Cannabis and psilocybin – used under supervision – have the potential to work better than current pain treatments, but the research into both has long been hindered by federal legislation.
Policymakers will have to think carefully about pricing, taxation and providing discounts for buying in bulk. Else legalisation may not deliver a substantial tax windfall after all.
Many of today’s cannabis products barely resemble the ‘weed’ that most middle-aged adults grew up with.
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THC concentrations in newly available products far exceed those of traditional smoked weed, which can have dangerous unintended consequences in adolescents.
Marijuana sales − and tax revenues − have dropped in Colorado and Washington.
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States have experimented with taxes based on price, weight and potency, but competition is heating up as more states legalize and the market matures.
An analysis of 23 cannabis samples from 10 dispensaries found a majority had at least 30% less THC than they were reported to have.
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There were concerns about changes that cannabis legalization might bring. But some trends that were already underway beforehand mostly carried on afterward.
Cannabis growers in the capital report many obstacles, from laws banning the purchase of seeds and artificial lights to the lack of information on growing conditions.
Cannabis smoke shares many of the same toxins and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.
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Beth Cohen, University of California, San Francisco
Clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of cannabis for certain conditions, but many aren’t testing smoked or vaped forms. Research on cannabis smoke is raising concerns.
The government has an obligation to ensure that information about the health risks of cannabis use is as equally accessible to the public as cannabis products have become.
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Potential long-term, serious consequences of cannabis use include severe cyclical vomiting and a form of cardiomyopathy sometimes called ‘broken heart syndrome.’
Thousands of cannabis-derived products are now on the market.
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Researchers are working to determine how and which cannabis products can help those suffering from chronic pain or serious illness. But science is having a hard time keeping up with the booming market.
Malaysia and Indonesia have been considering whether to follow Thailand in legalizing the use of cannabis, particularly for medical purposes. But another country could serve as a better example.
Marijuana use by the mother can affect a baby’s brain development.
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Arrest numbers reflect a nearly 40% decline from 2019, but the statistics come with some caveats.
The cannabis plant produces both THC – the psychoactive component in marijuana – and the compound commonly known as CBD, which does not lead to a ‘high.’
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Studies suggest that marijuana and CBD use might help relieve chronic pain while also reducing a patient’s need for opioids.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Mental Health and Addictions Minister and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett and MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (right) listen as Morris Rosenberg, chair of the independent review board on the impact of legalization of cannabis, speaks at a news conference in Ottawa on Sept. 22.
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Health repercussions — including large increases in child cannabis poisonings — must outweigh industry calls to roll back cannabis regulations in the federal review of the impact of legalization.
France led the world in medical marijuana research in the 19th century.
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In the mid-1800s, France was at the epicenter of the international movement to medicalize hashish, a potent form of cannabis. Now the country’s medical marijuana research is making a comeback.
A farm worker picks medical cannabis flowers in Kasese, Uganda, in 2020.
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