Western University Researchers Find Link to Psychosis A London scientist whose research on marijuana has also paved the way to a commercial enterprise has discovered that when it comes to schizophrenia, the use of pot can be the best and worst of times. It turns out that though one of the major chemicals in marijuana is linked to psychosis, another may serve as an effective treatment, said Steven Laviolette, an associate professor at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. [continues 299 words]
A London scientist whose research on marijuana has also paved the way to a commercial enterprise has discovered that when it comes to schizophrenia, the use of pot can be the best and worst of times. It turns out that though one of the major chemicals in marijuana is linked to psychosis, another may serve as an effective treatment, said Steven Laviolette, an associate professor at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "Within the same plant, you've got two different chemicals that are producing opposite effects," said Laviolette, whose study was published in the journal Neuroscience. [continues 275 words]
The former drug-addicted chemist who got high at work nearly every day for eight years handled more than 500 cases in Suffolk County alone - and up to 1,500 total were processed at the Amherst lab during her time there - according to officials sorting through the fallout of the state's latest drug lab scandal. The case count in Suffolk likely represents only a fraction of those district attorneys across the state are now scrambling to identify in the wake of a damning attorney general's report on the misconduct of ex-chemist Sonja Farak. [continues 361 words]
A state chemist at an Amherst drug lab got high on methamphetamines or other drugs almost every day at work for nearly eight years, consumed the lab's own supply of drugs, and cooked crack cocaine in the lab after hours - actions that jeopardize an untold number of cases - according to an investigative report released Tuesday. Investigators for the attorney general's office found that chemist Sonja Farak had tested drug samples or testified in court between about 2005 and 2013 while under the influence of meth, ketamine, cocaine, LSD, and other drugs, according to the report, much of which is based on Farak's own grand jury testimony. She even smoked crack before a 2012 interview with State Police officials inspecting the lab for accreditation purposes, she testified. [continues 768 words]
Leamington greenhouse accounts for 10% of Canada's medicinal marijuana production Aphria, a Leamington greenhouse facility, is more heavily secured than you would expect, with locks, security cameras, and fingerprint-scanning devices at every door. The medicinal cannabis producer is taking every precaution - and then some. Founded in in 2013 and fully realized in 2014, Aphria is responsible for more than 10 per cent of Canada's medicinal marijuana production. The operators should see that number increase in the next few years, as their facility continues its exponential growth. [continues 731 words]
California blazed a trail to legalize medical marijuana 20 years ago. But the Golden State is only now confronting the full complexity of regulating consumer safety and business practices in an industry that's ballooned to an estimated $2.7 billion annually. It's no simple task, requiring startup-like coordination and enforcement across a dozen state agencies looking to rein in a sector of the economy that has thrived in a decidedly spotty patchwork of local oversight. California's lack of control over the industry thus far has not gone unnoticed, according to John Hudak, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who focuses on marijuana policies. [continues 1263 words]
Synthetic Cannabis Has 'Devastating Impact' On Jails, Says Chief Inspector Synthetic cannabis is having a "devastating impact" in British prisons and making it difficult for normal life to continue in some facilities, the chief inspector of prisons has warned. Sold as "spice" and "black mamba", synthetic cannabis has been blamed for deaths, serious illness and episodes of self-harm among prisoners. Some prison officers have reported falling ill from exposure to the fumes. High demand for the compound has fuelled more severe problems in the prison system than officers have faced from any other drug, with prisoners racking up greater debts and suffering worse bullying and violence, Peter Clarke told the Guardian. "Prison staff have told me that the effect on individuals and prisons as a whole is unlike anything they have seen before," said Clarke, who took up the post in February. [continues 674 words]
It's The Bomb Does a bear hash in the woods? No, no it doesn't. Whether it be oils, shatter, wax or honeycomb, the marijuana concentrates market is exploding. And in the eyes of some, that's a very literal problem. Potent concentrates now make up about half of all legal recreational marijuana sales in Colorado, and some industry insiders predict the shatters, oils and hashes of the weed world will soon dominate the market. The problem lurking beneath this market trend is that the most popular method of making many of these products - butane extraction - is wasteful, dangerous and carries a host of unstudied health risks. [continues 1001 words]
VANCOUVER - Companies developing breathalyzers to detect marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient in suspected cannabis-impaired drivers appear to be entering a crowded field as Canada prepares to legalize pot. Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Wednesday at a special United Nations session on drugs that legislation to begin the process of legalizing and regulating pot will be introduced next spring. A University of British Columbia engineering professor is the latest to create a breathalyzer she says can detect THC levels in the breath of someone who has smoked pot. [continues 521 words]
Nelsonians wanting a medicinal cannabis prescription are struggling to gain approval because of the lack of appropriate pain specialists in the region. Medicinal Cannabis Awareness New Zealand trustee Shane Le Brun said no Nelson doctor has prescribed medicinal cannabis spray Sativex as yet, despite a number of chronic pain sufferers and their families clamouring for access. The greatest barrier was the lack of a pain clinic in the Nelson region, he said. "No one even has a show of getting it in Nelson at the moment. It's such a rigmarole patients are a bit hesitant to go shopping [around] for it. [continues 376 words]
After Legalization, the Law Now Requires That Any Sample Used As Evidence in an Adult Case Be Tested for THC Levels. EVERETT - Sure, marijuana is legal now, for the most part. However, enough criminal cases still involve the drug that the Washington State Patrol has increased the number of scientists with special training needed to analyze its chemical compounds, from one to seven. None of them work at the lab in Snohomish County. Before legalization, any Snohomish County police department could do a quick field test to scientifically confirm that seized plant materials were, in fact, marijuana. That step is required for prosecution. That so-called "leaf test" was standard since the 1970s, said George Johnston, a manager for the state crime laboratory. [continues 401 words]
As Canada prepares to legalize marijuana, police anxious for device to measure impairment Companies developing breathalyzers to detect marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient in suspected cannabis-impaired drivers appear to be entering a crowded field as Canada prepares to legalize pot. Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Wednesday at a special United Nations session on drugs that legislation to begin the process of legalizing and regulating pot will be introduced next spring. A University of British Columbia engineering professor is the latest to create a breathalyzer she says can detect THC levels in the breath of someone who has smoked pot. [continues 546 words]
Reading Bart Hinkle's Commentary column, "Coming out of the drug-war haze," got me fired up about the war on drugs. There is a widespread misconception that all drugs are bad when in reality there are good drugs and bad drugs. The problem arises when propaganda is spread labeling less harmful drugs such as common psychedelics ( marijuana, LSD, Psilocybin) as brain-melting substances that induce schizophrenia and reefer madness. In actuality such drugs only act as a catalyst in bringing to surface underlying mental conditions. [continues 137 words]
The Pinoleville Pomo Nation has filed a claim against Mendocino County authorities for raiding a high-profile medical marijuana operation on the tribe's rancheria north of Ukiah last year. The tribe's claim is on the Board of Supervisors' agenda for Monday. Such claims are routinely denied, but must be filed before plaintiffs can sue a government agency. The tribe last year had launched what was believed to be one of the first large-scale, tribe-operated medical pot operations in the state. It claimed it had a right to grow marijuana on the tribe's 99-acre rancheria for the benefit of the estimated 250-member tribe. [continues 89 words]
The Pinoleville Pomo Nation has filed a claim against the county of Mendocino alleging unlawful search and seizure related to the Sheriff's Office raid of a marijuana operation on the tribe's property in September 2015. The county received notice of the claim March 4, and the Board of Supervisors is expected to deny the claim at its Monday meeting. Filing claims against the county, which are almost always denied, is typically for procedural purposes before a lawsuit. Mendocino County District Attorney's Office Spokesman Mike Geniella said Thursday the investigation remains in the hands of the Sheriff's Office. [continues 438 words]
"My Goals Are for the Sick. That's Something I Cannot Compromise." There was a time not so long ago when partaking in marijuana wasn't easy: It was often challenging to purchase, it definitely wasn't lawful to drive around with it in your glove compartment, the bud itself wasn't lab-tested for dangerous chemicals and you took a risk every time you sneaked a toke. So, in year 2016, if you enjoy the privilege of medical cannabis, you definitely have Ryan Landers to thank. [continues 471 words]
Justin Pearson had to knock down some walls in his efforts to study the medicinal properties of marijuana at UBCO is putting it lightly. But the 22-year-old Lake Country resident wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not when his research was directly related to the treatment of his mother's cancer with cannabis oil and not when she had seen miraculous results from using the oil, derived from medicinal marijuana. "It wasn't easy," admitted Pearson this week as he awaited final test results of his research project, aimed at identifying the medicinal properties in different strains of marijuana and different times of growth. [continues 862 words]
If you receive medicinal marijuana through a licensed producer in Canada, the product will have been tested for its chemical make-up and to identify the compounds that are present in the product. But if you are purchasing product through a compassion club or a dispensary, the chemical make-up of the marijuana could be untested for quality. According to Keystone Laboratories in Edmonton, it's this testing that is crucial for the use of medicinal marijuana as a way for people to know what's in the medicine they are taking and to ensure they are taking high quality medicine each and every time they use it. [continues 293 words]
Pills Have Led to Overdoses Across Sacramento, Central Valley Authorities Suspect Traffickers From Mexico Are to Blame With Legal Weed Flourishing in U.S., Cartels Focusing on Opioid Addicts Dr. Angella Barr spends her days in East Sacramento, talking to an ever-growing group of people who are "sick and tired of being sick and tired." Opioid addicts who have hit rock bottom. She helps housewives who've developed a tolerance to prescription painkillers, but are terrified by heroin. She helps college students who have already turned to the illicit drug. And the IV drug users who wear long-sleeves because they don't want to be judged by their track marks. [continues 1180 words]
