As
the countdown to legal Canadian cannabis ticks forward, there’s growing
interest in cannabis’s medical potential when it comes to mental
illness, something that affects one in five Canadians.
Are those with mental illness using cannabis to help with symptoms, or are they using it as a result of having a mental illness?
Given those stats, and the reality that, outside of tobacco and
alcohol, cannabis is the most common psychoactive substance used among
the general population, it’s inevitable that the potential overlap of
cannabis and mental illness will lead to a spike in questions for
doctors.
And yet, many patients share a similar experience: When they approach
their doctors about the possibility of using cannabis to help with
mental illness, the suggestion is strongly dismissed.
Since cannabis has
a long way to go before it shakes off the stigma of being an illicit
drug, some perceive it as a chicken-or-egg conundrum among those who use
it to treat mental illness. Are those with mental illness using it to
help with symptoms, or are they using it as a result of having a mental
illness?
Because research into this quandary is minimal and doctors are often unforthcoming, the evidence is largely anecdotal.
Toronto-based photographer and activist Andy Lee uses cannabis, along
with talk therapy, to treat his depression and anxiety. He came to this
balance after trying antidepressants, and deciding they weren’t
effective for him.
Since his doctor made it clear he was against the idea of medicinal
cannabis to treat mental illness, Lee found another practitioner who was
comfortable prescribing it. “I know this is a touchy subject and taboo
but this worked,” he says.
Lee is now involved in cannabis and mental health advocacy.
“I know this is a touchy subject but this worked.”
Andy Lee on treating his depression with cannabis
Even though he’s found treatment that works, he admits there are
risks to overusing cannabis. “It’s a healing plant but it shouldn’t be
abused and taken for granted,” he says. “It’s like antibiotics, the
positive effects diminish the more your body gets used to it.”
Claire Gabereau relates. For years, the Vancouver-based costume
designer would chronically smoke cannabis. When she was diagnosed with
depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, her doctor
strongly discouraged her from consuming cannabis. Her psychiatrist, on
the other hand, was more open-minded and never criticized Gabereau’s
habits. But when an additional diagnosis determined she had
substance-use disorder, she decided to go completely sober, rather than
start antidepressants.
“I didn’t like [that my psychiatrist] was like ‘sobriety might be good for you, here’s a bunch of drugs,’” she says.
It’s been three months since Gabereau changed her habits and her
depression and anxiety appear to have subsided. “I don’t want to go back
to smoking it all the time because I’d definitely get paranoia and
anxiety,” she says. “It can be used as a tool and medicine but since
I’ve been abusing it for so long, it lost its value and purpose.”
Invaluable Research from Israel
Most scientists will agree that cannabis’s 100+ compounds, known as
cannabinoids, have a clear effect on humans’ biology. But there are a
lot of gaps in the research of the therapeutic role it can play when it
comes to mental illness, especially in the US, where medical research is
stifled by cannabis’s prohibitive designation as a schedule-I narcotic. Shauli Lev-Ran (courtesy of the subject)
Shauli Lev-Ran is an addiction psychiatrist based in Tel Aviv. He
focuses on the psychiatric aspects of cannabis use and the interface
between pain, psychiatric disorders, and risk of addition.
He regularly treats patients in his clinical practice with both
psychiatric disorders and cannabis-use disorders. As legislation and
regulations surrounding cannabis change across the US, Canada, and other
countries, he started examining the connection between mental health
and cannabis more deeply.
Despite his area of expertise, Lev-Ran admits he hasn’t found
definitive answers when it comes to the chicken-or-egg theory of what
comes first, mental illness or the dependency on cannabis. “It’s complex
and there are a lot of methodical issues that confound our ability to
get reasonable answers to these questions,” he says.
In 2013, Lev-Ran conducted a study through the Centre for Mental
Health and Addictions in Toronto.
Based on data collected by the
National Institute for Alcoholism Abuse and Alcoholism, it was a
cross-sectional study of more than 43,000 people—the largest
epidemiological study on psychiatric disorders and substance use abuse.
Lev-Ran found people with mental illnesses are over seven times more
likely to use cannabis weekly than those without a mental illness.
More specifically, the study analyzed the difference between the
rates of cannabis use and abuse amongst people with psychiatric
disorders compared to those without. The research was based on the
subjects’ number and types of psychiatric disorders and the intensity of
their cannabis use, which Lev-Ran admits is challenging to quantify.
Unlike alcohol, there are no standard doses with cannabis use.
Lev-Ran found people with mental
illnesses are over seven times more likely to use cannabis weekly than
those without a mental illness.
“We can talk about frequency and we can talk about dose, but they’re
not standardized,” he says. “If I smoke two joints a day that are low in
THC, it’s one thing, but if I smoke skunk or high potency and I smoke a
large joint without tobacco as a filler, in both cases the dose seems
like the same but they’re very different.”
Lev-Ran followed up with a meta-analysis, culled from thousands of
existing studies, and found that those who use cannabis are at an
increased risk for developing depression. However, he noticed many of
the individual studies within the meta-analysis left out significant
considerations, such as childhood upbringing and a family history of
substance abuse.
Lev-Ran followed up with another study in 2016, which surveyed both
cannabis users and non-users who had never suffered from depression. It
set to understand if cannabis users who never experienced depression
were at higher risk of suffering from an onset of the mental illness,
compared to non-users. The study also analyzed data from the National
Institute for Alcoholism Abuse and Alcoholism. This time, it followed up
on 34,000 individuals who had taken part in the 2013 study.
Lev-Ran found that regardless of frequency (or infrequency) of use of
cannabis, there was no difference between the rates of depression.
Conversely, individuals with depression were at a higher risk to start
using cannabis compared to those with no depression.
“One thing is to maybe say that cannabis isn’t very detrimental but it also shows that it isn’t very helpful.”
Shauli Lev-Ran
Next, Lev-Ran examined if cannabis works in favour for those with
depression. He surveyed people with mental illness who used cannabis and
those who didn’t and found very little difference between the two
groups. It’s a conclusion that can be interpreted in two ways.
“One thing is to maybe say that cannabis isn’t very detrimental but
it also shows that it isn’t very helpful,” he says, adding that the
conclusion was only based on one study. “But this shows the line on how
we explore these questions.”
What makes researching cannabis and its effect on mental illness
challenging is that cannabis isn’t an all-encompassing substance. There
are thousands of strains and hundreds of chemical compounds like
cannabinoids and terpenes within the plant.
“It’s clear that we’re not talking about one uniform compound,” he
says. “So lumping all cannabis users together is almost ridiculous.”
The research on psychotic disorders like bipolar or schizophrenia is
more clear-cut. The consensus is that cannabis triggers such disorders
and can lead to substantially worse outcomes. But risk for any disease
or disorder is a combination of pre-disposition and exposure to risk
factors. For people heritably predisposed to schizophrenia, using
cannabis, particularly during adolescence, increases the risk of
developing the mental illness.
PTSD Leads the Way
Zach Walsh spends a lot of time examining the ties between marijuana
consumption, mental health, and addiction. As an associate professor of
psychology at the University of British Columbia, he oversees the
Therapeutic, Recreational, and Problematic Substance Use lab, which
studies cannabis use for therapeutic and recreational purposes.
Walsh says the only way to really know if mental illness precedes
cannabis use or the other way around would be to follow people from an
early age. That’s because most people start using cannabis around the
same time they would demonstrate signs of mental illness—in their mid to
late teens.
Walsh says the strongest evidence from
his lab on cannabis’ effectiveness is among patients who suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Say you started smoking at 14 and at 18 are diagnosed with
depression. It’d be hard to say whether you were feeling little bits of
depression and were dealing with it by smoking cannabis as a
pre-depression syndrome,” he says.
Medical trials can help reveal whether people who have mental
illnesses are better off using cannabis or not, but researchers are far
from understanding much beyond that.
Walsh points to the stigma around cannabis, which is still illegal in
most countries, and how it hinders the drug’s potential from being
taken seriously as medicine. Since cannabis has been branded an illegal
substance that’s often associated with criminality, people don’t
associate it with relief from symptoms. That could take time to reverse.
“I think [cannabis] should be given a balanced assessment,” he says.
“All [drugs] have risks and relative benefits. We just have this stigma
around cannabis. We’re less critical of drugs that come from
pharmaceutical.”
Walsh says the strongest evidence from his lab on cannabis’
effectiveness is among patients who suffer from post-traumatic stress
disorder, particularly in reducing nightmares. This is especially
relevant for Canada’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VAC) and the
Department of National Defense (DND), which are also reviewing existing
research on the use cannabis for medical purposes. VAC will cover the
costs of medicinal cannabis—to a limit of three grams a day—for some
veterans who suffer from PTSD.
In a statement to Leafly, a Veterans Affairs official wrote:
“Recognizing that this is still an emerging practice and field of study,
the Department wants to ensure that the specific direction of its
research initiative undertaken with DND will have the greatest impact on
strengthening evidence on the effects of marijuana on the health of
Veterans.”
“All (drugs) have risks and relative
benefits. We just have this stigma around cannabis. We’re less critical
of drugs that come from pharmaceutical.”
researcher Zach Walsh
Walsh suspects that future trials will focus on broader anxiety
disorders, which are often treated with pharmaceuticals like Valium or
Ativan.
“It’s worth looking at side by side because those drugs have side
effects as well,” he says. “They can lead to tolerance and withdrawal.”
If patients with mental illnesses or anxiety disorders are going to
try cannabis as a treatment, Walsh stresses the importance of
self-reporting. Finding a strain that works could be likened to finding
the right prescription and dosage if a patient were to go on
anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication.
Sometimes it takes a few
months of trial and error to find the medicine that helps. By closely
monitoring how certain strains and doses feel, a patient will get a
better sense of what’s effective and what isn’t.
“As adults we should be given the choice,” he says. “The harms of
cannabis have been well-tested even if the benefits haven’t been. I
think adults can go in and make sufficient choices about whether they
want to use cannabis or not.”
You Can’t Argue with Results
Toronto resident Alexandra Charendoff fully agrees, despite regularly
being discouraged from cannabis use by a number of health care
practitioners. After being diagnosed with borderline personality
disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia, Charendoff
found cannabis was the most powerful and effective way to relieve the
anxiety that paralyzed her when she had to leave the house.
“It was almost instantaneous,” she says. “I can actually function
when I smoke weed. It’s the only thing that’s had any impact. When I
take an Ativan, I just want to lie down and sleep.”
When she brought up the possibility with her doctor, “it was apparent
he’d had this conversation multiple times before” but wasn’t in favour
of going the medicinal-marijuana route. She wasn’t that surprised. Every
time she’d been to the ER for treatment for an episode, doctors
strongly railed against cannabis use, but never had any data to back up
why. Charendoff felt their input was one-sided.
“They’ll say it’s not a good idea but there’s no room for conversation,” Charendoff says.
It’s likely the data on marijuana’s potential to treat symptoms of
mental illness will spike once the drug is legalized in Canada, and more
research is administered. Until then, doctors will continue fielding
question about how cannabis can potentially help. If they don’t have
answers, it’s likely that patients, like Lee and Charendoff, will
continue to explore options themselves.
“I don’t think it’s going to cure my mental illness,” says Charendoff. “But it helps.”
The new year will mark the official start of recreational marijuana sales in California,
and there are fears it could lead to more impaired driving. Among U.S.
drivers killed in crashes who tested positive for drugs, more than a
third in 2015 had used marijuana.
At the University of California San Diego, researchers are trying to help police detect whether a person is too high to get behind the wheel.
"Part
of this study, we wanted to get at memory issues," said Tom Marcotte,
co-director for the university's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.
When you drive on Marcotte's simulator, he's not checking
how good a driver you are – but how bad a driver you may become high on
pot. "The idea of the off ramp is actually something that the police suggested to you," CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen said.
"Because
in their estimation, that's one of the areas that are most difficult
for impaired drivers to handle," Marcotte responded. The
real test subjects light up, some with a real joint, others with a
placebo. Then they are put through the simulator challenges like
deciding whether it's safe to drive through a yellow light. They also
face a multi-tasking test: finding the right circle. It's
all designed to eventually create a tool, perhaps a tablet test, that
police can use roadside to determine if someone is too stoned to drive. "The
ultimate outcome is to see whether or not we can really help law
enforcement separate those people who are impaired due to cannabis or
those people who may have cannabis in their system and are not
impaired," Marcotte said.
Unlike alcohol, there is no
accepted marijuana breathalyzer. Blood tests can be inconclusive
depending on when the test is taken. To make it more complicated, pot
affects different people differently.
"There are indications that the more experienced you are, the more tolerance you develop," Marcotte said.
"So a person who smokes a lot might actually have less effect when it comes to driving?" Petersen asked.
"That's correct. Because their body is adjusted to it, they know what to expect," Marcotte said.
California Highway Patrol'sSgt. Glen GlaserJr. teaches officers how to recognize a driver under the influence.
"How much does this end up making a kind of a judgment call, if that's the right word?" Petersen asked.
"Well,
I think it very much is a judgment call because we want our officers
only arresting people who are impaired," Glaser said. Right now officers mostly rely on subjective observations like walking the line and "is there a pot smell in the car?"
While a lot of Californians are looking forward to January 1 when
recreational marijuana goes on sale, Glaser and police across the state
are braced. "The big scare is going to be
those people who are going to try for the first time come January 1 and
not knowing how it affects their body," Glaser said. One day, the simulator may lead to an answer and help catch someone impaired by pot before getting too high gets someone hurt.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(CSE:PVOT) (OTCQB:PVOTF) (“Pivot” or the “Company”), an emerging
biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that the Company has
signed a Binding Letter of Intent to acquire ERS Holdings, LLC (“ERS”), a
privately-held California company. ERS has developed a patented
technology called “RTIC” - Ready To Infuse Cannabis (“the
Patent”) and has also filed several continuation patents relating to the
transformation of cannabis oil into powder for infusion into a variety
of food and beverage products such as capsules, K-Cups, stick packs,
baked mixes, liquid shots, protein shakes, topicals, lotions and bottled
beverages.
In exchange for 100% of ERS
(Patent Portfolio and Trademarks for “Instant THC™” and “Instant CBD™”),
Pivot will pay ERS $1,000,000 USD and 5,000,000 Common Shares (“The
Shares”) of Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. The Shares will be subject to a
six (6) month restriction with the first 25% of the total number of
Shares to be released six (6) months following the closing date, with
25% to be released every quarter thereafter. Completion of the
acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and standard closing
conditions.
A recent report by Deloitte
suggests that “on sales of recreational marijuana alone, the Canadian
marketplace could be as much as $5B per year to start – a number on par
with the Canadian spirit market (whiskey, vodka, rum, etc.). At the
upper threshold, which takes into account the people who are 'likely to
consume,' marijuana sales alone could be as high as $8.7B, similar to
sales generated by wine.”
Current cannabis
product formulations are either poorly absorbed topicals and orals or
inhaled and smoked carcinogens. Health-conscious adults who seek the
therapeutic benefits of cannabis without the negative health effects
represent a large, untapped demographic. This demographic is also
inundated with edible product choices that are high in sugar, such as
candy or confectionary. Health-seeking consumers who use cannabis daily
represent a large market opportunity for Pivot. The acquisition of ERS
allows Pivot to add to its growing pipeline of cannabis-based products.
Invented
by Ross Franklin and Ed Rosenthal, the invention “relates generally to
methods and compositions of matter for enabling concentrated cannabis
oil to be stable, emulsifiable and flavorless for use in hot beverages
or food by combining cannabis oil with a starch powder or starch-derived
powder. Embodiments also relate to a variety of culinary uses for the
stabilized, emulsified, flavorless concentrated cannabis oil powder.”
Mr.
Franklin, ERS’ CEO, said, “After being courted by some of Canada’s
largest cannabis companies, we selected the Pivot team to help monetize
our patent. Their management team has extensive pharmaceutical and
nutraceutical industry experience and an impressive track record of
bringing products to market. In addition to the food and beverage
markets, we also look forward to integrating 'RTIC' into Pivot’s current
topical, oral and nanoparticulate pipeline.”
Dr.
Patrick Frankham, CEO of Pivot Pharmaceuticals, stated, “Pivot believes
that the anticipated changes in cannabis regulation in Canada and
California will provide an opportunity to launch multiple products into
the healthcare and recreational markets in 2018. We are delighted that
Ross Franklin and Pat Rolfes from ERS have chosen Pivot to help
transform their patents and processes into therapeutic consumer goods.
Pivot is in ongoing discussions with several Canadian Licensed Producers
and Licensed Dealers in order to accelerate commercialization of our
large pipeline of technology-driven products. If a suitable joint
venture partner is not identified by January 2018, Pivot will seek a
Licensed Dealer designation from Health Canada and commence construction
of its own production facility. As a result, Pivot has engaged CBRE,
the world’s largest commercial real estate firm, to help facilitate the
site selection process.”
Ever sat and wondered what the secret to a long and healthy life is?
Well wonder no more, because one grandmother reckons that she has the answer… cannabis.
Yes, Carol Francey, 70, said she has been smoking weed for five decades and ‘feels as fit as a fiddle’.
In fact, she loves the plant so much, she made the decision to throw
away all of her medication, and grow cannabis in her garden instead.
Carol, who openly allowed her son to smoke the drug as a teenager, is
an active member of the group Grannies for Green which campaigned for
marijuana legalisation in Canada.
Carol,
who openly allowed her son to smoke the drug as a teenager, is an
active member of the group Grannies for Green which campaigned for
marijuana legalisation in Canada. (Picture: Mercury)
She claims the turning point in her life was when her son Jovian, then 17, was caught smoking weed at school.
She then decided to actively campaign for a change in the law to make
cannabis use legal – which will take place in July 2018 – and has
enjoyed health benefits as a result.
Carol, from Vancouver, British Columbia, said: ‘I’m not your ordinary
granny. I’ll bake cookies in the morning, enjoy a tincture-infused
coffee then take my dog Bill for a walk near the river.
‘I cook with and smoke cannabis. Tinctures, vapourizers, dabs, capsules and edible butters all have their place in our house.
‘I grow a grandma-sized garden in a little eight by three foot
closet. Growing saves my husband and I thousands of dollars each year.
‘Sometimes on the way home, I’ll stop at a cafe and play scrabble.
‘I’ll then try to squeeze in an hour of accordion practice so I can
then play at protests or cannabis festivals. I might do some yoga for
sciatica and set up the art studio to paint beside my growing cannabis
plants.
‘My grandson, Eli Francey, 7, will be dropped off by his mom a couple
of times a week to make cookies, go for walks and play Minecraft.
Lately he has been decorating the house for Christmas.
‘He is just seven so it’s too early to explain when he doesn’t see or hear about cannabis and is not part of his home life.
‘He may never show any interest in it as his parents just brew beer. I would not use cannabis with a teen until age 19.
‘My “Coming Out of the Closet Cannabis Club” meets in a coffee shop
to welcome newly emerged cannabis users to chat, share resources and
support health and social change.’
Carol says she’ll never settle into a stereotypical granny role and
believes cannabis has helped her in many aspects of life, including
health.
When Jovian was caught smoking the drug, Carol and her husband,
Robert Standquist, decided to ‘come out of the closet’ about their own
use of cannabis and campaign for its legalisation.
Carol decided to take the extreme step to go against medical advice
and threw away her tablets, exchanging them for cannabis-use in
different forms.
Carol said: ‘I threw away all my pills [after that]. They had slurred my speech and affected my balance.
‘Now [I have] a little Rick Simpson concentrated oil which relaxes, soothes, repairs and prevents illnesses.
‘A hot coffee with a toasty cannabis tincture works well for
arthritis, pain and sleep. [I’ll inhale] a dab for sciatica and I’m
after that I can walk. I’m eating healthy foods, walking daily, doing
yoga, a little meditation and writing too.’
The married mum-of-one and retired drugs and alcohol counsellor first tried cannabis aged 17 in 1960s Toronto.
Terrified it would damage her reputation as an adviser on drugs and alcohol misuse, Carol kept the habit to herself for decades.
She is now hoping others can be more open about using cannabis and is
hopeful for the future after her country decided to legalise it.
‘A hot coffee with a toasty cannabis tincture works well for
arthritis, pain and sleep. [I’ll inhale] a dab for sciatica and I’m
after that I can walk. I’m eating healthy foods, walking daily, doing
yoga, a little meditation and writing too.’
The married mum-of-one and retired drugs and alcohol counsellor first tried cannabis aged 17 in 1960s Toronto.
Terrified it would damage her reputation as an adviser on drugs and alcohol misuse, Carol kept the habit to herself for decades.
She is now hoping others can be more open about using cannabis and is
hopeful for the future after her country decided to legalise it.
Carol said: ‘We need to help older people have a better quality of
life and give their families the confidence that their care is
compassionate and healthy.
‘Cannabis helps you to overcome anxiety about day-to-day life and stop sweating the small stuff.’
Neisseria meningitidis, are bacteria that live harmlessly in the noses and throat of about 15% of the general population.
The carriage rate is even, much higher in adolescents and during epidemics.
Why is Cerebrospinal Meningitis dangerous
Meningococcal meningitis is associated with high fatality (up to 50% if
untreated) and severe brain damage awaits 10% of those who survive the
disease.
Even when the disease is diagnosed and treated early, 1 out of 8 patients die, often within the first 2 days
Early antibiotic treatment improves survival and reduce complications.
Humans are their only natural hosts. In overcrowded environments, like
boarding houses, and during cold dry weather conditions, the bacteria
spread very fast, and as they do so, some of the bacteria can transform
into disease causing types.
Other risk factors associated with disease-causing bacteria in adolescents, include:
Male gender
Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection Marijuana use and smoking
Close gatherings, including attendance at nightclubs, jamborees.
Disease-causing bacteria invade the bloodstream and multiply rapidly and release their toxins.
In the cranial circulation, they cause meningitis by affecting the brain and the thin brain coverings.
In the small blood vessels, they release toxins that leads to bleeding
into the skin. This can lead to extensive destruction of the skin and
the surrounding tissues.
SPREAD
N meningitidis is found only in human nasopharynx and is spread via respiratory droplets or contact with secretions.
During the harmattan period, dust winds, cold nights, and having a
common cold combine to damage the nasopharyngeal mucosa, allowing the
bacteria to enter the blood stream to cause the disease.
The bacteria spread to other persons, via respiratory droplets from
colonized individuals, therefore, close contact is required.
There is increased risk, if there was close contact for at least 4 hours during the 7 days before illness onset.
Intimate kissing is a risk factor for meningococcal meningitis in adolescents
Incubation period: Average is 4 days, but ranges from 2-10 days and symptoms, normally, start to show within 4 days
High Risk factors for acquiring meningitis:
1.) Adolescent age group
2.) Living in a group situation
3.) People with impaired immunity
SEROGROUPS:
There are more than 13 serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis, based on
the type of polysaccharides in their cell walls. Types A, B, C, Y and
W-135 account for 90% of all human infections.
Type B cause sporadic disease in children under 4 years of age.
Outbreak of epidemic diseases are due, mainly to group A and C
In the African meningitis belt, which runs from Senegal to Ethiopia,
serogroup A is the usual culprit. During the harmattan season, about
30,000 cases are reported each year.
CLINICAL FEATURES
The disease can affect anyone however, it commonly affects babies, preschool children and adolescents.
The disease is marked by very rapid deterioration in health status, from being well to very sick within hours.
The person may complain of:
Sudden onset of headache
Fever
Nausea and vomiting
Early non-specific signs of meningitis include:
Leg pain, (appears at about 7 hours)
Thirst (at about 8 hours)
Diarrhea (at about 9 hours)
Abnormal skin color (at 10 hours)
Breathing difficulty (at 11 hours)
Cold hands and feet (at 12 hours)
Classic Symptoms:
Purpuric rash, from bleeding into the skin (at 13 hours)
Neck pain or stiffness (at 13 hours)
Photophobia (at 15 hours)
Confusion or Delirium (16 hours)
Seizure (17 hours) Unconsciousness (at 22 hours)
Management
Early recognition of the above signs and symptoms of meningococcemia is an important determinant of survival.
Most children with the invasive meningococcal disease have an illness
with symptoms and signs lasting only a few hours to a day.
Many patients are initially thought to have a viral infection. Doctors
must beware of the adolescent with fever malaise and purple skin rash
The initial diagnosis can be made by clinical examination and spinal tap that shows purulent spinal fluid.
Treatment
The disease is a medical emergency due to the high fatality rate.
High-dose intravenous penicillin G for 5-7 days is the preferred
treatment for infection due to N meningitiis. Ceftriaxone is the
alternative.
Prompt treatment of shock with intravenous fluids, heart medications or
ventilatory support when needed, may be critical in improving survival.
Prevention and Disease control
Chemoprophylaxis:
Preventive antibiotic medication is given to:
All household contacts
Child care
School contacts or
Anyone exposed to a patient's secretions.
The medications should be given within 24 hours of recognizing the primary case,
Rifampicin, given twice daily for 2 days)
Azithromycin (single dose)
Ciprofloxacin, (single dose)
Ceftriaxone (single dose intramuscularly).
Vaccination
Meningococcal conjugate vaccines confer a protection of more than 5 years
Serogroup B meningococcal vaccine are available. The Polysaccharide
vaccines, that are used during outbreaks, offer a 3-year protection for
vaccinated individuals.
Who Needs Vaccination
All 11-12year old, should be vaccinated with the meningococcal
conjugate vaccine, with a booster dose given at age 16 years old.
All teens may be vaccinated with serogroup B, preferably, at 16 through 18year old.
Adults and younger children with impaired immunity, including sickle cell disease, HIV, spleen problems, may be vaccinated
These are anxious days in the mellow world of marijuana.
California
is dealing with chaos and comic opera as it prepares to become the
latest and largest state to sell recreational cannabis, a cash crop
potentially worth billions.
Regulators have only recently chosen
which companies will be able to sell the drug when adult-use weed debuts
in licensed stores on January 1st, from San Diego to Eureka.
Medical
marijuana has been legal in California since 1996. But the sale of
recreational cannabis dates only to November 2016, when it was approved
by voters.
The
path forward is a bit unclear, leaving retailers to look to other
cannabis-friendly states for reminders of what to do, and what to avoid.
Lessons abound.
In
July, Las Vegas retailers ran out of recreational marijuana days after
the state began selling it. Something similar happened in Maryland, with
medical cannabis.
The message was obvious: Have plenty of
marijuana in the store room. Otherwise, snarky headlines will follow.
And the headlines will end up on the DrudgeReport.
On
the flip side, California retailers are finding much to admire in
Washington and Oregon, where a border rivalry has evolved over who sells
the most recreational cannabis.
Companies compete hard, and
there’s a lot of “mainstreaming” going on. Retailers get deeply involved
in community events, and remind customers that much of the marijuana
sales tax goes to schools and health care.
Retailers also are
moving to expand their audiences beyond the mix of young and old people
typically found in medical marijuana dispensaries.
Oregon has
worked especially hard to say that adult-use cannabis is a health and
wellness product as much as it is a drug that will scramble your
neurons. They’re trying to attract families and health enthusiasts, who
are often encouraged to socialize around edible marijuana or topical
creams that contain cannabis.
The message resonates in California, where retailers know they need to broaden their markets and clean up their image.
Stores
like Urbn Leaf in San Diego’s Bay Park gently reminds older people who
might not have seen a joint in a while to call the drug cannabis, not
dope or pot.
“We don’t want the image of a typical user to be a 20
year-old guy sitting in his parent’s basement doing bong hits,” said
Dallin Young, executive director of the Association of Cannabis
Professionals in San Diego.
“We want this to go mainstream.”
A
heavy dose of public education is needed, said Lincoln Fish, chief
executive of OutCo, a cannabis cultivation company near El Cajon.
“People
need to understand the real facts associated with this plant, and
realize that they have been given copious amounts of misinformation by
anti-drug crusaders who just lump cannabis in with other drugs.
“It doesn’t help, by the way, when publications, including the Union-Tribune, use the word ‘pot’ in every headline.”
The industry has a bigger nemesis — the federal government.
U.S.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has repeatedly reminded retailers that
the sale of marijuana is a violation of federal law. It’s unclear
whether he’ll lead a crackdown. But the mere threat of one has led banks
not to do business with cannabis retailers.
That’s largely turned retail marijuana into a cash business.
It’s also led a lot of communities to tell California marijuana retailers: You’re not welcome here.
More
than 70 percent of California’s counties and cities have banned the
sale or cultivation of marijuana, or both. San Diego is the only place
in San Diego County where marijuana can legally be sold. And only six of
San Diego’s nine City Council districts will have licensed stores when
recreational cannabis goes on sale on January 1st.
“A lot of people from around the county are going to be very surprised when they learn that,” said Dallin Young of ACP.
Retailers are getting a helping hand from the state, which has effectively thumbed its note at the feds.
In
another story that stirred headlines, state Treasurer John Chiang said
it might be possible to help retailers by sending armored couriers to
their offices to pick up the taxes they owe on marijuana sale.
More
recently, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla debuted a website
that will make it easier for people who apply for the permits they need
to operate in the state’s legal cannabis industry. The website is being
publicized by Cheech Marin, a member of the stoner comedy duo Cheech and
Chong.
Marin told the Sacramento Bee, “It knocks off a few hours of the community service I had to do.”
Such services could help. But the question remains: How many people will turn out when the sale of recreational cannabis begins?
“It’s
tough to forecast,” said Will Senn, founder of Urbn Leaf, which
operates two stores in San Diego, and is working on a third.
“We’re
preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Our goal is to keep
wait times as low as possible, and to educate people about marijuana.”
Lincoln
Fish is more optimistic, saying: “Our consumer research shows that
there is a very large contingent of people who want to start using
cannabis and have just been waiting because they don't want to get
medical cards.”
Medical cards are easy to get, regardless of
whether you actually have disease, disorder or disability. But your name
is kept on file at a cannabis store if you use it. People worry about
how safe their data is.
John Sidline is even more optimistic than Fish.
“Some
forecasts peg the California market as getting close to $2 billion in
2018, and as much as $5 billion by 2020,” said Sidline, an executive at
the public relations firm the Cannabis Story Lab in Portland, Oregon.
“Because
the industry is building on top of an existing 20 year medical
marketplace, the ramp to address adult-use recreational (cannabis) won’t
be long, and there is already pent-up demand for the product.”
by Michael Lipton, QC and Chantal A. Cipriano, Dickinson Wright PLLC
The House of Commons has passed the third reading related to the
Cannabis Act (the "Act"). Scheduled to come into
force no later than July 2018 (subject to Parliamentary approval
and Royal Assent), the new law will permit the recreational use of
cannabis and sets out the provisions to regulate its possession,
production, distribution, and sale. The Act is in addition to the
existing Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations under
the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which, subject to
some coordinating amendments with the Act, will remain in
force.
The push by the federal government to have its cannabis
legislation in place by July 2018 has left provincial governments
and industry regulators scrambling to draft their own legislation
and guidelines. In the haste to legislate cannabis in Canada, a
glaring concern remains for industry participants and investors:
cannabis continues to be a prohibited substance under U.S. federal
law but is permitted under certain state laws that have legalized
cannabis-related activities.
This, in turn, has left Canadian reporting issuers with U.S.-
related cannabis activities uncertain of their treatment by the
Canadian Securities Administrators ("CSA") and the
Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"). To complicate matters
further, the Department of Justice issued guidance in 2013 that it
would not generally enforce the federal prohibitions of any U.S.
state that has authorized marijuana activity through enforcement of
their own narcotics laws so long as such states have implemented a
strong and effective regulatory framework. However, the federal
guidance is subject to change, rescission, or alteration at any
time. In the event the U.S. federal prohibition is enforced, there
could be material consequences for an issuer with U.S.
marijuana-related activities, including prosecution and asset
seizure.
CSA
In CSA Staff Notice 51-352, Issuers with U.S. Marijuana-
Related Activities, the CSA has acknowledged that while most
jurisdictions have a uniform national framework for marijuana
regulation, there remains a conflict between U.S. state and federal
law.
Securities regimes across Canada are primarily disclosure-based.
Disclosure must be timely and accurate to ensure that material
facts and risks are presented fairly in order for investors to make
informed investment decisions. The CSA takes a disclosurebased
approach premised on the assumption that marijuanarelated
activities are conducted in compliance with the current laws and
regulations of a U.S. state where such activities are legal. The
Staff Notice outlines the specific disclosure necessary to fairly
present all material facts, risks, and uncertainties and imposes
disclosure requirements according to the following categories: (i)
all issuers with U.S. marijuana-related activities; (ii) U.S.
marijuana issuers1 with direct involvement in
cultivation or distribution;2 (iii) U.S. marijuana
issuers with indirect involvement in cultivation or
distribution;3 and (iv) U.S. marijuana issuers with
material ancillary involvement.4 The CSA expects that
disclosures and any risks be evaluated and monitored on an ongoing
basis and amended and communicated as necessary immediately to
investors in public filings. U.S. marijuana issuers who do not
provide appropriate disclosure may be subject to receipt refusal in
the context of prospectus offerings, requests for restatements of
noncompliant filings, and referrals for appropriate enforcement
action.
The CSA has stated that if an exchange lists a U.S. marijuana
issuer that discloses the risks in accordance with the Staff
Notice, the listing does not change the treatment of the
issuer's marijuana-related activities under U.S. federal
law.
TSX
The TSX is aware that a number of U.S. states have legalized the
cultivation, distribution, or possession of marijuana to varying
degrees and subject to various conditions. However, the TSX has
noted that marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under the U.S.
federal Controlled Substances Act, which means it is
illegal under U.S. federal law to cultivate, distribute, or possess
marijuana in the U.S. Moreover, financial transactions involving
proceeds generated by or intended to promote marijuanarelated
business activities in the U.S. could form the subject for a
prosecution under U.S. federal money laundering legislation.
Issuers with ongoing business activities that violate U.S. federal
law are not complying with the TSX Company Manual as indicated in
Staff Notice 2017-00009.
Business activities may include (i) direct
or indirect ownership or investment in entities engaged in
activities related to the cultivation, distribution, or possession
of marijuana in the U.S.; (ii) commercial interests or arrangements
with entities engaged in activities related to the cultivation,
distribution, or possession of marijuana in the U.S. that are
similar to ownership of or investment in such entities; (iii)
providing services or products that are designed for or targeted at
entities engaged in activities related to the cultivation,
distribution, or possession of marijuana in the U.S.; or (iv)
commercial interests or arrangements with entities engaging in the
business activities described in (iii). The business activities in
(iii) and (iv) are referred to as Ancillary Services
Activities.
In the context of the TSX's continued listing review of
listed issuers in the marijuana sector, TSX expects to group
issuers into two categories:
Category 1 is composed of issuers with business activities that
involve the cultivation, distribution, or possession of marijuana
in any jurisdiction.
Category 2 is composed of issuers that do not cultivate,
distribute, or possess marijuana but appear to be engaging in
Ancillary Services Activities.
TSX has determined that issuers operating in violation of U.S.
federal law are not acting in compliance with TSX listing
requirements. Accordingly, TSX may exercise its discretion to
initiate a delisting of issuers engaged in such activities under
Part VII of the TSX Company Manual.
Gaming and Cannabis
The Nevada Gaming Commission has taken the position that as long
as marijuana is illegal under U.S. federal law, gaming licensees
must not have any involvement with or participate in the marijuana
industry – doing so would violate the requirement for
licensees to obey all laws, including federal laws.
The proposed cannabis legislation in Canada contemplates each
province regulating marijuana-related activities. Under the
proposed Cannabis Act, the federal government would
generally be responsible for setting conditions and licensing the
cultivation and manufacture of cannabis and its related products,
while provinces and territories will generally be responsible for
regulating their distribution and retail sale. In Ontario, the
regulator will be the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
("AGCO").
In our assessment, and unlike the position in Nevada, we believe
AGCO will not object to any gaming registrant or qualifier
participating in a legal marijuana program stipulated by federal
legislation if enacted in July 2018. However, in a jocular vein, we
very much doubt that AGCO will be renamed as "Alcohol, Gaming,
and Marijuana Commission of Ontario."
The World Health Organization's new report on cannabidiol (CBD)
found that the compound (which does not produce any kind of high -- and
may actually counteract the psychoactive properties of THC) is not
addictive, has no potential for abuse, and shows promise in a number of
medical trials.
So of course Trump's Drug Enforcement Agency wants to class it as a
Schedule I narcotic, reserved for substances with "a high potential for
abuse"; "no currently accepted medical treatment use in the U.S."; and
"a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or substance under
medical supervision."
CBD is currently in US Phase III clinical trials as an effective
treatment for epilepsy, and in earlier trials for other applications.
Apologists for Trump's prohibition on using the phrases "evidence-based" and "science-based" say that these phrases are used ""as a bullying tactic, in lieu of an actual argument"
and argue that the phrase "CDC bases its recommendations on science in
consideration with community standards and wishes" isn't a denial of
objective reality, because "Science is (ought to be) value-free, yet CDC
and more broadly federal policy should embody values too."
But the plan to schedule CBD is a crisp, unambiguous example of how
policy making in the absence of evidence, because of values that are
unsupported by evidence, produces terrible outcomes.
People with chronic
pain have turned to extremely dangerous substances to treat them,
prompting an epidemic that has killed more Americans that the Vietnam
war. The evidence for the existence of a non-habituating, safe pain
treatment is a major cause for celebration.
But the Trump administration and the Republican party represent a base
whose "values" are largely aligned in opposition to the legalization of
any part or derivative of marijuana. So the "evidence" of the harm from
marijuana is weighed against the faith of the policymakers and their
base, and the evidence is discarded in favor of the "values," to the
detriment of individuals who are doomed be denied an effective treatment
for debilitating illness, and to society because of the loss of those
peoples' productivity, the pain and suffering of their families, and the
foreclosure of CBD to help mitigate the opiod crisis.
Instead, CBD is thought to have a broad range of actions on the
endocannabinoid system—a collection of neurotransmitters that bind to
receptors in the nervous system to mediate a variety of physiological
processes, including mood, appetite, pain, and inflammation. Though
researchers are still working out all of CBD’s functions, studies on
animals and a small number on humans have found no evidence that it is
toxic or addictive. It’s a relatively safe compound that is no more
addictive than placebo in studies.
In terms of therapeutic potential, several clinical studies have found
that pure CBD is effective at treating some types of epilepsy. In some
cases it can completely eliminate seizures. There’s even a pure CBD
product (Epidiolex®) currently in phase III trials.
And researchers are
also looking into using CBD for a range of other medical conditions.
Though this work isn’t as far along as the epilepsy research, the ECDD
noted that there’s positive preliminary data for treating a range of
conditions. These include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, anxiety,
pain, nausea, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
There’s also evidence to suggest that CBD may be helpful in combating
opioid addiction.
With the expanding data and the growing acceptance of marijuana in the
States, there has been a crescendo of interest in CBD and other cannabis
products. Yet, the DEA has doubled-down on its position that CBD, as a
part of marijuana, is a schedule I drug.
In December of last year, the
DEA made the point clear by creating a new drug code for marijuana
extracts, including pure CBD.
Legal
residents in the United States need to be aware that they can still
face deportation if they possess, grow, sell or consume marijuana, even
in states such as Colorado where it is legal to do so.
Those laws, however, only protect citizens of the states that have legalized medical or retail marijuana.
Because
of a recent increase in the number of legal residents who were deported
after being convicted of a marijuana crime, two groups — Servicios de
la Raza and the Marijuana Industry Group — have joined forces to
instruct legal residents of the pits and perils of not following the
law.
Together,
they have produced an instructional video to help explain to
non-citizens — including those married to citizens for less than two
years — that while certain states have legalized pot use, it's still a
federal crime.
And because their visas come from the federal government, they can be deported if caught possessing or using marijuana.
"We
work on the ground, in the community and have seen firsthand the
positive effects of marijuana tax dollars on community programs, and
marijuana creating job opportunities and helping people get off of
opioids," said Rudy Gonzales, la Raza executive director.
"When
we started hearing about legal-permanent residents and other immigrants
being deported for using marijuana, or for having images of marijuana
on social media or cellphones, we ... realized that most people living
in Colorado or other states where marijuana is legal do not know the
difference between state and federal laws."
Gonzales
said federal law enforcement agents have started a new tactic of
checking the cell- phones and social media posts of non-citizens for
evidence of marijuana use.
Last
year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported more than 240,000
undocumented immigrants. Not all of these are related to cannabis use,
but possession, confession or use of even small amounts of pot can
result in detainment or deportation.
"The
legal and licensed businesses in the cannabis industry are part of the
communities in which they operate," Kristi Kelly, executive director of
the group said. "To the extent there is a gap in that education,
particularly one of such significant human consequence, we have a
responsibility to address it. We wanted to educate them about the laws
and minimize accidental deportation."
Will a culture so tied to alcohol switch allegiance once recreational cannabis is readily and legally available?
A
recent study out of the University of Connecticut looked at alcohol
sales in jurisdictions with medical marijuana, and found the two
substances to be substitutes, with monthly booze sales falling 13%.
A 2016 Deloitte study predicted some alcohol consumers will migrate to legal recreational marijuana.
Dan
Malleck, associate professor in Health Sciences at Brock University,
said the U.S. study looked at medical marijuana, and the findings
suggest that people are switching if they’re using alcohol to
self-medicate for conditions like stress.
However, societies have been developing symbols around alcohol consumption for thousands of years, he said.
”So
raising a glass or buying rounds, or things like that, are just not
something that has a parallel within cannabis consumption,” Malleck
said. “Cannabis is about sharing the joint or sitting around in a room
smoking and talking. It’s got it’s own culture with it and, I think,
that is partly because of the way it’s consumed and partly because of
the I guess surreptitiousness around how it had to be consumed under
prohibition.
“But I don’t think that we will see it replacing like ‘raising a glass.’”
The Ontario government is certainly not concerned about any impact on alcohol sales.
Asked
if his ministry has evaluated any potential changes to alcohol revenues
in a legal pot world, a spokesperson for Finance Minister Charles Sousa
replied succinctly – “no.”
Of course, the fact that the Ontario
government has full control of both alcohol and cannabis sales in the
province ensures it wins whichever way the consumer bends.
The
2017 Ontario budget projects “stronger overall performance” from the
LCBO, even without its expansion into selling recreational marijuana.
Marijuana use is usually viewed from a public health point of view as less dangerous than alcohol, Malleck said.
It doesn’t tend to lead to binging or other negative behaviours associated with alcohol use, he said.
“People who smoke weed in general tend to be less violent, less rowdy, sitting around giggling,” he said.
Under the legalization framework, though, recreational pot cannot be consumed in public places like bars.
Also,
from a law and order perspective, the technology to detect drug
impaired driving is not as sophisticated as that aimed at drunk drivers,
he said.
Malleck said he would have supported selling
recreational marijuana at regular LCBO stores but some citizens and
“histrionic” public health types objected.
“It’s like a legitimate high versus what some people still see as an illegitimate high in cannabis,” Malleck said.
Despite concerns from some
that marijuana — even medical marijuana — could be a "gateway" to
harder drugs, it seems that health experts aren't too worried.
In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report
Wednesday specifically stating that cannabidiol (also known as CBD), a
component in medical marijuana, does not have a risk for abuse.
"Current
evidence shows that cannabidiol is not likely to be abused or create
dependence as for other cannabinoids (such as Tetra Hydro Cannabinol
(THC), for instance)," the report states.
The
WHO was looking into CBD due to "increased interest" in using marijuana
in medical care, and especially palliative care, or care for people who
have life-threatening illnesses, BuzzFeed reports.
"In general, clinical studies have reported that even high doses of
oral CBD do not cause those effects [addiction or potential for abuse]
that are characteristic for THC and for cannabis rich in THC," said the
report. CBD had also been found to have "relatively low toxicity."
The
majority of the effects of marijuana can be nailed down to two
compounds: CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is responsible for
the psychoactive effects that make you feel high.
CBD, on it's own,
doesn't cause those same effects. Since this report speaks only about
the potential for abuse and dependance of CBD, this doesn't mean that
there's no possibility of ever getting addicted to marijuana, and other
experts have actually spoken about addiction as a possible effect.
"It’s
very difficult to pin down the probability of addiction, because so
many things determine it, but...somewhere around nine to 10% of regular
users of marijuana will become dependent," David Casarett, MD, author of
Stoned: A Doctor's Case For Medical Marijuana,
told Refinery29 in 2015.
"That's compared to between 13 and 15% of
[regular users] becoming dependent on other drugs, like cocaine."
For
now, the WHO suggests that CBD could be useful in treating medical
conditions and recommends that it not be regulated by the government.
The MPs call the criminalisation of cannabis consumption 'elitist' as it has been the intoxicant of the poor.
TNM Staff
There are many issues our
lawmakers need to discuss in the Winter Session of Parliament, which
commenced on Friday. These include the Goods and Service Tax, the
Consumer Protection Bill, the National Sports University Bill, The
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill … and reportedly, a private
member’s bill to legalise marijuana.
You read that right.
Dharamvir Gandhi, a Member of Parliament from Patiala, is seeking to legalise marijuana possession and consumption in India among other “non-synthetic” intoxicants.
Currently, the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act
of 1985 criminalises possession, trade, transport and consumption of
cannabis, among other narcotic and psychotropic substances.
A cardiologist by profession, Dharamvir was associated with the Aam Aadmi Party until he was suspended in 2015 along with another MP, Harinder Singh Khalsa, from primary membership for “anti-party activities”.
He moved a private member’s bill to legalise the recreational use of marijuana last year as well, and even earned the support of
the late actor and politician Vinod Khanna, a BJP MP at the time, and
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP from Odisha, Tathagata Satpathy.
Tathagata is well known for his open support for the cause of
legalising marijuana. In a 2014 Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread, he
declared that he had smoked cannabis many times as a college student.
“In villages of Orissa, many people openly smoke and, as their
representative, I am not entitled to be judgmental,” he had said.
The MP, who is the also the owner and editor of leading Odia daily Dharitri and English daily Orissa Post, is known to voice his views on issues quite unabashedly. Just last year, he even sported a kurta made of hemp fabric to the Lok Sabha.
Both Dharamvir and Tathagata have justified the legalisation of
recreational marijuana multiple times in the last couple of years.
Ban on marijuana elitist?
Tathagata has called the criminalisation of cannabis possession and consumption ‘elitist’. In an interview to Deeptiman Tiwary for theTOI,
Tathagata said that intoxication has been part of societies globally
and mentions of the same can be found in old texts also.
“In Odisha [where cannabis consumption is not illegal], people
smoking chillum is a common sight.
It is not something you make note of,
just as you don't notice someone drinking water or having tea,” he had
observed. He added that the problem arises only when an intoxicant is
allowed to overpower one’s life; then one should try to get out of it.
Keeping pace with current times
Dharamvir had told Hindustan Times last
year that the NDPS Act came into being to meet the UN Conventions on
Drug Policy. Tathagata had also mentioned this in his TOI interview. The
NDPS Act was also a response to the US placing a ban on cannabis and
other drugs.
Calling India the ‘wannabe’ America of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, Tathagata
said that cannabis suffered its fate because it was the intoxicant of
the poor, and was not seen with the same eye as a wine glass held in the
hands of the rich.
About half the states in the US, and at least 16 countries around the
world, have since legalised marijuana use, especially for medicinal
purposes like “treating chronic pain, nausea after chemotherapy, epilepsy and symptoms of multiple sclerosis”, reported Manu Balachandran for Quartz India.
The changes the private member’s bill proposes in the NDPS Act,
therefore, are to separate the clubbing together of ‘soft’ intoxicants
with artificial ‘hard’ drugs like cocaine, heroin and smack.
This de-linking has also found support from Romesh Bhattacharji,
former Commissioner of the Central Bureau of Narcotics. He had told
Debayan Roy from News18 that the NDPS Act been victimising people since 1985 – the year it came into effect.
He quoted data from Punjab between 2001 and 2011, and said that of
the 25,003 people behind bars under the NDPS Act, only 10 to 60 people
were drug traffickers. The others were merely poor people found
possessing soft drugs.
Creation of a drug mafia, harder intoxicants
Dharamvir has argued that the ban and subsequent ‘war on drugs’
resulted in the creation of a drug mafia that supplied more dangerous
and potent drugs, like cocaine, that are much more addictive.
Due to the
hefty profits to be made in the underground drug trade, it has led to
rivalries, which then led to gang wars. It has also pushed aggressive
marketing, which has led more people to hard drugs.
“Consequently, the petty traditional drug users are turning to the
easily available and aggressively marketed, addictive and dangerous
street drugs,” Dharamvir told HT. He hoped that the NDPS Act would be
amended so that “cheap, regulated and medically supervised supply of
traditional and natural intoxicants like ‘afeem’ and ‘bhukki’ (opium)”
can be made available. This move, according to him, will push a fewer
people towards more dangerous and harmful intoxicants.
Tathagata pointed out in
2015 that the ban on sale and possession of natural and soft drugs,
like bhang and cannabis, led people to turn to alcohol. Alcohol has a
higher incidence of addiction compared to cannabis – 16% and 9%
respectively.
Olga Khan wrote for The Atlantic that
the chances of getting addicted to cannabis if you smoke it after
you’re 25 years old are “essentially nil” and the withdrawal experienced
by those who give up smoking marijuana are also much fewer. The piece,
however, warns that most of these studies were conducted during the age
of prohibition, when people were not able to get their hands on weed
easily, hence skewing statistics.
Time for change?
The most recent person to join the debate for the legalisation of
marijuana is Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi. In July
this year, she called for the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes. She made the suggestion at a meeting, which scrutinized the National Drug Demand Reduction Policy draft.
Citing the US, she said that legalisation of cannabis for medicinal
usage had ultimately resulted in lesser instance of drug abuse. She
further told PTI that marijuana should be legalised especially if it
helps in treating cancer.
A significant win for drug reform was announced on Sunday with news that Norway’s Parliament has effectively decriminalized all drug use.
The Scandinavian nation stated that the responsibility of handling
the estimated 10,000 drug addicts or more, most of whom are addicted to
heroin, will transfer from the country’s justice system to its health
department.
The move received overwhelming bipartisan support from the Labor, Conservative, Socialist and Liberal parties of Norway.
“[We] will stop punishing people who struggle, but instead give them
help and treatment,” said Nicolas Wilkinson, the health spokesman for
the Socialist Left Party. Wilkinson added that this move is the
beginning of major reform for the country where the government will
“switch the system from punishment to help.”
The deputy chairman of Norway’s Parliamentary Health Committee, Sveinung Stensland, also stated “it is important to emphasize that we do not legalize cannabis and other drugs, but we decriminalize.”
Although drug crimes such as trafficking and manufacturing still
exist, the move has been hailed as a way to free up precious police
resources.
In February, the Health Committee will head to Portugal to research best practices for implementation. Portugal decriminalized all drug use in 2001 and has seen incredible success.
Here's how marijuana use could affect your sexual & reproductive health
Now that marijuana has been legalized in several states, Americans are smoking weed
more than ever. Naturally, this could have an impact — both positive
and negative — on various aspects of their lives, including sex and
fertility. To get a better idea of this relationship, Stanford recently conducted a survey
in which participants were asked how many times they’ve had intercourse
with a member of the opposite sex in the past four weeks and how
frequently they smoked marijuana over the past year.
It turns out, those who use pot
are having about 20 percent more sex than those who don’t, the findings
indicated. Of those studied, 24.5 percent of men and 14.5 percent of
women said they had used marijuana. Women who didn’t have marijuana in
the past year had sex about six times during the previous four weeks —
that number went up to 7.1 for daily pot users. Among men, the
corresponding figure was 5.6 for nonusers and 6.9 for daily users.
While the study’s data may seem
to point to a direct correlation between sex and marijuana, the reality
of the relationship is not as easily explained.
Below are facts you’ll want to know about marijuana use and your sexual and reproductive health.
How many people use marijuana?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports
that more than 20 million adult Americans are current marijuana users.
The drug is legal for medical or recreational use in 29 states — a
number that could climb.
Can using marijuana lead to more sex?
Marijuana is linked to having more sex, but before you smoke up, keep
in mind that the research doesn’t say that consuming more marijuana
equals having more sex. A study by
Stanford University School of Medicine found a positive correlation
between sexual intercourse frequency and marijuana.
While the
correlation is strong, it is not causal.
“Marijuana use is very common, but its large-scale use and
association with sexual frequency hasn’t been studied much in a
scientific way,” Dr. Michael Eisenberg, an assistant professor of urology and senior author said in a statement.
Can using marijuana lead to better sex?
Unfortunately, marijuana doesn’t seem to impact sexual performance.
The medical community has largely indicated that frequent marijuana use
may actually impair sexual desire or performance.
Nonetheless, the
Stanford analysis of more than 50,000 Americans ages 25 to 45 found that
using the illegal drug doesn’t seem to impact sexual performance. The
findings were published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
“Frequent marijuana use doesn’t seem to impair sexual motivation or
performance. If anything, it’s associated with increased coital
frequency,” Eisenberg said.
Can heavy marijuana use impact chances of conceiving?
If you and your partner are trying to have a baby, marijuana might be making it more difficult.
According to a study by the Oxford University Press, prolonged marijuana use may lower a male’s sperm count by nearly a third.
“The men who smoked marijuana more than once a week produced sperm
counts that were 28 percent lower, on average, than those who smoked
marijuana less frequently or not at all,” according to SexInfo Online.
Heavy using has also been linked to erectile dysfunction, but other
studies say it stimulates activity in brain regions involved in sexual
arousal and activity.
So enjoy yourself, but know when marijuana could enhance — or hurt — your sex life.
Last week, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions held a behind-closed-doors meeting about marijuana with anti-legalization activists.
Now, thanks to the fact that Sessions inadvertently showed an agenda
for the meeting to a TV camera that was in the room to capture
introductions — along with some high-tech sleuthing — we know what the
prohibitionists discussed in secret after reporters were kicked out.
A Twitter user with the handle @MentalMocean was able to enhance a screen capture of the document that Marijuana Moment posted.
Enhanced photo.
The document appears to read:
Agenda
Bertha Madras: Marijuana is not a substitute for opiates as a pain medication.
Dr. Hoover Adger: The harm from today’s marijuana.
Dr. Bob DuPont: The effect of marijuana on drugged driving.
David Evans: The role that the Food and Drug Administration can and should [obscured]
[obscured] The organizations you can speak for and what you and they are [obscured] people from recreational marijuana use.
[obscured] law enforcement thinks of the
commercialization of [obscured] law enforcement would support an
enforcement initiative.
[obscured] course of marijuana commercialization in the states if the [obscured] not intervene.
The enhanced photo makes clear that the anti-legalization activists
made a concerted pitch during meeting to convince Sessions to launch a
federal crackdown on states that have ended cannabis prohibition.
In attendance, according to video of the opening introductions captured by a pool photographer and posted by C-SPAN, were:
Edwin Meese III, U.S. attorney general under the Reagan administration
Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana
Bertha Madras, a former Office of National Drug Control Policy
staffer and a member of President Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug
Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
Robert DuPont, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
David Evans, executive director of the Drug Free Schools Coalition
Dr. Hoover Adger, Johns Hopkins Hospital
“I think it’s a big issue for America, for the country, and I’m of
the general view that this is not a healthy substance,” Sessions said at
the beginning of the gathering. “I think that’s pretty clear.
And then
have the policy response that we and the federal government needs to be
prepared to take and do so appropriately and with good sense.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to hear your analysis on marijuana and
some of the related issues,” Sessions told the group. “I do believe, and
I’m afraid, that the public is not properly educated on some of the
issues related to marijuana. And that would be a matter that we could,
all of us together, maybe be helpful in working on and that would allow
better policy to actually be enacted.”
The group’s roundtable discussion itself, which took place after initial introductions, was closed to the press.
The gathering comes as the Justice Department’s overall position on
marijuana policy remains uncertain. Sessions has in recent weeks sent
mixed signals about his plans for federal marijuana enforcement under
the Trump administration.
Last month, he testified before Congress that
an Obama-era Justice Department memo that generally allows states to
implement their own marijuana laws without interference remains in
effect. But he separately told reporters at a briefing that his
department is actively conducting talks about potential changes to the policy.
"They are saying I smoked it here - but I did [it] back home."
By Jason Lemon
A British man faces two years of jail in Dubai after he was arrested for smoking marijuana before he arrived in the UAE.
Connor
Clements, 24, traveled from Liverpool to Dubai earlier this year when
he got a job as a waiter in the Emirate. However, when he took a routine
drug test required for this employment contract, he tested positive for
cannabis, according to British media.
Dubai
authorities moved quickly to arrest him and put him in prison. Clements
has been released on bail, but he claims he was sleeping on a prison
cell floor with 25 other detainees while he spent a few weeks in jail.
“I
was in a rut. My sister lives here and I had an opportunity to change
my life and it's been nothing but a living nightmare," Clements told the Liverpool Echo, emphasizing he had not committed a crime in the UAE.
"They
are saying I smoked it here - but I did [it] back home, they have got
no proof... I used to smoke a lot back home. I came here to stop
everything," he said.
"I was coming over here to totally change my life around. I had a new job and met loads of nice people."
Connor Clements in the UAE Source: dailymail
During
a very brief court appearance, Clements was handed down a two-year
sentence. He claims he wasn't given adequate time to explain his
situation and that the court appearance lasted less than one minute.
Now, out on bail, Clements is awaiting an appeal hearing. His passport has also been confiscated.
The UK's Foreign Office said it is assisting Clements with the case.
"Our
staff in the UAE are assisting a British man following his detention in
Dubai. We have visited him on several occasions, made calls to the
prosecutor's office to get updates on his case, and are in regular
contact with his family," a spokesperson said, according to The Independent.
Clements'
appeal will take place a few days before Christmas on Dec. 25,
according to media reports. He reached out to British media in hopes of
raising awareness about his case.
"I don't want to go back in prison," he said.
Connor Clements with a dog Source: cetusnews
The UAE has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs, according to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
However, while the UK may be seen as more lenient when it comes to marijuana use, possession can technically still land someone in prison for up to five years. Unlimited fines can also be placed on individuals caught with cannabis.
Congress just gave the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment,
which bars the Department of Justice from using federal funds to
prosecute people buying or selling medical marijuana in states that have
legalized it, a temporary reprieve until Dec. 22.
However, as
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, (D-Ore.) stated, “Two weeks is not enough
certainty," especially when you are talking about patients’ well-being
and a North American cannabis marketplace largely made up of small
business owners and their employees that is expected to grow 33 percent to nearly $10 billion in 2017 and create tens of thousands of new jobs in the New Year.
A recent Gallup poll
revealed support for legalizing marijuana is the highest it’s been
since the question was first asked in the US in 1969. The poll showed a
four-point uptick from a year ago with 64 percent of Americans
supporting legalizing marijuana for medical and adult use.
In
addition to Democrats or independents supporting legalization,
Republicans for the first time backed fully legalizing cannabis, a plant found to be far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, two federally legal substances under US law.
However,
despite widespread bipartisan support for legalization and the positive
impacts cannabis has had on patients, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions
seems set on launching another failed federal “War on Drugs” campaign
and cracking down on states that have partly or completely legalized
marijuana use.
Sessions’s
misguided approaches are mirrored by an equally disturbing
misinformation effort by the chairman of the Trump Administration’s
Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, the
unpopular New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
In the fall, Christie released a letter announcing recommendations made by the opioids commission and at an event announcing these recommendations, he called supporters of marijuana legalization "crazy liberals" who want to "poison our kids." Christie went on to compare medical marijuana laws to the over-prescribing of opioids that led to the current opioids epidemi c.
Many
Americans and healthcare professionals were equally shocked and angered
by the Commission’s report and Christie’s remarks. In fact, Dr. Chinazo
Cunningham, a professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of
Medicine that conducted the First Long-Term Study on Medical Marijuana's Impact on Opioid Use for Pain, stated to CNN: I
was surprised to see negative language about marijuana in the opioid
report. Research that examines pain and marijuana shows that marijuana
use significantly reduces pain. In addition, the majority of studies
examining marijuana and opioids show that marijuana use is associated
with less opioid use and less opioid-related deaths.
On the
other hand, the opioid epidemic, which was largely sparked by a
quadrupling of federally legal doctor-prescribed painkillers, such as
Oxycontin and Vicodin since 1999, caused 59,000 deaths due to overdoses
in 2016 according to a recent investigation by the New York Times. Tragically, this makes deaths from opioids the leading cause of death of Americans under age 50.
Unfortunately,
having lost loved ones to the nation’s opioid crisis, I think everyone
agrees we must do everything we can to address our failed drug policies.
However,
we shouldn’t tolerate lies about cannabis and successful approaches to
fairly license, tax, regulate and enforce the plant. We also shouldn’t
accept Christie’s and Sessions’s failed “War on Drugs” rhetoric, which
only appears to be filled with personal ideologies and void of any sound
supporting data and scientific facts as a viable drug reforms for our
country. We can and must do better.
The truth is, science years
ago discredited the idea that cannabis is a gateway drug and scientific
research increasingly shows that access to medical marijuana can help
decrease rates of opioid addiction and death.
The 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research
’s analysis found states with medical cannabis laws saw as much as a 35
percent drop in substance abuse treatment admissions and a 31 percent
reduction in opioid overdoses.
A report issued earlier this year by Drug and Alcohol Dependence
also found that states with legalized medical cannabis programs saw an
average drop in opioid use of 23 percent in states after legalizing
medical cannabis.
In this era of “alternative facts” and
misinformation, it is critical that Americans hold elected and appointed
officials like Christie and Sessions accountable for making statements
masked as facts.
If our nation is serious about recognizing the
factors that lead to its opioids crisis and failed ‘War on Drugs’
policies, we can no longer tolerate Reefer Madness scare tactics as a viable policy approaches.
Rather,
we should come together to call on Congress to act and to put an end to
this cycle of uncertainty and permanently protect state medical
marijuana programs — and adult use — from federal interference.
The
demand for medical marijuana is soaring in the Netherlands. Over the
past five years the number of doctor's prescriptions for medical
marijuana grew by more than 400 percent to over 50 thousand this year,
according to figures from the foundation of pharmaceutical statistics
SFK, AD reports.
The number of prescriptions for cannabis oil picked up from
pharmacies grew by a massive 60 percent this year. According to SFK,
this form of medical marijuana is growing in popularity because it is
easier for patients to use than, for example, 'floss' - dried flower
heads from which you make tea.
The use of medical marijuana, which is only available with a doctor's
prescription, took off in the Netherlands in 2016 with an increase of
75 percent. Jan Dirk Kroon of the SFK estimates that around 8 thousand
people in the Netherlands use medical marijuana. "But that is a
conservative estimation", he said to the newspaper.
Doctors have mixed feelings about medical marijuana as it is not an
official medicine, but patients increasingly ask for it, the Dutch
association for general practitioners NHG said to AD.
The association is
therefore working on a 'position' on medical marijuana, which will be
published next year. "We advice GPs to prescribe medical cannabis if the
patient with chronic complaints asks for it and if conventional
treatment does not help or cause too many side effects." Monique
Verduijn of the NHG said to the newspaper.
