The Top 10 Cannabis Studies of 2018

It’s that time again – here is our sixth annual Top Cannabis Studies of the Year list. 

Continuing the trend of the past several years, 2018 provided us with a massive amount of peer-reviewed research demonstrating the wide-ranging benefits of cannabis and the liberation of laws surrounding it. With that in mind, this year was as big a challenge as ever to narrow these studies down to the top 10, but after much thought and debate that’s what we’ve done!

Below is our list of the 10 most important cannabis studies of the year (in no particular order):

 

Study: Medical Cannabis Legalization Associated with Reduced Violent Crimes in States Bordering Mexico

Study: Cannabinoid Receptors a Promising Target for the Treatment of Suicidal Behavior

Study: Cannabinoids May Inhibit Tumor Growth in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Study: CBD Reduces Cocaine Intake

Study: Marijuana Legalization Associated With Reduction in Crime, Drug and Alcohol Use

Study: Marijuana Use Associated With Reduced Mortality Following Orthopedic Surgery

Study: Legalizing Medical Marijuana Associated with a 33.7% Reduction in Workplace Fatalities Among Those Aged 25 to 44

Study: Long-Term Marijuana Use Doesn’t Increase Risk for Adverse Lung Function, May Reduce Emphysema Risk

Study: CBD Reduces Airway Inflammation and Fibrosis in Experimental Allergic Asthma.

Study: Cannabis May Help Control Hospital and Community-Acquired MRSA

Honorable mentions:

 

Study: Marijuana Crackdowns Are a Form of Structural Violence, Have Negative Effects on Health, Social and Economic Well-Being

New Study Finds Cannabis Use Does Not Harm Human Fertility

Study: Cannabis Seeds and Sprouts Exert Beneficial Effects on Human Cells

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Four Recreational Cannabis Stores Open in Massachusetts

Update: Two years after Massachusetts voters approved Question 4 legalizing the recreational use and sale of marijuana, two stores opened on Nov. 20 – Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Northampton. At Cultivate, pot patrons paid from $19 to $420 for flower products.

In Northampton, Mayor David Narcewicz was first on line at NETA; he purchased an infused chocolate bar for $20. “It’s just a historic moment for the commonwealth and for the city,” he crowed. “I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Update: Two more stores have opened since then: Alternative Therapies Group (ATG) in Salem and Veralife in Wareham.

Back in June, the Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), tasked by the legislature and governor to draft and implement the establishment of a retail cannabis industry, publicly indicated that their self-directed date to open non-medical cannabis retail outlets, July 1, would not be realized.

The Commission’s intent was to avoid mistake-laden employee background checks, consumer chaos and confusion and product inventory problems that occurred in the six previous states that created commercial cannabis markets (Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada and California).

NORTHAMPTON MAYOR DAVID NARCEWICZ: “It’s just a historic moment for the commonwealth and for the city. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

At a meeting on June 15, the CCC acknowledged that nearly 1,100 applications for cannabis-related businesses had been received by the state since the application process officially began on June 1. However, only 53 applications had been fully completed at the time; most of the first 28 applicants were, predictably, retail medical cannabis companies already operating in Massachusetts.

CCC director Steve Hoffman said the Commission wanted to maximize efforts to have safe, compliant and uniformly regulated cannabis retail shops across the entire state. “We’re going to do this right,” he stated. “If that means we have few or no stores on July 1 and it takes a few more weeks, I hope and expect that everybody in the state believes that’s the right thing to do. We certainly believe that’s the right thing to do.”

To many observers of the state’s cannabis industry, the delay in issuing licenses was neither a surprise nor an unexpected burden as the CCC commissioners at their public hearings around the state for the last year consistently reminded the public that the July 1 date was more inspirational than a necessity.

“Other states that rushed to hit an arbitrary deadline ended up with no inventory in some cases, with no licenses in place and no background checks and online inventory being done,” Hoffman added. “We’re not going to do that.”

Related Articles

How Massachusetts Became a Leader in Regulating Marijuana  

Vermont’s Legalization Lite: No Model for Other States

New Jersey’s Path to Legalization

Maine Governor Vetoes Marijuana Regulations

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Oregon Approves Medical Marijuana Deliveries, Increases Purchase Limits

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has approved several changes to the state’s medical marijuana program.

The commission, which oversees Oregon’s medical marijuana law, has given approval to a change in the state’s law that allows the medicine to be delivered to patients or their caregiver. The commission also passed an increase in the amount of medical marijuana a patient can purchase to eight ounces in a single day and up to 32 ounces in a single month.

In addition, the commission voted to allow wholesale license holders to provide retailers with samples.

The change in law allowing medical marijuana to be delivered unfortunately doesn’t apply to recreational marijuana.

Oregon legalized medical marijuana in 1998 through the initiative process, with 54% voting in favor. In 2014, the state legalized marijuana for all purposes.

The new  medical marijuana rules go into effect on December 29, 2019.

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How To Clean A Grinder In 5 Easy Steps | Honest Marijuana

Don’t let your lack of knowledge about how to clean a grinder be a deterrent to maintaining your cannabis equipment. There are plenty of good reasons to keep your grinder clean, and it’s really not that difficult when you get the hang of it.

In this article, the experts at Honest Marijuana will show you how to clean a grinder in five easy steps — with no muss and no fuss.

And if a clean tool isn’t motivation enough for you, we’ll show you how to use the leftover plant matter to take your smoke sesh to the next level.

Why You Should Clean Your Grinder

1) Keeps You From Getting Sick

Those nugs of bud we all love were once live plant matter. And even though they’ve been dried and cured, they will eventually start to decompose.

That means bacteria will start to grow on any leftover kief in your grinder. And in case you were absent that day in middle school, bacteria can make you sick. Clean your grinder and stay healthy longer.

2) Ensures The Smooth Operation Of Your Grinder

Periodic cleaning ensures that your grinder will work smoothly when you need it most.

Grinding cannabis is a sticky job, and some of that sticky icky will get stuck in your grinder. That can gum up the works and make your grinder not only harder to turn but less efficient to boot.

More effort and less finely-ground grass? No thanks. We’ll clean our grinder, thank you.

3) Helps Extend The Life Of Your Grinder

Entropy is a harsh mistress, that’s for sure. Systems break down. Objects degrade. And the teeth on your grinder get dull. Damn you, entropy!

But you can defy decay by cleaning your grinder regularly. This keeps the teeth sharp and the “turny mechanism” smooth and easy-to-use.

And it really is worth the effort to give the finger to a property of thermodynamics (think about this when you’re high and you’ll understand).

When You Should Clean Your Grinder

Along with how to clean a grinder, many people wonder when to clean a grinder. The answer is every 30 to 60 days.

That, of course, depends on how often you’re grinding. If you pulverize pot every day, the cannabinoids and terpenes (a.k.a. trichomes) will build up faster on the surface of your grinder and necessitate more frequent cleanings

If you only grind your ganja once or twice a month, you can probably get away with cleaning it every 60 days.

How To Clean A Grinder

Grinders come in many different shapes, sizes, and materials. The first two variables aren’t really a concern when considering how to clean a grinder…unless it’s so big or so wonkily-shaped that it won’t fit in your freezer.

If you find yourself in this situation, all we can say is, “Damn, son, send us a picture of that monster grinder!”

The third variable — grinder material — is extremely important when trying to decide how to clean a grinder.

Metals will rust when exposed to water. Acrylics and other plastics will dissolve, warp, and generally degrade when exposed to isopropyl alcohol.

That’s why it’s imperative to figure out what your grinder is made of before you clean it. If you somehow managed to purchase a grinder with both plastic and metal parts, you’re basically screwed.

No, not really. You just have to be extra careful and break the cleaning process down into more steps.

We’ll explain how to clean a grinder made of metal and how to clean a grinder made of plastic in the step-by-step guide below. But first, let’s assemble our tools.

Tools To Make The Job Easier

• Isopropyl alcohol (for metal grinders)
• Dish soap (for acrylic and plastic grinders)
• Hot water
• Freezer (optional but highly recommended)
• Large plate or plastic cutting board
• Container to hold the kief
• Toothbrush or soft paintbrush
• Toothpick, metal pick, or dab tool

5 Easy Steps To Clean A Grinder

1) Disassemble Your Grinder

Disassemble your grinder into as many small pieces as possible (without breaking it, of course).

If you use a four-piece, three-chamber grinder, you’ll probably have a lid, the grinding chamber, the collection chamber, and the kief chamber. Two- and three-piece grinders will have fewer pieces (Duh!).

Some grinders will have a removable screen between the collection chamber and the kief chamber. Be careful when you remove this screen. It’s fragile.

Too much force or a sharp nail can break a hole in the screen that will render it about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle or a screen door on a battleship.

2) To The Freezer!

This step is optional, but it does make the next few steps so much easier.

Place all the pieces of your grinder in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will harden all the sticky plant matter that’s clinging to the surface of your grinder.

This is especially useful for dislodging every last bit of canna-goodness from the screen between your collection chamber and kief chamber.

Handle your plastic grinder with care after you remove it from the freezer. Plastic becomes brittle at low temperatures.

3) Tap, Brush, Scrape

After removing the grinder parts from the freezer, hold them over a plastic cutting board and tap them gently against your hand or the surface of the cutting board.

If you don’t have a plastic cutting board, a plate works just as well. Honestly, you just need a surface where you can collect the leftover plant matter. A cereal bowl or your partner’s belly works just as well.

Next, brush all the surfaces of the grinder with a toothbrush or soft paintbrush. And just so you’re clear, we’re not talking a wall paintbrush. You’ll find it much easier if you use a watercolor paintbrush or something of similar size.

If some stubborn gunk refuses to come off, scrape the area with a toothpick or dab tool.

DO NOT DISCARD THIS STUFF!

Just because it’s been living in your grinder for the past month, doesn’t mean it’s not still some good #&@$.

This is the most labor-intensive part of the whole process, but the freezing makes it so much easier. You can skip the 30-minutes of freezer time if you want, but you’ll probably spend two, three, or four times as long trying to pick all the waxy stuff off your grinder.

4) Bring On The Alcohol Or Water

It’s at this point that how you clean a grinder will diverge into two different paths depending on whether you have a metal grinder or a plastic grinder.

For metal grinders, submerge the pieces in a bowl or plastic baggie of isopropyl alcohol. This will kill any bacteria that might be hiding in the nooks and crannies.

Feel free to agitate the bowl or baggie a bit to loosen up any stubborn plant matter. Then let everything soak until the liquid turns a light brown color or until a visual inspection shows that all the last particles have come loose.

For plastic grinders, boil some water on the stove and then drop your grinder pieces into the pot. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil (so you don’t melt the freakin’ grinder, you pyro) and then leave the grinder in the hot water for one minute.

Remove the grinder pieces from the liquid hot magma (a la Dr. Evil) with cooking tongs, and then set them on a towel to cool. Be sure to wait 10 minutes to give the pieces plenty of time to reach room temperature.

5) Reassemble And Enjoy

After the pieces of your grinder are cool, it’s time to reassemble and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Oooh! Feel how easy it turns? Isn’t that worth all the back-breaking work?

The answer is yes.

How To Use The Goo From Your Grinder

Remember how we told you not to discard anything you remove from your grinder (DON”T DO IT!)? Here’s why.

That stuff is pure, unadulterated kief. And it’s often of higher quality than the stuff you pull out on a regular basis because it was “fresher” when you ground your cannabis.

So unless you’re grinding cheese or nuts between bouts of cannabis (in which case, eeew), don’t let this ganja gold go to waste.

Not sure how to use the kief you get after cleaning your grinder? Here are a few suggestions:

• Decarboxylate it and mix it into your favorite edible
• Sprinkle a bit on your joint before you close
• Add a smidge to the bowl of your bong
• Roll your blunt in this fairy dust
• Use it to make weed tea

The sky’s the limit on how you can use the kief you get after cleaning your grinder. Exercise your imagination and have fun. That’s what cannabis is all about.

For more information on all things marijuana and to check out our 100-percent all-natural cannabis products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

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Trimming Weed: How To Trim Your Marijuana Plant In 5 Easy Steps

Trimming weed may seem like a daunting activity. But take it from the professionals at Honest Marijuana — it’s not as hard as all that. In fact, it’s pretty simple, and we’re going to teach you how.

In this article, we’ll show you the best way to trim your weed for maximum potency. We’ll even tell you how you can use all the stuff you trim off your bud to make edibles, creams, and other fun stuff.

Why Trimming Weed Is Essential

Trimming weed is essential during the harvesting process because it reduces the harshness of the finished product.

Leaves contain more chlorophyll than the flowers (buds), so they will always feel more acidic in your throat when burned. Getting rid of those leaves will make the buds smoother and easier to smoke.

Trimming weed also improves THC concentration. Leaves, by nature, have a lower concentration of trichomes.

If you leave the leaves on the bud, gram-for-gram there will be fewer trichomes and, as a result, less THC in the finished product. That can affect potency, flavor, and the overall experience of burning down.

How To Trim Your Marijuana Plant

Supplies For Trimming Weed

• Pruning snips
• Pruning shears
• Disposable rubber gloves (thin latex medical gloves, not the thick dishwashing gloves)
• Three trays or cookie sheets (one for the cut branch, one for the trimmings, and one for your finished bud)
• Rubbing alcohol (for cleaning)
• Rag (for cleaning)

Trimming Weed In 5 Easy Steps

Before we begin, we’re going to suggest that you leave the pot plant standing for the time being. Cut off one branch at a time so you can get the hang of trimming weed before you go all-in and harvest the whole plant.

1a) Set Up Your Weed-Trimming Area

Give yourself plenty of room when setting up your area for trimming weed. A kitchen table works well in this regard (minus the cat, of course).

Having done this many, many times, we recommend having some type of entertainment on hand. Trimming weed in a quiet environment can get extremely boring and tedious really quickly.

If you have a large coffee table in front of your TV, clear it off and set up your trimming area there. Or maybe you have a folding table you use for cards or puzzles. Spread your trays and tools there and go to work.

If all else fails, just sit on the floor. That said, you will need to be comfortable because you’re going to be here for a while.

This is a great time to binge watch one of your favorite shows or movie series. Preferably, something you’ve already seen since your attention is going to be on trimming weed.

1b) Ventilate

Trimming weed is a smelly job (good smelly, not bad), so it’s a smart idea to run an exhaust fan (crack a window, yo) or a carbon scrubber to reduce the dank odor. This is an optional step, but let’s just say that you’ve been warned.

2) Don Your Gloves

This step is also optional — but highly recommended. Trimming weed is a sticky job, and resin will get everywhere. If you don’t want to constantly wash your hands throughout the process, keep a box of disposable latex gloves nearby.

If you opt for the ungloved route, be sure to have plenty of rubbing alcohol on hand to cut the sticky icky off your digits. Trust us, soap and water don’t cut it.

If you trade in your used gloves for a fresh pair, set the old pair in a bowl or at the corner of your tray. Then when you’re done trimming weed, see if you can extract any of the material off the surface of the gloves.

Why would you want to go to all that trouble? Because that stuff is basically hash and will make a nice addition to your next smoke sesh.

3) Cut A Branch Off Your Plant

Now that you’re all ready to go, cut a branch off your plant and lay it on one of the cookie trays.

Some of the branches on your cannabis plant will be pretty thick. Scissors won’t do. We recommend buying a sturdy pair of pruning shears (like the ones pictured below) that you use exclusively for trimming weed.

Source: Fiskars.com

These shears are made for cutting thicker branches and stems, unlike snips that you’ll use later for the finer work of cutting off the leaves and such.

In the absence of pruning shears, you can use a knife to cut a branch off the main stem, but shears will make it quick and easy. If you skip the shears and go with the knife, at least use a serrated blade to chew through the stem.

When you’re choosing where to cut, only remove branches that you can handle easily. We suggest keeping the length of the branches you cut to between 18 and 24 inches if possible.

4) Remove The Large Fan Leaves

“How can you tell the difference between a fan leaf and all the other leaves on the marijuana plant?” you ask. The fan leaves look like every picture you’ve ever seen of a pot leaf.

Chances are, they’ll look something like this:

They’ll be growing out of the buds at the ends of the branches. When trimming weed, you can usually remove these leaves by hand. The stems will snap off with a little pressure from your fingers.

This is where it’s good to have on latex gloves because your fingers are going to come in contact with a lot of resin.

Don’t discard these leaves. They’re good for other things (we’ll talk about that at the end). Just pile them on one of the empty cookie trays for now.

5) Snip Off The Sugar Leaves

After you remove the fan leaves, you’ll be able to see smaller leaves sticking out of the bud. Typically, just the tips of those leaves will emerge from the bud and you won’t be able to see (or get ahold of) the stems.

This is where your smaller pruning snips come into play.

Source: Fiskars.com

Pruning snips (like the ones shown above) have a much smaller blade than pruning shears and are meant for the delicate work of cutting small stems, flowers, and leaves. Pruning snips are usually spring loaded and don’t require a lot of hand strength to use.

This is a good thing because you’re going to be snipping a lot of stuff away from the bud while you’re trimming weed.

With snips in hand, cut the sugar leaves so that they’re flush with the bud itself. Do your clipping over the cookie tray that’s already holding your fan leaves. Remember, you can use all this plant matter later while you’re waiting for your harvest to be ready for consumption.

If your snips get too sticky to use while you’re trimming weed, scrape off as much of the resin as possible and save it for later. Then clean the blades with rubbing alcohol and a rag.

When you’re done trimming weed, the finished bud will look something like this:

Try not to cut the actual bud, but get rid of as many of the leaves as possible. It’s all right if you leave some (especially on your first try), but any leaf matter left on the bud will make for harsher smoke when you decarboxylate.

Place the finished branch on the third cookie sheet, and go back to your plant (with shears in hand) for a new piece to trim. Repeat this process until you’ve removed all the branches from your pot plant.

What To Do After Trimming Weed

Unfortunately, trimming weed is only the first step in producing a finished product (i.e., ready to smoke). We know the wait can be hard, but the next step — drying and curing — is crucial if you want a smooth-tasting product with plenty of cannabinoids and terpenes intact.

Drying and curing involves hanging your nugs in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment for a week or so, then transferring them to storage containers to cure for anywhere from one month to six months.

But wait! That stuff you cut off while trimming weed is useful too. And it gives you something to do while you wait for the buds to cure. Here’s how you can get the most out of every part of the marijuana plant.

• Stalks — Toss them in a grinder or chipper to make mulch.
• Fan leaves — Juice them or brew them as weed tea.
• Sugar leaves — Cook in cannabutter.
• Roots — Brew into tea or prepare as a topical cream.

Honestly, there’s so much you can do with the cannabis plant that once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at the awesome things canna-enthusiasts have come up with (smoking meat with the stems!).

Do a little research and try out your favorites. It really does bring a whole new meaning to the term Reuse/Recycle.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

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Freedom Leaf’s Top 25 Cannabis Stories of 2018

It was a year filled with surprising cannabis developments in the Trump era. Canada went legal as did two more U.S. states recreationally and three more medically. Jeff Sessions bellowed about marijuana, but was kicked out of the Cabinet like so many others. Among the Midterms winners, many are cannabis supporters. Sen. Mitch McConnell led the Republican flank on marijuana, adding hemp legalization to the Farm Bill, while drug warriors like former House Leader John Boehner dove headfirst into the industry. Stocks climbed, especially in Canada, where deals were made with pharma, tobacco and alcohol giants. CBD was the buzz term of the year – everyone wanted to try the new cannabis cure-all. Several pioneers passed away, reminding us how important it is to remember those who laid the path to legalization.

Here are our top 25 stories of the year:

Marijuana Legalization Initiatives Pass in Michigan, Missouri and Utah; Fails in North Dakota

Big Tobacco Makes Major Move into Canadian Cannabis Market

Jeff and Pete Sessions Get Booted Out of Washington

Oklahoma Legalizes Medical Marijuana, Rescinds Ban on Smoking

Vermont: The First State to Legalize Through Legislation

Pro-Cannabis Candidates Head the Midterms Ballot

Rep. Rohrabacher Accepted Donations from Manafort, Had Meetings with Assange and Butina

The Epidiolex Effect: Will Other CBD Drugs Receive DEA and FDA Approval?

They Say It’s an Evolution: On John Boehner’s Cannabis Switcheroo

Pounds Selling for $900 Wholesale in Oregon, Not $50

What You Need to Know About High Times’ Public Offering

Hemp to the Future: U.S. and Canada Industrial Crops on the Rise

Michigan Poised to Become the 10th State to Legalize It

Advocates and Legislators Reach Compromise on Controversial Marijuana Initiative in Utah

Dueling Medical Marijuana Initiatives in Missouri

How Massachusetts Became a Leader in Regulating Marijuana

Coachella Promoter Donated to Anti-Pot Groups

CBD Helps Musician Recover from Brain Cancer

Vicente Fox’s Global Vision: Legalize All Drugs

Welcome to Baja California

Eaze Delivers: California Firm Brings Weed to Your Doorstep

Freedom Leaf Dives into the Hemp-CBD Market

The View from Vancouver: Canada’s Legalization Challenge

Israel’s Tikun Olam Expanding to the U.S. and Canada

RIP: California Medical-Marijuana Pioneer Dennis Peron

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Thailand Lawmakers Unanimously Legalize Medical Marijuana

Thailand’s interim parliament has voted unanimously to legalize the use of medical cannabis, reports CNN.

Following the vote Lawmaker Somchai Sawangkarn said that the passage of medical marijuana legalization “could be considered as a New Year gift to Thais.” “The amendment (on the Narcotics Bill) was passed the second and third readings today. And will become effective once it is published on the Royal Gazette,” said Sawangkarn.

The National Legislative Assembly approved the change to the law by a vote of 153 to 0, with 13 members abstaining. This makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legally allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes. As noted by CNN, the region i”s notorious for its hardline approach to drugs and strict penalties for drug-related crimes.”

Thailand now joins a growing list of countries that have legalized marijuana for at least medical purposes, including Canada and Uruguay.

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South Carolina Bill Would Decriminalize Marijuana and Hash Possession

Legislation to decriminalize the possession of marijuana and hash has been prefiled in South Carolina’s Legislature.

South Carolina House Bill 3276 was prefiled by State Representative Ivory Thigpen last week for the upcoming legislative session which starts in January. The measure has been referred to the House Committee on Judiciary. If approved by the committee it would move towards a vote by the full House of Representatives, where passage would sent it to the Senate; passage in the Senate would put it before Governor Henry McMaster for final consideration.

House Bill 3276 would decriminalize, and thus remove the possibility of jail time or a criminal record, for the possession of up to 28 grams (one ounce) of marijuana, and up to 10 grams of hash.  As most, law enforcement would be able to issue a civil infraction similar to a speeding ticket.

In addition, the measure would reduce the penalty for someone’s first offense if caught possessing up to a gram of methamphetamine or cocaine, and would “require completion of a drug treatment of rehabilitation program as part of the sentence”. It would “require the court to place persons on probation who are guilty of a first offense possession of certain controlled substances.

For the full text of House Bill 3276, click here.

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Dr. Ethan Russo: ‘CBD Is Amazingly Therapeutic’

Dr. Ethan Russo: “CBD is an incredibly versatile and safe drug. It’s not a miracle, but it is amazingly therapeutic for a wide variety of conditions.”

An expert in neurology and psychopharmacology who specializes in cannabinoid research, we asked Dr. Ethan Russo to answer the following questions about CBD and THC.

What are the main therapeutic effects of CBD?

CBD has somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 mechanisms of action. Fortunately, all of these seem to be beneficial. The main ones are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, anticonvulsant, antibiotic and anti-cancer.

What are the differences between CBD and THC?

In low doses, THC is analgesic, a muscle relaxant, anti-emetic, promotes sleep and is mood elevating. In high doses, it’s intoxicating and produces anxiety, rapid heart rate and even paranoia and orthostatic hypotension. On the other hand, in low-to-moderate doses, CBD is stimulating and anti-inflammatory and reduces anxiety and psychotic symptoms. It lacks THC’s side effects. CBD is an incredibly versatile and safe drug. It’s not a miracle, but it is amazingly therapeutic for a wide variety of conditions.

Is THC bad and CBD good, as some would have us believe?

Hardly. THC is a unique therapeutic agent that does not deserve the hysterical response that it evokes in politicians.

What are the differences between hemp-derived CBD and cannabis-derived CBD?

Hemp and cannabis are the same species. I believe that CBD extractions should derive from flowers of plants bred for CBD content, not from hemp refuse.

The World Health Organization is performing a critical review of CBD. Do you think WHO will recommend descheduling in its final report?

They should. CBD is nonintoxicating, produces no reinforcement, no craving and no withdrawal. In no manner does it qualify as a scheduled drug. It’s merely a case of guilt by association.

Do you expect the DEA to change CBD scheduling like it did recently with the FDA-approved Epidiolex?

I predict that CBD will remain in Schedule I as a forbidden substance unless Congress acts. The DEA may clamp down on unapproved sources of CBD unless public opinion sways Congress to intervene.

Some advocates want to see cannabis removed entirely from the schedule of controlled substances and treated more like willow bark and other herbs with traditional healing properties. Do you think that’s a pipe dream or a reasonable goal?

My opinion is that the government will do what it wants irrespective of what science says.

Where do you think cannabis medicine—CBD as well as non-CBD—will be in another 10 years?

That totally depends on whether rational policies allow proper development of cannabis-based medicines.

More CBD Coverage

10 Questions with Project CBD’s Martin A. Lee

Freedom Leaf FAQ: 16 Questions About Hemp & CBD

Joy Beckerman: Hemp Industries Association Evangelist

Freedom Leaf Dives into the Hemp-CBD Market

U.S. Chemist Roger Adams Isolated CBD 75 Years Ago

This article appears in Issue 34. Subscribe to the magazine here.

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