The Latest Cannabis Science News
Cannabis science news from the month of September: analytical challenges for the cannabis industry: CBD for reducing inflammation; and higher depression rates with tobacco and cannabis use
Jessica Allerton | | 2 min read | News
Every month, we carefully curate the top stories from across the fields of medical research, testing, processing, and plant science. We also bring you the latest in the world of cannabis business and legislation. Want it all in your inbox? Sign up here.
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How CBD subdues inflammation
Previous studies have shown that cannabis can have anti-inflammatory effects, but the reason has been largely unclear. To shed some light, an international team of researchers investigated – using metabololipidomics – how eight different cannabinoids act on immune cells. They found that CBD causes a particularly favorable biosynthetic shift from pro-inflammatory lipid mediators to inflammation-resolving mediators by activating 15-LOX-1, which the authors believe might be a plausible mode of action underlying CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties.
What’s Going On?
Research and Medicine
UC San Francisco researchers discover that tobacco and cannabis users have significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety than those who use either substance alone or none at all. Link
Almost a third of cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were found to be using cannabis for symptom management between March and August 2021. Link
Research review finds evidence of cannabis-based medicines providing relief for long Covid symptoms, such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, and anxiety. Link
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine believe that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system within the brain releases endocannabinoids at limbic synapses in response to stress – opening opportunities for psychiatric disorder drug development. Link
Testing + Processing
Researchers profile and distinguish between cannabis samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), but further work is required to reduce the false positive rate before the method can be used in legal proceedings. Link
Business + Regulation
A suspension order from the Oregon Court of Appeals removes the requirement for cannabis products to be tested for Aspergillus fungi within the state. Link
And Finally...
Cannabis Conference continues…
I hope those of you attending the Cannabis Science Conference last week at Rhode Island Convention Center in New England, USA, had a productive show! For those of you who couldn’t make it, fear not, because we’ve been in touch with some of the speakers from this event, including Zacariah Hildenbrand, Chief Scientific Officer at Infinity Water Solutions, who has given us plenty to talk about in the upcoming months on The Cannabis Scientist! Zac discusses a number of environmental and analytical challenges facing the cannabis industry, “regardless of the sophistication of the techniques used, growers often finish plant testing once they’ve achieved a favorable or unique result, which is a recurring problem”. Stay tuned for the article!
Associate Editor, The Analytical Scientist
