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THC is the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana that affects behavior and alters perception, mood or consciousness. The public deserves to be informed about the wide variety of products and THC potencies sold in marijuana markets. 

THC levels

CNN — 
In just five years, the number of small children in the US exposed to cannabis after accidentally eating an edible rose 1,375%, a new study says.
There were more than 7,040 exposures to edible cannabis in kids under 6 between 2017 and 2021, according to an analysis of records from the National Poison Data System, a central repository for data from America’s Poison Centers.

edibles, poisoning

Our study showed that patients with medical cannabis authorization have a higher risk of emergency department visits or hospitalizations for depression compared to patients with no authorization. Our results also suggest that this risk is increased among patients without prior mental health disorders at cannabis authorization. The findings emphasize the need for a careful risk-benefit assessment that takes into account this observation prior to cannabis authorization. Further longitudinal

Medical, Psychosis, science direct

Other presentations:  West Virginia, because the wonderful world of opioids, lost in the weeds;  beans, benzos, and bud.
Professor and Chair, Director of Addictions, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute 
West Virginia University, 930 Chestnut Ridge Road , Morgantown, WV, 26508, 304-293-5323
jberry@hsc.wvu.edu,   Admin. Assistant: Lisa Terris lisa.terris@hsc.wvu.edu
 

Medical, Dr. Berry

Both smoking and vaping involve heating a substance and inhaling the resulting fumes. With traditional cigarettes, you inhale smoke from burning tobacco. With vaping, a device (typically a vape pen or a mod — an enhanced vape pen — that may look like a flash drive) heats up a liquid (called vape juice or e-liquid) until it turns into a vapor that you inhale.
“Vaping is a delivery system similar to a nebulizer, which people with asthma or other lung conditions may be familiar with,” says Broderick. “A nebulizer turns liquid medicine into a mist that patients breathe in. It’s a highly effective way of delivering medicine to the lungs.”

Vaping, John Hopkins, lungs

Among people aged 12 or older who vaped any substance in the past month, 71.1% vaped nicotine, 40.1% vaped marijuana, and 19.2% vaped flavoring

Vaping, SAMSHA

More young children are getting sick from inadvertently eating marijuana edibles, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics.

Calls to poison control centers about kids 5 and under consuming edibles containing THC rose from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021 — a 1,375% increase, according to the study. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

 

Nearly all of the children — about 97% — found the edibles at home.

edibles, poisoning

Kate Easterling pulled up on the scene as paramedics and other first responders were evaluating her husband and kids. Within an hour of leaving the family gathering, all four were headed to the hospital.
“I had no idea what was going on. He wasn’t talking clearly. I couldn’t piece it together...” said Kate.

edibles, poisoning

Conclusion: Between 2015 and 2019, suicide ideation/behaviors increased for adolescents that used marijuana. As marijuana is legalized in more states, public health efforts are needed to curb increases in marijuana use among adolescents and to better understand the causal linkages between marijuana use and suicide ideation/behaviors.

suicide

An ongoing investigation by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy and U.S. Food and Drug Administration is examining complaints about the company's "Death by Gummy Bears" edibles, including a report that suggests at least one person died after consuming the products, according to the pharmaceutical board. The FDA has not determined whether adverse reactions reported by consumers were caused by the "Death by Gummy Bears" edibles, but notes on its website that products containing delta-8 THC, like these gummies, "have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use in any context."

Delta-8

Tianeptine is widely available at gas stations in the United States. While the drug has no FDA approval, it is labeled as a dietary supplement. The highly controversial substance acts like an opioid does and is known to cause withdrawals.

In some Asian, Latin, and European countries, Tianeptine is marketed as an antidepressant drug. In the United States, the drug has not been approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, the drug is not classified as a controlled substance and is easily accessible.

Tianeptine is available to be purchased at gas stations throughout the United States and online. The product is being sold as a  The highly addictive drug is also showing up under brand names like TD Red, ZaZa Red, Tiana, and Nootropic. 

Tianeptine

Hillsborough School Board member Patricia Rendon, Ellen Snelling of the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance and Terry Kemble of the nonprofit Protect Our Children all favored Owen’s push.
“Youth vaping is epidemic in Hillsborough County,” Snelling told commissioners.
The Florida Department of Children and Family Services annual survey of youth substance abuse showed the percentage of Hillsborough middle and high school students who had vaped nicotine in the prior 30 days to be above the statewide average.

Snelling, Vaping, Hillsborough

Ten years of legal marijuana has not caused a collapse of civilization, but it is definitely harming people's lives. It is probably also creating a future class of brain-addled government dependents with a tendency toward psychosis and poor judgment. Congress should ignore Hickenlooper's proposal and resist the temptation to greenlight legal cannabis use nationwide.

Colorado, Legislators

There are numerous examples of the relationship between treatment expectations and placebo responses. If a person thinks they will experience relief from their pain by using a certain product or treatment, this can change the way they end up perceiving incoming pain signals – making them think their pain is less severe. Recent evidence suggests that the placebo effect may work even if we're presented with evidence that contradicts our initial expectations.
We cannot say with 100 percent certainty that media coverage is responsible for the high placebo response observed in our review. But given placebos were shown to be just as good as cannabis for managing pain, our results show just how important it is to think about the placebo effect and how it can be influenced by external factors – such as media coverage.

study, Placebo, sciencealert

Conclusions and relevance: This study suggests that prenatal cannabis exposure and its correlated factors are associated with greater risk for psychopathology during middle childhood. Cannabis use during pregnancy should be discouraged.     

prenatal, Pregnancy, mental health, study, Research, 2023 Presentation Dr Berry

It’s also profoundly self-destructive. Marijuana users commit suicide at three times the rate of the general population. And marijuana is commonly acknowledged as a “gateway drug,” leading to the use of other, more potent and addictive substances. Research suggests it even increases alcohol consumption.  Other videos

Father Orsi

Conclusions: This is the first characterization of the effect of cannabis exposure on the entirety of the rat sperm methylome. We identified CE-associated methylation changes across the sperm methylome, some of which persisted despite a "washout" period. Select methylation changes validated via bisulfite pyrosequencing, and genes associated with methylation changes were involved in early developmental processes. Preconception CE exposure is associated with detectable changes in offspring DNA methylation that are functionally related to changes in gene expression and cardiomegaly. These results support that paternal preconception exposure to cannabis can influence offspring outcomes.     

study, Research, rats, offspring, heredity, 2023 Presentation Dr Berry

Findings  This meta-analysis of 20 studies of 1459 individuals found a significant pain reduction in response to placebo in cannabinoid randomized clinical trials. Media attention was proportionally high, with a strong positive bias, yet not associated with the clinical outcomes.
Meaning  These findings suggest that placebo has a significant association with pain reduction as seen in cannabinoid clinical trials, and the positive media attention may shape placebo responses in future trials.

Placebo, meta-analysis, JAMA, 2023 Presentation Dr Berry, study, Research
opioid, 2023 Presentation Dr Berry

The message includes a video of Death by Gummy Bears, which according to the manufacturer's website does contain Delta 8-THC. The gummy has 100mg of THC per gummy.
The message notes that five students from a metro area school consumed anywhere from half a gummy bear to two full gummy bears. Two of the students who ate two full gummy bears were sent to the ER. Common symptoms from all five of the students include high heart rates, anxiety, nausea, and severe paranoia.

Delta-8, Death by Gummy, Delta-8 Children
Delta-8

A 5-year-old in St. Charles, Missouri received a package containing two “Delta-88” brand THC gummy worms during a “trunk-or-treat” event.
Tiffany Burroughs, mother of three, took her children to a Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 8., at JJ’s Restaurant in St. Charles. The event is an add-on to the restaurant’s monthly car shows.

Delta-8

The notion of legalizing intoxicating cannabinoids simply because they are derived or synthesized from hemp is ludicrous. A comparable scenario would be deregulating wine on the grounds that it derives from grape juice. An intoxicant is an intoxicant. Both common sense and public safety dictate that these substances must be handled with care. The proliferation of untested and unregulated synthetic and semi-synthetic intoxicating cannabinoids is a public health disaster. Action must be taken immediately to protect public safety. Specifically (see article)

Keep in mind that THC is a potent compound – a dose is typically measured in milligrams (thousandths of a gram), not grams. In the regulated California cannabis market, a single serving of an infused edible is capped at 10mg of THC per serving (and 100mg per package). If, as loosely interpreted, the Farm Bill allows for 0.3 percent THC in the final product and there is no cap on THC per package for “hemp-derived” products, here’s how much “hempderived” THC you could see in a single infused gummy, cookie, brownie, or 12-ounce beverage: PRODUCT TYPE 2 GUMMIES 1 COOKIE 1 BROWNIE 1 BEVERAGE UNIT WEIGHT (GRAMS) 5.8g 16g 70g 340g 0.3% THC (MILLIGRAMS) 17.4mg 48mg 210mg 1020mg Those are astonishingly high doses and mean we could have unregulated, hemp-infused edibles and beverages with up to 100 times the THC allowed in the regulated California cannabis market.

Delta-8, hemp

One study shows nearly half of college students said they consumed marijuana. Eight percent reported they used it daily or nearly every day. One in 5 high school students used marijuana in the preceding 30 days.

But there are real dangers associated with the substance, as a 2020 report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) showsAbundant research demonstrates how exposure to marijuana during childhood impacts later cognitive ability, including memory, attention, motivation and learning. Studies have linked regular cannabis use in adolescents with lower IQs in adulthood and higher propensity to drop out of high school. This association persists in college-age students. One large study followed college students and found frequency of marijuana use to correlate with skipping classes, lower grade-point average and longer time to graduation.

 

students, mental health, youth usage, washington post

Starting this Friday, July 1, all Oregon businesses—including gas stations and grocery stores—will be prohibited from selling any and all “artificially derived cannabinoids.” That means not just heavy hitters like delta-8 and THC-O, but non-psychoactive compounds like cannabinol (CBN) as well. 

Although a dozen states have moved to ban delta-8 and other hemp-derived cannabinoids that act similarly to THC, Oregon will be the first state to ban all artificially derived cannabinoids.

Delta-8, cannabis-induced psychosis
Delta-8, Hillsborough

Money is more important than our families and children.
LAURA INGRAHAM (HOST): Was it bad information or is this the pro-marijuana bias that we've become accustomed to that's so powerful because billions are on the line with it nationwide? So is the story now irrelevant? We reached out to the Times on this, but they have not responded. The American people are hearing a lot about AR-15's and background checks, but they also deserve to hear about this as well. Respected medical studies for years now have demonstrated that pot use, especially among teens, can trigger psychosis and increase the chance that the young person will develop violent behaviors.

mass killings, Ingraham

His evil act is unfathomable, but he does fit a familiar pattern of mass killers: alienated young male stoners who appear to be in the grip of a distinctively American madness. 
Those who knew the 21-year-old suspect, Robert Crimo III, say he habitually smoked cannabis, a habit he appeared to share with young mass shooters, including at Uvalde, Dayton, Parkland and Aurora. 
Obviously weed didn’t make them commit their evil acts, but it may have scrambled their brains enough for empathy to take a holiday. 

mass killings, nypost, violence

CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of delta-8 THC-containing products in the illicit drug market is increasing rapidly. Delta-8 THC products are now available in gas stations and in headshops. The clinical presentation of delta-8 THC exposure is similar to known effects of delta-9 THC exposure. These similarities limit the clinicians' abilities to determine the specific substance ingested. Symptomatic and supportive care remains an effective treatment for cannabinoid toxicity.

Delta-8, NIH
Delta-8, HCADA

The potency is high often 120 mg which is extremely hight!

Delta-8 Products are often made with 120mg of THC. 

Below is the potency of smoking methods.  However, edibles are often 5 TIMES STRONGER.

 

 

 

Delta-8, Potency

Miami, Floirida:  Can you tell this has Delta-8 THC?  

Like CBD, delta-8 (delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol) is just one of more than 100 chemical compounds found in the cannabis sativa plant. Most people are familiar with THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that gives you a euphoric high.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the production and sale of CBD products (which don’t get you high) on the federal level in the U.S. as long as they contain less than .3% of THC. In theory, this would allow federal legalization of CBD products with delta-8 under those same guidelines, but doctors, like internal medicine specialist Paul Terpeluk, DO, are expressing concerns about delta-8 products because delta-8 is psychoactive and produces same or similar highs as THC.

Delta-8, study
marijuana, Delta-8, parents
Delta-8, Snelling

A new Minnesota law that took effect last week is intended to prohibit the sale of products containing high amounts of delta-8 THC but also has established a relatively high limit for total THC in hemp foods.

The measure, signed by Gov. Tim Walz in May, and which went into force Friday, July 1, allows adults 21 and over to possess and consume hemp-based edibles and beverages that contain up to five milligrams of total combined THC – such as delta-9, delta-8 and delta-10 – per serving, with individual packages limited to 50mg.

Delta-8

Pdf Link

Highlights
• PCE may impact fetal growth, with no evidence of long-term effects on size.
• Subtle effects on cognition are supported by neuroimaging and rodent studies.
• PCE is associated with direct effects on behavior and brain function.
• PCE has indirect effects on adult functioning via early initiation of cannabis use.

Pregnancy, adolescent

The company, Hemp Boms, is a Tampa based compay. Is this what we want Tampa to be known for?  Delta-8 is extremely harmful. It is being advertised as a hemp product and is not regulated.  
READ THE INFORMATION BELOW: 
TAMPA, Fla., June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hemp Bombs, the manufacturer and distributor of award-winning CBD, Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC Gummies, announces its newest line of gummies, Hemp Bombs High Potency Delta-8 THC Gummies.
There should be a red label with large letters WARNING.  Not how many should I eat!!!
"How many Delta 9 Gummies should I eat?   If it’s your first time trying Delta 9 gummies, we recommend starting with one-half or one whole gummy. This serving size should allow you to become accustomed to Delta 9’s effects. You can increase or decrease how many gummies you take once you’re familiar with the results. "
 

Delta-8

 

 

Associations of Cannabis Use across Adolescence and Early Adulthood With Health and Psychosocial Adjustment in Early Adulthood and Midadulthood in Men
Results: Whereas there was almost no prediction from prior cannabis use to the physical health outcomes, there were comprehensive associations of cannabis use from the prior developmental period and psychosocial outcomes in both early adulthood and midadulthood.
Conclusion: Cannabis use in prior developmental periods was associated with a broad range of types of poor psychosocial adjustment in adulthood.

cannabis-induced psychosis, men, young adults, study, PubMed

Conclusions
Findings provide initial insight into the current state of Delta-8 THC use in the US. Given the limited knowledge on use of Delta-8 THC, and considering emergence of reports indicating its harmful effects, there is urgent need for nationally representative data to investigate correlates of Delta-8 THC use (e.g., effectiveness of state-specific restrictions on its products). Such information can guide public-health policy around Delta-8 THC use.

Delta-8, study

Delta-8 products are marketed as though it was candy, cereal, or vitamins sold in child/family friendly packaging.  
Ellen Snelling, a board member of the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance, has been wanting commissioners to act.
"It’s completely unregulated, fruit flavors, gummy bears. Bright colors attracted to children all allowed in the state of Florida. If this was laying on your dining room table a child would eat the entire package," she told commissioners at a previous meeting.  

Delta-8, Snelling

The mass legalisation of cannabis has led to a mental health “time bomb” in the United States and scientists are warning that stronger strains are driving psychosis among young people.

cannabis-induced psychosis

Alex Berenson—one of the foremost “dissident” voices to speak out against COVID hysteria throughout the pandemic, who joins Charlie to talk about a different topic that rarely gets breached on the program: Weed and it’s crushing effect on society when it comes to crime and civilizational decline. 

cannabis-induced psychosis, Charlie Kirk, Berenson

Given this backdrop, what about a tie to mass shootings? If shooters are deranged, anti-social youth with clear psychoses, what is the chance their psychoses ties to regular marijuana use?
Real answer is, we are not sure, but evidence is mounting in support of a material link – and it cannot be ignored. In short, corroboration exists – and appears statistically significant, or beyond random in the tie-back. Surprisingly, the association between regular marijuana use and mass murders is palpable. Experts like Dr. Daniel Amen, a child psychiatrist, are weighing in – as his interview with Dan Bongino attests. Is this because the alienated use drugs, or is it causal?

chronic, AMAC, mass killings
  • A new study shows that using cannabis products to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to improve these symptoms while doubling the risk of developing the addictive symptoms of cannabis use disorder.
  • People seeking cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression were at greatest risk of CUD.
  • Contrary to evidence-based medicine, people with medical marijuana cards choose their own products and dosing, suggesting the need for better controls over dispensing, use, and professional follow-up of these patients.
CUD, 'medicine', study

TAMPA, Fla. — Products from cake pops to candy containing a chemical compound called Delta 8 are being sold legally in Florida without a prescription and with the goal of getting people high.
The I-Team has uncovered these products have caused hospitalizations and at least one death, sparking calls in Hillsborough County for better regulation of these products.

“It’s candy with drugs in it sold in your convenience store,” said Ellen Snelling, who chairs the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance.
She recently took packages of candy that looked like popular brands, including Skittles, Nerds and gummy bears.

Delta-8

Conclusions: Higher quality evidence suggests an increase in adolescent past-month consumption of cannabis following legalization in several geographical jurisdictions. Consumption evolution prelegalization and postlegalization differed by age group and for young women and for binge drinkers. Consumption evolution differences suggest a variety of strategies might be required in efforts to lower public health impacts of cannabis consumption following legalization.

legalization

Research has found that prenatal cannabis use may adversely affect fetal growth and neurodevelopment, be associated with future learning and behavioral problems in children, and increase risk of neonatal morbidity. (Cornelius et al., 2002; Day et al., 1994; El Marroun et al., 2011; Fried and Smith, 2001; Fried et al., 1999; Fried et al., 2003; Fried et al., 1997; Goldschmidt et al., 2000; Goldschmidt et al., 2008; Goldschmidt et al., 2012; Metz et al., 2017; Noland et al., 2005; Willford et al., 2010; Ryan et al., 2018; El Marroun et al., 2018) Several US organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend abstinence from cannabis use during pregnancy. (Ryan et al., 2018; Gynecologists, T.A.C.O.O.A, 2020) Despite these recommendations, there are concerns that the trend of cannabis use during pregnancy will continue to increase as more states and countries legalize cannabis and allow for commercial sales through dispensaries. (Mark and Terplan, 2017)

Pregnancy, science direct, Research
minardi, 2022 Marijuana

Cannabis can cross the placental and blood-brain barriers and is excreted in breast milk. The scope is wider than pregnancy alone as it accumulates and is active for many weeks. 

Pregnancy

These results indicate that legal medical marijuana, particularly when available through retail dispensaries, is associated with higher opioid mortality. The results for recreational marijuana, while less reliable, also suggest that retail sales through dispensaries are associated with greater death rates relative to the counterfactual of no legal cannabis.

fatal, opioid, Fatalities, Medical, 2023 Presentation Dr Berry

Results
Rates of reported cannabis use in pregnancy increased from 1.3% to 7.5% over the study period with no appreciable change in slope after legalisation in 2018. Infants of mothers reporting cannabis use in pregnancy were more likely to have major anomalies and a 5-minute Apgar score ≤ 7, require NICU admission, and had lower birth weight, head circumference, and birth length than infants of mothers not reporting cannabis use. These associations did not differ before and after legalisation.

Conclusions
Reported cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with early postnatal complications and reduced fetal growth, even after taking into account a range of confounding factors. Rates of reported cannabis use during pregnancy increased over the past five years in Nova Scotia with no apparent additional effect of legalisation.

Pregnancy

After dinner one night, she says her family stopped for a treat at Groovy Smoothie in Tarpon Springs. According to their Facebook page, the store sells items such as fruit bowls, juices and smoothies with the choice of being infused with cannabis.
Villarreal claims an employee offered to make them a smoothie without cannabis in it that was safe for children to consume.
“I told her I thought it was just a smoothie store. She said, ‘No, no, it’s okay. I can still make a smoothie for the kids,” Villarreal said.
Meanwhile, her 3-year-old son asked for a cake pop from a refrigerator that was labeled as a “kid-friendly cake pop.”
“Ten minutes later, it triggered him,” Villarreal said. “He fell asleep on the car ride home, and we put him to bed. When he woke up, he was screaming and crying.”
That’s when she rushed her son to Advent Health North Pinellas Hospital. The diagnosis was accidental marijuana overdose.

Delta-8, Delta-8 Children

Though research among pregnant women and marijuana-exposed neonates is limited, there is evidence to suggest that marijuana use may increase the risk of stillbirth and is associated with neurodevelopmental deficits in the infant.

Evidence-based programs to prevent initiation of marijuana use should target women of childbearing age.

In addition, THC passes from mother to baby through breastmilk; thus, cessation should continue post-partum. 

 

 

 

 

Pregnancy, FDCF, 2022 Marijuana
Delta-8

“I started seeing people with the worst psychosis symptoms that I have ever seen,” she told me. “And the worst delusions I have ever seen.”

These cases were even more acute than what she’d seen from psychotic patients on meth. Some of the delusions were accompanied by “severe violence.” But these patients were coming up positive only for cannabis.
Now, she believes she’s seeing the same thing all over again: the specious claims of medical benefits, the denial of adverse effects. “From Big Tobacco to Big Pharma to Big Marijuana—it’s the same people, and the same pattern.”

They’re made by putting pulverized marijuana into a tube and running butane, propane, ethanol, or carbon dioxide through it, which separates the THC from the rest of the plant. The end product is a wax that can be 70% to 80% THC. That wax can then be put in a vacuum oven and further concentrated into oils that are as much as 95% or even 99% THC. Known as “dabs,” this is what people put in their vape pens, and in states like California and Colorado it’s totally legal and easily available to children. “There are no caps on potency,” said Stack.
“There is research out there supporting the use of cannabis for some medical conditions,” said Stuyt, “But it’s all less than 10% THC. Nothing has been studied greater than 10%. But we have all this research showing that greater than 10% puts you at risk for psychosis, addiction, suicide, cannabis hyperemesis syndrome [constant, severe vomiting]—all these things that high-potency THC is doing.”

Stack, opioids, 2023 Presentation Dr Berry

Articles on link between mental illness and marijuana

Johnnys Ambassadors, mental health, cannabis-induced psychosis, Psychosis, youth

The proponents of Cannabis legalisation will often present their case as being pragmatic & evidence-based but the passions that are ignited by this issue belie the fact that what animates much of pro-Cannabis activism is fundamentally a moral argument that Cannabis ‘prohibition’ is on the wrong side of moral history.
The idea that Cannabis legalisation can be utilised as a means towards the ends of social justice by virtue of facilitating mass decarceration is a myth. Firstly, only a minority of American prisoners are incarcerated for drug crimes. As Barry Latzer has written: ‘if all drug prisoners, regardless of race, were removed from state prisons, the black inmate population would only drop only 0.36%, from 39.06% to 38.7%,’ whilst only 92 people were sentenced for Cannabis possession in the federal system in America in 2017.

legalization, Peter Hurst

Both high- and low-frequency marijuana usage were associated with a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia. The frequency of use among high- and low-frequency users is similar in both, demonstrating statistically significant increased risk in developing schizophrenia.

mental health, Schizophrenia, youth

Data from the U.S. general population, especially more recent data, suggest associations between self-reported psychotic disorder and frequent nonmedical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. Clinicians and policy makers should consider these relationships when monitoring patients and formulating programs.   (Nonmedical use does not mean they didn't use medical marijuana but used to get high or selfmedicated.)

cannabis-induced psychosis, NIH, Psychosis

In summary, much of the available evidence supports the criteria of strength, consistency, biological gradient, and temporality for cannabis causing psychosis. Furthermore, supporting specificity, while many substances are known to induce psychosis, the risk for conversion to schizophrenia is greatest with cannabis-induced psychosis.

cannabis-induced psychosis, Research, Psychosis

WHAT STATES HAVE BANNED DELTA-8? Delta-8 is currently outright banned or restricted in the following states:  AK AZ AR CO CT DE KY ID IA MS MT NY ND RI UT VT WA For sale at corner stores, grocery stores, vape shops, and online NO warning labels on packages NO federal or state laws setting a minimum age to purchase NO FDA Regulations so there is no way of knowing what you are purchasing I

Delta-8, CADCA

[1]. In 2018 Michigan legalized the use of marijuana for adults. Since this law took effect, increased availability and use of cannabis have led to an increase in emergency department (ED) visits, as well as complaints about the drug's neuropsychiatric effects [2]. High doses of cannabis can be associated with undesired effects such as paranoia, psychotic-like symptoms, and panic attacks, depending on the content of its principal active constituent, D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and that of cannabidiol, a constituent with anti-anxiolytic properties [3]. Higher concentrations of THC relative to cannabidiol, as demonstrated in many commercial products, are associated with increased incidence of psychotomimetic symptoms [4,5]. Various studies in adults with acute THC exposure have shown a dose-related reduction in performance at laboratory tasks measuring memory, divided and sustained attention or concentration, reaction time, and tracking and motor function [3,6-9]. Less is known regarding the acute effects of THC in the pediatric population, and much of the

data that currently exist involve retrospective reviews of large, coded data sets [10-12]. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence, clinical features, and disposition of cannabis neuropsychiatric toxicity in a community-based study.

ScienceDirect, Potency, emergency room

We report the death of a 22-year-old woman, with a 3½ year history of cyclic vomiting and cannabis use since age 14, who developed torsades de pointes cardiac arrythmia while being treated in the emergency room for nausea and vomiting. Resuscitation restored spontaneous cardiac circulation, however, due to post-cardiac arrest anoxic brain injury, she never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead 4 days later. Postmortem examination confirmed hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, in keeping with the in-hospital diagnosis of brain death.

Hyperemesis Syndrome

CANNABIS AND THE GATEWAY DRUG THEORY: CORRELATION OR CAUSATION – WHERE DOES THE EVIDENCE POINT?
Whilst the Gateway Theory, may give us further pause in our public health policy making, it should not be the key driver of such policy formulation. The drug, in and of itself, has way too many other community diminishing issues that warrant it being kept out of the permission, let alone promotion space. But be rest assured, cannabis use will not lessen drug use engagement and the mounting harms these practices bring, so any action that creates, enables or expands a ‘gateway’ to self and community harm inducing drug use should be called out for what it is, in both policy and practice.

gateway, pathway, Johnnys Ambassadors, opioid

Delta-8 THC (or Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol) is a naturally occurring chemical compound called a cannabinoid that’s found in small traces in hemp and cannabis (marijuana) plants. Its popularity is on the rise, and you can find it everywhere from boutique weed dispensaries to convenience store shelves.
 

Another reason for Delta-8’s growing popularity is that, unlike heavily regulated THC, Delta-8 is legal to use in most states. That’s because it’s extracted mostly from hemp-derived CBD, which is legal to farm across the U.S.

But Delta-8 sits in a legal gray area. Hemp’s legality stems from the so-called federal farm bill (the Agriculture and Nutrition Improvement Act of 2018), which removed hemp and its byproducts from the list of controlled substances. The reason: Hemp’s low THC levels (less than 0.3%). The bill doesn’t mention Delta-8 anywhere. Hemp advocates and others who sell it have used this loophole to legally market Delta-8 products, usually with no age restrictions. As a result, it’s now the fastest growing product from the hemp industry.

Delta-8

Hundreds of reports to the National Poison Data System have been linked to insufficiently labeled products containing delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration are urging consumers to keep the products out of reach of children and pets.
In the first seven months of 2021, the National Poison Data System received 660 reports of adverse events in people exposed to delta-8 THC. About 41% of reports involved unintentional exposure, and 77% of the unintentional exposures were in children under 18 years. Some of the children who were exposed to products with delta-8 THC were admitted to intensive care units.

Delta-8, AAP
Delta-8

An analysis of survey data from more than 280,000 young adults ages 18-35 showed that cannabis (marijuana) use was associated with increased risks of thoughts of suicide (suicidal ideation), suicide plan, and suicide attempt. These associations remained regardless of whether someone was also experiencing depression, and the risks were greater for women than for men.
“Suicide is a leading cause of death among young adults in the United States, and the findings of this study offer important information that may help us reduce this risk,”

youth, suicide, NIH, study, Research

"What we're seeing here today is not the end result but the next step in the way to stone America," Sheriff Judd said. "I'm worried about the health of your loved one that drives on the same highway with a person that takes enough of this low Delta 8 to get stoned. So it's not going to be safe."

 

Delta-8, Judd

While Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was taking steps to influence Florida cannabis policy and implement rules that regulate the cultivation of hemp, her fiancee’, Jake Bergmann, created a web of companies with people and organizations that have a professional interest in the cannabis and the hemp industry.

Nikki Fried, Business

A model of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from indoor cannabis cultivation across the US. Depending on the region, indoor cultivation results in between 2,283 and 5,184 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilogram of dried flower.
In the five years after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, indoor cannabis cultivation went from 1 percent of Denver's electrical consumption to 4 percent 

green house, Environment, Electricity

This study provides preliminary evidence that adolescents' cannabis use with ENDS may have negative health consequences. Lifetime cannabis use with ENDS was substantially associated with higher odds of respiratory symptoms.

Vaping

Caps on THC, the euphoria-inducing chemical found in many strains of medical cannabis, are again an open question in the Florida Legislature.
 

madras

Rep. Smith is pro-pot and rude to speakers... write on his twitter  https://twitter.com/CarlosGSmith/status/1361822803922722826
 
Dr. Madras speaks the truth:  “People who go into the emergency department with psychosis, due to their initiation into marijuana use, and they continue to use, they’re more likely to convert to full-blown schizophrenia, and the conversion rate is between 20% and 40%,” she said.
 

madras, FLAPOL

TAMPA, Fla. - Delta 8 THC, a new product on the market, is being called "weed light." Unlike your standard marijuana, Delta 8 THC is being sold legally to buyers without a prescription.
"The difference, we're talking about Delta 9 being cannabis, Delta 8 being available in hemp. If it's hemp, it is legal. Still gets you stoned and it is made legal under the same laws that made CBD legal," said Carlos Hermida, owner of the Chillum Glass Gallery and CBD Dispensary in Ybor City.

Delta-8, Judd

What else explains the rapid march towards legalization by both Democrats
and many Republicans?

For two parties that can't even agree on the time of day, how does pot
become the ONE ISSUE that unites them? It is insane.

  • In Florida, Ballard Partners, a Florida-based lobbying firm once called “the most powerful lobbyist in Trump’s Washington” is tied to two separate FBI inquiries connected to Florida’s cannabis industry. The firm was subpoenaed by prosecutors from the Southern District of New York who are investigating the illegal foreign money donor scheme.
  • Shortly after her 2018 election as Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Fried reported a $1 million increase in her net wealth, thanks in part to a gift from the CEO of a marijuana company that was awarded a license under a new Florida law who she was romantically involved with.
  • Parnas and Fruman’s company, Global Energy Producers, donated $50,000 to the DeSantis campaign, and Parnas was a part of the host committee for a DeSantis fundraiser in July 2018. Gray Rohrer and Steven Lemongello, “DeSantis, Indicted Ukrainian-American Parnas Met at Least 6 Times, Governor’s Office Says,” Orlando Sentinel, November 15, 2019, https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-nedesantis-parnas-fruman-201....

Dr. Bertha Madras speaks at the House Professions and Public Health Subcommittee

The most frequently occurring drugs found in decedents were ethyl alcohol (5,385), benzodiazepines (4,209, including 1,523 alprazolam occurrences), fentanyl (3,655), cocaine (2,962), cannabinoids (2,710), morphine (1,855), amphetamine (1,425), methamphetamine (1,419), fentanyl analogs (1,418) and oxycodone (1,181). Since heroin is rapidly metabolized to morphine, this may lead to a substantial over‐reporting of morphine‐related deaths as well as significant under‐reporting of heroin‐related deaths.

   

In human studies, the preponderance of evidence suggests that prenatal cannabinoid exposure is predictive of several adverse neonatal outcomes, most notably FGR Fetal growth restriction and LBW low birth weight.
There is thus an urgent need to better understand the mechanistic links between these prenatal developmental events, their impact upon neurodevelopmental pathology and risk factors and how exposure to cannabinoids might synergistically modulate these complex interrelationships.
 

Pregnancy, 2022 Marijuana, frontiers in psychiatry
suicide, Johnnys Ambassadors

“These companies disguise and market their products as safe, fun and healthy, going so far as to represent to consumers that the products ‘deliver(ed) the wellbeing and relief to all those that seek it.’ What they do not tell consumers is that the use of their products carry extreme risk of serious injury or even death,” said Francavilla.”

fatal, Fatalities

Updated information and brochure

Pregnancy, Breastfeeding

Today, a coalition of social justice, drug prevention, recovery, family, and faith organizations penned a joint letter to the leadership of the United States House of Representatives strongly opposing the MORE Act, a bill to federally legalize the commercial marijuana industry that is tentatively scheduled for a vote the week of September 21st.
According to the letter the MORE Act would not simply decriminalize marijuana, as some proponents have claimed, but rather “fully legalize and commercialize the drug. This would allow major corporations like Altria (formerly Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro Cigarettes), vaping giants Juul and PAX, and Imperial Brands (makers of Kool Cigarettes) to deepen their existing investments into the marijuana industry and expand those investments to capture the United States market.”

SAM, legalization

Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy and child neurodevelopmental outcomes We link pregnancy and birth data to provincial health administrative databases to ascertain child neurodevelopmental outcomes. We use matching techniques to control for confounding and Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine associations between prenatal cannabis use and child neurodevelopment. 
 

Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Linked To Autism In Children: Study
 

Pregnancy

After screening 11,348 potential studies....These results demonstrate a moderate association between cannabis use and physical violence, which remained significant regardless of study design and adjustment for confounding factors (i.e., socioeconomic factors, other substance use). Cannabis use in this population is a risk factor for violence.

meta-analysis, Research

To look for longer-term effects of cannabis, the experimenters called the subjects back a week later and tested them again on the word lists, this time with a few different dummy words thrown in. They also re-interviewed the subjects about the VR scenarios using a combination of old and new questions. As before, they found lower memory accuracy in the word-association test in those who had been intoxicated compared with sober participants. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for the virtual reality scenarios, a result that Kloft says may indicate memory decay over time in all participants.

Research, memory, false memories

How do you solve a problem like Colorado’s teen vaping rate, the highest in the nation?
That’s the question lawmakers are gathering on Wednesday to try and answer. They’ll be asking questions about all things vaping as they consider new measures to stop the epidemic, including what the science shows about health risks.
A group of doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado had a few insights they'd like to offer.
Among them was lung expert Dr. Robin Deterding who, when it comes to talking about the health risks of vaping, is blunt. 
“You're inhaling a chemistry experiment,” Deterding said. “And that's bad for your lungs."

Vaping, Colorado

E-cigarette use poses a significant – and avoidable – health risk to young people in the United States. Besides increasing the possibility of addiction and long-term harm to brain development and respiratory health, e-cigarette use is associated with the use of other tobacco products that can do even more damage to the body. Even breathing e-cigarette aerosol that someone else has exhaled poses potential health risks.

Vaping, surgeon General

“We had a kid that had to be taken over to Utah and put in a mental health facility. He was there about a month or more because of a drug-induced psychosis caused by too much marijuana products. The only thing that was in his system was THC,” Hildreth said. “It was scary for his parents and us because no one knew what was happening. None of us had ever seen marijuana do that to anyone before.”

Vaping, NV

But nicotine is not the only “wax” or “juice” that students consume with their devices. The legalization of cannabis products also opened a product line, with CBD and THC juices available for purchase online or in recreational marijuana dispensaries.

Vaping

The real cost in legalizing marijuana can be counted by the lives impacted- addiction, vaping, dispensing, traffic deaths, suicides, overdoses, … 
 

Colorado, suicide, addiction, Florida, Brain

As an educator, you can play an active role in fighting the teen vaping epidemic. FDA research suggests that when teachers talk about the health consequences of e-cigarettes and schools enforce anti-vaping policies, students may be less likely to vape. Use these resources to start an honest conversation with your class and help to change social norms at your school.

scholastic, Vaping, teacher, students

Some parents, however, have concerns. Teresa Miller believes marijuana triggered her son's dangerous drug habit.
 
"Twelve years ago, my son was smoking marijuana," she said. "Within a year, he springboarded to severe opioid addiction."
 
Miller is worried someone can now be caught with 20 grams of pot and face minimal punishment.
 
"Twenty grams is conservatively 60 joints. That's a lot. You're not going to be carrying that around for personal use. So I'm a little concerned that it was that high of grams. I think it should be less," she said. "I'm really hoping and praying that people don't decide, 'Well, since it's semi-legal and I'm not going to go to jail, that I can use it.'"
miller, Hillsborough, Florida, Laws

CONCLUSIONS:
Drivers who test positive for marijuana are significantly more likely to test positive for prescription opioids. Longitudinal studies with rigorous designs and toxicological testing data are needed to further address the substitution hypothesis between marijuana and prescription opioids.

opioid, drivers, PubMed

Very scientific and medical article.
Early detection and alerting pregnant women about the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy is one way to minimize its possible harm. ..An active involvement is required from primary care, obstetricians, pediatric, mental health and drug dependence services

 
 

Pregnancy, PubMed, 2022 Marijuana

In the United States, he is best known for almost single-handedly creating a narco-nation through legalization of marijuana, causing human suffering and environmental devastation on a scale most people do not yet comprehend.

With the nation focused on the opioid danger, and President Trump accusing China of pumping fentanyl into the veins of American victims through Mexico, the marijuana problem has gotten less attention. Indeed, liberal politicians and prosecutors, some of them getting Soros money, are treating the dope as a harmless substance and even a money-maker for local and state governments.  

soros, Illinois, violence

In the first nine months of 2019, the marijuana industry spent more than $3.8 million lobbying Congress, according to OpenSecrets — employing a total of 80 lobbyists. That put the industry on track to spend far more on lobbyists in 2019 than in the previous two years combined.

Yet it’s a modest investment considering the potential payout. If enacted, the SAFE Banking Act is expected to drive billions of dollars of new investment into this rapidly evolving sector.

Crapo, Safe Banking

The study also uncovered the scanner's ability to distinguish among different varieties of hemp and marijuana. In the changing legal landscape, there are thousands of varieties of cannabis, many of questionable quality.

scanner

THC pre-exposure increased responding for heroin and heroin intake under FR-3 and FR-5 as well as PR protocols and increased breaking point in PR schedules in LEW but not F344 rats. Drug cues and heroin priming reinstated responding in LEW and F344, but THC pre-exposure increased reinstatement by priming in LEW rats and by cues in F344 rats. These observations show that in genetically predisposed individuals, adolescent cannabis exposure increases heroin reinforcing properties, thus providing a mechanism for a causal role of adolescent cannabis use in heroin abuse.

heroin

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