Medical Marijuana News

Recreational marijuana for adult-use purposes is set to become legal in Maryland after voters in the state voted in favor of approving a ballot measure that will allow for the possession of small amounts of cannabis. With the passage of the ballot measure, adults who are at least 21 years old will be allowed to use and possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana or up to two marijuana plants. The measure will go into effect beginning on July 1, 2023. Under Maryland’s current legislature, possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana is considered a civil offense and is …

A new report published by The Insight Partners shows that the global medical marijuana market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.2% reaching a value of $40 billion by 2028. The global medical marijuana market size was valued at just $11.70 billion in 2021. The increasing approvals of medical marijuana products and rising acceptance of the medicinal use of marijuana are among the key drivers for this market growth. Researchers believe that the medical marijuana industry will be one of the fastest growing sectors investors can participate in over the next decade. The U.S. electric …

Is Medical Marijuana Legal In Pennsylvania? Yes! Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Program, or “The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act (SB3),” allows people with specific medical conditions to use and purchase medical marijuana without having to worry about legal consequences. As of February 2022, Pennsylvania is one of 37 states (plus Washington D.C.) to legalize medical marijuana in some form. The state’s program allows patients to apply for a marijuana card to obtain legal medical cannabis from licensed dispensaries throughout Pennsylvania if they’ve been diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions listed below: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Anxiety disorders Autism Cancer, including …

As more and more states legalize cannabis use, the demand for medical cannabis products and cannabinoid-based therapies continues to grow. Unfortunately, the knowledge and application of these therapies by American healthcare providers is underwhelming. A newly published article in the Epilepsy & Behavior Journal highlights the findings of researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after surveying healthcare providers on their attitudes and knowledge about cannabis, and has confirmed what most of us already knew– healthcare providers need more education on cannabis. The online survey of US-based (1) neurologists, (2) nurse practitioners / nurses, and (3) …

Five more states have passed marijuana legalization initiatives. Mississippi and South Dakota voters approved legalizing medical marijuana, joining 33 other states and the District of Columbia. Adult possession of cannabis was legalized in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. These states now join the District of Columbia and the other 11 states that have already approved the recreational use of the plant. Mississippi Mississippi’s constitutional amendment is one we will need to watch. It establishes a state-licensed system of dispensaries for patients to obtain cannabis products. The measure mandates that State officials begin providing licenses for retailers no later …

A nonprofit organization dedicated to therapeutic cannabis research and education known as the Realm of Caring Foundation, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, has been diligently collecting data from cannabis users and non-users alike over the past 4 years for purposes of evaluating the impact of medicinal cannabis use on patient-level health and quality of life. A web-based study enrolled 1,276 participants (including those already using a cannabis product and those considering its use) between April 2016 and February 2018. Of the 1,276 participants, 524 adult patients and 284 adult caregivers of children or dependent adults, …

Although medical cannabis has technically been legal in Missouri for over a year and cards have been issued, patients are still waiting desperately for dispensaries to open across the state. On November 8, 2018, Missouri became the 31st state to legalize medical marijuana. Missouri residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 2, with 65.59% of the vote — more than 1.5 million votes. In fact, the amendment garnered more votes than any other measure on the ballot, including the vote for Governor. Amendment 2, which became effective on December 6, 2018, legalizes marijuana for medical purposes, allows …

California Gov. Newsom issued an executive order today that extends some critical deadlines that have been impacted by COVID-19. One of these extensions affects the expiration dates of some medical marijuana cards held by patients in California. Medical marijuana identification cards issued under Health and Safety Code section 11362.71, which would otherwise have expired between March 4, 2020, and any day within 60 days from the date of the executive order (May 20, 2020), shall remain valid for 60 days from the date of the order. It is important to note that the executive order only applies …

Summitt Labs is voluntarily recalling Batch #730 Lot #K018 of KORE ORGANIC Watermelon CBD Oil Tincture, 30 ml bottle, 15mg 450x to the consumer level. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tested a random sample of the watermelon CBD oil tincture from Kore and found it contained lead levels at 4.7 ppm. Summitt Labs is licensed under the Florida Department of Food and Agriculture and Consumer Services to produce products containing CBD; however, the Federal Food and Drug Administration does not consider CBD to be a legal drug or dietary supplement at this time. Ingestion of KORE ORGANIC …

Utah was the 33rd state to legalize medical marijuana. That legislation was passed in 2018, but it wasn’t until the first week of March this year that Utah’s medical marijuana patients have had legal access to medical cannabis. Dragonfly Wellness in Salt Lake City was the first pharmacy to open its doors. Since then, True North’s Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary has opened two locations, one in Logan and one in Ogden. Fourteen pharmacies in all are permitted under Utah law, while eight companies (including one currently in the plans for Weber County) have been licensed.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced in March that in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is taking steps to assist those who require access to medical marijuana. Under Gov. Tom Wolf’s order, dispensaries and other businesses operating in Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis industry are deemed to be essential, life-sustaining entities that need to remain open to support the Commonwealth’s growing patient-base. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commonwealth temporarily suspended certain statutory and regulatory provisions. For starters, dispensary workers are now able to provide medical cannabis to a cardholder in their vehicle located on the facility’s …

H.R. 1058: The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2019, or the Autism CARES Act of 2019, was signed into law by the President on Monday (9/30/2019). The CARES Act reauthorizes and expands the provisions earlier introduced in the Combating Autism Act of 2006. What The Autism CARES Act Means For ASD Patients The Autism CARES Act ensures support for research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and enhances programs relating to autism. The latest version of the Act renews the legislation for another five years, tagging $369M annually for ASD-efforts through 2024.

The United States Department of Defense and GW Pharmaceuticals are collaborating on a new clinical trial at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. The study examines the effect of the cannabinoid Cannabidivarin, more commonly referred to as CBDV, on irritability and repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Researchers are hoping to discover if CBDV is a viable solution for treating the symptoms typically associated with this disorder. CBDV is a non-psychotropic compound (meaning it does not affect a person’s mental state), making the chemistry and benefits of CBDV more similar to …