Tag Archives: Cannabis

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Police conduct drug bust at city business

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A 42-year-old Brantford woman and a 44-year-old Brantford man are each facing three counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purposes of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime following a drug bust. 

The Brantford police street crimes and community patrol units went into Herbology Company at 321 Colborne St. on Thursday at noon and arrested two people on site for possession for the purposes of trafficking. 

Then officers executed a controlled drugs and substances act authorization. In a search of the premises they found: 

• 1084.4 grams of marijuana with a street value of $10,844;
• 44.7 grams of hashish worth $1,118;
• 246.98 grams of cannabis resin worth $12,349; 
• 41 capsules of cannabis pills worth $103. 

The total street value of the drugs seized is estimated at $24,413. 

Police also seized $2,423.75 in Canadian currency.

Original article can be found here

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Canada will see 900,000 new pot smokers under legalization, poll implies

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Nearly a million Canadians who don’t smoke marijuana now are very likely to start after it’s legalized, survey data implies.

Whatever else happens when Canada legalizes recreational marijuana after the spring of 2017, pot will be easier to buy. 

Canada has become tolerant of marijuana by historical standards, but there are still some barriers to the curious — you have to be willing to grow your own big, smelly obvious plants, be open to dealing with shady people who are committing a crime (and know where to find them in the first place), or talk your way into a dispensary. 

Common sense says that if buying pot is suddenly as easy a buying a bottle of Scotch, then more people will be more willing to try it. And poll data backs it up. 

A Forum poll published last fall found that of the people polled who said they hadn’t smoked pot in the past year (18 per cent of the full sample had) three per cent said they were “very likely” and nine per cent said they were “somewhat likely” to buy pot if it was legal. 

Another Forum poll focused only on Ontario had similar results. 

Extrapolating the poll results to the whole population, it suggests that about five million adult Canadians now smoke pot at least once a month, and about 900,000 are very likely to join in, about a 19 per cent increase. (The “somewhat likely” new pot smokers would come to another 2.1 million.) 

The Forum poll showed that current Canadian marijuana smokers — people who said they’d smoked pot in the previous year — were more likely to be male, aged 18-34, and live in Atlantic Canada or B.C. They were more likely to vote Liberal or Green than Conservative or NDP. 

How much marijuana use rises under legalization has a lot to do with how it’s priced and marketed, says Rebecca Jesseman, senior policy adviser at the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. 

Since the long-term effects of moderate cannabis use aren’t known, we’re better off presenting pot more like cigarettes than like alcohol, she argues. 

“It’s a controlled substance, we’re not promoting the sales, where it’s accepted, and it’s legal, but it’s not glossy and shiny and branded and promoted.” 

“I would choose the word ‘bland’. It’s there, it’s legal, and that’s fine, we’ll give you access, but we’re not going to encourage it. Bland and plain packaging. Much more like tobacco.”

Education is also key: 

“We have generations and generations of moderate, socially acceptable alcohol use that has established social norms of use. We don’t have that with cannabis, and we’re in a really unique position right now to be able to start to develop those norms of use.”

Another thing that may lead to increased use is edible pot, which is widely available in U.S. states that have legalized marijuana. Edibles may appeal to people who want to try pot but don’t want to smoke. 

“It does eliminate the possibility of eliminating the harms associated with smoking, but carries its own set of harms, particularly among naïve users who don’t understand that it takes up to a couple of hours for you to feel the intoxicating effects of cannabis when you eat it.” 

“You have a brownie, and 15 minutes later don’t feel anything, have another brownie, 15 minutes later still don’t feel anything, have another brownie, and then two hours later you’re on your back saying ‘Oh, my God, what happened?’” 

But the experience of U.S. states that legalized pot a few years ago suggests that legalization, when it comes, may be a bit of an anticlimax — people may try pot to indulge their curiosity and move on, leaving use rates not much changed. 

A Cato Institute study of pot legalization in four U.S. states showed that marijuana use increased only modestly after legalization, continuing a pattern of rising use that had been going on for years. 

Cato’s researchers suggested a “cultural explanation behind legalization: as marijuana becomes more commonplace and less stigmatized, residents and legislators become less opposed to legalization. In essence, rising marijuana use may not be a consequence of legalization, but a cause of it.” 

In Colorado, which legalized pot in 2012, a state study showed that teenage use of marijuana actually fell. 

“Use by young people is a concern, because cannabis can affect the developing brain,” explains Robert Mann of the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. 

Falling use among young people falls into a national pattern of falling marijuana use among U.S. (and Canadian) teenagers, but in Colorado’s case legalization seemed to have no effect at all on teen marijuana use. (The state minimum age for buying marijuana is 21, the same as for alcohol.) 

During the U.S. state-level debates about legalization, concerns were often raised that the move would lead to more teenagers smoking pot; a small majority of Canadians answering a Nanos poll this year though that legalization here would lead to more pot use among young people. 

In its submission to the federal task force on legalization, the Canadian Medical Association argued for a minimum age of 21 to buy marijuana. (They said that a more ideal age would be 25, but recognized that that would leave most of the existing black market in place, defeating part of the point of legalization.) 

Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado have all legalized marijuana in the past few years. 

Original article found here

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Several arrested in simultaneous raids at 5 illegal marijuana dispensaries

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Several people were taken into custody on Thursday as London police executed five simultaneous search warrants at illegal marijuana dispensaries in the city. 

The raids at Tasty Budd’s, Chronic Hub Social Club, Alternative Health, and at two Healing Health locations over the noon hour came as part of an investigation police initiated several weeks ago following complaints and concerns from the community, police said. 

The number of people arrested has not been released, but charges are pending, said London Police Cst. Sandasha Bough. 

“It is an ongoing investigation – it’s something that our guns and drugs section have been working on for a while,” said Bough, speaking to reporters outside of Tasty Budd’s on Wharncliffe Road South, less than an hour after the raids occurred. 

The warrants, police say, were connected to the offence of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. 

“At each location, (police) are arresting individuals who are working at these premises, and they’re executing their search warrants, so they will be seizing multiple items in relation to these offences,” Bough said. 

The busts come just days after Bill Blair, former Toronto police chief and current parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice, came to London to visit with police leadership and city officials to discuss a regulatory framework for legalizing marijuana in Canada. The Trudeau government has said it plans to table legislation this spring aimed at legalizing and regulating marijuana. 

The timing of the raids and Blair’s visit on Tuesday was “purely coincidental,” Bough said, adding that police have been working on the warrants for around two weeks. 

Tasty Budd’s, one of six locations across the country, was the scene of a police search warrant last August that resulted in charges against two men, aged 23 and 28, of trafficking a schedule II substance and possessing a schedule II substance for the purpose of trafficking. The dispensary, which had opened less than a week before the bust, closed temporarily, but reopened soon afterwards. 

One of the other dispensaries targeted in Thursday’s raid, Chronic Hub Social Club, opened just last month in the downtown core – the first to open in the area. 

Asked whether police were planning to raid any other dispensaries, Bough said she couldn’t comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Under current Health Canada regulations, Ontarians can only purchase legal medical marijuana from 24 authorized and licensed producers in the province, with illegal dispensaries subject to law enforcement action. There are currently a total of 39 authorized medical marijuana suppliers across Canada. 

Regulations that came into effect on Aug. 24, 2016 allows Canadians who have been authorized by their health care practitioner to register to grow their own marijuana or designate someone to produce it for them. According to Health Canada, as of August 2016, some 28,000 Canadians are authorized to possess and licensed to produce marijuana for medical purposes under court injunctions. 

Bough said members of the London Police guns and drugs section and officials from the city’s bylaw office and the Middlesex-London Health Unit were assisting in the ongoing investigation. 

“If the health unit does attend any of these locations, it will be in regards to the items that are edible,” Bough said, adding that the illegal marijuana products supplied by the unauthorized dispensaries could be potentially dangerous and “not safe for human consumption.” 

Updates on the investigation will likely be released tomorrow, Bough said. 

Original article can be found here

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Justin Trudeau lays down the law on marijuana during visit to Victoria

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As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed local issues with Mayor Lisa Helps inside Victoria City Hall Thursday afternoon, a marijuana dispensary is in clear view across the street.

During his press conference at CFB Esquimalt earlier in the day, Trudeau made his views on marijuana dispensaries clear.

“The current law remains the law. We are hoping to bring in legislation before the summer, we’re working very hard on that but I cannot stress enough, until we have a framework to control and regulate marijuana, the current law applies,” Trudeau said.

Victoria has one of the highest number of pot shops per capita in the country — there are roughly 35 operating in the city.

And rather than being shut down by police, city council has now started the process of issuing business licenses for some of them to operate.

Helps says she spoke about many things with the Prime Minister in their 30 minute meeting.

“Belleville terminal, Crystal Pool, fire hall, community benefit procurement, the opioid crisis, oil tankers,” she listed.

But marijuana never came up.

“He didn’t raise it, I didn’t raise it,” Helps said.

“I had half an hour with the Prime Minister of Canada, it’s first time since 1965 that a Prime Minister has visited, I personally and I think for our city and our region have much better things to talk about than cannabis,” she said.

Meanwhile in Langford, the city’s mayor has spoken out loudly against the one marijuana dispensary that has opened and been shut down several times in his community.

Thursday Stu Young wrote a letter to Justin Trudeau calling on him to “designate Health Canada licensed producers and pharmacies as the only distributors for cannabis.”

Adding “it would go a long way in protecting the public from illegal cannabis increasingly coming from unknown sources – and very likely from criminal elements.”

Trudeau says his goal for regulating and controlling marijuana is to take the revenue out of the pockets of criminals, and to restrict access to young people.

“It’s easier to buy a joint for a teenager than it is to buy a bottle of beer, that’s not right,” Trudeau said.

As the Prime Minister moves on to Vancouver his plan to bring in marijuana legislation by summer can’t come soon enough for many communities here on Vancouver Island.

Original article can be found here

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London police raid five marijuana dispensaries

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Raids were in response to community complaints, according to police


Police in London, Ont. raided five marijuana dispensaries Thursday afternoon. (Kerry McKee/CBC)

Police in London, Ont. have raided five marijuana dispensaries in response to community complaints.

Raids began at noon, according to police.

“The search warrants were in relation to possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking,” read a statement from the London Police Service.

The investigations began weeks ago, and searches at the sites are ongoing.

Marijuana dispenseries raided:

96 Wharncliffe Road South
119 Dundas Street
490 Wonderland Road South
737 Hamilton Road
1472 Dundas Street

Original article can be found here

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Flying with medical marijuana? 4 things to remember

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The better part of 20 years after the first Canadians were allowed to use medical marijuana, the agency that screens air passengers and their bags has explained how people should fly with their legal pot.

Medical marijuana can be carried in either carry-on or checked bags on domestic flights, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority says, and passengers should bring documents showing their pot is legal. Screeners will ask police at the airport to look at the documents.

As recently as last December, 25-year-old Michael Korchak was denied boarding an Air Canada flight in Halifax because he was carrying medical marijuana. He was carrying all of the correct paperwork.

Korchak was prescribed marijuana to deal with pain from an injury related to military service. Air Canada has since changed its rules and offered Korchak a refund.

Cannimed, a Saskatoon-based medical marijuana producer, recommends that people not put marijuana in checked bags. Passengers could end up missing a flight if their bag is opened.
Medical marijuana users should:

Pack the pot in an easy-to-reach place in carry-on luggage, in the original packaging, with all the documents showing you possess it legally. “If they’re carrying it in their regular luggage and they do a sweep with the dogs, it’s going to get flagged,” explains Brent Zettl, Cannimed’s president. “If it gets flagged without an explanation, they have to inspect it, because they’re still looking for illegal contraband. The idea is that you have it with you so you can explain it up front, with all the paperwork.”

Call the airline in advance. “Especially in smaller airports – they’re not accustomed to seeing it very often.”

Tell the security screeners that you’re carrying marijuana.

Allow extra time for police to be called and for them to look at your paperwork.

Zettl would like to move to a system where screeners are trained to check medical marijuana documents themselves, without having to involve the police.

“You have to sit aside, you have to wait for the police to come, and it causes a delay in their travel plans. The (CATSA) staff have to be trained for this kind of thing, what to look for. They’re not trained to review those medical documents to make sure that they are legitimate. ”

Over 50,000 Canadians are authorized to use medical marijuana, Zettl said.

Original article can be found here

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Minister Philpott responds to Senate questions on legalization

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Canada’s Minister of Health responded to questions about age limits, intoxicated driving, and international treaties as it relates to the government’s pledge to legalize marijuana


Canada’s Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott, took questions today in the Senate’s Question Period, responding to numerous questions about various issues under Health Canada’s review, including two separate questions relating to cannabis legalization.

The first question on marijuana legalization came from Senator Claude Carignan, the Conservative Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who asked Minister Philpott why the government was rejecting the Canadian Medical Association’s’ recommendation that an age limit of 21 be set for recreational cannabis at a national level.

The CMA also recommended that quantities and the potency of marijuana be more restricted to those under age 25 to discourage use and sharing with underage friends.

The second question came later from Senator Linda Frum, who asked about the international treaties Canada will be violating by legalizing marijuana. Minister Philpott told the Senate that Canada is working closely with various government agencies to address these concerns.

“The fact is that, in fact the world is looking at us very closely about this. I’ve had numerous international delegations who have come and wanted to speak to me specifically about this because it’s something that many countries around the world are very interested in. They’re watching Canada very closely, which speaks to the fact that we have got to get this legislation right.” -Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott

First, Senator Carignan characterized the government’s commitment to legalize as a rejection of this and other medical evidence showing the harms of cannabis on young brains, and said more research is needed on intoxicated driving before cannabis becomes legal.

“Why is the government both rejecting and ignoring science by going forward with plans to legalize marijuana?” asked the Senator in French.

Canada’s Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott, took questions today in the Senate’s Question Period, responding to numerous questions about various issues under Health Canada’s review, including two separate questions relating to cannabis legalization.

The first question on marijuana legalization came from Senator Claude Carignan, the Conservative Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who asked Minister Philpott why the government was rejecting the Canadian Medical Association’s’ recommendation that an age limit of 21 be set for recreational cannabis at a national level.

The CMA also recommended that quantities and the potency of marijuana be more restricted to those under age 25 to discourage use and sharing with underage friends.

The second question came later from Senator Linda Frum, who asked about the international treaties Canada will be violating by legalizing marijuana. Minister Philpott told the Senate that Canada is working closely with various government agencies to address these concerns.

“The fact is that, in fact the world is looking at us very closely about this. I’ve had numerous international delegations who have come and wanted to speak to me specifically about this because it’s something that many countries around the world are very interested in. They’re watching Canada very closely, which speaks to the fact that we have got to get this legislation right.” -Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott

First, Senator Carignan characterized the government’s commitment to legalize as a rejection of this and other medical evidence showing the harms of cannabis on young brains, and said more research is needed on intoxicated driving before cannabis becomes legal.

“Why is the government both rejecting and ignoring science by going forward with plans to legalize marijuana?” asked the Senator in French.

Minister Philpott responded by pointing out that the task force report took into account considerations like the CMA’s and that extensive thought and research has gone into the approach the government is taking to ensure the protection of young people from the potential risks of cannabis use.

“This is a very good question and you’re absolutely right that our approach to the matter of cannabis is to be sure that we introduce legislation that is evidence-based and, in fact, there is a significant amount of evidence around cannabis, but I would say that it is an area where there is a shortage of scientific research in terms of the potential benefits and risks associated with it.

“Having said that, one of the things that we did in preparation for the introduction of legislation was to initiate a task force which was led by the Honourable Anne McClellan, who went across the country and met with a huge number of special interest groups who gave advice on that. I hope that senators have had the opportunity to read a very excellent report that the task force brought back to us which we’re examining, and this question in terms of age is a very important one … the legislation will be coming out this spring, so obviously we’ll see more about that at that time.

“I will point out one of the challenges around the age is the fact that the highest user group of cannabis is young people between the ages of 18 and 24, in which case one-third of Canadian youth in that particular age bracket of young adults are currently using cannabis, and so that’s something that has to be taken into consideration in the determination of what the legislation should look like. And obviously, the government’s goal is to make sure we minimize the risks associated with the use of cannabis and keep it particularly out of the hands of kids.”

Senator Carignan, as the Conservatives lead in the senate, has been openly critical of the Liberal Government’s pledge to legalize, and has several pointed questions about legalization still to be addressed in Senate. He announced yesterday he will be stepping down from his leadership position effective March 31.

“You’re absolutely right, we’re committed to introducing legislation the spring, 21 days away. The good news is that spring goes right until June the 21st so that gives us a little bit of a window in there. But we are committed to introducing that legislation in the spring.” -Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott

Senator Linda Frum, another Conservative member of the Senate, asked a follow-up about international treaties, including the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the The United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988, noting that spring is ‘only 21 days away’ and the government had pledged to introduce legislation by the spring.

“These treaties have 185 and 189 members, respectfully,” said Senator Frum. “Presumably you intend to withdraw Canada form these treaties. With the prospect of retaliation from member nations, including our neighbour to the south, what conversation have you had with your international counterparts to address the possibility of lengthy wait times at the border because searches at point-of-entry once marijuana is legalized in Canada?”

“You’re absolutely right, we’re committed to introducing legislation the spring, 21 days away,” responded Minister Philpott. “The good news is that spring goes right until June the 21st so that gives us a little bit of a window in there. But we are committed to introducing that legislation in the spring.

“You raise an important point, which is that the matter of legalization of cannabis will put us in the scenario where we will be in contravention of three international treaties. This is something that I have discussed with my colleagues. I’ve discussed it with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and it has recently come up in discussions with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs who is very much aware of this, and we have discussed a range of options as to how Canada could respond to that reality.

“The fact is that, in fact, the world is looking at us very closely about this. I’ve had numerous international delegations who have come and wanted to speak to me specifically about this because it’s something that many countries around the world are very interested in. They’re watching Canada very closely, which speaks to the fact that we have got to get this legislation right. In terms of negative impacts, obviously those things need to be taken into consideration—what that could look like as we go forward and make a decision as to our response to treaties. It is something that needs to be taken into consideration.

“You will no doubt be aware that there are a number of states within the United States that do have legalized cannabis at the present time. Of course that doesn’t put them in contravention because it’s not a federal decision there. But it’s a reality that they are also cognizant of. And clearly we would not want to put Canadians travel in jeopardy and will certainly take these things into consideration and I would be happy to update you at a later time.”
This is the third time the Health Minister has taken questions from the Senate.

Original article can be found here

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Teens turn to marijuana to self-medicate for stress, anxiety: report

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The teen years are a high-stress, often anxiety riddled time, and research shows that young Canadians admit to turning to marijuana to cope.
Nicole* was 13 when she began using marijuana. She said at first she smoked pot due to peer pressure, but then she realized it offered her an “escape.”

“Since I was young I’ve suffered severe social anxiety which has only gotten worse,” said Nicole said in a message to Global News.
“It has and always will be the only thing that has helped with my severe anxiety and depression.”

Nicole’s story is not unusual. A new study based on cross-country focus groups found that teens are turning to marijuana to self-medicate. But experts worry they don’t always know all the risks.

“There’s this disconnect between what the scientific research shows and the thoughts and perceptions among young people,” said Amy Porath, director of research and policy at the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA).

The study also found that young people tend to think cannabis is not addictive, and think it’s OK to drive after smoking, Porath noted.

Adverse health effects

There is growing acceptance around using marijuana, for both recreational and medicinal purposes, as Canada moves to legalization. But smoking in youth carries greater, long-term risks.
“Young people are vulnerable as a group as well because of their ongoing brain development. Until about 20 to 25, their brains are still undergoing significant maturation and development,” said Porath.

A minimum age of 18 for access to marijuana was a key recommendation of a federal task force looking at legalization.
“The later people start using cannabis … the better,” Dr. Jürgen Rehm, director of the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) told Global News in December.

Cannabis is often regarded as an “innocuous” drug, a 2001 report in the British Journal of Psychiatry notes. However, evidence shows it carries dependency risks and other adverse effects, “particularly among people with pre-existing psychiatric disorders.”

“People with major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are especially vulnerable in that cannabis generally provokes relapse and aggravates existing symptoms,” the report states.

Ethical concerns restrict research into pot’s effect on young people’s brains, said Mary Olmstead, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Queens University.

“You can’t bring people in, have them smoke pot when they’re 18 and give them a brain imaging study. We don’t do that, ethically,” Olmstead said.

In her work in the area, she typically urges young people to look for other ways to deal with their stress.

“Try yoga first.”

More guidance needed across the board

Medical marijuana users are usually adamant that it’s the best thing for what ails them. But the best way to effectively use pot for therapeutic purposes doesn’t necessarily get easier as you get older.

Medical marijuana user Jason*, 42, has a number of health issues including migraines and severe anxiety. The Torontonian has been on “pretty much every anti-depressant,” and in the past missed work at his job at a bank due to side effects.

Jason calls his cannabis use “a total game-changer.”

“I’ve tried all the meds — they don’t work. This one does.”

However, he said there’s a noted lack of guidance. Even with a prescription, without a person trained to recommend certain strains, dosage, and usage, Jason said “it really is self-medicating.”

“I would much rather have someone come to me and say, ‘this is how much you should use. This is how you use it,’” said Jason.

Still, he would rather experiment with cannabis than go back to pharmaceuticals.

Candi* started smoking marijuana at the age of 28 after a divorce.

“I had such severe depression and anxiety, it manifested as chronic migraines. I started smoking to deal with the constant pain,” said Candi.

Now 36, the rural-Manitoba resident smokes three times a day, without a prescription. Her doctor said she didn’t know enough about medical marijuana to “support prescribing it.”

For now, she relies on a trusted dealer and trial-and-error.
“Some are better than others for sure, but I smoke whatever my dealer gives me,” Candi said.

Nicole, now 34, said she’s well informed about what to consume and what to avoid, thanks to the cannabis shops increasingly popping up in Toronto — and bad experiences with the wrong strains.

“Indicas give you a huge body buzz … Sativas are meant to make you relax and focus and calm,” said Nicole.

“People need to be educated because each causes a different reaction.”

*Last names have been withheld

Original article can be found here

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Oral measurement of THC intoxication level is not feasible, study concludes

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A recent investigation from the University of Marseille and the Service de Pharmacocinétique Toxicocinétique provides new important data for this ongoing debate

Cannabis legalization poses considerable risks for drivers and policy makers, with multiple investigations converging on the conclusion that cannabis intoxication increases road traffic accidents and fatalities, likely due to a reduction in attention, reaction speed, and judgement of drivers (for a Lift review of the research see here).

Countries around the globe have implemented a range of policies regulating driving under the influence of cannabis. For instance, Australia prohibits driving under any detectable level of THC, whereas Switzerland has a more lax limit of 2.2 ng/ml. Across the U.S., states have imposed limits ranging from zero to 5 ng/ml.
Arguments for a zero-level tolerance posit that exact measurement of cannabis blood levels is not possible due to technological limitations and a great variability in how individuals metabolize the drug, added to the fact that even low levels of cannabinoids can impair driving significantly (especially if other substances like alcohol are also ingested).

Arguments for specific limits, on the other hand, are centered around pragmatic factors and findings that THC and other cannabis metabolites can remain detectable for nearly a week, presumably long after any psychoactive effects can still be felt. Some concerns shared by both sides revolve around the need for blood samples for adequate ruling of intoxication, due to the associated medical risks.

A recent investigation from the University of Marseille and the Service de Pharmacocinétique Toxicocinétique provides new important data for this ongoing debate. The team, led by Dr. Amélie Marsot, described in great detail the pharmacokinetic profiles of THC and its metabolites in saliva, blood plasma, and urine during the first 72 hours. Their report can be accessed for free in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Eighteen male tobacco smokers and occasional cannabis users, aged 20 to 45 years, were recruited from the local community. Each participant underwent two treatments: a) tobacco cigarette as a control, and b) tobacco cigarette with 500 mg of cannabis (20mg of THC). To reduce differences in smoking technique, the participants followed a computerized procedure under medical supervision that explained how they should inhale the cigarette. The two treatments were separated by a 4-week washout period and randomly sorted in order to blind participants. Finally, they were asked to refrain from cannabis during the entire experiment as well as during the 28 days leading up to it.

In total, blood and oral fluids were collected 16 times each and urine was collected 6 times. The samples were tested for the presence of THC, 11-OH-THC (main psychoactive metabolic product of THC) and THC-COOH (inactive metabolite) with a minimum detection level of 1ng/ml.

The analysis yielded a wide variability in the levels of absorption, metabolism, and excretion of these metabolites. The maximum concentrations of THC ranged from 55.4 to an incredible 120000 ng/ml in saliva and 1.6 to 160 ng/ml in plasma, whereas the maximum plasma concentrations of the two metabolites varied 3 to 10 times less than this. Overall, THC salivary content was in no way indicative of THC blood content, nor were urinary samples. Other parameters such as time to maximum concentration and to last detectable concentration also varied widely across individuals.

The authors argue that oral and urinary samples can still be taken as evidence of recent use, but fail to specify what they subtend by it. In the study, half of the participants reached THC subthreshold levels in plasma in just 2 hours (maximum took 12 hours) against 18 hours in saliva (maximum took 48 hours). Urinary samples remained positive for even larger periods of time, and previous studies have shown that detection levels subsist up to 18 days after the administration of a single marijuana joint. It seems unclear what driving regulatory policy could be adopted that does not rely on blood sampling.

Featured image via Wikipedia.

Original article can be found here

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Doctors group opposes medical and recreational marijuana use for kids

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As politicians debate and trade barbs about past marijuana use, a new study suggests smoking pot may be much worse for teens’ health than previously thought. Mike Drolet reports.

CHICAGO – An influential doctors group is beefing up warnings about marijuana‘s potential harms for teens amid increasingly lax laws and attitudes on pot use.

Many parents use the drug and think it’s OK for their kids, but “we would rather not mess around with the developing brain,” said Dr. Seth Ammerman.

The advice comes in a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, published Monday in Pediatrics. The group opposes medical and recreational marijuana use for kids. It says emphasizing that message is important because most states have legalized medical use for adults, and many have decriminalized or legalized adults’ recreational use.

Those trends have led parents to increasingly ask doctors about kids’ use, said Ammerman, a Stanford University pediatrics professor who co-wrote the report.

“Parents will say, ‘I use it moderately and I’m fine with it, so it’s really benign and not a problem if my kid uses it,”‘ he said.
Doctors need to know how to respond to that thinking, and parents and teens need to know the risks, Ammerman said.

POTENTIAL HARMS

The brain continues to develop until the early 20s, raising concerns about the potential short- and long-term effects of a mind-altering drug. Some studies suggest that teens who use marijuana at least 10 times a month develop changes in brain regions affecting memory and the ability to plan. Some changes may be permanent, the report says.

Frequent use starting in the early teen years may lower IQ scores, and some studies have shown that starting marijuana use at a young age is more likely to lead to addiction than starting in adulthood. Not all teen users develop these problems and some may be more vulnerable because of genetics or other factors.

MEDICAL VERSUS RECREATIONAL USE

Solid research on medical marijuana’s effects in children and teens is lacking, although some studies have suggested it may benefit kids with hard-to-treat seizures. The report says other potential benefits, doses and effects are mostly unknown.

Recreational use is illegal for those under age 21 even in states that allow adult use. Parents should avoid using marijuana in front of their kids and should keep all marijuana products stored out of kids’ sight, the academy says. Some young children who accidentally swallowed their parents’ pot-containing cookies or drinks have landed in the emergency room for mostly minor symptoms although some developed breathing problems.

WHO’S USING

Government data show that almost 40 per cent of U.S. high school students have tried marijuana, about 20 per cent are current users and close to 10 per cent first tried it before age 13. Use has increased in recent years among those aged 18 and older but not among young teens. Still, kids aged 12-17 increasingly think that marijuana use is not harmful.

Dr. Sheryl Ryan, a Yale University pediatrics professor and lead author of the academy report, said marijuana “is the drug of choice” for many of her teen patients in New Haven, Connecticut. Some think daily use is safe, noting that their parents or grandparents smoked pot in college and turned out OK. But today’s marijuana is much more potent and potentially more risky, Ryan said.

Original article can be found here

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Landlord pays high price for renter’s medical marijuana grow-op

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‘A grow-op, whether legal or not, is still a high-risk activity,’ Insurance Bureau says


The tenant had 60 plants growing near the laundry room, landlord Darryl Spencer says. (Darryl Spencer)

Longtime landlord Darryl Spencer was left scrambling for insurance after discovering a tenant was growing dozens of medical marijuana plants inside and outside his rental house.

When the landlord told his insurance company about the perfectly legal grow-op, his coverage was cancelled, leaving him with no insurance, few rights and a big cleanup bill.

Spencer says the downstairs tenant in the Kamloops, B.C., rental property got a medical marijuana licence that allowed him to legally grow as many as 60 plants without his landlord’s permission or knowledge.

A call from a concerned neighbour prompted Spencer, who is also a retired fire inspector, to check out the home he’s rented out to different tenants for a decade.


Spencer says he’s spent thousands of dollars in order to get his rental property insurance reinstated. (CBC)

He discovered a mess of extension cords, fans and bright lights packed into a room filled with dozens of marijuana plants. The upstairs tenant, a woman with a small child, was complaining about heat radiating through the walls and electrical breakers going off.

“I was worried about the fire hazard. That was my first thought because of the extension cords, the use of electricity and that something could catch fire,” Spencer told Go Public.


Spencer’s tenant started a medical marijuana grow-op in the lower level apartment without his knowledge. (Darryl Spencer)

Under new federal rules introduced last August, landlords have little recourse if a tenant is growing licensed medical marijuana. They don’t even have the right to know it’s happening. Yet it’s landlords who are being denied insurance coverage when a tenant is growing medical pot.

Go Public also found, while the federal government implemented the rules, it wants local authorities to ensure medical grow-operations are being set up and run safely. More than 30,000 people in Canada have permits to grow cannabis for their personal medical use.

Insurance cancelled

When Spencer notified his insurance company about the tenant’s grow-op, Gore Mutual Insurance cancelled his coverage.
“They wouldn’t cover claims to do with medical marijuana or air quality contamination,” he says.

‘You can lose everything you worked so hard for your whole life.’

– Darryl Spencer, landlord

In a statement to Go Public, Gore Mutual Insurance says it “does not provide coverage for marijuana grow-operations regardless of their legality because this type of operation in a residential building presents inherent insurance risks.”

Those risks, the company says, include “a greater likelihood of water damage, mould, fire, vandalism and burglary.”


A Federal Court judge ruled last year that Canadians have a right to grow their own medical marijuana. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)

Under most basic home insurance policies, marijuana-related damages or anything that companies believe is “high risk” is not covered.

That view is shared by many insurance companies, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

“While regulations may allow for the legal growing of marijuana for medical purposes, it does not change the structural risk grow-ops pose to homes and condos,” Andrew McGrath, spokesman for the Insurance Bureau, tells Go Public in an email.

“The operation of a grow-op, whether legal or not, is still a high-risk activity.”

Landlord jumps through hoops

Gore Mutual Insurance told Spencer it might reinstate his coverage if he got rid of the tenant and took specific steps to ensure the house was safe to live in.

The insurance company also wanted air and soil testing, plumbing and electrical inspections, and the house checked for mould.
‘[Health Canada] basically made the decisions … in a vacuum’

– David Hutniak, Landlord B.C.

Spencer did it all, while searching for another insurance company that would cover him right away. None would.
“I went all that time with no insurance which was pretty nerve-wracking knowing there were many implications involved there. You can lose everything you worked so hard for your whole life,” he says.

The tenant did move out, but only after Spencer paid him $1,300 to leave and returned his full damage deposit despite issues with the suite.

All in, Spencer estimates he’s out more than $5,000 in costs related to the medical grow-op.

Privacy trumps landlord rights

In February 2016, a Federal Court judge gave Health Canada six months to come up with new rules that would give medical marijuana patients better access to pot, allowing more patients to grow it at home.


Spencer says he had concerns about electrical hazards in the grow-op. (Darryl Spencer)

Its response was the new Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, which came into effect Aug. 24, 2016.

“The new regulations do not require individuals who wish to produce a limited amount in their residence to notify or seek the consent of their landlords as such requirements would likely infringe on their right to reasonable access to cannabis for medical purposes,” Health Canada spokesman André Gagnon wrote in a statement to Go Public.

Decisions made ‘in a vacuum’

Landlord B.C., an advocacy group for landlords, says it respects the importance of marijuana therapy for those who need it. But CEO David Hutniak says the group believes property rights also are important.

“[Health Canada] basically made the decisions, from our perspective, in a vacuum,” he says.


Spencer says he was worried about safety when he saw the amount of chemicals in the tenant’s unit. (Darryl Spencer)

Hutniak says the federal government failed to provide clear direction for landlords and insurance companies when it made changes to medical marijuana rules.

Safety inspections not done

Under the new rules, Health Canada gives specific guidelines on how to safely set up medical grow-ops.

But when it comes to checking if safety rules are being followed, the federal department is leaving that to municipalities.


David Hutniak, CEO of Landlord B.C., says Health Canada should have considered the impact on property rentals and insurance when approving grow-ops. (Christer Waara/CBC)

The problem, according to the development and engineering services director for Kamloops, is federal privacy rules prevent local authorities from knowing where marijuana is being grown.

“We don’t get a list of the address, so we can’t proactively go around and do inspections,” Marvin Kwiatkowski says.


The tenant was also growing marijuana in a greenhouse on Spencer’s property. (Darryl Spencer)

There also is no system in place to proactively check if tenants are growing the allowed number of plants and following their permit.

Go Public put the issue to federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, but her office declined an interview, saying the federal government’s role is to ensure people who need medical marijuana have access.

Double the cost

Two months after his insurance was cancelled, Spencer found a company that specializes in covering medical grow-operations. The coverage cost almost twice what he used to pay and has a much higher deductible.

After Go Public contacted his original insurer, Gore Mutual, it offered to reinstate Spencer’s policy for almost the same amount he used to pay.


B.C. landlord Darryl Spencer found he had little recourse when his insurance was cancelled because a tenant was growing marijuana. (CBC)

Spencer took Gore up on the offer, and says it’s the federal government that needs to make changes.

“This has been a big mistake and I hope it gets rectified soon.”

Original article can be found here

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Pinkman Goo: This Unbelievable Indica Produces Resin Dew Drops

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Have you ever seen a cannabis strain that produces sap like a pine tree? One Southern Californian grower has created an indica strain unlike any other. Pinkman Goo, a strain developed by CaliCropDoc, produces a syrup-like resin that seeps out from calyxes just like sticky pine sap. Here’s why this one-of-a-kind strain is so gooey.

Pinkman Goo is one unique strain

Pinkman Goo is cannabis elevated. This indica strain produces a full droplet of resin, similar to the sticky sap found on the outside of pine trees. Such a strain is a rarity, and the stabilization of Pinkman Goo is certainly a step up in growing and cultivation.

In laboratory tests, the pinky resin from Pinkman Goo tested 4% higher in THC than resin from a non-gooey flower. The sap oozes out from between leaf margins and the bottoms of the calyx. Nighttime photosynthesis pushes plant resins up through the stem and seeps out from wherever it can.

The strain’s unique ability to produce this sap so frequently is thought to be a genetic trait, though the overall grow environment can have an impact on whether or not this process occurs.
Perhaps a bit like maple syrup, the concentrated resin from Pinkman Goo has a sweeter taste and aroma. Some suspect that the sap contains sugar crystals, that come out in the form of a sweat. The end result is a strain that looks like it has produced its own rose-colored dew droplets.

Apart from the impressive stickiness, this one-of-a-kind flower also has some seriously good looks. The leaves feature a beautiful purple-rimmed coloration and dense purple tinted buds.
This strain tests at around 18% THC, making it quite potent. The overall effects of this flower are peaceful and relaxed, and the strain features a soothing earthy aroma overall.

Who created Pinkman Goo?

Pinkman Goo was developed by grower Twompson Prater of CaliCropDoc. He inherited his gifted cultivation skills from his father and grandfather, who had purple thumbs themselves. Prater’s fifteen years of experience in medical cannabis cultivation shines through in the obvious craftsmanship behind Pinkman Goo.

CaliCropDoc wants you to know that it is possible to increase resin and coax a sappy goo from your cannabis plants. Prater offers free cannabis education through his website.

Medical and recreational growers alike can learn from Prater’s experiments, which include side by side testing, grow journals, and product reviews. Prater began CaliCropDoc to help growers sort through all of the misinformation out there and utilize safe methods that work.

For more information on expert medical cannabis cultivation or the Pinkman Goo strain, visit CaliCropDoc.org.

Original article found here

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Harvard Study: Smoking Weed Improves Brain Functions

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Cognitive function goes better with pot.

People are forever wandering onto KINDLAND territory and wondering out loud: What makes you people so goddamn smart?

Well, scientific findings recently published in Frontiers in Pharmacology may have cleared up that mystery once and for all. Preliminary investigations by medical researchers from McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Tufts University indicate that pot use improves cognitive performance.

Cognitive performance, no need to tell you, is “our ability to utilize the knowledge acquired by mental processes in our brains.” In other words, perform tasks that require thinking, as in to be so goddamn smart.

The behavioral scientists behind the work summarized in “Splendor in the Grass? A Pilot Study Assessing the Impact of Medical Marijuana on Executive Function” tracked 24 certified medical-marijuana patients over a three-month dosing period. The patients were repeatedly measured for cognitive proficiency through challenges to the intelligence that included the Stroop Color Word Test and Trail Making Test.

Staci Gruber, PhD, director of the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program at McLean Hospital—Harvard Medical School’s largest psychiatric affiliate—is the lead “Splendor in the Grass?” researcher. Her initial report is twofold positive. For one thing, weed treatment led to patients breezing through an array of brainteasers with enhanced speed and accuracy.

From a McLean Hospital report:

“After three months of medical marijuana treatment, patients actually performed better, in terms of their ability to perform certain cognitive tasks, specifically those mediated by the frontal cortex,” explained Gruber.

Study participants also reported improvements in their specific clinical conditions, sleep, and overall health as well as a decreased use of conventional medications, particularly opiates.

“We saw a 42 percent reduction in opioid use,” reported Gruber. “This is significant, particularly for those of us in Massachusetts and other areas of the country where the opioid epidemic is ravaging so many. This preliminary finding certainly warrants deeper and broader investigation.”

In less than a week, electorates in five states (one of them being Massachusetts) have the opportunity to vote themselves into the legal-marijuana club. If just one of these states, California for instance, opts for legal adult use, literally millions more Americans will be granted the option to use marijuana without fear of police intervention. Perhaps not everyone who picks up a joint in this newly normalized landscape will become as intelligent as the Kindland smarty’s.

But you don’t need to be a brilliant visionary to recognize that the preliminary findings from McLean Hospital’s pilot study assessing the favorable impacts of cannabis on adult human brains demand further exploration. Deeper, broader investigations into marijuana’s ability to improve our mental functioning and reduce our susceptibility to opioid dependence should be happening sooner than later.

In that regard, “Splendor in the Grass?” lead Staci Gruber appears to be every bit as invested in the public wellbeing as she is smart in her approach to unraveling and establishing best marijuana practices.
“People are going to use it,” she concludes. “It’s up to us to figure out the very best and safest ways in which they can do that.”

Original article can be found here 

Misc Other

Can Cannabis Chewing Gum Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

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A biotech firm has launched clinical trials in the Netherlands to test whether its CBD chewing gum could help treat irritable bowel syndrome.

Researchers will give a group of 40 adult patients CanChew Plus chewing gum, which contains 50 mg of hemp-derived cannabidiol per serving. Subjects will be able to take up to six servings per day under the study, which will record general relief of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms—most often stomach cramps, bloating, and lower abdominal pain—along with any “change in stool frequency,” according to a press release.

The mint-flavored chewing gum was developed by Axim Biotechnologies, which has offices in New York and the Netherlands.

“IBS is the most common gastrointestinal disorder and affects up to 15 percent of the worldwide population,” Axim CEO Dr. George E. Anastassov said in a statement, “and It has no sustainable cure.”
The forthcoming IBS trials were developed by Axim and clinical investigators at the Wageningen University, a leading Dutch research institution and where the trials will be held.

“IBS is a very common and often painful disorder which is still difficult to manage,” Renger Witkamp, a nutrition and pharmacology professor at the school, said in a statement that accompanied the announcement. “People often experience sudden flare-ups and for many it has a negative impact on their quality of life. CBD has shown to have promising effects, but there has been a clear need for practical and effective formulations.”

While CBD is currently available in various forms, Witkamp claims that “providing it via a chewing gum results in sustained release of the compound and better bioavailability.”

Axim also makes CanChew, a controlled-release CBD chewing gum, and a combination CBD/THC gum called MedChew Rx, which is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of multiple sclerosis-related pain and spasticity. Standard CanChew gum is already available in all 50 US states, the company says, as it contains only hemp-based CBD.

If the IBS trial is successful, said Axim CEO Anastassov, “we will be ready to proceed immediately with further trials on our pharmaceutical grade CanChew Rx products to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.”
In a legal disclosure, the company says it “does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act”—although the DEA might disagree.

Original article can be found here