By Cannabis Now

 
A new study suggests that people recovering from an addiction to painkillers may experience better results through the use of cannabis.
Earlier this year, researchers at Columbia University discovered that the effects of opioid withdrawal seemed to be significantly diminished for those patients who were able to consume marijuana during a recovery program.
The results of the study, which were published in the September 2015 edition of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, reaffirms previous research, which shows that cannabis can be beneficial in alleviating some of the harsh symptoms associated with addiction.
Researchers found that after administering doses of prescription THC (dronabinol) and a placebo to test subjects going through both in-patient and outpatient detox programs for opioid dependency that the withdrawal symptoms were less severe in those patients getting the THC. Also, patients who smoked pot throughout their outpatient recovery reported less restlessness, got more sleep and were more likely to complete their respective program.
 
Full Article:
http://cannabisnowmagazine.com/cannabis/medical/cannabis-makes-recovery-for-opioid-addiction-easier

Caroline Mortimer @cjmortimer

 
A judge in the Canadian province of Quebec has called laws governing cannabis “obsolete and ridiculous” as he handed a $1.30 penalty to a man sentenced for possession.
Judge Pierre Chevalier issue the symbolic fine to 46-year-old Mario Larouche, who had been found with 30 marijuana plants.
Larouche said he was in pain after a road accident and was unable to get a legitimate prescription for medical marijuana.
 
Full Article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/canadian-judge-pierre-chevalier-calls-marijuana-laws-obsolete-and-ridiculous-as-he-awards-a-symbolic-a6757561.html
 

Henry Truc

 
For many decades, one of the strongest arguments for the legalization of cannabis has been the potential medicinal benefits derived from the plant. What we do know is that within the human body exists the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), a group of receptors throughout the brain and central nervous system that respond to compounds from the cannabis plant. The issue, however, is that there are over 400 natural compounds and at least 138 identified cannabinoids, all having various effects on the body.
To date, scientific research in the U.S. has been focused on isolating the various cannabinoids for treatment. Meanwhile, the medical and scientific community’s understanding of the whole cannabis plant has largely been reliant on anecdotal evidence and observational studies due to various regulatory and political barriers.
No one knows this more than Dr. Sue Sisley, one of the leading medical scientists and advocates for wider education on the effects of whole-plant cannabis. Dr. Sisley is a leading voice in the medicinal cannabis community, and her work with military veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been recognized as groundbreaking, as evidenced by her being named as Researcher of the Year by Americans for Safe Access at the National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this year.
But her work at times has also put her at the center of the legalization debate. For instance, after nearly a decade working in various capacities at the University of Arizona, the school terminated the relationship and her research. As part of our Future of Cannabisproject, Equities.com had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Sisley in an extended interview to discuss the obstacles she’s faced, what she’s doing now to further her research with the support of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and her thoughts on the advocacy of cannabis legalization.
 
Full Article:
http://www.equities.com/news/dr-sue-sisley-cannabis-medical-research-is-being-kept-in-the-dark-as-thousands-die-each-year#sthash.uPMCQvu5.dpuf

BILL BROWNSTEIN, MONTREAL GAZETTE
 
 
 

Montreal filmmaker Ezra Soiferman could have considered calling his latest documentary Mission Impossible. The task at hand was daunting: Soiferman sought to chronicle wild-man Montrealer Mike Paterson’s efforts to get in shape before his wedding.
Paterson, a gonzo wit/wrestler/actor/pitchman, merely wanted to lose 50 pounds in four months before taking the marital tumble to his beloved Monika Schmidt in Mexico. He also wanted to rid himself of his debilitating sciatica condition.
No small task, since Paterson had spent much of his adult and late-adolescent life knocking back brewskis as well as getting knocked around in wrestling rings. But Paterson also feared a premature demise like his comedy heroes Chris Farley and John Belushi.
So Soiferman had a plan and it involved pot, and Paterson was all ears – still in tact in spite of a lot of tugging on them in the ring.
Having done his homework, Soiferman deduced that Paterson could both overcome his sciatica and lose weight by obtaining a legal medical marijuana prescription.
One hitch: Paterson was averse to smoking, so he embarked on a (legal) hemp-infused diet as well as cannabis edibles to munch on. A vegetarian in spite of his heft, Paterson had little difficulty adapting to his new diet. More problematic would be an exercise regime, and so he also hit the gym – literally.
 
Full Article:
http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/celebrity/grass-fed-documentary-tracks-comics-slim-down-courtesy-medical-marijuana

NZ Newswire

 
A study of children exposed to recreational drugs in the womb has turned up the surprising result that marijuana can improve how they see moving things.
Children exposed to marijuana were 50 per cent better at the global motion task – detecting movement of signal dots against the background “noise” of other dots – than children who weren’t exposed, University of Auckland scientists say.
Their study, which looked at 145 four-and-a-half year olds who were exposed to different combinations of methamphetamine, alcohol, nicotine and marijuana before birth, was published in Nature: Scientific Reports this week.
Most studies have investigated how recreational drugs impair motor and cognitive development in children, but the impact on visual areas of the brain is less well understood, says doctoral researcher Arijit Chakraborty.
The 50 per cent improvement in the global motion task for children exposed to marijuana in the womb was an unexpected result, he said.
It was found that when mothers drank alcohol alone their children’s motion perception was impaired, but when they consumed both marijuana and alcohol there was no effect – “suggesting that the benefits from marijuana cancelled out the harm from alcohol”.
 
Full Article:
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/health/medical/marijuanas-surprising-vision-benefit/ar-BBndWUp
 

By Russell Mills

 
becoming an advocate for medical marijuana began at home, when he began researching ways to help alleviate his wife’s debilitating migraines.
The more research he did, the more he became convinced that medical marijuana is a moral issue, and when he talks about it his passion is easy to hear.
“Medical marijuana is a human rights issue,” he told KRMG Tuesday. “We have patients that are suffering and dying right here in our own state every day that relief could be brought to by medical marijuana. Cures could be made from medical marijuana to help these people. And the fact that we’re denying the cures to these patients is an abolute human rights issue.”
Many agree, and to them it seems fitting that in December, Caviness will receive a humanitarian award from the Oklahoma Universal Human Rights Alliance.
 
Full Article:
http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/oklahoma-medical-marijuana-advocate-receive-humani/npPyc/

By PAUL HELLER For the Times Argus

Provided photo Thaddeus Fairbanks

By Leafly Staff

 
When you’re fighting for cannabis in a conservative state, you take inspiration where you can find it. Last year Melissa Mentele and Joy Beukelman (pictured below), two thirty-something moms living in small South Dakota farm towns, watched the documentary Evergreen, which chronicled the 2012 legalization campaign in Washington State. “We saw a woman–Alison Holcomb–leading the movement,” Mentele recalled. After the credits rolled, Mentele and Beukelman asked each other: Why not us?

Last Monday the two women and their New Approach South Dakota supporters appeared at the Secretary of State’s office in Pierre bearing more than 16,000 voter signatures in favor of a statewide measure legalizing medical marijuana. “We needed 13,871, and we wanted to give ourselves a little leeway,” Mentele said after delivering the signatures.

If the signatures are verified, medical marijuana will be on the South Dakota ballot in November 2016.
 
 
 
Full Article:
https://www.leafly.com/news/headlines/field-dispatch-inside-south-dakotas-grassroots-movement-to-legali
 

Debra Borchardt

 
Many people disagree with testing drugs on animals before giving them to humans, but what about testing drugs on humans before giving them to animals? That’s exactly what is happening with cannabis.
There are several companies that have developed hemp-based products for animals, mostly intended for dogs. The edible products are suggested for a variety of ailments but the majority seem to focus on joint conditions for older dogs, neurological health and calmness.
 
Full Article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2015/11/16/281/

By Ben Miller

 
For a comparatively small number of U.S. citizens, accessing cannabis can be as simple as walking down the street to a recreational or medical dispensary and purchasing enough high-quality cannabis to last until they decide to go back and get more — no questions asked.
Yet, for anyone who doesn’t live in a state where marijuana is legal for recreational use or permitted for medical use, it’s a precarious and potentially dangerous game where the rules change depending on where it’s played.
Though the law prohibits possessing even the slightest amount of marijuana on your person –  let alone consuming it ­– there are still many who risk breaking the law in order to enjoy it. But, why would someone willingly put themselves in danger of being sent to jail just to smoke a little weed?
Well, for some, it’s the only thing that allows them to get out of bed in the morning.
 
Full Article:
http://cannabisnowmagazine.com/current-events/legal/under-the-radar-medicating-in-a-prohibition-state