Is Using Marijuana a Sin?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Cannabis – a Complex and Rapidly Evolving Landscape
CANNABIS – A COMPLEX AND RAPIDLY EVOLVING LANDSCAPE Abstract ABOUT THE AUTHOR The humble Cannabis sativa plant, cultivated for millennia for its psychoactive properties and more, is today considered one of the most controversial and complex plants in the world. Starting in the early to mid-20th century, much of its use became recreational, but by the early 1970s discoveries began to emerge around its potential medical efficacies. This article will discuss current knowledge of how cannabis engages with the brain and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and provide an overview of the new market landscapes brought about by changes in governing laws Dr. Georgiana Willwerth-Pascutiu and regulations, which are affecting usage by our current and potential [email protected] customers. It will also explore the additional hazards, concerns, and Georgiana Willwerth-Pascutiu is Vice President, Global Medical Director considerations of cannabis use in countries where it remains illegal. at RGA. She is board certified in Insurance Medicine by the American Introduction Academy of Insurance Medicine (AAIM) and specialized in internal medicine, Naturally occurring psychoactive substances have been part of human life nephrology and ultrasonography. for millennia. One of the most frequently utilized plant sources of these Dr. Willwerth-Pascutiu is also a past substances, Cannabis sativa, is also the best-known worldwide. For the president of the Canadian Life Insurance Medical Officers Association (CLIMOA) past half-century, scientific and medical interest in its many compounds, and currently chairs its scientific known as cannabinoids, has been increasing. Today, the two best-known, committee. She is a frequent presenter and has contributed several articles to delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its psychoactive chemical, and insurance industry publications. -
Medical Cannabis Q&A
Medical Cannabis Q&A 1. What is medical cannabis? The term “medical cannabis” is used to describe products derived from the whole cannabis plant or its extracts containing a variety of active cannabinoids and terpenes, which patients take for medical reasons, after interacting with and obtaining authorization from their health care practitioner. 2. What are the main active ingredients? The chemical ingredients of cannabis are called cannabinoids. The two main therapeutic ones are: THC:CBD a. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a partial agonist of CB1 and CB2 receptors. It is psychoactive and produces the euphoric effect. Each cannabis product will contain THC and CBD, however b. Cannabidiol (CBD) has a weak affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors and appears the THC: CBD ratio will differ to exert its activity by enhancing the positive effects of the body’s endogenous depending on the product. cannabinoids. 3. Why do patients take it? Medical cannabis may be used to alleviate symptoms for a variety of conditions. It has most commonly been used in neuropathic pain and other chronic pain conditions. There is limited, but developing clinical evidence surrounding its safety and efficacy, and it does not currently have an approved Health Canada indication. 4. How do patients take it? Cannabis can be smoked, vaporized, taken orally, sublingually, topically or rectally. Different routes of administration will result in different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the drug. 5. Is it possible to develop dependence on medical cannabis? Yes, abrupt discontinuation after long-term use may result in withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, chronic use may result in psychological dependence. -
A Review on Cannabis Sativa: Its Compounds and Their Effects
Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res., 53(2), November - December 2018; Article No. 12, Pages: 59-63 ISSN 0976 – 044X Review Article A Review on Cannabis sativa: Its Compounds and Their Effects Ranju Rajput, *Dr. Krishan Kumar Department of Food and Biotechnology, Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women’s University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. *Corresponding author’s E-mail: [email protected] Received: 01-11-2018; Revised: 25-11-2018; Accepted: 10-12-2018. ABSTRACT Our society often considered the use of cannabis is an under-reported activity. Cannabis is used to relieve neuropathic and chronic pain. Cannabis, produced from the Cannabis sativa plant, have been used in three forms: herbal cannabis, the dried leaves and flowering tops The resin of the cannabis is the pressed secretions of the plant, known as ‘hashish’ or ‘charash. Cannabis sativa is an herbaceous species originated from Central Asia. It has been used in medicine and as a source of textile fiber since ancient times. The cannabis sativa is a fast growing plant attracted the people’s interest because of its multi-purpose applications. It is a rich source of photochemical, cellulose and woody fibers. The more interest is also due to its metabolites which show potent bioactivities on human health. In this review, the phytochemicals is discussed by putting a special emphasis on molecules including cannabinoids, terpenes and phenolic compounds. Cannabinoids are represented as the most studied group of compounds, because of their wide range of pharmaceutical effects in humans, including psychotropic activities. This article aims to update the current knowledge and evidence of using cannabis and its derivatives with a view to the sociolegal context and perspectives for future research. -
Should Per Se Limits Be Imposed for Cannabis? Equating Cannabinoid Blood Concentrations with Actual Driver Impairment: Practical Limitations and Concerns
HUMBOLDT JOURNAL OF SOCIAL RELATIONS—ISSUE 35, 2013 Should Per Se Limits Be Imposed For Cannabis? Equating Cannabinoid Blood Concentrations with Actual Driver Impairment: Practical Limitations and Concerns Paul Armentano National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Fourteen US states have amended their longstanding, effect-based DUI drug laws to per se or zero tolerant per se statutes in regard to cannabis. Other states are considering enacting similar legislation. Under these amended traffic safety laws, it is a criminal violation for one to operate a motor vehicle with trace levels of cannabinoids or their metabolites in his or her blood or urine. Opponents of per se cannabinoid limits argue that neither the presence of cannabinoids nor their metabolites are appropriate or consistent predictors of behavioral or psychomotor impairment. They further argue that the imposition of such per se limits may result in the criminal conviction of individuals who may have previously consumed cannabis at some unspecified point in time, but were no longer under its influence. As more states enact statutory changes allowing for the legal use of cannabis under certain circumstances, there is a growing need to re-examine the appropriateness of these proposed per se standards for cannabinoids and their metabolites because the imposition of such limits may, in some instances, inadvertently criminalize behavior that poses no threat to traffic safety, -
Identfication: Industrial Hemp O Marijuana?
Identification: Industrial Hemp branching. Thus, planting density and other production or Marijuana? characteristics do not offer a reliable way to distinguish varieties for law enforcement purposes. Marijuana and industrial hemp are different varieties of the same plant species, Cannabis sativa L. Health Canada announced regulations on March 12, Marijuana typically contains 3 to 15 percent THC on a 1998, that control activities relating to the production, dry-weight basis, while industrial hemp contains less import, export, transport, and sale of industrial hemp than 1 percent (Blade, 1998; Vantreese, 1998). Most (see Appendix I for the fact sheet from Health developed countries that permit hemp cultivation Canada). Production is highly regulated, with farmers require use of varieties with less than 0.3 percent required to obtain annual government permits. Farmers THC. However, the two varieties are indistinguishable cannot have had a drug offense in the past 10 years by appearance. DeMeijer et al. (1992), in a study of 97 and need to have a criminal background check done at Cannabis strains, concluded that short of chemical their own expense. Federal agronomists and police analysis of the THC content, there was no way to dis- will check fields and test plants to make sure that no tinguish between marijuana and hemp varieties. narcotic plants are grown along with the industrial hemp. Industrial hemp can be grown as a fiber and/or seed crop. Grown for fiber, it is planted in dense stands to The European Union (EU) issued rules governing maximize stalk production. Grown for seed or for seed hemp production in 1989, which include registration and fiber, plants are spaced farther apart to encourage of the area to be planted in advance, the use of seed branching and seed production. -
'Ultralight' Weed 20 June 2018
High hopes: French shops use loophole to sell 'ultralight' weed 20 June 2018 Technically, the fragrant marijuana buds on offer at you don't get addicted," an elderly woman said while a new Paris boutique are not meant to be smoked, waiting in line—before the doorman escorted her as the friendly staff and disclaimers remind straight inside. clients—brewing the herb in hot water is advised, as is adding it to food. CBD oil had sold out earlier in the day, so most clients were choosing among three or four different "Smoking is bad for you," a smiling young strains of potent-smelling weed—the popular Swiss salesman tells a customer. Cheese was priced at 30 euros for a 2.3-gram bag ($35 for just under one-tenth of an ounce). But judging by the 45-minute wait to get inside the Cofyshop near the Republique square on a recent 'Smell that!' afternoon, not to mention the smoking paraphernalia behind the counter, that certainly Unlike the coffeeshops in marijuana-friendly seems to be the goal. Amsterdam, no coffee is served and no smoking is allowed at Cofyshop. France is one of Europe's biggest users of cannabis, with an estimated 22 percent of people Fans of its "ultralight" buds as well as cannabis aged 15 to 34 partaking at least once in 2016, resin say they appreciate the calming effects according to the latest data available. without the heavy buzz of traditional marijuana. A recent French poll showed 51 percent in favour "Smell that, it's fantastic!" said a 37-year-old dentist of limited legalisation, reflecting a growing trend at a boutique on the hip Rue Oberkampf in Paris, toward more relaxed rules in Europe and the who said he smokes a joint or two every now and United States. -
Cannabinoid Profile and Elemental Uptake of Cannabis Sativa L. As ¯ ¯ 1 Influenced by Soil Characterxst,Cs
Cannabinoid Profile and Elemental Uptake of Cannabis sativa L. as ¯ ¯ 1 Influenced by Soil Characterxst,cs C.~ B. Coffman and W. A. Gentner ABSTRACT The consumption of Cannabis products (marihuana) derived from domestic and foreign sources persists in the United States despite its illegality and health hazards. The objectives of this investigation were: 1) to evaluate relationships between soil and plant elements, cannabi- noids, and growth of Cannabis sativa L., and 2) to evaluate the practicality of using chemical analysis of Cannabis products to determine their geographic origin. Knowledge of geographic origin is useful to governmental agencies investigating illicit narcotic traffic. Cannabis sativa L. was grown on 11 different soils for 45 days in the greenhouse. Soils differed significantly in 15 measured elements and pH. Plants were grown from seed of Afghan origin. The following cannabinoids were extracted and measured from leaf tissue: cannabicyclol (CCC), cannabidiol (CBD), Ae.Tetrahydrocannabinol (A~THC), and cannabinol (CBN). Fifteen elements measured in leaf tissue and correlated with soil and cannabinoid measurements. Soil pH was negatively cor- related with leaf concentrations of Mn, Fe, Zn, and S. Extractable soil Mg was negatively correlated with N, A°THC and CBD concentrations in leaf tissue (p 0.05). Plant height was negatively correlated with A°THC concentration, suggesting enhancement of the narcotic principle of marihuana when grown under stress. Ex- tractable soil P205 was negatively correlated with CBD concentration while extractable soil Zn was positively cor- related with CCCconcentration. Several correlations be- tween soil and plant characteristics having potential value for determination of geographic origin of marihuana were elucidated. -
Facts on Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) for Dancers
Facts on Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) for Dancers Even with limited information about its effectiveness, the use of marijuana for medical reasons is becoming more widespread around the world. Laws in the US, Canada and Europe have been progressively changing in recent years. With these changes, dancers should have a basic knowledge of what medical marijuana is, the ways it can be taken, and its effects on the human body, mind and function. What is Medical Marijuana? Marijuana comes from the cannabis plant; it contains over 400 chemicals. Medical marijuana uses chemicals from the cannabis plant, or sometimes synthetically made chemicals, to treat diseases or conditions. Medical marijuana is essentially the same product as recreational marijuana but taken for medical purposes. The two main chemicals (cannabinoids) in marijuana known to effect humans are: • Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the major psychoactive compound. This is the chemical that effects changes in the brain of the user, resulting in a “high.” Effects depend on the potency of the THC. THC is fat soluble, meaning that it enters the brain and fat stores of the body quickly • Cannabidiol (CBD) - the major non-psychotropic compound; it is taken for pain without the psychoactive component or “high” Why do you take Medical Marijuana? Cannabinoids affect the human central nervous system and immune system and can lead to altered moods, pain relief, and other temporary changes. Although a great deal more needs to be learned about cannabinoids, and despite mixed research results, plant -
Federal Cannabis Regulations Working Group
FEDERAL CANNABIS REGULATIONS WORKING GROUP: CORE GROUP MEMBERS a working group of experts convened by the Drug Policy Alliance to explore and develop policy recommendations for federal cannabis regulations grounded in public health, equity, and justice reform considerations. QUEEN ADESUYI Queen Adesuyi is a policy manager at the Drug Policy Alliance’s National Affairs office in Washington, D.C., where she works to advance several of DPA’s legislative priorities on the federal level, including marijuana legalization with a racial justice focus, drug decriminalization, and eliminating punitive consequences for drug use and previous convictions. She also advocates for equity/racial justice in plans for the District of Columbia’s emerging marijuana industry, in addition to advancing overdose prevention measures and harm reduction in the District. While at DPA, Queen saw through the introduction of the Marijuana Justice Act, Congress’ first marijuana reform bill that addressed racial justice and justice reform issues. She helped convene and co-leads the Marijuana Justice Coalition. Under her co-leadership, the Marijuana Justice Coalition has worked on the introduction and the historic passage of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment & Expungement (MORE) Act by the U.S. House of Representatives in the 116th Congress. The Coalition continues to work to see the continued improvement of the MORE Act and its successful reintroduction and movement through both chambers of Congress. AAMRA AHMAD Aamra Ahmad is currently the Senior Policy Counsel for the Justice Division of the ACLU and an advocate for federal criminal justice reform. She previously served as legislative counsel to Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-3) and in her previous role at the Federal Public & Community Defenders, oversaw their national litigation strategy that contributed to reduced sentences for over 3,363 people incarcerated under racially unjust drug laws. -
House Plans Historic Vote on Federal Marijuana Legalization
Legal Sidebari The MORE Act: House Plans Historic Vote on Federal Marijuana Legalization November 25, 2020 In December 2020, the House of Representatives plans to vote on H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019 (MORE Act). The MORE Act is also pending before the Senate. Among other things, the MORE Act would remove marijuana from the schedules of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), legalizing many marijuana-related activities at the federal level. Commentators have noted that a vote on the MORE Act would be the first time the full House voted on a proposal to deschedule marijuana. This Legal Sidebar briefly summarizes the legal status of marijuana in the United States. It then outlines key provisions of the MORE Act before discussing selected considerations for Congress related to the bill. The Legal Status of Marijuana Under federal law, the plant Cannabis sativa L. and products derived from that plant are generally classified as marijuana, with a couple of exceptions. (The statute uses an archaic spelling, “marihuana,” that was more common when Congress enacted the CSA in 1970, but this Sidebar uses the currently accepted spelling, “marijuana.”) One key exception relates to hemp, a legal classification that includes cannabis and cannabis-derived products containing very low levels of the psychoactive cannabinoid delta- 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp is not a controlled substance subject to the CSA, though it remains subject to other federal laws. Congress classified marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance when it enacted the CSA, meaning that marijuana is subject to the most stringent level of federal control. -
The Effects of Cannabis Sativa L. Extract on Oxidative Stress Markers in Vivo
life Article The Effects of Cannabis sativa L. Extract on Oxidative Stress Markers In Vivo Asta Kubiliene 1,* , Karolina Mickute 1, Juste Baranauskaite 1, Mindaugas Marksa 1 , Arunas Liekis 2 and Ilona Sadauskiene 2 1 Department of Analytical and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu St. 13, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania; [email protected] (K.M.); [email protected] (J.B.); [email protected] (M.M.) 2 Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu St. 4, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania; [email protected] (A.L.); [email protected] (I.S.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: In recent decades, a lot of attention has been paid to Cannabis sativa L. due to its useful applications, including in fibers, oil, food for humans and animals, and therapeutics. The present study aimed to determine antioxidant activity of cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa L. in vivo, evaluating the possible antioxidative effect of Cannabis sativa L. extract (CE) on malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations as well as on catalase (CAT) activity in BALB/c mice. In total, 40 mice were divided into five equal groups: the aluminum group (7.5 mg AlCl3/kg/d (0.15 LD50), the saline group, the 10% ethanol group (an appropriate amount of the solution for mouse weight), the CE group (1.6 mg CE/g/day), and the aluminum-CE group (7.5 mg AlCl3 plus 1.6 mg CE/g/day). The results of the study showed that CE significantly decreased (by 26.81%, p < 0.05) the concentration of GSH in blood of the mice and the concentration of MDA in the brain (by 82.12%) and liver (by Citation: Kubiliene, A.; Mickute, K.; 53.5%) of the mice compared to the respective concentrations in the AlCl3 group. -
Annual Report 2019
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 CONTENTS 1 Financial 4 Chairman’s 30 Financial Highlights Letter Report 2019 6 Managing Director’s 77 Independent Letter Auditor’s Report Operating + 10 Shareholders Financial Review 81 Information 85 Corporate Directory About Ecofibr e AGM Details Ecofibre is a provider of hemp products in the United States and The Company’s 2019 Annual Australia. Visit us at ecofibre.com. General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday In the United States, we produce hemp nutraceutical products for 14 November 2019 at the human and pet consumption, as well as topical creams and salves: offices of Colin Biggers & anandahemp.com, anandaprofessional.com. Paisley, level 42, 2 Park Street, Sydney. In Australia, we produce 100% Australian grown and processed hemp food products including protein powders, dehulled hemp seed and hemp seed oil: anandafood.com. We are also developing innovative hemp-based products in textile and composite materials in partnership with Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) in the United States: hempblack.com. The Company owns or controls key parts of the value chain in each business, from breeding, growing and production to sales and marketing. Our value proposition to customers is built on strong brands and quality products. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Revenue US independent pharmacies up 519% from $5.7m to up 510% from 525 to $35.6m 3,200 NPAT Channel mix up 170% from $8.6m loss to Branded channel sales + $6.0m 84% Fully diluted EPS Gross Margin up 158% from 3.7 cps loss to for H2 FY2019 + 2.2 CPS 77% Net Assets EBITDA margin up from $1.6m to for H2 FY2019 $42.3m 25% ECOFIBRE LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2019 1 OUR VISION Ecofibre’s vision is to become a global leader in hemp applications by providing innovative solutions that address emerging health and resource issues.” 2 ECOFIBRE LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2019 3 CHAIRMAN’S LETTER Dear Shareholders Ecofibre’s business model and management are both new and focused on the future.