Landmark Philippine medical cannabis legalisation bill could position country as frontrunner in the region

By |2024-08-21T03:16:02+01:0021 August 2024|

Earlier this month, the Philippine House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill that would legalise medical cannabis, marking a significant step forward for cannabis liberalisation in Southeast Asia. House Bill 10439, which was initially submitted in May, 2024, received its third and final [...]

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Study points to benefits of cannabis for reducing opioid use and symptoms of withdrawal

By |2024-08-17T03:02:52+01:0017 August 2024|

A new study highlights how cannabis can be a helpful tool for reducing opioid use and providing ‘rapid relief’ from symptoms of withdrawal. The study, which received funding from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), comes following a surge in overdose mortality rates over the [...]

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How much does medical cannabis cost in the UK? Releaf’s price plans explained

By |2024-08-16T03:10:18+01:0016 August 2024|

Written by Releaf To establish whether medical cannabis is the right option for you, you need to know whether it’s within your budget. Here, Releaf breaks down how much it all costs and the different plans available. Market research has shown that one of the most [...]

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Blue Light Card holders to benefit from more affordable medical cannabis

By |2024-08-16T03:10:11+01:0016 August 2024|

Blue Light Card holders, including emergency service workers and health and social care staff can now access medical cannabis at a reduced cost, following the expansion of a UK initiative. Medical cannabis distributor, Grow Pharma, has announced the expansion of its access scheme, the Grow Access [...]

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The tipping point? UK cannabis clinics urged to clean up ‘concerning’ prescribing practices

By |2024-08-14T03:09:14+01:0014 August 2024|

As the UK medical cannabis industry reaches a ‘tipping point’, experts are urging clinics to follow best practice guidelines, as regulators look to crackdown on what has been described as a ‘pseudo-recreational market’.  Health and social care watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently reported a [...]

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UK medical cannabis cards – what you need to know

By |2024-08-09T03:10:33+01:009 August 2024|

Written by Releaf Releaf offers every patient at the clinic a medical cannabis card to help ensure ease and peace of mind when going about daily life with your prescription. In this article, we explain all you need to know about how it works. Despite medical [...]

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Transform prepares to launch UK cannabis legalisation campaign

By |2024-08-08T03:04:38+01:008 August 2024|

The independent drug policy foundation, Transform, is fundraising to launch a national campaign to accelerate cannabis reform in the UK. The charity is hoping to raise £50,000 to support its work in bringing “responsible cannabis regulation” to the UK. Polls show that more than half of [...]

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Medical cannabis for elderly patients: everything you need to know

By |2024-07-31T03:02:02+01:0031 July 2024|

Written by Releaf With medical cannabis showing promise among elderly patients, UK cannabis clinic, Releaf, examines its efficacy, safety profile, and other things to consider when exploring this treatment option for yourself or a loved one. Since medical cannabis was legalised in the UK almost six [...]

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Germany proposes major overhaul in medical cannabis prescription process

By |2024-07-31T03:01:53+01:0031 July 2024|

Germany’s Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has proposed significant changes to the medical cannabis prescription process, set to have a major impact on the country’s already booming market. Germany’s private or ‘self funded’ medical cannabis market has exploded since the introduction of CanG on April 01, which [...]

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Minor cannabinoids show ‘promising anti-cancer’ effects, finds study

By |2024-07-25T03:03:25+01:0025 July 2024|

Minor cannabinoids CBG, CBC, CBN, and CBDV have shown promise as anti-cancer agents in the treatment of blood cancer. Cannabinoids are now widely prescribed to palliative cancer patients to help manage symptoms, as well as the side-effects of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy.  They have also [...]

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EIHA’s CBD Consortium Application Clears First Hurdle with FSA Approval

By |2024-07-24T03:03:25+01:0024 July 2024|

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued its first positive safety assessment for a consortium application in its CBD Novel Foods approval process, seeing the European Industrial Hemp Association’s (EIHA) RP427 application progress to the ‘risk management’ phase. Coming just months after the first two [...]

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CBG found to reduce anxiety and enhance memory in clinical trial

By |2024-07-20T03:03:53+01:0020 July 2024|

In one of the first human trials investigating CBG, the cannabinoid has shown promise in reducing anxiety and enhancing memory, without any negative side-effects. Alongside CBD and THC, cannabigerol (CBG) is thought to have its own therapeutic effects, including potential anti-anxiety and antidepressant benefits, although the [...]

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Cannabis and psychedelics ‘push boundaries’ at first HLTH Europe event

By |2024-07-19T03:02:17+01:0019 July 2024|

In what was thought to be a first for a major mainstream health conference on the continent, cannabis and psychedelic medicine were firmly on the agenda at the inaugural HLTH Europe. One of the leading platforms for global health innovation, HLTH brought its flagship conference to [...]

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Czech Republic to pursue full adult-use commercial cannabis market, leaked documents suggest

By |2024-07-18T03:05:32+01:0018 July 2024|

The Czech government looks to be pursuing a full commercial adult-use cannabis market as part of its ‘Cannabis Management Act’, according to leaked documents seen by Business of Cannabis.  It came just days after the architect and driving force behind the cannabis legalisation project, National Drug Coordinator [...]

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Researchers reveal possible benefits of CBD in behavioural difficulties

By |2024-07-12T03:07:10+01:0012 July 2024|

A new animal study has highlighted the possible benefits of CBD and the diabetes drug, metformin, for treating behavioural difficulties. According to research presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024, studies of mouse models of Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-McDermid syndrome show [...]

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First findings from Swiss cannabis pilot show shift towards safer consumption methods

By |2024-07-12T03:07:04+01:0012 July 2024|

Six months on from the opening of Europe’s first legal cannabis stores in Switzerland, experts are reporting trends towards regulated sales and ‘lower-risk’ consumption methods, such as edibles and extracts. The first data collected from the Grashaus Project in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, which launched at [...]

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A new centre-left government and the potential for ‘change’ in the UK cannabis landscape

By |2024-07-12T03:06:49+01:0012 July 2024|

Three years ago the toppling of a conservative Government in Germany led to a seminal moment for European cannabis – but there appears to be little chance of a repeat in the continent’s second most populous nation. The UK General Election has seen the Labour Party [...]

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New research questions safety of CBD in pregnancy

By |2024-07-09T03:00:22+01:009 July 2024|

While CBD is generally considered to be safe, new animal studies have shown alterations in brains and behaviour in offspring exposed to the cannabinoid during pregnancy. The International Cannabis Policy Study recently reported that one in five pregnant women may be using CBD products, believing that [...]

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Cannabis and Muscular Dystrophy: An Overview

By |2024-07-06T03:00:20+01:006 July 2024|

Experts examine how Medical Cannabis may have the potential to improve the quality of life for individuals with Muscular Dystrophy. The article is an excerpt from Cannabiscientia’s handbook, Principles of Clinical Cannabinology, by Viola Brugnatelli and Fabio Turco. Muscular dystrophy (MD) brings a unique set of [...]

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Brainwave device to measure effects of cannabis launches in Europe

By |2024-07-05T03:01:08+01:005 July 2024|

As legal cannabis becomes increasingly available across Europe, the first commercial brainwave analysis device is expected to advance understanding of its effects. Canadian AI neurotechnology company, Zentrela, announced the launch of its brainwave analysis device on the European market at the end of June. The Cognalyzer® [...]

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CBD-based drug shows promise for treatment of heart failure in early studies

By |2024-07-04T03:07:51+01:004 July 2024|

UK life sciences company, Ananda Developments, has announced that its CBD-based drug demonstrated “cardioprotective effects” in a pre-clinical study and may hold promise as a potential treatment for heart failure.  The company recently shared results from preclinical studies investigating the efficacy of its Patent Pending formulation, [...]

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Cannaray, Therismos and Aqualitas unite to launch Wellford at Cannabis Europa

By |2024-07-03T03:31:05+01:003 July 2024|

Cannaray Limited, its medical cannabis subsidiary Therismos, and Canadian ‘aquaponics’ cannabis cultivator Aqualitas are set to merge to create a new international vertically integrated cannabis company. Officially launching at Cannabis Europa this week, the newly combined entity, which reportedly saw combined sales of £40m last year, [...]

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Older adults report ‘considerable improvements’ with medical cannabis

By |2024-06-25T03:04:35+01:0025 June 2024|

A new study suggests that adults aged 65 and older experience “considerable improvements” in their health and wellbeing when prescribed cannabis-based medicines. The use of medical cannabis is said to be on the rise among older individuals, yet little research has been done to understand the [...]

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The Netherlands expands legal cannabis pilot

By |2024-06-25T03:04:15+01:0025 June 2024|

A pilot scheme introducing the legal sale and production of cannabis in the Netherlands is due to be expanded to eight more cities across the country. In December 2023, the Dutch government embarked on a pilot scheme to regulate the production of cannabis to supply the country’s  ‘coffeeshops’. [...]

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New UK study highlights scale of illegal cannabis use for health reasons

By |2024-06-22T03:03:05+01:0022 June 2024|

A new research paper has highlighted how many people are still accessing cannabis illegally for medicinal purposes in the UK, over five years on from the law change. Despite medical cannabis being legalised in the UK in 2018, previous reports indicate that a large number of [...]

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Script Assist launches SaaS offering, with Jersey’s Medicann as first partner

By |2024-06-21T03:10:03+01:0021 June 2024|

Script Assist has announced that its medical cannabis technology platform, which aims to enable an efficient medical cannabis journey for clinics, doctors and patients, will be available on a software as a service (SaaS) basis for the first time. With its platform now expanding from a [...]

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Lyphe UK to Launch Noidecs Vital, a New Low-Cost Medical Cannabis Line

By |2024-06-20T03:05:25+01:0020 June 2024|

Lyphe is proud to announce the launch of its new low-cost medical cannabis line, Noidecs Vital, designed to address affordability issues for medical patients. Recognising the financial barriers many patients face in accessing cannabis treatments, the Noidecs Vital line will provide a cost-effective option that does [...]

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Study highlights prevalence of medicinal cannabis use among primary care patients

By |2024-06-15T03:03:23+01:0015 June 2024|

One in six patients in primary care reported cannabis use, with most using it to manage a symptom or health condition, according to new research. The findings, to be published in JAMA Network Open, by researchers at UCLA, suggest that most patients reported using cannabis for symptom [...]

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“It enables me to make the most of the time I have left” – how cancer patient secured first NHS prescription for medical cannabis flower

By |2024-06-14T03:08:57+01:0014 June 2024|

The first patient to receive medical cannabis flower through the NHS has shared how it helped him manage debilitating side-effects of cancer treatment.  In April 2023, Mike Roberts secured the first NHS reimbursement for medical cannabis flower prescribed through a private clinic to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea [...]

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New study links cannabis use to reduced rates of prostate cancer

By |2024-06-13T03:00:54+01:0013 June 2024|

A new study using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health on men in the US has found a possible association between cannabis use and rates of prostate cancer.  Researchers behind the study, published in the journal Biomedicines, observed that individuals who were [...]

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Milestone for UK as first domestically grown medical cannabis arrives

By |2024-06-12T03:25:48+01:0012 June 2024|

Medical cannabis cultivator Glass Pharms has officially delivered its first crop to the first UK-based clinic, marking the first time since medical cannabis was legalised that domestically grown product has been made available to patients. The launch of UK-grown medical cannabis marks a significant milestone in [...]

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113 Botanicals and University of Sussex to bring controlled-release cannabis capsule and patches to UK

By |2024-06-07T03:02:15+01:007 June 2024|

Top chemists at the University of Sussex are developing new ways of administering cannabis-based medicines which could change the perception of medical cannabis in the UK and finally pave the way for NHS access.   While flower floods the UK market and companies compete over who can [...]

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New task force aims to establish UK as ‘global leader’ in cannabinoid science

By |2024-06-06T03:04:18+01:006 June 2024|

A new UK task force, headed up by leading figures in medicine and life sciences, will set out the country’s first comprehensive strategy for cannabinoid research and development. Professor Trevor Jones, formerly Head of R&D at Wellcome and Director General of The Association of the British [...]

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Cannabis terpenes can relieve chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain – study

By |2024-06-05T03:00:23+01:005 June 2024|

A new study has found that cannabis terpenes were as effective as morphine at reducing chronic neuropathic pain, and a combination of the two analgesics enhanced pain relief without negative side effects. Some prior studies have shown that the Cannabis sativa plant and its two primary cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol, [...]

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Almost 3% of teenagers use CBD products, finds study

By |2024-05-31T03:03:24+01:0031 May 2024|

A new study offers some of the first insights into the prevalence of CBD use among adolescents. Since cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, was legalised in the United States by the 2018 Farm Bill, products containing the compound have flooded the consumer health sector. [...]

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Slovenia to hold referendum on cannabis laws

By |2024-05-30T03:06:07+01:0030 May 2024|

Next month, Slovenian citizens will vote on two referendum measures aimed at changing national cannabis policies. The referendum questions, approved by the Slovenian National Assembly in April, represent potential steps towards comprehensive cannabis reform.  Although neither measure is legally binding, their approval could significantly influence future [...]

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Malta’s legal “grey area” sees consumers criminalised over CBD flower

By |2024-05-29T03:00:42+01:0029 May 2024|

As the first EU country to legalise adult-use cannabis, Malta is looked on as a frontrunner of European reform, but consumers are still being prosecuted for importing CBD flower due to a legal “grey area”. In February 2022, a Maltese doctor was arrested for drug trafficking. [...]

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One in five UK police officers don’t know medical cannabis is legal

By |2024-05-23T03:03:59+01:0023 May 2024|

The results of a newly-published survey show that more than one in five police officers in the UK think medical cannabis is still illegal— and most have received ‘inadequate’ training.  Despite medical cannabis being legalised on prescription in the UK in November 2018, the survey highlights [...]

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Daily dose of THC could increase survival time in palliative care patients

By |2024-05-17T03:09:13+01:0017 May 2024|

A daily dose of THC was associated with increased survival time in palliative care cancer patients, according to the results of a recent study. Researchers investigating the effects of THC in advanced cancer patients say it could be associated with not only increased survival time, but [...]

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Ex-GW Pharma bosses lead development of new CBD-based epilepsy drug

By |2024-05-16T03:01:01+01:0016 May 2024|

Avata Biosciences is developing solid dose cannabinoid medicines for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, with a number of former GW Pharmaceutical bosses on board.  The clinical stage biopharma company, formerly known as Sapient Therapeutics, announced its new name, meaning ‘to unlock’, in a press release on [...]

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Top 10 Global Cannabis Strains: Discover the World’s Most Sought-After Cultivars

By |2024-05-15T03:21:28+01:0015 May 2024|

Sponsored  The international Cannabis scene dazzles aficionados with its variety of UK cannabis strains. Connoisseurs remain on a quest, aiming to discover cannabis strains that offer a transcendent experience. These strains are not just a manifestation of superior horticultural achievements. They also symbolise the peak of [...]

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UK researchers find medical cannabis improves quality of life in MS and osteoarthritis

By |2024-05-11T03:02:07+01:0011 May 2024|

The latest UK research points to the potential benefits of medical cannabis in the long-term conditions osteoarthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS). New findings using data collected through the UK Medical Cannabis Patient Registry support the use of medical cannabis in the treatment of osteoarthritis, as well [...]

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‘Unusually high’ consumption rates of medical cannabis in the UK compared to rest of Europe

By |2024-05-10T03:04:20+01:0010 May 2024|

The UK is the primary driver of new growth in Europe’s medical cannabis market, with sales of medical cannabis greater than expected due to ‘unusually high’ consumption volumes on a per-patient basis. By the end of 2024, for example, 62,960 patients are forecasted to be using [...]

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UK CBD update: FSA issues first positive safety assessments in Novel Food process

By |2024-05-09T03:02:23+01:009 May 2024|

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued the first two ‘positive safety assessments’ for CBD (cannabidiol) products as part of its years-long novel foods authorisation process. Chanelle McCoy’s subsidiary, Pureis, became the first company in the UK to receive a positive risk assessment for a synthetic CBD [...]

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More research refutes long-held ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype

By |2024-05-01T03:13:31+01:001 May 2024|

It’s time to ditch the long-held ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype, according to new research, which shows cannabis consumers are not as unmotivated as it suggests.  The study, published by the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, surveyed chronic cannabis users to see what effect getting high has [...]

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International cannabis prescribing service launches for travellers to the UK

By |2024-04-27T03:01:30+01:0027 April 2024|

Integro Clinics is the first UK clinic to expand its services worldwide, to address the challenges for patients travelling to the UK who need access to medicinal cannabis on prescription. For patients who rely on medicinal cannabis, travelling abroad can come with a whole host of [...]

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Neuroprotective properties of CBN could point to new treatments

By |2024-04-26T03:13:53+01:0026 April 2024|

New findings help explain how the lesser-known cannabinoid, CBN, protects the brain against ageing and neurodegeneration—and how it could be used to develop potential therapeutics. One in every 10 individuals above the age of 65 develops an age-related neurological disorder like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, yet treatment [...]

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Cannabis legalisation not linked to increase in youth substance use – study

By |2024-04-25T03:00:34+01:0025 April 2024|

The legalisation of cannabis in the US, and subsequent rise in sales, have not contributed to an increase in substance misuse among adolescents, a new study has found. Researchers from Boston College have used the most recent data on adolescent substance use to evaluate the effect [...]

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New initiative launched to protect UK cannabis patients’ rights

By |2024-04-24T03:18:34+01:0024 April 2024|

The national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law, Release, has launched a new initiative to help protect the rights of medical cannabis patients in the UK.  Despite medical cannabis being legal in the UK since November 2018, patients continue to report negative experiences of [...]

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Is Europe the ‘sleeping giant’ of global cannabis reform? Insights from ICBC Berlin

By |2024-04-20T03:02:34+01:0020 April 2024|

Following the landmark legislative change in Germany earlier this month, experts are expecting to see a ripple effect across the continent, with some predicting that Europe could overtake the US as the global leader of cannabis reform. In Berlin this week, for a historical International Cannabis [...]

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