cbd – Page 3 – GREEN SUGR

Colombia’s turn away from prohibition of cannabis will boost the hemp sector

Posted on June 24, 2022July 2, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.net| Author: Hemp Today | June 24, 2021

In a sharp turn from prohibition-based policy, Colombia will look to advantage small cannabis producers and farming cooperatives, according to a government plan under recently elected President Gustavo Petro.

Petro, a former rebel in the M-19 guerrilla group and a longtime legislator, won Colombia’s presidential election last Sunday, cheering hemp and marijuana interests who hope the new president can execute a plan to transition the country from a narco-state through more constructive policies towards cannabis, coca and poppy.

According to the plan: “The cannabis value chain will receive a special boost, in the hands of producers, linking industry and knowledge, as well as the diversification of uses in the field of medicine, textiles and food, among others.”

The strategy is a fundamental shift in the fight against illegal economies that will position Colombia as a cannabis-producing power through avant-garde policies that take advantage of everything the plant offers, the plan suggests.

Export potential

Envisioning an enhanced framework that favors producer families and co-ops through special permitting privileges and technical support intended to boost farming fortunes while also generating tax revenue for the state, the plan calls for clear regulations, robust research and the promotion of cannabis-based products through cooperation among the state, private sector operators and communities.

“In turn, spaces will be opened in international trade with a variety of (cannabis-) derived products,” according to the 54-page plan, which addresses the broader Colombian economy and society.

Rejecting past policies on drugs rooted in criminalization, the plan notes that “The focus on prohibition in dealing with the global drug problem imposed a war on Colombia around the illegal economies of coca, poppy and cannabis.”

‘War has failed’

“This war has failed and the country needs to move towards a new paradigm that brings together global and Latin American will towards a concerted international agenda based on human rights and the construction of peace, the economic transformation of the productive environments without criminalization of growers, the protection of nature, regulation, the judicial submission of criminal organizations and the approach of consumption as a public health issue,” the plan further observes.

Colombia enacted a law late last year that separated low-THC cannabis from medical marijuana and officially cleared industrial hemp from the country’s drug list. That was followed in February by regulations that set a two-tier system for maximum THC levels, with the limit for grain and fiber crops at 0.3%, while production of flowers, commonly processed for CBD, came under a 1.0% THC barrier.

Potential in CBD

The 1.0% THC limit for hemp flowers should facilitate Colombia’s CBD sector because CBD in hemp plants rises in proportion to THC. A growing number of Latin American and Asian countries are moving to the 1.0% barrier from the generally observed global limit of 0.3%, giving them efficiencies in CBD production.

Colombia also earlier this year put in place international trade regulations for medical marijuana, CBD and other cannabinoids to expand exports.

The Petro government’s development strategy also pledges to move away from over-reliance on fossil fuels, ban aerial spraying of exfoliants such as glyphosate, expand social programs, and more aggressively tax the wealthy.

EIHA says its CBD research will satisfy EU food safety agency’s requirements

Posted on June 22, 2022July 2, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.net | Author: Hemp Today | June 22, 2022

EIHA projects GmbH, a consortium of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), said research it is currently conducting on the safety of CBD will meet the expectations of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Concern about safety on the part of EFSA “is definitely not a surprise and 100% in line with our approach,” EIHA said in a statement.

EFSA earlier this month said it had identified gaps in research regarding the effects of CBD on humans, declaring “the safety of CBD as a novel (new) food cannot currently be established.”

The EIHA consortium is spending €2.5 to €3 million on extensive toxicology and clinical research regarding CBD and THC which will be the basis for its novel food applications, which cover isolates and full-spectrum formulations.

Pooling resources

“We decided in 2021 to pool the resources of more than 100 companies and work . . . on a serious and solid submission, anticipating the scientific gaps indicated by EFSA,” EIHA said.

While EFSA has not concluded that CBD consumption is dangerous, the agency said in a statement issued earlier this month that research currently available on the compound’s effects on the liver, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, nervous system, and on psychological well-being is insufficient.

The EFSA statement was a response to the European Commission, which sought input from the agency’s experts regarding the safety of CBD. The Commission has said CBD can be classified as a new or “novel” food if it meets relevant provisions in EU food legislation.

Cutting costs

EIHA formed the consortium as a way to reduce the cost of the EU’s novel food approval procedure to its members. The Association estimates the cost of getting a single product approved under novel food rules as ranging from €350,000 to €500,000 per product.

Participation in the EIHA consortium, structured in two categories, significantly reduces those costs. In the first category, producers of hemp biomass and raw materials, makers of processed extracts, premixes, oils, and isolates as well as service providers pay fees according to an eight-tier payment structure which ranges from €20,000 for those with CBD-related income of €1 million or less, up to €330,000 for those with income of €50 million or more. Consortium participants are also required to join the EIHA on a parallel rate scale that ranges from €2,500 to €25,000.

Under a companion 12-tier sublicensing program for white-label operators, fees range from €1,800 for companies with income of €10,000 or less up to €405,000 for those with income of €50 million or more.

Novel food in the EU

Europe’s novel food rules were created to control new, genetically or synthetically produced food products before market entry. Under the guidelines, novel foods are defined as those that were not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before May 15, 1997. If a food is considered novel it must undergo a pre-market safety assessment under EFSA before it can be legally marketed in the EU.

ChemSafe, an Italian consultancy that has experience in the chemical, pharmaceutical, biocides, agrochemical, cosmetics, medical devices and food sectors, is heading the science-based analysis of CBD and THC on behalf of EIHA.

EFSA has scheduled an information session June 28, during which agency representatives will answer questions and provide guidance to current novel food applicants regarding the research gaps identified. A total of 19 CBD applications are now before the agency.

Cannabis-based colon cancer treatment kill 90% of deadly cells

Posted on March 17, 2022March 17, 2022 by dylanramsey

A new study performed by Cannabotech has demonstrated that the company’s range of Integrative-Colon products may be an effective colon cancer treatment, killing 90% of colon cancer cells in a cell model study.

Source: HealthEuropa.eu | Author: HealthEuropa | Mar 17, 2022

Cannabotech is a biotechnology company pioneering oncological products comprised of cannabis and mushroom extracts. In a recent cell model study, the company has demonstrated that its Integrative-Colon products, which are based on an array of cannabinoids from the cannabis plant and various mushroom extracts, eliminated over 90% of colon cancer cells. The findings offer an exciting prospect for the future of colon cancer treatment.

How did the Integrative Colon products perform?

For their study, the researchers analysed the effectiveness of the Integrative Colon products on a range of colon cancer subtypes, representing different molecular changes that a prevalent in these cancer subtypes. The team compared the composition of the products with the activity of each cannabinoid individually.

The results suggested that the composition of the Integrative Colon products was more effective than each cannabinoid individually, highlighting a strong synergy between the active ingredients. These findings back up claims from Cannabotech that to achieve an effective cannabis colon cancer treatment, it is essential to amalgamate a defined, accurate, and science-based formula that cannot be achieved in any cannabis strain that exists in nature.

Additionally, the study showed the different effects of each cannabinoid on distinct colon cancer subtypes. This echoes the essential need for a individualised approach for patients’ health needs, such as the personalised technology already developed by Cannabotech that will soon hit the market in the UK, US, and Israel at the end of 2022.

The mushroom extracts in the products contain an enriched and high concentration of an active substance called PSK that is extracted from the Trametes mushroom. PSK is known for its anti-cancer properties and has been approved as an oncology treatment in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

Future steps

The researchers are now looking to assess the effectiveness of the formula in combination with standard chemotherapies. In addition, the team plan to combine the cannabinoid formula with the mushroom Cyathus Striatus as part of the botanical drug development project.

Elhanan Shaked, the CEO of Cannabotech, commented: “This is a significant milestone in Cannabotech’s growth to becoming a leader in integrative oncology medicine. The integrative products developed by Cannabotech are intended for use in combination with chemotherapy treatment to reduce its side effects. Cannabotech’s solutions will be launched in Israel and the US towards the second half of 2022, while the company’s goal is to define a new standard for the medical cannabis industry.”

Professor Tami Peretz, Senior Oncologist, said: “Colon cancer is one of the most common tumours today, with a significant proportion of patients currently treated with integrative therapies, in combination with traditional methods, including the administration of medical cannabis. Cannabotech’s Integrative products are unique in that they are designed to standards similar to those of the pharmaceutical industry and incorporate many active ingredients. The company’s products have demonstrated impressive and very promising efficacy in colon culture cells tested in the laboratory. Based on these experiments, there is room to perform animal studies and, in the future, to examine the possibility of incorporating these products in colorectal cancer patients.”

Isaac Angel, Cannabotech’s pharmacological consultant, said: “The significant synergistic effect demonstrated by the combination of active ingredients eliminated over 90% of all types of cancer cells used in the study. Furthermore, this was achieved without the presence of THC, which is the cannabinoid substance producing the “high” effect, whereas each of the other cannabinoids tested individually demonstrated different effects on the various cell types. We are encouraged by these results, which constitute another important milestone in proving the scientific feasibility of the products and highlight the need for medical care customisation. We shall continue to work to provide a cure for patients.”

Olivia Newton-John Relies On Her Husband’s Homegrown Cannabis For Relieving Cancer Symptoms

Posted on March 15, 2022March 15, 2022 by dylanramsey

The Grease actress says cannabis is a “healing plant” and wants nothing more than Aussies to gain legal access to plant-based medicine.

Source: Herb.co | Author: BuzzMusic | Mar 15, 2022

In 1992, actress and singer Olivia Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer but didn’t see any signs of it letting up until entering remission in 2013. Now, reports say the star is under the weight of cancer once again, this time spreading to her spine.

Aside from the unfortunate diagnosis and state of her health, Newton-John focuses on the “positive side of things, no matter what the challenge,” she told The Daily Mail while also citing that cannabis has played a major role in her everyday life.

She first started considering cannabis use when her husband, John Easterling, began cultivating many different strains on their farm in California. A Good Housekeeping article mentioned how Easterling began his ventures in plant-based medicine in the 90s after founding herbal wellness business Amazon Herb Company.

Fast forward to today, Easterling is proud to be growing a handful of different strains, 21 to be exact, that were all specifically designed to combat chronic pain, nausea, and inflammation for Newton-John.

And so far, she’s loved every one of them. In 2020, the Grease actress sat down for an interview with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live, where she explained how cannabis has truly helped her with “pain, with sleep, with anxiety, I believe with inflammation,” reports Prevention.

Prevention also wrote that Newton-John’s positive experience with cannabis resulted in her urging the Australian government to legalize medical marijuana. She added that it’s a “healing plant” and “is something that should be available to everyone who is going through a chronic illness or pain.”

Her admiration for medical marijuana has extended into ventures with her Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund: Beyond Cancer, which sheds like on the many benefits of plant-based medicine, not to mention her hospital in Australia, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness, and Research Center.

Study: History of Marijuana Use Not Associated with Increased Heart Attack Risk

Posted on February 21, 2022February 21, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: Norml.org | Author: Norml | Feb 17, 2022

New York, NY: Cannabis smoke exposure is not positively associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, according to data published in the journal Cureus.

A pair of researchers with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City assessed the association between a history of cannabis smoking and heart attack in a cohort of over 500,000 subjects from the United Kingdom.

Researchers identified an inverse association between cannabis use and incidences of myocardial infarction, and they found no correlation between marijuana consumption and heart attack severity.

“With marijuana use, MI [myocardial infarction] decreased,” authors concluded. They further acknowledged: “The association of marijuana use with reduced risk of MI is not entirely in accord with current assumptions about the cardiac effects of marijuana. … Further studies are warranted.”

Studies assessing the association between cannabis use and cardiovascular health have been inconsistent, with some studies finding an increased risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases among marijuana consumers while others report either no risk or provide evidence of possible cardioprotection.

Full text of the study, “Marijuana and myocardial infarction in the UK Biobank cohort,” appears in Cureus.

Apple Secretly Joined Amazon In Advancing Commercial Cannabis Reform

Posted on February 20, 2022February 20, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: Forbes.com | Author: Robert Hoban | Feb 15, 2022

This past summer, a little recognized thing occurred — one of the largest and most respected companies in the world quietly changed its policies in favor of cannabis. That company was Apple. As a result, they joined the ranks of Amazon as a global corporation advocating for policy reform that would open a federally legal, commercial cannabis industry in the United States.

For years, large tech companies, including Facebook and Google, have refused to acknowledge the legality of industrial hemp, let alone the legality of medical or recreational marijuana. Finally, Apple bucked that trend. In June, the fine print of Apple’s “App Store Review Guidelines” release stated that apps handling sales and delivery of medical and recreational cannabis in legal jurisdictions are now allowed on the App Store. This was monumental.

Unlike the big headlines we’ve seen recently from Amazon, Uber, the NFL, and other mainstream, institutional businesses, showing a positively changing attitude toward cannabis, Apple made no big-splash announcement that this had happened. Yet, this change came at a time of a shift in the cannabis paradigm for voters, policymakers, and the average American.

As we’ve discussed previously, U.S. voters are shifting rapidly and dramatically in favor of cannabis legalization. The most recent Gallup poll showed that 68% of American voters support some form of legalization. There’s also tremendous momentum from the recent unveiling of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The financial technology experts at ArtisIQ are ahead of the curve in identifying the imperative to collaborate with tech leaders like Apple to update policy to reflect the mainstream adoption of cannabis. Co-Founder and CMO of Artis, Adair Lion shares, “As a fintech company on the cutting-edge of development in both cannabis and retail, Apple’s Policy changes are a monumental shift in the way our society does mobile transactions.”

When political leaders and Fortune 100 companies begin modifying policies and behavior to accommodate something that has been seen as fringe, elicit, or otherwise illegal, the hearts and minds of American start to change. It’s safe to say the tide is turning.

This is the kind of influence that sets the tone for mainstream behavior. Think back to the early days of Babe Ruth and baseball, where ball players were smoking cigarettes in the dugout and cigarette advertisements abounded. Or more recently, Elon Musk and Tesla’s support of cryptocurrency which influenced much wider adoption and made the price of Bitcoin soar.

The fine print of Apple’s policy update states that apps involved in the sale of cannabis are exclusive to licensed legal entities and strictly require geo-fencing within the legal jurisdiction. This requires an enormous amount of technological and regulatory compliance and is precisely where a fintech software company like Artis could excel. Consumer behavior shows the need for embedded digital payment technology. There’s been modest growth in payment and technology solutions for the cannabis industry and ancillary service providers. This is in no small part due to federal illegality and the fragmented nature of the industry.

Apple’s policy adjustments are just an example of the level of innovation and attention to detail that Artis is providing to the cannabis industry. What is it that propels some tech companies above the rest? It’s those that provide solutions for the world’s most complex problems. It’s plain to see that cannabis has presented enormous complexity to politicians, enterprise businesses, and just about every other imaginable cog in the machine of our modern world.

The contributions of experienced professionals are unequivocally what is necessary to propel cannabis further into the mainstream. These are the building blocks, the intimate details, that ultimately bring to reality the hopes of grand legislation, like the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. Compliant and lawful participation in the cannabis ecosystem is paramount to widespread, mainstream adoption. As one who has had to navigate the grey areas of cannabis law for many years – and I’m as honest as a Denver man can be – I will always applaud the hard work to deliberately pave the way forward for this industry.

Another bill to raise U.S. THC limit to 1.0% introduced in Congress

Posted on February 9, 2022February 9, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.com | Author: HempToday | Feb 8, 2022

A new bill introduced in the U.S. Congress would raise the limit for THC in hemp from 0.3% to 1.0% and adjust other provisions in current law to ease the path to market for producers.

The Hemp Advancement Act of 2022, introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Maine Democrat, addresses issues arising from the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp federally.

In addition to raising the THC limit for crops in the field, provisions in the bill aimed at protecting consumers would set the combined limit for delta-9 and other forms of THC in hemp products at 0.3%.

Raising the limit to 1.0% THC in the field would protect farmers from their crops going hot, and protect producers from hemp going over that limit during the production process, which now makes them technically illegal.

Other key provisions

Other proposed provisions would provide additional protections for the processing and transportation of “hot” hemp, end a Drug Enforcement Agency monopoly on registering testing laboratories, and repeal a controversial ban on drug felons obtaining hemp licenses.

Under current rules in the Farm Bill, hemp growers and processors often struggle to navigate THC testing and transportation requirements. Meanwhile, consumers are often confused by products that are marketed as hemp but which are more appropriately sold in recreational marijuana sales channels.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has twice introduced a separate measure, the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan Act, which also includes a proposal to raise the THC limit to 1.0%. The U.S. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has supported the change.

PepsiCo’s new US hemp drink aimed at younger, female customers

Posted on February 2, 2022February 2, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempIndustryDaily.com | Author: Hemp Industry Daily | Feb 2, 2022

PepsiCo has younger female consumers in mind with the U.S. launch of hempseed-infused energy drinks.

Rockstar Energy, a drinks brand owned by PepsiCo, says its three flavors of Rockstar Unplugged with hempseed are aimed at younger females who don’t gravitate toward energy drinks as commonly as males.

The drinks launched nationwide Tuesday and retail for $1.99 for a 12-ounce can, the company said. They contain no cannabinoids.

“Ninety-one percent of our consumers told us they wanted a beverage that lifts their mood,” said Fabiola Torres, PepsiCo general manager and chief marketing officer of its energy business.

PepsiCo released a line of hemp-infused energy drinks in Germany last year and was pleased with the results.

Last summer, PepsiCo joined its rival Coca-Cola and consumer product goods giants including Kellogg in appealing to U.S. health regulators to get going on regulations to allow over-the-counter CBD.

The letter from the Consumer Brands Association argued that current U.S. policy on CBD “is not working” because CBD is not allowed in foods, drinks and dietary supplements, but such products are nonetheless commonly sold by companies flouting regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

PepsiCo planto promote its new hemp drink with a three-concert series in conjunction with MTV’s Unplugged franchise.

Who is using CBD and why are they using it?

Posted on February 1, 2022February 1, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.net | Author: Jenny Dembiec | Feb 1, 2022

There was an amazing published medical article that conducted a cross-sectional study of CBD users that was not funded, collected, or influenced by the CBD industry. It shed light on exactly who is using CBD and why.

Daily use

This article by Jamie Corroon and Joy Phillips collected information from 2,409 CBD users from all 50 US states and 23 other countries. The sample of respondents was balanced in gender with 50.87% being female and 47.49% male. From this study, many interesting insights can be made into your CBD target market.

Individuals aged 55 to 74 are the largest CBD users, used equally by both females and males. And the majority of CBD users (62%) use CBD to treat a medical condition. The most common medical condition for which CBD is used is pain, followed by anxiety and depression. Besides using CBD for medical conditions, general health and well-being are the other reasons for CBD use. The majority of CBD users use CBD daily or more than daily. And sublingual delivery (using the tincture oils orally) is the most common way of using CBD.

CBD might help prime cells against COVID

Posted on January 15, 2022January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

CBD in therapeutic amounts seem to increase the innate anti-viral system of cells readiness to respond to viral infection

Source: University of Waterloo | Author: A.J. Herrington | Jan 11, 2022

Synthetic cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound also found in the cannabis plant, appears to prime the innate immune system of cells, potentially offering protection against pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.

Researchers found that synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) augments the anti-viral response of cells to three key proteins produced by the SARS-CoV-2 genome – which was, until now, an unknown effect.

The researchers studied these proteins in human kidney cells, both alone and in combination with CBD, as well as the effects of CBD in healthy control cells.

“When cells in the lungs or the digestive tract are infected with a virus, they have an ability to sense and respond, even before the immune system notices a virus is present,” said Robin Duncan, lead investigator and a professor in the University of Waterloo’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. “They do this by activating innate responses inside of cells, which form the first line of defence. In the case of COVID-19, however, this response isn’t very good, which has contributed to high infection rates.

“With an RNA-type virus, like SARS-CoV-2, cells should activate an innate system that cuts up the viral genome, which also causes infected cells to undergo a process called apoptosis – a sort of controlled cell death that gets rid of infected cells early on. This could stop an infection, or slow its spread in the body or to others. When we combined CBD with these viral proteins, they had a much better ability to activate this system and to activate apoptosis.”

Duncan said what was potentially even more exciting, however, was that in cells that had not been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 proteins, CBD in therapeutic amounts seemed to prime the innate anti-viral system of cells, increasing their readiness to respond to viral infection – and that this happened without activating apoptosis in healthy cells.

Waterloo’s postdoctoral fellow Maria Fernandes, who performed the cell studies, said, “This suggests CBD at the right dose could help cells be in a better state of readiness to respond to a virus, but it doesn’t cause a response unless there is a need.”

Duncan said this idea is supported by evidence from users of a high-dose pharmaceutical CBD licensed in the United States for the treatment of rare types of epilepsy. In that study, patients taking prescription high-dose CBD had around a 10-fold lower risk of testing positive for COVID-19.

Duncan points out that CBD does not cause a high, the way THC does, making it more widely useful.

The study, “Effect of cannabidiol on apoptosis and cellular interferon and interferon-stimulated gene responses to the SARS-CoV-2 genes ORF8, ORF10 and M protein,” is co-authored by Duncan, Fernandes, John Zewen Chan, Chia Chun Joey Hung and Michelle Tomczewski. A pre-peer-reviewed version is published on BioRxiv.org, and is under review in the journal Life Sciences.

The researchers said the discovery of this study is not meant to replace practices that are known to work in reducing the spread of COVID-19, such as masking, vaccination and other measures recommended by health experts.