Al.com, multiple public agencies are warning the public to watch out for and avoid synthetic cannabis.

The warnings come as health officials and law enforcement in Alabama have begun noticing an increase in the number of people experiencing medical problems after smoking the drug.

For now, exact numbers have not been made public. But according to local reports, there is a distinct uptick in the number of overdoses and hospitalizations linked to synthetic cannabis. Currently, the spike is being seen primarily in the northern part of Alabama.

Responding to the trend, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Clay Morris, and Northern District U.S. Attorney, Jay Town, issued a statement yesterday.

“We have begun to notice a disturbing trend through our crime intelligence networks of overdoses related to synthetic marijuana in our district,” Town said. “Today we are joining together

Read More Here…

One of the major critiques of plans to legalize marijuana is related to people driving under the influence of weed, and the difficulties in policing such behavior. But in Canada, the largest country to regulate marijuana yet — and a nation with some of the highest rates of drunk driving in the world — law enforcement agencies are reporting that there has been no noticeable spike in such arrests since federal legalization.

A survey by the Canadian Press of the country’s police forces echoed early post-legalization reports, finding that most had seen no rise in DUI cannabis arrests. “But most police departments are still really focusing on the drugs that we know that are killing people, the opiates and methamphetamines that are causing major concerns across the country,” said Chief Constable Mike Serr, co-chairperson of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police’s drug advisory committee.

Many departments queried via the survey said they had actually recommended less charges for driving while stoned, although Alberta police did report 58 such charges since federal legalization, in comparison to 32 charges levied during the same six months last year.

As they did in November, many agencies are reporting the prioritization of driver education

Read More Here…

Legalizing marijuana is associated with an immediate increase in housing prices, according to a new report published by the online service Clever Real Estate.

According to the study, “States that legalize recreational cannabis see an immediate bump in home values following legalization, even without retail dispensaries opening up. From 2017 to 2019, cities where recreational marijuana is legal saw home values increase $6,337 more than cities where marijuana is illegal” – this was determined after controlling for potential confounders. There was an even greater increase in overall home prices for cities that regulated retail marijuana facilities By contrast the report did not identify a similar significant increase in home prices in cities where only medical cannabis was legally regulated.

According to NORML, “Regarding crime rates following the passage of legalization, the study failed to identify any overall trends in legal states that significantly differed from the national average. ”

The study states: “The crime rate increases in Washington and Colorado are consistent with nationwide violent crime trends since 2014. … Using Colorado and Washington as case studies, it’s clear that the market benefits from marijuana legalization outweigh the potential costs in terms of home values,”.

Below are some of

Read More Here…

A pharmaceutical distribution company, its former CEO, and another top executive have been criminally charged for their role in the opioid crisis that continues to plague the United States. The indictments for conspiracy to violate narcotics laws mark the first time a major drug distributor or executive has been indicted on drug trafficking charges, according to prosecutors.

Charges were filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York against the Rochester Drug Co-Operative, the company’s former CEO Laurence Doud III, and William Pietruszewski, the former chief compliance officer for the firm. The company was charged on Tuesday with conspiracy to violate narcotics laws, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and willfully failing to file suspicious order reports.

Doud has been charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and was taken into custody on Tuesday for a court appearance. Doud plans to fight the charges, according to his attorney. Pietruszewski has entered into a cooperation agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to defraud the U.S., as well as a charge of willfully failing to file suspicious order reports with the Drug

Read More Here…