New Cannabis Index Promises Safer Highs
Canadian researchers at University of British Columbia Okanagan have developed a new dosing index for cannabis intended to educate new users towards safer consumption.
In a Journal of Psychoactive Drugs study, the group calculated 5 milligrams of THC in an edible to represent about a single hit off a bong, two puffs off a vapor pen, a single cannabis cigarette, or a quarter of a concentrated dab. Surveying 1,368 adults with a range of tolerance, the group calculated a “low dose” for new users.
That level, equivalent to a “typical drink” in terms of alcohol consumption, could make dosing less of a gamble and reduce over-consumption danger.
The dosing index is positioned as a principal tool for minimizing harm, offering a concrete benchmark in a marketplace sometimes filled with variable recipes and inexact dosing labels.
Consumers, advocates say, can then have a voice in controlling and modulating an experience and minimizing destructive consequences when knowing exactly what they’re consuming in terms of dosing and intake.
By closing a loop between casual consumption and safe use, this work places a spotlight on a role for science in shaping public policy and educational strategies towards consumption.
As an increasing number of states move towards legalization and the marketplace expands, tools such as a dosing index will become important in providing a safe and pleasurable use environment for the consumption of cannabis.
Overall, this is a positive development for cannabis communities in general. Not only is it a direct win for use at an individual level, but it paves the way for even larger future mandates for education and regulation.
As continued studies make such protocols ever more specific, long-term positive repercussions of such standardization could have a chance to make consumption a predictable, healthy practice.
Source: NYPost
Seniors Embrace Cannabis for a Better Life
Recent NORML survey data reveals that an increasing number of older Americans are integrating cannabis into their wellness routines.
Approximately 21% of individuals over the age of 50 reported using cannabis in the past year—a figure that has grown steadily as seniors seek alternatives to conventional medications.
Many older adults report using cannabis to manage chronic pain, alleviate anxiety, and improve sleep quality, finding it a gentler alternative to opioids and other prescription drugs that often carry harsh side effects.
NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano explains that the appeal lies in cannabis’s potential to offer relief without the adverse effects associated with long-term use of traditional medications.
With a growing body of clinical evidence supporting its safety and efficacy, cannabis is emerging as an important therapeutic tool for age-related conditions.
This trend challenges outdated stereotypes and signals a market opportunity for products tailored specifically for older users—such as low-dose edibles, tinctures, and topicals.
As public perceptions shift and regulatory frameworks evolve, the positive impact of cannabis on seniors’ quality of life is becoming increasingly clear.
With further research and supportive policies, cannabis could help more older adults manage their health naturally while reducing reliance on potentially harmful pharmaceuticals.
Source: NORML
CBD Reduces Social Anxiety in Controlled Trials
A recent laboratory investigation, following initial studies in the field, generated positive indications that CBD can effectively reverse social anxiety in subjects subjected to challenging social encounters.
Researchers at a prestigious university conducted a double-blind, placebo-control investigation in which subjects with a social anxiety disorder received a moderate CBD administration in preparation for a try at a public speaking exercise—a situation proven to cause heightened anxiety.
The results were striking: subjects who received CBD experienced profoundly lowered anxiety, measured through standardized rating scales, compared with subjects who received a dummy (placebo) preparation.
In addition, such subjects exhibited heightened cognitive function during exercise, with implications that CBD not only curtails feelings of anxiety but even helps preserve mental acuity under strain.
The new work, one in an emerging portfolio of studies, brings CBD’s therapeutic potential for social anxiety disorder—a disorder experienced by millions of persons worldwide—into sharp view.
Unlike traditional anxiolytic drugs, with sedative and addiction potential, CBD appears to have a beneficial profile for safety.
Preliminary research suggests CBD’s anxiolytic activity arises through its activity at brain receptors for serotonin, an important mediator of anxiety and mood.
The implications of such research have profound consequences. For social anxiety disorder patients, most importantly for drug-fearing ones, CBD can serve as a safe, effective alternative.
As such studies become more widespread, hope arises that future trials will confirm a specific dosing regimen and long-term efficacy of CBD for anxiety treatment.
In the long run, such breakthroughs have the potential to make CBD use prevalent in mental care protocols and challenge regulators to include cannabinoid therapy in traditional care programs.
Source: Vox
How CBN Is Revolutionizing Rest
A recent article in NY Mag opens new doors for cannabinol (CBN) to function effectively and naturally as a sleep remedy.
Unlike THC, whose psychoactive activity is best understood, CBN forms when THC ages and is particularly effective at producing long-term sleep.
Preliminary trials have confirmed low dosing with CBN can suppress midnight wakefulness and reduce sleep disturbances, allowing for unbroken, refreshing sleep. All of these with no shared sedative side effects, including morning fogginess and addiction.
Forward-thinking companies are embarking down a new path.
For one, Charlotte’s Web recently launched a variety of CBN-only gummies for supporting enhanced sleep regimens through a standardized dosing that stops sleep disturbances.
Consumers woke up with a new freshness and fewer night-time awakenings when taking them.
Although larger studies will have to confirm the best dosing and long-term effectiveness, early studies and positive feedback confirm CBN could revolutionize sleep.
Experts say with ongoing studies, CBN-infused items could become a safe, nonaddictive alternative to conventional sleep drugs—enabling an additional two to three million sleepers to sleep safer and sounder at a significant savings in dollars and lives saved.
Source: NYMag
Green for Good: NY’s Cannabis Boom Fuels Public Investment
New York’s cannabis marketplace is an economic giant, with record-setting collections in taxes that fund key investments in public goods and services.
In its current budget period, the state will collect an estimated $161.8 million in taxes, four times collected in its same timeframe in its last budget period.
With over 295 state licenses for dispensers, sales in its legal marketplace have reached over $1 billion and could hit $1.5 billion in 2025, according to estimates.
40% will fund schools and community investments in schools and infrastructure in communities.
Targeted reform, including an overhaul of licensing processes and a crackdown on unlicensed operators, has been taken place.
Kathy Hochul’s administration to stabilize its marketplace and make its marketplace safer for its consumers. In addition to protecting legal operators, these actions assure taxes go directly towards funding community development.
Experts say financial success in its cannabis marketplace in New York will serve as a model for future success in statehouse budgets.
With its strong performance, a well-regulated cannabis marketplace can produce big public dividends in terms of jobs and added public services, and even upgraded community infrastructure.
The success in New York proves social and positive change can occur through humane cannabis laws, confirming the theory that cannabis legalization can revitalize communities and lives for years to come.
Source: NYPost
