Don’t Use Bootleg or Street Vaping Products, C.D.C. Warns
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/health/vaping-e-cigarettes-marijuana-cdc.html
As cannabis finds its place back into modern human culture quickly, there is much still to be learned. As the science grows and adapts to modern need and expectations, the “can we” may be out-pacing the “should we.” On the other hand, there are circumstances where modern culture really “should be” and is handicapped by years of misinformed stigma.
Here, a few controversial questions about cannabis:
Should teachers be allowed to use cannabis around children?
Should spiritual leaders be allowed to use cannabis, as they have for millennia?
Should taxi drivers be allowed to use cannabis on the job?
Should pilots be allowed to use cannabis?
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Title: Neuroanatomical alterations in people with high and low cannabis dependence
A recent article has been published revealing some volumetric alterations in specific brain regions in people who report dependence on cannabis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the volume of certain regions, including the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the caudate, in cannabis dependent users, were all reduced in size, relative to recreational cannabis users who did not use cannabis chronically. Future research will likely focus on the effects of the structural alterations on patients’ reward, stress, and addiction-relevant circuitry to examine the possible relevance of cannabis dependance on those circuits.
There are certainly possibilities that suggest this volume difference could be of concern, but there are also a great number of explanations (more than likely) whereby this is related to another variable that we have not yet fully appreciated.
Currently, cannabis use is thought to have a little-to-no risk of addiction (beyond any “normal” product of medical value, such as coffee or eyeglasses), because it does not act directly on the reward circuit. Opioids have a high risk of addiction, and therefore a concerning safety profile, in part because of the direct effect of the opioid system on the reward pathway of the central and peripheral nervous systems. While the endocannabinoid system has been observed to act directly up the reward circuit, it does so in subtle, soft ways, making it an ideal adjunct therapy for opioids to help with pain management. Current research provides inconsistent results and appropriately emphasizes a need for more testing to validate the possibility of cannabis as a recommended pain medication.
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This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2K5JNYn inside the CED Foundation Archive
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Ever wonder if your cannabis is high or low quality? These visual clues could help you find out
Title: Psychological correlates and binge drinking behaviours among Canadian youth- a cross-sectional analysis of the mental health pilot data from the COMPASS study
A recent study has examined data from the COMPASS program and found that student-athletes in Canada were more likely to engage in binge-drinking and illicit substance use. Researchers focussed on the measure of flourishing, defined as an overall healthy mental state and emotional connectedness, and how flourishing related to concerning drinking and substance use behavior. Student-athletes were found to be the most at risk for binge-drinking, defined as consuming 5 or more drinks in a single session, and those more likely to binge-drink were also more likely to co-use illicit substances. This research provides evidence for the formation of targeted prevention programs.
Cannabis use is banned among athletes by most sports organizations. Cannabis appeals to athletes considering the many different consumption methods, allowing discreet consumption and personalization with variable potential opportunities for relief. Cannabinoids are generally naturally occurring substances unless clearly manufactured, and have been shown to be beneficial for post-workout recovery, muscle soreness, anxiety, sleep, and relaxation. All of those symptoms, including the emotionally driven ones, are common among student-athletes who often feel an immense amount of pressure to perform in competition. As in most other areas of modern culture, Cannabidiol (CBD) finds itself in a grey area for most sports organizations’ substance regulations given that it is not intoxicating and readily available with a notable safety profile. Even if cannabis is not federally legal, CBD is so widely available that many athletes are embracing it, in lieu of more dangerous, or potentially addictive, medications.
Tweet: A recent study has examined data from the #COMPASS program and found that #studentathletes in Canada were more likely to engage in #binge-drinking and illicit substance use. Read this and other linked studies:
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This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2XSoIUQ inside the CED Foundation Archive
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Title: Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Mental Health Problems – The Need for Newer Data
Here, an article presenting a case, justifying the need for new research to determine how cannabis use in adolescents may affect their risk for mental health. Few recent studies have come out discussing mental health and adolescent use. This is problematic because, over the years, cannabis products have been curated to be significantly more potent than in the past. Considering how vulnerable the brain is, during adolescence, because it is still developing, longitudinal studies need to be conducted to fully elucidate the effects of cannabis on development.
This review highlights how poorly adolescents consuming cannabis seem to be at titrating their dose, or correctly self-regulating consumption of cannabis. There is an overall need for greater education before cannabis is acquired, from a dispensary or otherwise. For adults and teens seeking to self-regulate their use of cannabis, irrespective of the consumption method, it is difficult to succeed, considering the gross lack of knowledge and sophistication around the dosage. The wide variability in choice and make-up of cannabis products, added to the complexity associated with how each patient may process the myriad of cannabinoids within the products consumed leads to a complexity of confounding variables, and here, a call for more studies to be conducted on more than just adolescents.
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This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2XGXNLC inside the CED Foundation Archive
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Citrus peels waste as a source of value-added compounds: extraction and quantification of bioactive polyphenols
Previous analysis of citrus peels has demonstrated high content of biologically active polyphenols, with significant quantities of flavonoids and phenolic acids present. Both these compounds have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anti-allergic, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial properties.
A recent paper points out that citrus peel waste alone makes up nearly 50% of wet fruit mass discarded as waste and proposes extraction of polyphenols to minimize waste. The bioactive substances in peels can be used in dietary supplements, cosmetics, food products, and pharmaceutical products.
Citrus peels contain significant polyphenols, compounds which have health benefits ranging from antioxidant to anticancer. Polyphenols are also found in large quantities in cannabis, undoubtedly contributing to it many of its well-known health benefits.
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Although tobacco use has been linked to worse outcomes for kidney donors and recipients, cannabis seems to have no effect on post-operation outcomes.
In a retrospective study of 294 kidney transplants, doctors found no short-term or long-term differences in kidney function for donors or recipients.
In other words, cannabis users may safely donate kidneys.
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Nevada made history today as the first US state to ban pre-employment drug testing for marijuana. The law will take effect on January 1st, 2020. Learn more here: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/12/us/nevada-marijuana-job-screening-trnd/index.html
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