Medical Cannabis benefits and Opioids crisis

cannabis-benefits-opioid-crisisOver the last few years use of prescription opioids in USA has strongly increased. An over reliance to treat disease and pain that creates some problems to public health.

According to a report released by America for Safe Access (ASA), involved in ensuring safe and legal access to medical cannabis, thousands of patients in pain and without a safer alternative to relieve their suffering are dying over the last year from opioid overdoses.

Year 2014 was a record year for overdose deaths; most of them (65%) involving opioids. Including prescription opioids as pain relievers. This kind of prescription has nearly quadrupled since 1999.
This is the reason why ASA is asking legislators and health practitioners to educate on the real benefits of medical cannabis and other derived substances as for example CBD oil, which is a very useful product in pain therapy. Medical CBD oil has many benefits in treating chronic pain and it could be well suited as an antispasmodic and anti-anxiety remedy, or to fight pain and inflammation.

Because of this increasing interest in medical cannabis and due to many deaths from opioid overdoses, Asa released this report to try to inform and educate to an alternative treatment for patients suffering from pain.
Recently President Obama proposed to increase funding for a new approach to address the opioid overdose epidemic. He signed last month the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), a bill to address the national epidemics of prescription opioids abuse and heroin use. The bill contains many provisions and strategies for treating this drug abuse, including ways to reduce the amount of opioids prescribed.

But it is also important to continue to provide patients with effective opioids prescribed treatments, as evidences regarding cannabis medical benefits continue to increase. The idea that reducing prescription opioids could reduce deaths and addictions in people could be too simplistic

Some states have tried this way, as for example Massachusetts: last March the governor signed a bill that puts strict limits on opioid painkillers prescribing. But no one knows whether this should be the right way or not.
According to Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the more access to medical cannabis for pain treatment increases, the more accidental overdoses and addiction due to opioids decreases.
The challenge is being able to allow cannabis as a medicine in every state; in facts US States with a medical cannabis program showed a 24.8% reduction in opioids related overdose deaths compared to states without programs.
And currently only few states, including the ones with a full medical cannabis program, are including the chronic pain as a qualifying condition for opioids medical use.

Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Passes California Assembly

Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Passes California Assembly | Drug Policy Alliance

SACRAMENTO, CA — Civil asset forfeiture reform legislation authored by Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and David Hadley (R-Torrance) passed the California Assembly Floor by a 67 to 7 vote on Monday. The bill will require that in all cases where law enforcement seize cash under $ 40,000, that there be a conviction in the underlying […]

Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Passes California Assembly | The Daily Chronic

The Daily Chronic

Maine ready to legalize recreational use of cannabis

white-widow-strainAs everybody knows, in Maine citizens will decide on recreational marijuana legalization in November 2016. A very important ballot, because it would legalize adult use and possession up to 2,5 ounces.
Announcement has been given last April from Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, and now campaign to legalize marijuana is growing day by day.
Last 27th of June Matthew Dunlap declared that the initiative to regulate marijuana will appear on the state ballot as question n.1; and that’s because usually first question gets more votes having an higher chance to be approved.

Cannabis legislation in Maine is currently a little outdated: law criminalizes use and possession of marijuana, while many other US states are approving permissive laws. The proposed law contained in ballot as question n.1 would allow in Maine possession and use of marijuana under state law by persons who are at least 21 years of age; ballot also talks about the opportunity to allow cultivation, distribution, testing and sale of marijuana subject to state regulation and taxation.

Issue of taxation is very important because it’s believed that cannabis legalization would represent a great business for the state of Maine. This because other US states that already legalized recreational use of cannabis are experiencing a great economic growth.

There are many companies involved in legal pot industry. As for example Leafly, the world’s largest cannabis information resource, also known for producing videos describing the different and most famous cannabis strains as Barney’s Farm, Dutch Passion, White Widow and many others.
According to Leafly and its parent company, cannabis legalization in a state with prohibition laws, as the state of Maine is, would generate a great business: this year fledgling industry is expected to generate 7 billion dollars. By 2020 the amount could be 220 billion dollars.

This prediction is based on specific industry analysis and could be real if states with prohibition laws, as Maine is, would knock down their regulations. Beside that, for the industry of legal cannabis it would be important to ensure a clear regulation, that should be the same in all states: this because states where recreational use is allowed have problems with their laws, which are still in conflict with federal prohibition on cannabis cultivation and consumption.

For all these reasons there is still reluctance by some investors in being involved in legal marijuana industry. If they succeed in overcoming those issues, legal marijuana could become one of the richest industries in Usa, and with no doubts in Maine, where farmers who are now limited under medical marijuana system could have access to a larger market after legalization of recreational cannabis.

Latest Hemp News

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Hemp Inc (OTCMKTS:HEMP) Completes Installation Of Truck Scale In Time For
Hemp Inc (OTCMKTS:HEMP) has announced that its subsidiary, Industrial Hemp Manufacturing LLC, has completed the installation of its truck scale. In fact, the COO of Hemp, David Schmitt, revealed that the scale has been in use by the company, for the …
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Understanding how industrial hemp can help
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Industrial hemp pilot program backed by House lawmakers
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Hemp Returns
Hemp, which was once a thriving crop at the historic farm, will be planted again after decades of prohibition. The home has been approved to participate in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's 2016 Hemp Pilot Program and will cultivate a small plot …
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N.Dakota official plans trip north to get industrial hemp seeds

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N.Dakota official plans trip north to get industrial hemp seeds
North Dakota issued the nation's first hemp-growing licenses in 2007, but federal drug law hampered development of the industry in the state until Congress in 2014 allowed universities and state agriculture departments to research hemp in states that …
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Federal judge will hear arguments on Menominee Tribe's hemp operation
GREEN BAY – A federal judge will hear arguments next month on the Menominee Indian Tribe's lawsuit against the federal government regarding a hemp-growing operation. Oral arguments are set for May 13 before Judge William Griesbach, according to …
Read more on Fox11online.com

Hemp Insulation: The Healthy Alternative for You and Your Home
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In Celebration of 4/20, Slickwraps Offering Hemp Wraps
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Wednesday's Daily Deal Round-Up: Motorsport, tennis, hemp and more
Motorsport: Elite US stock-car racing series Nascar has agreed a multi-year deal with Lixar. The mobile technology company will work to improve the experience of guests at Nacar events, with a particular focus on registration and garage access.
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Louisiana May Soon Grow Industrial Hemp

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Louisiana May Soon Grow Industrial Hemp
"Every advancement in the industrial hemp industry reinforces Hemp, Inc.'s advantage in the marketplace because we are years ahead of the curve. For example, our portable decorticators can be purchased or leased in states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, …
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Diamond's Industrial Hemp bill passes House unanimously
HARRISBURG – Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) introduced legislation that would create an agricultural pilot program in Pennsylvania for industrial hemp research. Today, that legislation unanimously passed the Pennsylvania House. The bill is now …
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To the Point: Industrial hemp
The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill which makes it legal to grow industrial hemp. The farmers and their resulting commodities are strictly regulated, and their product cannot exceed an average of 0.3 percent THC dry weight. No, Missouri …
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Engineers' startup weaves hemp, natural fibers

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Engineers' startup weaves hemp, natural fibers
Kentucky's foray into industrial hemp has fueled a Louisville startup which is betting that natural fibers someday will become a key ingredient in hundreds of American-made products – furnace filters, kayaks, skis, even coffee mugs. Sunstrand was …
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Hemp Research Bill Gains Momentum in Pennsylvania
Hemp and marijuana are different varieties of the species Cannabis sativa. Though hemp has only scant amounts of THC, marijuana's high-inducing chemical, both varieties have been illegal to grow since the federal Controlled Substances Act was passed …
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Bio-Based Hemp Plastics are Gaining Momentum
Australia is manufacturing plastics made from hemp and China is following suit. Based on the positive reactions, it's starting to look like hemp could be the answer to the global plastic pollution problem. Why Can't the Plastics of Today be Made …
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Lift hemp ban

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Lift hemp ban
Industrial hemp — a versatile, durable textile that once helped fuel our economy — may become an economic driver once again if an effort to repeal its prohibition in Massachusetts is successful. Up until the “reefer madness” scare led to its federal …
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Cullman County Industrial Hemp Takes Major Step Forward
Cullman County and the entire state of Alabama are now officially one step closer to making industrial hemp production a reality. Cullman County Industrial Hemp Takes Major Step Forward Late yesterday, the Alabama State Senate approved the Senator …
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Hemp: marijuana's cousin, the plant with '2500 uses'
Omaha entrepreneur John Lupien is pictured with a bundle unprocessed hemp stalks (bottom) and the more refined bast fiber (top), both sitting on an early prototype of a "decorticator" machine that strips out the fibers and inner core of a hemp stalk …
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NDLEA parades over 135 drug dealers with 160 bags of Indian hemp
The drug sellers were apprehended on Monday with no fewer than 160 bags of Indian hemp. The state commander of the agency, Frank Hannachor disclosed that operatives of the agency responded to information from insiders of the two communities of …
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Forum editorial: ND hemp will make history
North Dakota, which has one of the most diversified crop bases in the nation, will further diversify this spring with the introduction of an industrial hemp crop on small acreages managed by five growers. It's a first for the state, and it's historic …
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Hemp Makes Landmark Strides In White Plume Case, Market Growth And
industrial hemp farming bill obama The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and Vote Hemp have announced the dates for the 7th annual Hemp History Week, to be held June 6-12, 2016. This year promises to be an historic time in the movement to legalize …
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