420 with CNW — Safeguards Marijuana Extractors Should Consider for Facilities

Processors usually use different methods to extract marijuana. While there is a lot that goes into this, safety should be a top priority at all times. Natvana’s CEO Casey Flippo states that extraction laboratories should implement the applicable safety standards for the method of extraction they use.

The most common methods of extraction include:

Rosin, which is regarded as the safest method of extraction. However, individuals should be careful as burns are possible
Ethanol is another extraction method that can create a flash point if too much vapor leaks into the air. The method is also highly flammable
Carbon dioxide extraction is another method used by processors, which is dangerous if a leak occurs as it puts individuals at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
Hydrocarbon extraction is regarded as the most dangerous method of extraction as it could blow up if the flammable solvents utilized leak and are ignited

Other health hazards in marijuana production include eye and skin exposure to harsh cleaning products and chemicals, hearing loss from being around extremely loud equipment and the breathing of marijuana dust. It should be noted that properly run laboratories that have been designed and built in the proper way have significantly decreased safety risks.

Below are a few factors processors should consider when establishing a new facility to ensure that safety is upheld.

Personal protective equipment

Essential Extracts founder Nick Tanem states that personal protective equipment should always be worn at all times in the laboratory, regardless of whether the facility uses solventless or hydrocarbon methods of extraction. He notes that the PPE also helps keep products safe from contamination and the laboratories clean. This equipment includes eyewear, nitrile powder-free gloves and ear protection.

Employee training

Managing partner of Illuminated Extractors JD Garrick states that it is important to ensure that all employees are trained in all processes and products used in the lab, in addition to following the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

Proper facility design

The chief brand officer of Spirits Extraction Products Liz Geisleman states that having a proper facility design can ward off accidents. She adds that having proper ventilation located in the right spots is also a must, as some gases are heavier than others.

Garrick adds that having a third-party certified engineer take a look at design plans before construction can begin will make certain that someone has acknowledged that the premises will be safe to work in.

When medical marijuana products are made with the safeguards above in mind, and those products are then administered using enabling tools such as the IoT dose-measuring devices manufactured by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH), users are likely to have better outcomes than if they were using random ways to determining the right dosage of their plant medicines.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — California Governor Enacts Bill Regulating Medical Cannabis Use in Hospitals

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a legislation that would require hospitals to allow some patients to use medical cannabis. The governor of California signed the bill, having revealed that his concerns about an initial version of the bill that he had vetoed had been resolved.

The sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Ben Hueso, has been advocating for the measure to allow marijuana use in health facilities for patients with terminal illnesses over multiple sessions. Recently, Hueso sent a letter to the head of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asking for clarification on whether the change in policy would threaten federal funding for medical facilities that allowed for the plant’s use.

Confusion about the potential implications for allowing for the consumption of cannabis in medical facilities was what prompted Newsom’s veto decision in 2019. Representatives from the governor’s office as well as the Department of Health and Human Services reached out to the senator asserting that they were looking into the matter.

The senator also received a letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which stated that there were no federal regulations that addressed this particular issue, noting that the agency was not aware of any cases where funds had been pulled because a medical facility permitted its patients to use medical marijuana. In a press release, Hueso stated that he was confident that medical facilities had the authority to implement the legislation’s provisions while ensuring the safety of other employees, guests and patients of the medical facility as they were in compliance state laws and had received confirmation from the safeguards in the law as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

However, there are a few restrictions that are included in the new law. For instance, vaping and smoking cannabis will be prohibited, and patients who receive treatment for emergency care will not be covered. The law also stipulates that health facilities will not be mandated to dispense or provide marijuana.

Newsom did not release a statement about the hospital legislation, which the governor’s office revealed that he’d signed, along with other unrelated bills. The governor has yet to sign legislation that would establish a regulatory framework for CBD sales derived from hemp. The legislation would also lift the ban on smokable hemp products.

In other news, activists in California have received clearance to start gathering signatures for a ballot measure for 2022 that would legalize psilocybin mushrooms in the state.

Now that patients in California can use medical cannabis within hospitable premises, it would be eye-opening to assess how beneficial enabling devices such as the RYAH Smart Inhaler made by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) can be for those patients.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Amazon Voices Support for Federal Cannabis Legalization, Ends Employee Drug Testing

Amazon recently let up on its screening policies for cannabis, with company officials vocalizing their support for the federal legalization of the plant. Beth Galetti, who is the company’s HR boss, stated that the company had restored employment eligibility for applicants and past employees who had been denied employment or fired during cannabis screenings.

Galetti added that pre-employment cannabis testing had disproportionately impacted communities of color by impeding job placement and, by extension, the growth of the economy. She noted that this inequitable treatment was unacceptable.

Earlier in June, company officials stated that they would no longer screen their workers for cannabis. This is excluding job candidates who are applying for positions that involve the operation of heavy equipment or truck drivers, as those positions are regulated by the federal Department of Transportation.

Amazon also revealed that following an incident, it would continue to conduct tests for alcohol and drugs and impairment checks on the job.

The international e-commerce company decided to let up on its cannabis standards after a growing number of states in the U.S. began legalizing the plant. Galetti notes that the loosened standards are expected to bring more job applicants into the company.

Thus far, marijuana has been legalized for recreational use in 18 states as well as in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the District of Columbia. Medical marijuana is also legal in 36 states across the United States, as well as in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and the District of Columbia.

In addition to this, Galleti stated that the company’s pace of growth meant that it was always in search of new members to add to its team. Recently Amazon has been using various incentives, including free college tuition and hiring bonuses, in an attempt to attract more applicants. Now company officials have announced plans to removing pre-employment testing for marijuana, which would allow the company to extend its applicant pool.

The trillion-dollar company is also calling for the federal government to legalize cannabis, with company officials revealing that they support the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (“MORE”) Act. The objective of the act is to invest in communities that have been affected by the drug war, expunge criminal records for those incarcerated for possession and decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

Recently, Amazon threw its weight behind similar legislation dubbed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. In a letter addressed to legislators about this measure, the renowned company urged Congress to allow for resentencing of any individuals serving time in federal prison for nonviolent cannabis crimes and expungement of the records for those crimes.

The increasing use of cannabis as a medicinal substance is causing a spike in the demand for IoT dose-measuring devices such as the ones made by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) alongside other enabling technologies.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Report Finds Young People’s Views on Cannabis Use Is Changing

As more states across the country legalize cannabis for recreational use, attitudes toward the use of cannabis is changing. A report that was recently released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that the number of young individuals who view the use of cannabis as risky behavior has decreased.

According to the report, young individuals believe that in comparison to the occasional use of cannabis, vaping cannabis is riskier. They also think that experimenting with other drugs, including LSD, sedatives, heroin or cocaine, is riskier than experimenting with cannabis.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has been tracking the attitudes of young people and adults since the late 1970s. The Institute (“NIDA”), which is under the National Institutes of Health, began including teens in the eighth and ninth grades from 1991.

Over time, the number of young people who view the regular, occasional or experimental use of marijuana as not a big deal has increased. Last year, the percentage of young individuals that viewed the use of cannabis as risky hit an all-time low. The institute also found that individuals aged between 19 and 30 who used cannabis in the past year, in the past 30 days or daily was currently at its highest.

Data collected last year showed that nearly 10% of young individuals used cannabis almost daily or daily last month, 27% used cannabis at least once last month and more than 40% used the plant at least once in the past year. NIDA also found that vaping cannabis had been increasing since 2017. However, this trend didn’t continue into 2020, with NIDA noting that the prevalence of vaping cannabis both in August of this year and in 2020 reduced to 11% and 20% respectively.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that individuals aged 19 to 22 as well as those in their mid-20s were more likely to vape cannabis. The Institute also found that the use of cannabis reduced with age, with the plant’s use being most prevalent in people aged 21 to 26. The percentage of grownups who use cannabis monthly or yearly at age 50 was roughly 17% while only 11% of individuals aged 60 and above used cannabis.

Additionally, men aged 19 to 30 were more likely to use cannabis every day in comparison with women. Men in this age bracket were also more likely to have vaped cannabis, in comparison to women. College students were also found to be less likely to use cannabis when compared with their peers who weren’t attending college.

These changing attitudes towards marijuana are likely to get even more people using the substance for medicinal purposes, thereby increasing interest in the latest devices, such as those made by RYAH Group Inc., which ease the use of plant-based medicines.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Snoop Dogg Urges Sports Leagues to Permit Cannabis Use by Athletes in Lieu of Opioids

Cannabis use among athletes is a controversial topic. Some sporting leagues have adhered to federal law, which classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, and banned their athletes from consuming marijuana.

In the past, professional sporting leagues such as the NBA and the NL tested for cannabis and often imposed punitive measures on athletes who failed these tests. However, the conversation regarding professional sports and cannabis peaked when American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from participating in the Olympics after testing positive for THC, the main psychoactive agent in cannabis.

Richardson had consumed cannabis in Oregon where both recreational and medical marijuana is legal, and her suspension was met with furor. Drug reform activists as well federal candidates and several members of Congress condemned her suspension, with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin calling the ban on cannabis a “significant and unnecessary burden” on athletes’ civil liberties in a letter to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Hip Hop legend and well-known cannabis connoisseur Snoop Dogg recently weighed in on the debate at a talk show where he voiced his support for cannabis use among athletes, especially as an alternative to opioids. When guest host Stephen A. Smith asked for his opinion on the matter on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Snoop Dogg said that sports leagues ought to stop testing their players for cannabis and update their policies to allow athletes to use cannabis rather than prescription opioids.

Currently a sports commentator for ESPN, Smith asked Snoop whether athletes should stay away from cannabis to avoid penalties that may cost them money. Snoop said that while entertainers such as himself who did not have to adhere to such policies could consume cannabis, athletes who have rules to follow and are subject to tests should indeed avoid using cannabis as it could jeopardize their income.

However, Snoop Dogg still isn’t at all sold on the idea that athletes should be penalized for using cannabis. A lot of athletes are prescribed opioids to help alleviate the aches and pains that come with being a professional athlete, he says, and they eventually get addicted to the medications, even though the medications don’t actually provide the relief the users are looking for.

Thanks to cannabis, however, athletes have been able to alleviate pain and anxiety without experiencing the side effects pharmaceuticals are known for. The fact that different sports leagues hold players to different standards regarding drug testing doesn’t make sense, he says, and sports leagues should reform and standardize their cannabis policies.

Thanks to Richardson’s controversial suspension, the case for cannabis reform in sports is gaining even more steam. The NBA put random drug testing on hold during the early days of the pandemic, and according to the league’s top official, this policy change may be permanent. The MLB already removed cannabis from its list of banned substances in 2019, and the NFL changed its policies to protect athletes who receive positive results for any drug test, including cannabis, from being suspended.

The views expressed by Snoop Dogg regarding the medical use of marijuana aren’t entirely unfounded as companies such as RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are bringing to market smart devices designed to help consumers measure precise doses of the marijuana they smoke for therapeutic purposes.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Nevada Judge Overturns Las Vegas PD Marijuana Ban

Employees may have finally seen a reprieve in the battle between federal and state cannabis law after a Nevada judge overturned a Las Vegas Police Department ban on marijuana consumption among its staff. Although more than two dozen states have passed either medical or recreational cannabis legislation, federal law still classifies it as a Schedule I drug. That may change in the near future. Meanwhile, employees living in legal cannabis markets often find themselves penalized by their bosses for consuming cannabis during personal hours.

According to a ruling by a Las Vegas district judge, a former LVPD officer should not have faced the threat of losing his job after he failed a THC test. Former officer Stuart Bowman resigned in lieu of being fired after off-duty cannabis use led to a failed drug test. He then sued the LAPD arguing that he shouldn’t be penalized for indulging in state-legal activities during his private time, and that the LVPD’s zero-tolerance policy for cannabis is untenable. Judge Kathleen Delaney agreed, ruling that the police department’s zero-tolerance cannabis policy was indeed untenable.

Since state law prohibits discriminating against staff who engage in state-legal cannabis use during their non-working hours, she said the department’s penalties against the former officer were against the law. As such, she instructed the LVPD to grant him back pay, cover his legal fees and put him back on the force.

However, the police department’s lawyers argued that the department had the right to terminate Bowman, citing a separate statute that says that public and private employers can prohibit the use of both legal and illicit drugs via workplace policies. Additionally, they mentioned a case in Colorado that saw the court uphold the decision to fire an employee for using cannabis off-site.

But according to Bowman’s attorneys, the Colorado statute’s vague definition of lawful allowed employers to adhere to federal law, which outlaws cannabis, over state law and terminate employees who indulge in state-sanctioned cannabis, even during their personal time. Nevada’s statute, on the other hand, specifically says that employers cannot discriminate against staff who take part in activities allowed by state law. Now that Judge Delaney sided with former officer Bowman, his attorney Adam Levine says the written motion may take a week to prepare.

Still, Levine advises police officers who want to consume cannabis to exercise restraint. While the LVPD will likely agree to issue Bowman’s back pay, it will most likely appeal against reinstating him. The Las Vegas Police Department did not respond to requests for a comment on the case when contacted by local media outlets.

The ruling made by the judge in Nevada can have beneficial ramifications inasmuch as patients who can be helped by using medical marijuana will not fear to take this option alongside high-tech devices such as the Smart Patch made by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH), which is intended to deliver plant medicine to a particular site, such as a painful joint.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Michigan Uses $20M from Cannabis Taxes to Study Medical Marijuana and PTSD

Last week, state officials in Michigan announced that research projects financed by the state’s adult-use marijuana program will assess the effects of medical cannabis in military veterans. The projects have been allocated $20 million, with $13 million of this amount being used to investigate the effectiveness of cannabis in preventing veteran suicide and treating the medical conditions that impact armed service veterans in the United States.

This grant, which was awarded to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (“MAPS”), will also finance a phase 2 study on the effectiveness of inhaled botanical cannabis in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”). The funds come from the state’s Veteran Cannabis Research Grant Program, which was established in 2018 by a legalization measure approved by voters.

For the study, researchers plan to recruit more than 300 veterans who will spend 35 or so days self-administering self-titrated inhaled doses of high-quality botanical marijuana. MAPS asserts that substance-use disorders, depression and PTSD contributed significantly to suicidality and were common disorders among veterans.

Berra Yazar-Klosinki, the chief scientific officer of the organization’s Public Benefit Corporation, stated that the grant provided the resources needed to align the body of scientific evidence with marijuana that was similar to what’s available in the state’s regulated marijuana programs.

Veterans have played a huge role in the fight against marijuana prohibition and encouraging more research on the therapeutic potential of other controlled substances, including psychedelics, to be conducted. If the study finds that smoked marijuana is effective in treating PTSD, phase 3 trials can begin, after which raw marijuana will be developed and sold as a pharmaceutical.

The remaining $7 million, which was allocated to the Bureau of Community Action and Economic Opportunity at Wayne State University, will be used to study how marijuana may be used to treat various mental health conditions, including depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. This project will look into the biochemical mechanisms through which marijuana could be used to treat suicidality, depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and PTSD.

Meanwhile, legislators in Washington are calling for an ease in restrictions on cannabis research through the Congressional infrastructure legislation, which includes a provision that would allow researchers to study marijuana from retailers in cannabis-legal states.

Additionally, the Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved an amendment that would promote veteran access to medical cannabis, by permitting physicians at the Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States to issue marijuana regulations in legal states.

As the medical use of cannabis grows, the market for precise dose-measuring devices such as the RYAH Smart Inhaler made by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) is growing rapidly since the device addresses a previously unmet need.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Federal Agency Publishes Maiden THC, CBD Testing Variability Report

Despite being one of the youngest sectors in America, cannabis is one of the country’s fastest-growing spaces. Cannabis and hemp products have become extremely popular, with the sector being one of the few spaces emerging from the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed and actually seeing increasing sales. However, one issue that has plagued America’s state-legal cannabis industry has been cannabinoid testing.

The 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp and its cannabinoids, placed a 0.3% THC limit for legal hemp. But most laboratories that test for THC, CBD and other cannabinoids often come back with different results. Consequently, a federal science agency has launched a program to push for standardized testing and analysis of the more than 100 cannabinoids in hemp and cannabis. In that vein, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”), which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has recently published a THC and CBD testing variability report.

The agency’s Cannabis Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP) is meant to help laboratories measure key chemical compounds in hemp and cannabis products. According to NIST, the fact that cannabis was prohibited until recently means most labs are venturing into untested waters, which often leads to unreliable results.

To help create a standardized system of cannabis and hemp testing, NIST sent two hemp oil samples with known concentrations of CBD, THC and 15 other cannabinoids to 116 testing laboratories across the country. The laboratories were required to test the samples and send the results to NIST along with an explanation of the testing methods used.

The report, which was published on July 27, 2021, showed how much variance existed between the labs and their testing methods. The testing results, published in an anonymized form, were meant to be educational and to demonstrate how testing methods used by testing labs and their subsequent results varied. Brent Wilson, a research chemist at NIST, says the results compared favorably with the target values. The program is meant to provide a judgment-free platform for laboratories to display their cannabinoid testing methods to improve and standardize their measurement capabilities.

There was a wide range of variability on the CBD results, says Wilson, although the labs that missed the accurate result often fell far below the intended value. For THC, the labs were generally close to the accurate THC value, but some of them returned values that were significantly below or above the intended value. As the program progresses, Wilson expects to see the range of variability in results shrink.

The removal of any inconsistencies in the testing of THC and CBD levels in cannabis products is especially important for people who consume cannabis products for medicinal purposes, and more accurate testing coupled with the use of precision dose-measuring devices such as those made by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) would increase the likelihood of getting the desired results from the cannabis medicine.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Researchers Opt for Creative Ways to Study Federally Prohibited Marijuana

Since its inception, America’s cannabis industry has been in a precarious position. Although 37 states have legalized medical marijuana, the federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance. This has essentially shackled the state-legal cannabis industry and has been especially detrimental to cannabis research.

While cannabis is said to be effective against a wide range of medical issues, there isn’t a lot of scientific data backing up these claims. Since cannabis companies aren’t allowed to test their products on people before releasing them to the market, they essentially rely on customer feedback to tweak and improve products. According to Rick Scarpello, CEO of Medically Correct LLC, a pioneer in the Colorado cannabis space, the only way the business could test its products without running afoul of federal law during its first years was to put them on the market and then go buy them.

Despite being limited by federal law, Scarpello believes that cannabis heals and that his company provides help to sick people who need it. Still, he acknowledges that the cannabis industry is in dire need of scientific research. As such, he cannot, for instance, declare that cannabis can reduce pain as there have been few, if any, clinical studies and double-blind trials to definitively prove that the substance has pain-relieving capabilities.

Some scientists have found ways to collect the data they need without breaking federal law. Instead of bringing cannabis to the lab, which is outlawed, researchers from the University of Boulder’s Center for Health, Neuroscience, Genes, and Environment (CUChange) used specialized vans to go to participants’ homes and collect data before and after they consumed cannabis. Flush with $16 million in funding from the state of Colorado, the National Health Institute and NIDA, among others, CUChange is one of the few institutions to look at the pros and cons of using cannabis on cancer, migraines and anxiety.

Cinnamon Bidwell, an assistant professor of cognitive science at the University of Colorado Boulder, has already published nine papers this year. Those papers look at the effect of cannabis on sleep quality as well as observational studies on short-term motor control and impairment caused by high-potency marijuana. The research team achieved this despite not being able to touch any of the cannabis products the participants used, instead relying on a rigorous survey that used photos of the cannabis products and their packaging.

Hopefully, researchers will soon be able to study cannabis without any constraints. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Cory Booker and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden recently introduced a draft version of a federal cannabis bill that would deschedule cannabis. The three Democrats will use the feedback they collect on the discussion draft to tweak the bill and improve it before formally introducing the final version.

The ingenuity that researchers are deploying to study marijuana in spite of the federal regulatory hurdles also shows itself in the revolutionary digital health products and technologies that companies such as RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) have brought to market to address several needs, such as the need to measure exactly how much medical cannabis a patient is smoking.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.

420 with CNW — Novel Study Highlights Effects of High-Potency Cannabis on Memory

Until a few years ago, cannabis flower and edibles were the most common cannabis products on the market. The young state-legal sector enjoyed high demand and plenty of sales, but the industry blew up once concentrates hit the shelves. Concentrates have since become immensely popular, with businesses selling $797 million worth in 2020. However, while there has been an increasing number of studies on the effects of low-potency cannabis products, federal law has made it extremely hard for researchers to study high-potency cannabis.

Fortunately, researchers from Washington State University have found a way to study how high-potency cannabis affects memory without running afoul of federal law. The study, which is published in “Scientific Reports,” involved observing 80 participants over the video-conferencing platform Zoom as they consumed cannabis concentrates they had purchased for themselves in Washington state, which legalized adult use cannabis. The researchers then ran cognitive tests and found that, although the THC-loaded cannabis impaired free recall, source memory, and false memory identification, it did not impact the decision-making process.

Thanks to marijuana’s federal classification as a Schedule I controlled substance, this is just the second study on cannabis products with more than 10% THC. Running the study via Zoom, with the participants consuming their own cannabis at home, ensured the researchers did not step into a laboratory on federal property and kept the researchers from interacting with the cannabis.

The participants were split into four groups of 20; two groups used cannabis with more than 20% THC, with one of the groups using high THC cannabis that had CBD; another group vaped cannabis with CBD and 60% THC; and the last group remained sober. None of the cannabis groups were impaired in the decision-making tests, including confidence in knowledge and risk perception. In addition, memory tests found no major difference between the cannabis groups and the sober group. This includes prospective memory, which allows individuals to remember to do things later.

Additionally, the cannabis-using groups performed well on the temporal-order memory test, which tested how well they could remember the sequence of past events. However, the group that smoked high THC cannabis flower with CBD scored lower than the sober group in verbal free-recall trials, a measure of the ability to remember pictures or words they had been shown. The groups that didn’t consume cannabis flower with CBD, as well as the group that vaped concentrates with 60% THC, scored worse on a source-memory measure, which tested how well they could remember how previously learned information had been presented.

On top of that, all three cannabis groups performed poorly on a false-memory test where they were presented with a new word and, when asked if the word had been presented to them before, they tended to say it had not. Curiously, the researchers found that users of the 60% THC concentrates performed similarly to those who used lower-potency cannabis, probably because they were limiting their intake to keep their level of intoxication and impairment low.

As more researchers investigate the different ways in which various marijuana compounds affect people, the research teams are likely to benefit significantly from plant medicine dose-measuring devices such as the one made by RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) because it will be possible to quantify how much cannabis study subjects are taking.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RYAH Group Inc. (CSE: RYAH) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/RYAH

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CNW420 is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.