Source : US | Philadelphia Hospital To Study Medical Marijuana Patients with MS

Philadelphia is quickly becoming a focal point in the nation’s fight for marijuana reform, with most of the attention on the city directed at Philadelphia’s new district attorney, Larry Krasner, who is championing a radical reform agenda aimed at transforming criminal justice. But Philly is also home to the Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp, one of the country’s leading medical cannabis research centers.

Last week, the Lambert Center made major medical cannabis news when it announced a new initiative for patients suffering from chronic diseases — and, if the initiative succeeds, it will produce the largest database of medical marijuana health outcomes to date.

Pioneering Medical Cannabis Research Center Launches Trailblazing Patient Initiative

On Thursday, Thomas Jefferson University issued a press release announcing that the university’s Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp had partnered with ioVita, a digital health startup, to launch a new initiative called mmj.org.

The mmj.org initiative is the first of its kind: its goals are to further the scientific understanding of medical cannabis by collecting information directly from patients and caregivers. To do so, it’s establishing a voluntary medical cannabis patient registry; once enrolled, patients who use medical cannabis can self-report on their health outcomes.

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Source: Philadelphia Hospital To Study Medical Marijuana Patients with MS

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Source : US | Philadelphia Hospital To Study Medical Marijuana Patients with MS

Source : IRL | Government looking at how to best source ‘quality’ medical cannabis for new access programme

HEALTH MINISTER SIMON Harris today updated Cabinet on the progress being made in establishing a medicinal cannabis access programme for Ireland.

Last year, the minister announced that he was setting up the access programme and said  prescribers, patients and pharmacists would be consulted in drawing up guidelines for the safe use of cannabis-based treatments for qualifying patients.

The programme, which is in the process of being developed, aims to allow access to cannabis-based therapies for the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis, those experiencing nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and those with severe, refractory and treatment-resistant epilepsy.

The establishment of the scheme follows on from recommendations from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). An expert group was convened in March 2017 to advise on the development of a cannabis access programme.

The group has already developed clinical and practice guidelines for the cannabis access programme, which will be published shortly.

‘Quality assurance’

Today, the minister told his Cabinet colleagues the department is currently looking at how best to source medical cannabis products so as to ensure there is an appropriate “quality assurance to help ensure they are safe for use by Irish patients and are affordable”.

The HSE has also been requested to establish and maintain a register to facilitate the programme.

Currently, only a consultant doctor can sign off on prescriptions for medicinal cannabis.

If a medical clinician in Ireland believes that any person, child or adult, requires a substance that is not a legal medicine they can seek a licence from the Minister for Health, who can consider granting one under the Misuse of Drugs Acts.

Harris has stated already that he fully accepts the HPRA report which states that in certain circumstances, medicinal cannabis should be prescribed to patients.

A government spokesperson said today the access programme will put the process of accessing medicinal cannabis in Ireland on a “more solid footing”.

Drafting of secondary legislation to underpin the access programme is underway and will be finalised once appropriate cannabis product supplies have been established.

A bill put forward by Solidarity-PBP’s Gino Kenny to legalise the prescription of medicinal cannabis as medication in Ireland has not been allowed to progress to Committee Stage after the Oireachtas Health Committee stated that the bill should not be allowed to move further in its current form.

The joint health committee report on the matter identified a large range of issues with the bill and recommended that it not progress any further. The committee had previously held two hearings regarding the bill in April 2017.

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Source: Government looking at how to best source ‘quality’ medical cannabis for new access programme

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Source : IRL | Government looking at how to best source ‘quality’ medical cannabis for new access programme

Source : Cannabis & Its Effects on Brain Damage After Injury | Leafly

Learn about the potential of cannabis to help limit further damage to individuals who have experienced trauma or injury to the brain.

Each year, around 2 million Americans experience a sport-related traumatic brain injury (TBI). Soldiers are also at elevated risk for TBI; 17% of deployed soldiers to Iraq experienced a TBI, and among them, 59% experienced multiple TBIs. On a less overt level, our stress levels are on the rise. And to make matters worse, there’s a direct link between stress and increased risk for cardiovascular effects like heart attack and stroke. Both brain injury and cardiovascular events elevate risk for age-related brain disease like dementia.

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Source: Cannabis & Its Effects on Brain Damage After Injury | Leafly

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Source : Cannabis & Its Effects on Brain Damage After Injury | Leafly

Source : UK missing out on cannabis industry ‘green rush’ worth billions because of outdated policies, say experts | The Independent

The UK is missing out on a cannabis “green rush” worth billions of pounds because of nonsensical prohibition policies that criminalise a legitimate medical industry, hurting thousands of patients with debilitating conditions, experts have warned.

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Source: UK missing out on cannabis industry ‘green rush’ worth billions because of outdated policies, say experts | The Independent

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Source : UK missing out on cannabis industry ‘green rush’ worth billions because of outdated policies, say experts | The Independent

Source : IRL | Green Party calls for Government investment in growing…

New regulations could provide a business opportunity – as well as relief for patients

The Green Party is calling for Ireland to begin growing its own medicinal cannabis.

The party believes new regulations governing its prescription in certain circumstances could offer a business opportunity for the Exchequer – as well as relief for patients.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Oliver Moran, Green Party representative for Cork North Central,  said the Government now has to decide whether to import the cannabis – or look at growing it in Ireland.

He said the growing process is extremely precise – with strict regulations on chemical composition, growing methods and the use of pesticides.

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Source: Green Party calls for Government investment in growing…

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Source : IRL | Green Party calls for Government investment in growing…

Source : US | Why marijuana is cheaper in Canada than the US – Business Insider

 

In the US, medical marijuana is legal in 29 states and recreational use of marijuana is legal in 10 states. In Canada, recreational use of marijuana is expected to be legalized by the end of this year. In Canada, cannabis is 30% less expensive than in the US.

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Source: Why marijuana is cheaper in Canada than the US – Business Insider

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Source : US | Why marijuana is cheaper in Canada than the US – Business Insider