Harmless Hemp and Passive Toxicity – Not New, but a Growing Concern.

Not unsurprisingly, the Cannabis Industry creates many and varied ‘contaminants’ to the environment, community and humanity itself, but it also creates its very own irony in the contaminant context.

As far back as 2015, concerns were being raised about cannabis contaminants, but not in perhaps the way we view it now.

In Southern Oregon (USA) marijuana growers wanted to ban industrial hemp production from the region out of fear that hemp may pollinate their cannabis crops and render them worthless!

“Allowing industrial hemp in an area known for churning out high-grade marijuana could undermine the industry”, growers argue…"It basically makes the medicine worthless,"

Hmmm, isn’t Cannabidiol (CBD) and other Cannabinoids that are supposed to be the ‘medicine’, not really Delta 9 THC? CBD is seemingly not impacted by Hemp cross-pollination, only the ‘recreational quality’ product, so why the hysteria? Ah, the cannabis logic is confusing.

The zeal for the addiction for profit sector of the Marijuana market, engendered a paranoia that cross pollination with the all but zero THC content hemp, will weaken and thus render uncommercial their ‘recreational’ product, which they referred to as ‘medicine’.

However, no concerns were being raised back then that the reverse may be true.

In a paper published as far back as August 2000 research-based warnings were already being issued about this blurring of the lines with Hemp and other Cannabis strains.  The following excerpt from Cannabis, Hemp, THC in the Food-Cosmetic Supply gives some insight,

Another unknown is hemp as forage for animals.  According to Stan Blade, a director of crop diversification for Alberta Agriculture, a program that will test hemp over the next year as feed for livestock is being considered in Canada.  Forage hemp will be tested on cattle against a more traditional mixture of oats and barley. 

Buffalo, the common dairy animal of Pakistan, are allowed to graze on Cannabis sativa (hemp), which, after absorption, is metabolized into a number of psychoactive agents.  These agents are ultimately excreted through the urine and milk, making the milk, used by the people of the region, subject to contamination.  Depending on the amount of milk ingested and the degree of contamination, the milk could result in a low to moderate level of chronic exposure to THC and other metabolites, especially among the children raised on this milk.  Analysis from the urine obtained from children who were being raised on the milk from these animals, indicated that 29% of them had low levels of THC-COOH (THC-carboxylixc acid, which is a major metabolite for THC) in their urine.  This study indicates that the passive consumption of marijuana through milk products is a serious problem in this region where wild marijuana grows unrestricted, and that children are likely to be exposed more than adults.” 

The legal requirement for 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC) content of HEMP is supposed to be 0.3 percent or less, yet from both anecdotal evidence and an ever-decreasing quality control management, one will find it difficult to ensure even basic health and safety issues are monitored, let alone acted upon.

One such issue and now after thought, is that the hemp industry has a lot of waste bi-product and finding ways to deal with it, apart from burning it (and all the attending concerns around that) is determining its suitability as fodder.

In 2013 a Washington State pig farmer thought he would experiment with his hobby hogs and see if Pot waste would change the flavour of his pork products. Thinking as many in the industry do now, that the waste from cannabis grows must be useful, he tried the experiment. Anecdotally, it was a ‘success’, his retailers declaring it better tasting.

However, John P. McNamara, a professor at Washington State University's Department of Animal Sciences, did not find the experiment amusing, nor should he.

"Of all the crazy things I've seen in my 37-plus years, this is the dumbest things I've ever seen in my life," McNamara said in order to introduce a drug or medicine to feed, that's being given to animals that make part of the food supply, the federal government must sign off on it after extensive review. He adds that research has shown that cannabis ingested can be transferhred onto tissues.

What of the pigs? Well, according to the producer, no real difference as ‘pigs just eat and sleep anyway’, though the manager noticed one of the more salty sows was calmer after feeding…Hmmm? Again, all anecdote, no data – yet that seems to be a key driver for policy making around this increasingly complex and far from benign product.

In a pod cast by  Aaron Moskowitz, Hemp advocate Hunter Buffington was interviewed on this complex Hemp issue.

The interview revealed some of those complexities and the current attempts to  

(if not overcome) negate them.  The interview confirmed the real need to ensure not only any feed potential of this substantial and growing bio-waste, but also determine any contamination of it, or in it. The imperative of ensuring that what is ‘fed into’ the human food chain is safe should not be understated, but it may well be if pro-cannabis advocates are in-charge of the scrutiny process. Any potential toxicity acquired by the growing environment, (i.e. soils, horticultural practices and/or pesticides) or from the plants own innate compound toxicities, need to be understood and guarded against.

Alongside these stringent safety protocols, clinical feed trials must also be conducted of the by-products being offered as fodder. Each product must be tested against each of the animal breeds it is going to be fed to, ensuring no further harms are done to the animal being fed, or to those further up the food chain.

Kansas State University are undertaking some studies to that end, with the following outcomes reported in part in the following,

While there is interest in the use of hemp for cattle feeds, there are questions about whether the feed can be used safely because of concerns about tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, intoxication and the presence of other bioactive cannabinoids. Kleinhenz noticed that most research was focused on humans, mice and swine, but not on cattle.

"This is surprising because cattle can readily utilize industrial hemp byproducts as they can digest cellulose plant materials in their rumens," Kleinhenz said.

"We observed that the acidic cannabinoids, such as CBDA and THCA, are more readily absorbed from the rumen than other non-acid cannabinoid forms, such as CBD and CBG," Kleinhenz said. "Now that we have found that some cannabinoids are readily absorbed from the rumen, the next steps are to study the tissue and milk residue udepletion profiles of these compounds after animal feeding experiments. The effects of cannabinoids on cattle are also unknown."  KSU News & Communication Services

Whilst Kansas State University were conducting their review another long promised study on the use of Hemp crop residue (an environmental concern in its own right) revealed what had been suspected 20 years earlier.  

Published in Nature – Scientific Reports Plasma concentrations of eleven cannabinoids in cattle following oral administration of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) (nih.gov)  uncovered the following,

From the "Discussion" section,

• Moreover, the impact of the rumen on the fate of oral cannabinoids requires further investigation. Rumen microbes could potentially degrade or metabolize cannabinoids causing alterations in the cannabinoids available for absorption. Merrick et al., reported the in vitro conversion of cannabidiol (CBD) to 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC) in simulated gastric fluid. Although these findings were not supported in vivo; there is still potential for rumen microbes to play a significant role in the conversion of fatty-acids through biohydrogenation.
• The results of the finding of this study have implications for IH (Industrial Hemp) as an agriculture commodity. In the short-term, these findings can be used to develop strategies for cattle accidently exposed to IH and hemp by-products, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has explicitly stated cannabinoids are considered adulterants in food production species. However, cattle and other ruminants are ideally suited to utilize IH and the byproducts of cannabinoid production from IH as a novel source of nutrition. 
• Understanding of plasma half-lives for cannabinoids will allow veterinarians to work with cattle producers to establish withdrawal intervals to ensure exposed cattle can enter the food supply. 
• Additionally, understanding of cannabinoid pharmacology is needed if IH and hemp byproducts are to be considered by the US FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for inclusion into animal diet.

On interrogating this research, one commentator also made the following remarks, which bear further consideration.

And of course, they need more research to answer the additional questions that they bring up.  They now need to "understand plasma half-lives for cannabinoids" and need an "understanding of cannabinoid pharmacology".  

The establishment of a "withdrawal" period is what I find really interesting and would be a challenge.  Basically, the cows would need a drug test before they can be sent to slaughter.  If such a protocol was established, I think that we all know what could happen; falsification of test results is a strong possibility because it is basically about the money, which always depends on speed to market.

What I also find especially troubling is that in the discussion session, the authors state that their findings can be used to develop strategies for cattle accidently exposed to IH and hemp by-products.  

The need to monitor this industry and the management of its growing waste products is imperative if the health and well-being of people, as well as animals, is a priority. The rush to market of cannabis by ‘voting for medicine’ initiatives is a staggering backward step for a so-called evidence-based scientifically anchored culture. 

If indeed, this bio-waste can be proven utterly safe and beneficial as animal feed, with absolutely no potential harms permitted, this may be one positive for an industry that has proven in past decades that salesmanship trumps science every time.

More thorough and robust research is needed at all levels and the tightening of regulations around ‘supplements’, of which there is currently little to none in the United States, Australia, and other lax jurisdictions. The time for ‘free pass’ on these untrailed or clinically untested products must end for the sake of community and animal well-being.

Further Reading

Swiss Cattle Banned from Eating Hemp https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-cows-banned-from-eating-grass/4385896

Plasma concentrations of eleven cannabinoids in cattle following oral administration of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa)

The results of the finding of this study have implications for IH (Industrial Hemp) as an agriculture commodity. In the short-term, these findings can be used to develop strategies for cattle accidently exposed to IH and hemp by-products, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has explicitly stated cannabinoids are considered adulterants in food production species. However, cattle and other ruminants are ideally suited to utilize IH and the by-products of cannabinoid production from IH as a novel source of nutrition. Understanding of plasma half-lives for cannabinoids will allow veterinarians to work with cattle producers to establish withdrawal intervals to ensure exposed cattle can enter the food supply. Additionally, understanding of cannabinoid pharmacology is needed if IH and hemp by-products are to be considered by the US FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for inclusion into animal diets. For complete research www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69768-4

F.D.A. Regulations on Food contains THC or CBD  

10. Is it legal, in interstate commerce, to sell a food (including any animal food or feed) to which THC or CBD has been added?

A. No. Under section 301(ll) of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. § 331(ll)], it is prohibited to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce any food (including any animal food or feed) to which has been added a substance which is an active ingredient in a drug product that has been approved under section 505 of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. § 355], or a drug for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which the existence of such investigations has been made public. There are exceptions, including when the drug was marketed in food before the drug was approved or before the substantial clinical investigations involving the drug had been instituted or, in the case of animal feed, that the drug is a new animal drug approved for use in feed and used according to the approved labeling. However, based on available evidence, FDA has concluded that none of these is the case for THC or CBD. FDA has therefore concluded that it is a prohibited act to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce any food (including any animal food or feed) to which THC or CBD has been added. FDA is not aware of any evidence that would call into question these conclusions. Interested parties may present the agency with any evidence that they think has bearing on this issue. Our continuing review of information that has been submitted thus far has not caused us to change our conclusions.

FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD) | FDA

Dalgarno Institute Research Team

Taking one’s own life, is an incredibly egregious thing, and for some, tragically, it is a decision made after a long (and in their eyes) unwinnable battle with a psycho-emotional or physical foe that has gained such overwhelming dominance, that an end is sought – it may not be death (a permanent ‘solution’ to an often-impermanent issue) but an out?

Profoundly sad and heart-breaking, but perhaps understandable in a perceived relentlessly hopeless and oppressive context.

Yet, more and more suicides are not the result of this long battle, rather the outcome of a misadventure, or worse a self-induced internal chaos that only drug use can precipitate.

Cannabis is a leading contender in the drug involved suicide stakes.

The pro-pot propagandist, like most such lobbyists, work tirelessly to polish the ‘metal’ of what they believe are their ‘shining’ arguments for position of liberality, but you will not hear them wax philosophically about this ghastly outcome.  However, what they can do is attempt to divert and deflect, and a no more consistently used tactic is the causation verses correlation one.

“Cannabis does not lead to suicide; at worst it just appears as a correlate in it!”

Semantics and convoluted nomenclature are all part of the inevitable drug user’s denial repertoire.  Yet to play games with such a shocking outcome and work tirelessly to deny, deflect, or divert attention away for Cannabis clear implication in suicide is outrageous.

Whether it be directly, through mental health induction; use evoked delusional states; or THC fuelled misadventure, the link is both correlate and causal. Ah, but the addiction for profit industry must downplay all negative impacts of their product and the ‘spliff’ toking spin doctors bring their spurious speculations to the marketplace, attempting to lead you away from this utterly unacceptable product outcome.

The addicted don’t care! The dabbler doesn’t want to know! The non-cannabis using family member is grieved and distressed, because only they can see past the toxic smokescreen.

So, what does the evidence tell us? What is the mounting research on Cannabis involvement in suicide and all the attending mental health issues reveal?

Mental Health Harms and Suicide – a connection?

As research has begun to intensify around this burgeoning addiction for profit industry, one would think the pro-pot lobby, as with the tobacco lobby, would be employing researchers to craft not only positive projections on potentials, (still waiting for any predictions of life-changing benefits to emerge), but data sets and evidence that will, if not disprove, then cast serious doubt on the mounting evidence of the harms of this product, not least in the mental health and the suicide context.

Certainly, some have tried, with one 2018 longitudinal study of a specific male military cohort seemingly to conclude that cannabis use had little direct impact on suicide completion, though it was strongly associated with suicide,

Although there was a strong association between cannabis use and suicide, this was explained by markers of psychological and behavioural problems. These results suggest that cannabis use is unlikely to have a strong effect on risk of completed suicide, either directly or as a consequence of mental health problems secondary to its use.

Cannabis and suicide: longitudinal study | The British Journal of Psychiatry

Whilst this study confirmed correlation, it could be argued from this snapshot, that cannabis use does not lead to suicide completion.

This study was echoing (in part) a previous longitudinal study published 5 years earlier in the Journal of Health Economics Volume 32, examining a ‘from birth’ cohort concluded that cannabis use does lead to suicide ideation, but not the reverse, which is interesting in and of itself.

Our empirical analysis is based on a 30-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort. We find that intensive cannabis use – at least several times per week – leads to a higher transition rate into suicidal ideation for males. We find no evidence that suicidal ideation leads to cannabis use for either males or females.

 So, we have clear and consistent evidence of correlation with ideation, but not yet on suicide completion.

Chicken or Egg?

The idea that cannabis causes mental health issues was in flux some 10 years ago, with some evidence suggesting that people with a pre-existing condition may be pre-disposed to seek out cannabis, and once engaged, the ‘trigger’ so to speak on cannabis induced psychosis was pulled.

However, this once held position that only those with a pre-disposition for mental health risks were the ones who could experience psychosis has been put to rest. Some robust research published JAMA Psychiatry in 2018 revealed the following,

Cannabis use directly increases the risk for psychosis in teens, new research suggests. A large prospective study of teens shows that "in adolescents, cannabis use is harmful" with respect to psychosis risk, study author Patricia J. Conrod, PhD, professor of psychiatry, University of Montreal, Canada, told Medscape Medical News. The effect was observed for the entire cohort. This finding, said Conrod, means that all young cannabis users face psychosis risk, not just those with a family history of schizophrenia or a biological factor that increases their susceptibility to the effects of cannabis. "The whole population is prone to have this risk," she said.

Psychosis, whether a temporary outcome of a cannabis use episode, or more permanent state due to ongoing use of the substance, is a clear driving factor in many, if not most cannabis involved suicide attempts and completions – again, at the very least correlation is proven.

Of course, the wealth of literature on the link of Cannabis use with poor mental health outcomes is staggering, so the reality of these harms are clear.

Yet there is growing research on cannabis use with suicide in direct impact on suicidality in all its stages.

Cannabis has been touted as a possible aid for managing PTSD. This has proven not only incorrect, but counterproductive. Yet, such is the power of pot-propaganda, and the incessant use of many who have bought this error, that they continue to self-medicate that condition with a proven propellant of even greater mental health issues.

Just last year the Journal of Affective Disorders published research on Cannabis impact on suicidality in US Veteran Population  

Cannabis use and CUD are associated with substantial psychiatric and suicide-related burden among veterans, highlighting the need for screening, education, and treatment to mitigate potential cannabis-related harm. These veterans were also more likely to report suicidal ideation and attempt.

Suicide ideation attempts and completions that are driven by mental health disorders are well established, and this is where the pro-pot ideologues seek to muddy the water of research. As mentioned earlier, pro-pot researchers (taking from the Big Tobacco play book) might even concede correlation, but work tirelessly to extinguish notions of causation.

Yet, as this public health nightmare grows, both evidence and research are beginning to follow.

A 2017 study published in Medscape concluded there was a…

"Robust" Link. By contrast, both early and frequent cannabis use were "robustly associated" with MDD [Major Depressive Disorders] as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviours, with adjusted ORs ranging from 1.28 to 2.38, after adjustment for covariates.

These significant associations persisted, even when the researchers excluded lifetime never-users of cannabis from the analysis. Frequent users were twice as likely to report suicidal ideation and attempt than were lifetime but less-frequent users.

In February 2019 Medical Xpress News publish findings from a Canadian Study on Cannabis use in teens and the subsequent risk of depression and suicidality in that later younger adult cohort. This research

They found that cannabis use among adolescents is associated with a significant increased risk of depression and suicidality in adulthood (not anxiety). While the individual-level risk was found to be modest, the widespread use of the drug by young people makes the scale of the risk much more serious.

The researchers went on to say that this new evidence ‘filled a gap’ in research and was vital in developing better understanding and better public health strategies.

Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and a scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, states: 'While the link between cannabis and mood regulation has been largely studied in preclinical studies, there was still a gap in clinical studies regarding the systematic evaluation of the link between adolescent cannabis consumption and the risk of depression and suicidal behaviour in young adulthood. This study aimed to fill this gap, helping mental health professionals and parents to better address this problem.'

Professor Andrea Cipriani, NIHR Research Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said: ‘We looked at the effects of cannabis because its use among young people is so common, but the long-term effects are still poorly understood. We carefully selected the best studies carried out since 1993 and included only the methodologically sound ones to rule out important confounding factors, such as premorbid depression.

‘Our findings about depression and suicidality are very relevant for clinical practice and public health. Although the size of the negative effects of cannabis can vary between individual adolescents and it is not possible to predict the exact risk for each teenager, the widespread use of cannabis among the young generations makes it an important public health issue.
‘Regular use during adolescence is associated with lower achievement at school, addiction, psychosis and neuropsychological decline, increased risk of motor vehicle crashes, as well as the respiratory problems that are associated with smoking.’

Again, the research points unequivocally to correlation and is also starting to intractably link cannabis induced depression, suicidal ideation, and attempt.

Suicide, Cannabis & Colorado

With the US State of Colorado being ‘ground zero’ for full legalisation of cannabis it is important to look at the data emerging from that jurisdiction on suicide.

Colorado has tracked suicides before and after legalisation, and policy makers should be alarmed by the results.

The numbers show an increasing number of suicides by year and by age group.  The youngest group (10 – 14 yo) have increased nearly 270% from 2005-08 to 2013-16.  The next age group (15 – 19 years) increased by 133% over the same period. The 20-24 years group increased by 128% over the same time period. All of these jumps are very significant.

On the Colorado Centre for Health & Environment website: Suicides in Colorado data page, you will see that Marijuana is the number one substance found in suicide completions in Colorado youth between 15-19 years old.

Yes, correlation confirmed again, but is cannabis, not alcohol or other drugs that is party to this shocking outcome. Many conclusions can be drawn from this, including the fact that self-medicating distress with weed does not help prevent escalation to suicidal ideation, but adds to it, confirming previous research.

Self-harm and other preludes to suicide attempts and completions, particularly among young males, has also been affirmed by recent research published in JAMA earlier this year. The research also review by Stanford Medicine, found that aggressive permission models of use, including ‘commercialisation’ of the product for recreational use are clear contributors to self-harm and the harm of others.

Conclusion

The metaphorical ice upon which cannabis harm deniers skate, is thawing with the growing research of cannabis direct link to all phases of suicide.  Tragically the unwillingness of both civil and medical governing agencies to act, at the very least, cautiously on greater cannabis use liberalization is disturbing.

Young male cohorts seem most vulnerable to this burgeoning mental and public health crisis.

For more information on this cannabis connection to suicide go to Impact of Marijuana on Adolescent Suicide. 

Also see  Associations of Suicidality Trends With Cannabis Use as a Function of Sex and Depression Status

If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please contact your local mental health care professional, addiction specialist/counsellor or call your local community ‘Help-Line’

Research Team – Dalgarno Institute

Legal marijuana push gathers steam in Victoria – with powerful union urging government to raise huge amounts by taxing the drug

• • • • A powerful health union are pushing for Victoria to legalise recreation cannabis 
      • The Health and Community Services Union want Victoria to grow and sell weed 
      • They argue the billions in tax revenue could be spend on social services 

Attention Grabbing Headline with ‘arguments’ that are not only nothing but overused ‘memes’ but that have been proven faulty and, in some instances, utter failures in the real world. But hey, let’s not let facts get in the way of ‘good sound-byte’? (https://twitter.com/LeviJParsons87)

Mantras and messages that sound ‘logical’ (especially to the time poor and pop-culture weary and majority non-weed using citizen) but have no basis in purported outcomes are all part of the Pro-pot propaganda process.

You will note in the article the classic mix-messaging with ‘decriminalisation, legalisation, commercialisation’ terms and/or ideas all thrown into the superficial narrative. Again, that is the idea – create hazy definitions and generate dubious impressions to get the uniformed thinking ‘positively’ about legalising weed as an option. And, of course, throw in the term ‘medical’ and you have people ponding the possibilities of what might be?

Yet, a simple spelunking of the already overwhelming data on just the small sample of evidence below, would inform any caring community, family, and children well-being focused individual, that this is not only a bad idea, but a failed one,

• • Failed promises of revenue – utterly – net deficits all round, not including blow outs in escalating health costs. (“For every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spent approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.”).
  • Continuing and increasing black market, and the adding of a third ‘grey market’.
  • The lack of evidence of anyone being ‘locked up’ for simply using cannabis is breathtaking (“In total, one tenth of one percent (0.1 percent) of all state prisoners were marijuana possession offenders with no prior sentences.” Bureau of Justice Stats) However, it is what the cannabis user does whilst on the drug that gets the criminal charges.
  • The failing and grossly misrepresented Portugal policy.
  • The public health disaster that greater cannabis use brings.
  • Growing Environmental Disaster and the escalating costs with increasing use.

It is time the truth of the short- and long-term harms of Cannabis were as promoted as robustly as the harms of tobacco – harms that go way beyond the litany of physical harms, but also add the devastating psychological harms that profoundly, and often permanently, impact individuals, their families and the community. An already mental health crisis blown wide open.

If you want to go beyond the ‘sound-byte’, for more evidence, not theory, check out…

• Lessons Learned from States Marijuana Legalization
• Cannabis Impact Report – Colorado & California
• Smokescreen Documentary
• Cannabis Conundrum Resource Library

Research & Communications Team – Dalgarno Institute

The Dalgarno institute has long posited the consumption principle that, accessibility, acceptability, and availability all increase consumption, and our 2014 published paper warning of such has proven accurate.

With the misanthropic experiment of cannabis use normalisation and legalisation underway in parts of the United States, Uruguay and Canada, we are now able to better measure the extent of impact. Most research in this arena is still very new and limited, as this social experiment is still in early stages.

Australian Professor John Toumbourou and his Deakin University team in the course of their decade long longitudinal studies of comparison with US and Australian youth investigated the impact of such permission models and found that, “Cannabis legalization is associated with increased risk factors – availability, perceived prevalence, acceptability – leading to increased frequency of use (along with increased potency), increased adult use and similar long term harms.”

Smart Approaches to Marijuana in their “Lessons Learned from State Marijuana Legalization”, saw not only increasing harms from increasing use, but that use amongst 8^th, 10^th and 12^th Graders had increased approximately 40%

Further to that a recently published research in the US only confirms these emerging and public health harming realities.

Effects of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on College Students: A Longitudinal Study of Attitudes, Intentions, and Use Behaviors.

Purpose: As legal recreational marijuana use expands rapidly across the U.S., there is growing concern that this will lead to higher rates of use among college-aged young adults. Given the limited research addressing this issue, a longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate the effects of legalizing recreational use on the attitudes, intentions, and marijuana use behaviors of college students in two different legalization contexts, Washington State and Wisconsin.

Results: Ever use, attitude, and intention-to-use scores did not change significantly more in Washington after legalization than in Wisconsin. However, among prior users, the proportion using in the last 28 days rose faster in Washington after legalization that it did in Wisconsin (p < .001).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that legalization had the greatest effects on current marijuana users, who are surrounded by a climate that is increasingly supportive of its use.

For complete research Published: May 2020 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.03.039

Research Team – Dalgarno Institute

Whilst cannabis has some exceedingly small therapeutic capacities, their limit and efficacy too are small, with only really two to three approved medicines in play, which include Sativex ® and Epidiolex ®. However, that has not stopped the pro-pot, addiction for profit industry misusing medical phraseology to promote their products, regardless of detrimental impact or simple placebo pass offs.

One health peak body is publicly calling out the pro-pot industries propaganda messaging and ensuring the misleading medical meme of ‘medical marijuana’ isn't entrenched in the public psyche. The Dalgarno Institute have consistently challenged this narrative for over 5 years.  

At least one national peak medical body has taken deliberate and necessary steps to address that marketing manipulation – The College of Psychiatrists Ireland.

The following is a letter to the editor titled, Cannabis and public health—a need to reclaim the narrative, published in Irish Journal of Medical Science on 24^th February this year.

The Department of Health recently produced guidance for doctors in which the terms “medical cannabis” and “medicinal cannabis” were appropriately and carefully avoided. However, when launching the program for the public, the Department of Health opted to call it the Medical Cannabis Access Programme which erroneously promotes the idea of cannabis as a medicine. The Department of Health has now set the precedent where politicians largely bypass the Health Product Regulatory Authority in determining what is and what is not a medicine. This is a slippery slope to legalization, as those with non-qualifying conditions, especially chronic pain, will insist that they too are added. Despite the lack of scientific evidence for efficacy, chronic pain is by far the most common reason for dispensing of cannabis-based products in other countries.

The letter outlined, again what all objective science and best practice adhering agencies embrace; that medicine cannot be ‘voted for’ alone. Robust research and thorough and exhaustive clinical trials must inform legislation and prescription around drug use, not emotionally and/or market manipulated political sentiment.

Words matter, and marketers know this – not least the addiction for profit cannabis industry. As far back as 1993, the agenda of using ‘medical marijuana’ was set in motion to ‘convince’ the public that this substance was not only ‘relatively harmless’, but potentially ‘good for you.’

Important to mention also, it is not just Irish Psychiatry that are calling for the upholding of right standards and best-practice, other international peak bodies have been challenging this fallacious narrative of the ‘medical marijuana’. The International Academy on the Science & Impact of Cannabis continue bring science and fact to the table, along with another international peak body and academic Think Tank, The Society for Prevention Research  have joined a growing chorus of concerned scientists, doctors, and researchers challenging not only the over-reaching claims of the industry, but this disturbing process of community misleading manipulation.

Of course, as a significant part of the Dalgarno Institutes education, advocacy, and resourcing mission, we continue to seek to inform the public about the facts being ‘buried’ by pop-culture manipulated and relentless evidence excluding marketing. You will continue to find news and research on Cannabis as Medicine? Along with Cannabis Conundrum and Cannabis Conundrum Continues.

Yours in Better Health and Well-Being, Dalgarno Institute