In patients with Covid-19, researchers have found that cannabis consumers had ‘better outcomes’ and ‘mortality’ than those who did not use it. For a new study, researchers explored the relationship between cannabis and Covid-19 outcomes in a national database of over 320,000 patients hospitalised with the [...]

Via Business of Cannabis France’s Minister for Health, Aurélien Rousseau, has confirmed that the country’s medical cannabis experiment will continue, providing some solace for its 2,540 patients. Despite pressure from cross-party parliamentarians, elected officials, scientists and doctors, Mr Rousseau refused to commit to rolling medical cannabis [...]

Five years on from the legalisation of cannabis, Canada has seen ‘major societal benefits’ but the public health impact remains a mixed picture, say experts.  Adult-use cannabis was legalised in Canada in October 2018, with the goal to improve cannabis-related public health and safety, and reduce [...]

We look back at the developments over the last two weeks to bring you some of the headlines you might have missed. The top lines: Ukraine’s bill to legalise medicinal cannabis has cleared another legislative hurdle, while Israeli health officials take steps to ensure patients can [...]

A bill to legalise medical cannabis in Ukraine has advanced to the next stage of the legislative process this week, bringing patients one step closer to ‘relief’. Following its initial reading, in July Ukrainian politicians voted to adopt the bill which will see the legalisation of [...]

A survey to understand the scale of UK cannabis industry banking challenges has been launched by the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC). This follows ongoing anecdotal concerns across the industry about accessibility issues for bank accounts and other financial services. Without a business bank account, not only [...]

Israel’s Ministry of Health has taken steps to ensure cannabis patients can continue to access the treatment following the outbreak of conflict in the region. Following the events in Gaza over the last week, the Israeli Ministry of Health has confirmed an extension to patients’ medical [...]

Via Business of Cannabis On Friday 29 September, opponents of Germany’s Cannabis Act (CanG) failed to prevent the bill from progressing in the German Federal Council (Bundesrat). Two key ‘possible showstoppers’ failed to gain enough support in the Bundesrat, the German upper house that represents the [...]

A new study exploring the effects of medical cannabis in older adults found improvements in day to day functionality, as well as reductions in pain and opioid use. Cannabis use is increasing among older adults, particularly over the last decade as it becomes more widely available [...]

A new report from a leading UK cannabis advisory company has highlighted how a failure to capture data related to race – when policing illicit adult cannabis use across Europe – risks adding to disproportionate outcomes for ethnic minorities that are apparent in countries like the UK. [...]

Members of Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs will outline their recommendations for the country’s drug policy over the coming weeks, with calls for reform expected to be a key feature.   Following six months of deliberations, the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use has concluded its consideration of [...]

Medical Cannabis Awareness Week is set to take place again as the UK marks the fifth anniversary of the landmark law change in November 2018. Originally launched by patient advocacy group PLEA (Patient-Led Engagement for Access) in 2020, Medical Cannabis Awareness Week (MCAW) will take place [...]

Over 40% of those in a survey of over 5,000 midlife women report having consumed cannabis, with many using it specifically for menopause symptoms.  While young adults have traditionally been thought of as the primary users of cannabis, data from the US now suggests that women [...]

We look back at the developments over the last two weeks to bring you some of the headlines you might have missed. The top lines: The Netherlands has announced an official start date for its legalisation pilot, while officials in Portugal and Belgium also appear to [...]

Research suggests that cannabis social clubs play a key role in future legislation reform and can be effective in achieving social justice for those affected by prohibition.  A gradual shift is taking place across the globe, as more and more jurisdictions look to address the failings [...]

Via Newsweed New information suggests that the Macron government will not support the general legalisation of medical cannabis in France when the ongoing trial ends in 2024. French media outlet Newsweed reports that the future Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) will not include a budget for [...]

A new study is the first to explore the role of cannabinoids in treating critically ill patients, with doctors calling for further research in this area. For the first time researchers have explored the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in critically ill patients in intensive care. The [...]

A new review has published recommendations for the maximum daily CBD intake, with up to 160mg found to be acceptable for ‘healthy’ adults.  The scientific review was commissioned by cannabis companies, Canopy Growth and Charlotte’s Web, to develop recommendations for oral doses of CBD isolate.  Researchers [...]

Joe* speaks to Cannabis Health about how his prescription has enabled him to live a full life despite the debilitating symptoms brought on by vestibular migraines.  Joe, 29, began experiencing vestibular migraines whilst at university. Sometimes they would last for months at a time and leave [...]

New research suggests cannabis may go some way to reducing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, while other studies shed light on its potential in fibromyalgia, autism and skin disorders. A wealth of cannabis-related research has been published over the last few months, including studies [...]

Via Cannareporter One of Portugal’s major political parties is to establish a working group to explore the possibility of legalising cannabis for non-medical purposes, in collaboration with other parliamentary groups. The regulation of recreational cannabis in Portugal may be imminent, following the European trend to review [...]

Dutch officials have announced that the country’s cannabis legalisation experiment will begin its pilot phase before the end of the year. Initially approved by the senate in 2019, the Wietexperiment [Weed Experiment] will see a select number of cultivators permitted to supply legal cannabis to coffee [...]

New findings related to how the body’s endocannabinoid system responds to stress could open a new avenue of drug development to treat psychiatric disorders, say researchers.  Scientists believe that when an individual is under stress the brain may release its own cannabinoid molecules to calm them [...]

UK medical cannabis company, Lyphe Group, has announced a new partnership to enhance how patients receive their cannabis prescriptions.  In what is thought to be an industry first, Lyphe Group’s dispensing pharmacy, Dispensary Green, has partnered with Boveda Inc, a global leader in two-way humidity control, [...]

Approaching five years since medical cannabis was legalised in the UK, a new BBC documentary accuses the government of misleading the public over its availability on the NHS.  On 1 November, 2023 medical cannabis will have been legally available on prescription in the UK for five [...]

Researchers have received a $3.69 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study how genetic differences influence behavioural and physiological responses to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Increased legalisation of medical and/or recreational cannabis and more favourable public perspectives has led to an increase in [...]

Researchers behind a new study say medicinal cannabis is not only effective and fast-acting in the treatment of neuropathic pain, but also has fewer side-effects than conventional medicines.  A retrospective study, conducted by scientists from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE Hamburg) in Germany in cooperation [...]

After years of pain medication and antidepressants, Kerry Davies came off all her NHS prescription drugs when she started consuming cannabis medicinally. Here, she shares her journey so far. Kerry Davies battles daily with the symptoms of fibromyalgia and PTSD, as well as her history of [...]

Researchers in Germany have shed new light on how cannabinoids could potentially reduce inflammation in the body, with CBD found to be particularly effective. Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena in Germany, have been investigating how certain compounds found in the cannabis plant work to counteract inflammation in the body.  [...]

We bring you the news you might have missed from the week just gone. The top lines: Health officials in the US have recommended that cannabis be rescheduled to a ‘lower risk’ drug, while the UK Home Affairs Committee called for wider access to cannabis on [...]

Via Business of Cannabis  As Switzerland sees the launch of its second cannabis pilot, Cannavigia co-founder Philipp Hagenbach, shares his insights on the country’s approach to reform. Recent weeks have seen the launch of ZüriCan, Switzerland’s second cannabis pilot set to give over 2,000 Zurich inhabitants [...]

Employers may be breaching the Equality Act over their approach to prescription cannabis patients in the workplace, according to a new report. What are your rights as an employer and an employee? Published by the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC), ‘The Use of Prescription Cannabis at Work’, [...]

Australian patients with chronic health issues showed significant improvements in overall health-related quality of life and fatigue in the first three months of treatment with medical cannabis, a new study has found. The paper, published in the journal PLOS ONE, also noted that participants reported improvements [...]

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects 10% of all women between the ages of 12 and 80 years old and for which there is an urgent need for new treatment options. Here, experts at SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals explore how cannabis could be part of the [...]

With cannabis use reaching its highest recorded levels among older adults in the US, this generation may finally be recognising its potential enhancing health and wellbeing. Insights from a recent federally-funded survey in the US suggest that cannabis use has risen significantly in the last decade, [...]

The role of cannabis-based medicines in treating the symptoms of Long Covid warrants further investigation, according to a new review. UK researchers say existing evidence supports the use of cannabis as a potential treatment for Long Covid, including for symptoms of sleep disturbance, fatigue, pain and [...]

In its latest report on drugs, the UK Home Affairs Committee recommends that the government widens access to cannabis medicines on the NHS, but cites ‘concerns’ over non-medical use.  The new report, published by the Home Affairs Committee on Thursday 31 August, sets out a number [...]