Kudos to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission for implementing a regulatory standard to ensure a sustained opportunity for education and knowledge improvement into the state’s cannabis industry and community.
Massachusetts has consistently shown outstanding leadership in the healthcare arena, and it’s thrilling to see that cannabis is treated no differently.
Already leading the cutting edge of research, education, and cannabis formulation development, CED Foundation is ready & eager to support our industry colleagues with education and guidance, here in MA, and worldwide.
Title: Impact of N, P, K and humic acids supplementation on the chemical profile of medical cannabis (Cannabis sativa L)
A recent study has come out revealing the effects of nutritional supplements (plant food) on cannabinoid content during the growth of the cannabis plant.
Researchers enhanced nutritional supplements such as humic acids and inorganic nitrogen and potassium and determined that the changes in supplement levels caused variations in the cannabinoid content of the plant organs. This research has demonstrated that maintaining specific nutritional supplements effects the chemical properties of cannabis plants and may play a role in standardizing the cannabinoid content in plants, no matter the region of growth. This knowledge may one day help cultivators with the process of standardizing cultivars, and perhaps help organize strain names and content across state lines.
This work spotlights the inconsistency between cannabis plants, even if they share the same name. The nutrients cannabis plants grow in have been proven to alter the cannabinoid content which changes (sometimes drastically) the effects felt by patients who consume that plant. Growers or enthusiasts who grow cannabis at home may be buying seeds from a known strain, but the same seeds produce a completely different strain, depending on the growing conditions. Standardizing growth conditions will hopefully help cultivators produce strains of the same name with consistent cannabinoid content, making buying safer and somewhat more uniformly regulatable.
Tweet: A recent study has come out revealing the effects of #nutritional supplements on #cannabinoid content during #cannabis plant growth. Read this and other linked studies:
One of the terrific realities of modern Cannabis is that it is possible, and often quite simple, to make effective products at home. With suitable education and access to testing facilities, the soil, nutrients, and plant growth can be supported at home, lab-tested for make-up and potency, as well as safety-checked for potential microscopic contaminants, and ultimately, individualized medicine can be created right at home!
Here is a sample instructional for just one way that cannabis tincture can be made at home. There are countless others and hopefully, many that are yet to be discovered!
To explore related information, click the keywords below:
Benjamin Caplan, MDVideo: Do-It-Yourself Cannabis Tinctures
Alcohol Hangover Has Detrimental Impact Upon Both Executive Function and ProspectiveMemory
A recent study revealed that alcohol hangovers negatively impact everyday memory, specifically executive function (EF) and prospective memory (PM). EF and PM are cognitive functions that underpin everyday memory; things such as remembering an appointment or where you placed your keys. Participants of the study who suffered from hangovers were able to recall significantly fewer items from memory tasks than their peers. The findings of this study may prove useful when looking into how alcohol and cannabis interact with patients.
Title: Psychological correlates and binge drinking behaviours among Canadian youth- a cross-sectional analysis of the mental health pilot data from the COMPASS study
A recent study has examined data from the COMPASS program and found that student-athletes in Canada were more likely to engage in binge-drinking and illicit substance use. Researchers focussed on the measure of flourishing, defined as an overall healthy mental state and emotional connectedness, and how flourishing related to concerning drinking and substance use behavior. Student-athletes were found to be the most at risk for binge-drinking, defined as consuming 5 or more drinks in a single session, and those more likely to binge-drink were also more likely to co-use illicit substances. This research provides evidence for the formation of targeted prevention programs.
Cannabis use is banned among athletes by most sports organizations. Cannabis appeals to athletes considering the many different consumption methods, allowing discreet consumption and personalization with variable potential opportunities for relief. Cannabinoids are generally naturally occurring substances unless clearly manufactured, and have been shown to be beneficial for post-workout recovery, muscle soreness, anxiety, sleep, and relaxation. All of those symptoms, including the emotionally driven ones, are common among student-athletes who often feel an immense amount of pressure to perform in competition. As in most other areas of modern culture, Cannabidiol (CBD) finds itself in a grey area for most sports organizations’ substance regulations given that it is not intoxicating and readily available with a notable safety profile. Even if cannabis is not federally legal, CBD is so widely available that many athletes are embracing it, in lieu of more dangerous, or potentially addictive, medications.
Tweet: A recent study has examined data from the #COMPASS program and found that #studentathletes in Canada were more likely to engage in #binge-drinking and illicit substance use. Read this and other linked studies:
Title: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence for a Distinct Regulation of Mu Opioid and Type 1 Cannabinoid Receptor Genes Expression in Obesity
Researchers have recently found that alterations of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor gene (CNR1) and mu opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) contribute to the development of obesity. This phenomenon was shown in rat models who were given a high-fat diet and humans currently dealing with obesity. Due to the possibility of the up-regulation of CNR1 and OPRM1 providing a mechanism for developing the obesity phenotype, those two genes could serve as biomarkers for obesity. Fortunately, the up-regulation of CNR1 and OPRM1 is reversible and may also provide a target for combatting obesity and encouraging weight loss in obese individuals.
Highlighted here are the interactions of the endocannabinoid and opioid systems. Contradictory evidence concerning the interaction of the two systems has come out in recent years making it difficult to come to any conclusions. The endocannabinoid system has been thought to provide a safe and effective method for combatting the opioid crisis. Opioids are highly addictive and dangerous, but they are an efficient way to minimize pain which has kept them in mainstream medicine. Opioids have led to countless overdoses in recent decades causing researchers to search for a more ethical option for pain relief. Cannabis has a much better safety profile, poses no risk of overdose, and offers a welcome change of pace to traditional choices. Conclusive research is still needed to confirm, and reconfirm the details.
Title: Monoacylglycerol lipase blockade impairs fine motor coordination and triggers cerebellar neuroinflammation through cyclooxygenase-2
Researchers are constantly considering how cannabis may impact the human brain, for better or worse. A recently published work points out a negative effect on the cerebellum, caused by the inhibition of the main enzyme that is used to break down the endocannabinoid “2- arachidonoylglycerol” (2-AG). By inhibiting the degradation of 2-AG, more of the endocannabinoid is allowed to remain in, and act upon, the human nervous system. This abundance of 2-AG results in reduced synthesis of prostaglandins, which produces an anti-inflammatory effect.
Unfortunately, the abundance of 2-AG also results in motor coordination deficits related to the effect on the cerebellum, but the addition of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor (commonly found in many over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications) reverses these cerebellar deficits.
This highlights the far-reaching capabilities of the endocannabinoid system and at least one powerful angle where researchers could develop medications to indirectly impact the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids are still a politically hot topic, but synthesizing drugs that alter the level of endogenous cannabinoids available in the body is an ideal way to study the endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic benefits, without engaging with the red tape that surrounds cannabis. The receptors mechanisms for the endocannabinoid system certainly warrants further investigation.
Tweet: Researchers have recently revealed the negative effects on the #cerebellum caused by the inhibition of the main enzyme utilized for the degradation of the #endocannabinoid 2- arachidonoylglycerol (#2-AG). Learn more at
Building on a baseline of safety, one of the most exciting aspects of the Medical Cannabis revolution is the opportunity for all to explore creatively, as we each continue to learn more about cannabis. What better way to embrace empowerment than by making safe medicine yourself?
Please share your experiences with DIY cannabis! What are your favorite recipes? What online resources have taught you something great?! Who are your favorite social media follows… and why?
Due to its pain-reducing effects, cannabis-infused lotion is becoming increasingly popular. And the good news is that you can make your own topical right at home! Follow the video tutorial below to create your own cannabis-infused salve or lotion.
