The Vote 4 Medicine Debacle is a ‘gift’ that just keeps on giving!

The use of cannabinoids in medical treatments for children and adolescents is rising, often to manage conditions like epilepsy or chemotherapy-induced nausea. While this approach may seem promising, comprehensive research sheds light on the serious risks associated with these substances for young individuals.

Increased Risk of Adverse Events: A detailed review of 23 clinical trials involving over 3,600 children and adolescents revealed significant risks linked to cannabinoid use. Compared to other treatments or placebos, these substances were associated with a higher likelihood of unpleasant side effects. Many participants experienced such severe adverse events that they withdrew from the studies altogether.

For developing bodies, these risks are especially troubling. Symptoms like diarrhoea, extreme drowsiness, and signs of liver stress or damage were frequently reported, raising serious concerns about the impact on children’s health.

Concerns in Key Treatment Areas: Cannabinoids are often used as treatments for epilepsy and to manage chemotherapy-related nausea in children. However, the findings from the review call into question whether the potential benefits justify the heightened risks. Both conditions require effective relief, but exposing young, developing bodies to substances with such serious side effects demands caution and careful consideration.

Long-Term Risks and Unanswered Questions: One of the major concerns highlighted by this research is the lack of information on the long-term effects of cannabinoids in younger individuals. Most trials only tracked participants for short periods, meaning the potential for chronic health impacts, dependency, or other developmental issues remains largely unknown.

(For complete research J.A.M.A)

Also see 

• Failing Mental Health and ‘Vote for Medicine’ Models: Cannabis Conundrum Grows
• Cannabis as ‘Medicine’: Pot Propaganda, Emotive Anecdote, Marketing Manipulation and the Side-Stepping of Science’
• Insight: Marijuana Treatment | SBS 2014 (The alarm was sounded here)

The impact of cannabis on human fertility has emerged as a critical public health concern, particularly as global cannabis consumption has surged by 23% since 2010. With 209 million users worldwide and growing, most being males of reproductive age, understanding cannabis’s effects on fertility has never been more urgent. This increase coincides with a troubling trend – global sperm counts declined by 51.6% from 1973 to 2018, and continue to fall at an accelerating rate.

The convergence of rising cannabis use and declining sperm counts has spurred renewed scientific interest in how cannabis, particularly its primary psychoactive compound THC, affects male fertility. Two landmark studies – Morishima’s groundbreaking 1984 research and Kuzma-Hunt’s comprehensive 2024 analysis – provide crucial insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which cannabis influences reproductive outcomes.

(Source: https://wrdnews.org/cannabis-male-fertility-epigenetic-harms-a-four-decade-research-evolution/)

THC and sperm: Impact on fertilization capability, pre-implantation in vitro development and epigenetic modifications 

Global cannabis use has risen 23% since 2010, with 209 million reported users, most of whom are males of reproductive age. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive phytocannabinoid in cannabis, disrupts pro-homeostatic functions of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) within the male reproductive system. The ECS is highly involved in regulating morpho-functional and intrinsic sperm features that are required for fertilization and pre-implantation embryo development…findings suggest that THC may alter key morpho-functional and epigenetic sperm factors involved in fertilization and embryo development. This is the first study [since 1984 when Morishima noted the lower quality of zygote production and zygote division] to demonstrate that sperm exposed to THC in vitro negatively affects embryo quality following IVF 

(Source: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298697)

(D.I comment: Toxic Cannabis Industry and the Three Market Debacle – ‘Regulating’ psychotropic toxins of idiosyncratic unpredictability is a farcical shell game for the entire sector with an incredibly inadequate and often tokenistic effort toward ‘health’ practices. Words like ‘safe’ or ‘safety’ and cannabis products in same sentence is at best an oxymoron; at worst it is just indicative of the level of denial, willful ignorance, or plain cover-ups in the addiction for profit sector that is the ‘Cannabis Industry’.)

University of Bath researchers found seven vaporizers sourced from the US contained dangerous SC compound Hannah Harris Green Sun 6 Oct 2024

A new study from the University of Bath revealed that seven vaporizers claiming to contain cannabis actually contained a much more dangerous “synthetic cannabinoid” (SC) compound.

Earlier this year, the same lab published a study showing that over one in six vaporizers confiscated from schoolchildren across the UK also contained SCs.

Sam Craft, an author on both studies, says his team decided to investigate the contents of seven vapes that one person presented to a drug and alcohol service after experiencing strange effects.

The person “was an experienced cannabis smoker”, says Craft, and they had decided to switch to vaping because they thought it would be less harmful.

One million people in England vape despite never having smoked regularly, study finds

Analysis of the vapes revealed that all of them contained the SC 5F-MDMB-PICA. There are hundreds of different SCs – officially named with these letter-number combinations, and referred to colloquially as “K2”, “Spice” and other slang terms.

Unlike natural cannabis, they are frequently associated with severe negative outcomes, including seizures and fatal overdoses. In England and Wales, SCs were responsible for nearly half of unnatural prison deaths from 2015-2020.

SCs are also illegal in the UK and the US. Still, they are showing up in the unregulated US hemp market that emerged as the result of the 2018 Farm bill, which inadvertently legalized all cannabis-derived products containing less than .3% delta 9 THC, cannabis’s most well-known psychoactive component.

SCs are distinct from semi-synthetic cannabinoids, like THC-O, and sometimes HHC and Delta-8 THC, which can be made by combining natural cannabis extracts with synthetic materials, and which are legal in much of the US.

That doesn’t mean they are without risk, according to Michelle Peace, a professor in the department of forensic science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Peace’s lab has studied the contents of vapes seized from a person who was arrested after experiencing schizophrenia-like symptoms. Her lab found the vapes contained semi-synthetic cannabinoids like THC-O.

Jim Crotty, a former DEA deputy chief of staff, says that SCs are appealing to illicit manufacturers because they are incredibly cheap to make and to sell. Instead of growing fields, manufacturers can make SC vapes with packets of powders they buy online.

Crotty says these products could be appealing to “vulnerable populations with limited income like youth and unhoused people”, who might find legal dispensary products unaffordable.

It’s unclear how big this problem is, partly because consumers themselves are unlikely to know they are using contaminated products. Peace says most consumers will “walk into any store” and assume that someone has made sure whatever they are buying has been tested for safety. But there is not yet federal regulation for the legal hemp market – “nobody’s watching”, what manufacturers put in their products, says Peace.

Crotty adds that cannabis is an easy drug to fake, because it’s so unpredictable.

“It doesn’t fall neatly into any one of the drug categories, right? Because depending on the amount, the potency, the individual that’s using it, it could lead to different effects,” he explained, adding that cannabis can feel like a stimulant, a depressant, a hallucinogen, or a little bit of all three.

Craft says that SCs can seem similar to natural cannabis, especially in very small doses, like in the vaporizers they studied. But, he said, the risk of “cardiovascular problems, the lack of consciousness and the acute psychotic symptoms are going to be far higher”.

At the moment, it is very difficult to tell if unregulated hemp products are labeled accurately in the US. Peace says that if you live in a state with legal recreational cannabis, you are much safer buying products from an authorized dispensary, although these are not entirely without risk either.

Legal and industry efforts are under way to bring safety standards for currently unregulated hemp products at least up to par with the state-legal cannabis industry. The Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation act, introduced in Congress in September, would empower the FDA to regulate hemp products.

Some cannabis brands are taking it upon themselves to ensure products only contain what they say they do.

The recreational cannabis brand Wana launched a direct-to-consumer platform that sells vetted hemp products, and also educates consumers on what products are safe.

“We apply the same rigor of testing, transparency and ingredients to the hemp side as we are to the regulated markets,” says Joe Hodas, the Wana CEO. But, he says, “it’s a tough and lonely road”, in a side of the industry that seems largely unconcerned with safety.

(Source: Guardian October 2024)

The Supreme Court is considering a case involving truck driver Douglas Horn, who was terminated after a drug test revealed THC in his system, despite using a product he believed to be THC-free. Horn has taken legal action against the product’s manufacturer, Medical Marijuana Inc., under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), arguing that he suffered a business injury. During oral arguments, several justices appeared inclined to allow Horn to proceed with his claim, focusing on whether he meets the RICO requirement of being injured in business or property. The outcome could redefine how consumers seek redress against misleading product claims, particularly in the burgeoning cannabis industry.

Horn’s case originated when he began using a “wellness product” named Dixie X, advertised as containing zero THC. After failing a mandatory drug test, Horn independently verified the product did contain THC, leading to his dismissal. The court’s decision could send the case back to lower courts for further proceedings, potentially setting a precedent for similar disputes involving cannabis-related products. For additional details, visit New York Times.