Thomas Jefferson University Receives $3 Million Marijuana Research Grant

Entrepreneur.com
Thomas Jefferson University Receives $3 Million Marijuana Research Grant
Image credit: John Greim | Getty Images
 
With a $3 million grant from Australian philanthropists Barry and Joy Lambert, Thomas Jefferson University has established a new medical center for cannabis education and research. The new facility, officially named The Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp, will become the first such medical research center in the United States, according to information released by the university.
 
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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/287045?utm_source=HearstNewspapers&utm_medium=related&utm_campaign=syndication

Arizona court just made a huge ruling for MMJ cardholders accused of driving high

By The Associated Press

This Arizona court ruling just made a huge move for MMJ cardholders accused of driving high. (Oliver Berg, AFP/Getty Images file)
 
An Arizona court ruling says medical marijuana cardholders accused of driving under the influence have options for showing in court that there wasn’t enough marijuana compound in their bodies to cause impairment.
 
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http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/12/23/medical-marijuana-dui-arizona/70010/

Woman who prayed to die speaks out on miracle of cannabis

Lacey Darrow
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When Katie Donahue was about 8 years old she started noticing that something was wrong.
The left side of her face wasn’t growing the same way the right side was.
“W went to a couple of doctors and things like that but no one knew what it was,” said Donahue.
Tired of being relentlessly bullied in school, and desperate for answers, at 18 Donahue went to Shrines Hospital in Chicago and was diagnosed with an extremely rare disorder called Parry-Romberg Disease.
“That is characterized by a slow progression or wasting away of 1/2 of the head,” said Donahue.
While answers were a relief, the pain from the disease soon took over.
“It’s excruciatingly painful all the time continuously no matter what is happening there is pain,” said Donahue.
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Germany Is Poised to Be a Powerful Cannabis Market


Germany
 
With a population of 80.6 million and nearly 140k square miles, the country of Germany is roughly 85% the size of California, and contains over double the population. As medical cannabis laws across Europe become liberalized and attitudes toward adult recreational use continue to soften, Germany is now poised to be the next big thing in the European cannabis market.
Germany is looking primed to become a major producer of medical cannabis since laws were loosened this past summer to allow patients access with a doctor’s recommendation. And now, Berlin is making moves to pseudo-legalize marijuana in its city borders. According to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), an EU agency based in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, nearly one quarter of German adult citizens – 23.1% – have tried cannabis.
 
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http://marijuanapolitics.com/germany-is-poised-to-be-a-powerful-cannabis-market/

A raincoat for our houses

by Chiara Cecchi

Production line at the co-operative enterprise CAVAC Biomatériaux, France. Natural fibres processed into a continuous mat (biofib) – Martin Ansell, BRE CICM, University of Bath, UK

 
“Besides textiles, innovative natural fibre composite materials are a parallel field of the research on insulators that can preserve indoor air quality. These bio-based materials, such as straw and hemp, can reduce the incidence of mold growth because they breathe. The breathability of materials refers to their ability to absorb and desorb moisture naturally”, says expert Finlay White from Modcell, who contributed to the construction of what they claim are the world’s first commercially available straw houses, “For example, highly insulated buildings with poor ventilation can build-up high levels of moisture in the air. If the moisture meets a cool surface it will condensate and producing mould, unless it is managed. Bio-based materials have the means to absorb moisture so that the risk of condensation is reduced, preventing the potential for mould growth”.
 
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http://www.youris.com/Energy/Ecobuildings/A-Raincoat-For-Our-Houses.kl

Institute of Cannabis Research Launches at CSU-Pueblo


The new Institute of Cannabis Research opens at Colorado State University – Pueblo
CREDIT COURTESY COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY – PUEBLO
The new Institute of Cannabis Research at Colorado State University Pueblo recently launched with about $1.1 million in state and local funding.
Ten CSU faculty from different departments will lead cannabis research projects in 2017.  The studies are diverse, ranging from using hemp in 3D printing to the effect of cannabis on epilepsy.
 

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http://krcc.org/post/institute-cannabis-research-launches-csu-pueblo

States with medical marijuana laws have lower traffic fatality rates, study reports

Fredrick Kunkle

Medical marijuana traffic fatalities
(AP Photo/Seth Perlman) (Seth Perlman)
States with medical marijuana laws have fewer traffic fatalities than those without, especially among younger drivers, a new study found.
You would think crash rates might be higher, supposing that more drivers are, too.
But, no. Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health found an 11 percent reduction in traffic fatalities on average when examining places that have enacted medical marijuana laws – 23 states and the District of Columbia. The presence of medical marijuana dispensaries also correlated with fewer traffic fatalities, the study found.
Silvia Martins, a physician and associate professor who was the study’s senior officer, theorized that lower traffic fatality rates in states with marijuana laws might be related to lower levels of alcohol-impaired driving: People, especially younger people, began substituting weed for booze.
 

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http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/12/medical_marijuana_traffic_fata.html

Conn. Hospice to conduct medical marijuana research

Associated Pres
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The nation’s first hospice plans to study how medical marijuana can help dying patients.

Officials from Connecticut Hospice Inc. in Branford said Monday they hope to improve pain management while also reducing opioid use in palliative care. They also want to decrease nausea and vomiting while improving patients’ appetites and overall well-being.

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http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/state/9757974-154/conn-hospice-to-conduct-medical-marijuana-research.html

Hartford, Connecticut – Marijuana study greenlighted at St. Francis hospital

PATRICIA DADDONA
HBJ File Photo
 
It appears St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center will be the first in Connecticut to conduct medical marijuana research under a new program authorized by the legislature.
The state Department of Consumer Protection said Friday that it has authorized St. Francis — part of the Trinity Health-New England system — to conduct marijuana research on patients with multiple rib fractures.
 
Full Article: 
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20161216/NEWS01/161219942