science

Does cannabis make you crazy? You have to be nuts to believe that, some say

Posted on January 8th, 2019 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , .

Reefer MadnessThe claim that cannabis causes "mental illness" rears its dubious head like clockwork every few years, and this latest round has occasioned a virtual media frenzy—a seeming backlash to the recent advances in normalization of the herb and its aficionados. Scratching the claims, however, reveals more hype than rigor.

The headlines are all too familiar ones, but this time they got very prominent play.

Study finds CBD may actually worsen glaucoma

Posted on December 27th, 2018 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

CBDIt has long been established that cannabis can effectively treat glaucoma, a condition that damages the optic nerve and can lead to blindness. However, new research indicates that while THC helps fight glaucoma, its cousin cannabinoid CBD has the opposite effect—and could actually counteract the efficacy of THC.

Will Farm Bill mean windfall for hemp-derived CBD?

Posted on December 20th, 2018 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

cannabisThe newly enacted Farm Bill contains language implicitly removing hemp-derived CBD from the controlled substances list, along with industrial hemp. A CBD industry that has been growing fast in a legal grey zone stands to grow faster in the light of legal clarity. Conflicting state laws and even federal regulations, however, could prove an obstacle to unfettered expansion.

Synthetic terpenes: industry short-cut to olfactory buzz

Posted on December 19th, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , .

cannabisTerpenes, the chemical compounds that give your herb its distinctive smell and flavor, are increasingly recognized as a vital part of the overall cannabis experience. But with the growing popularity of vape pens and concentrates, industry is now adding terpenes to products in an effort to recreate that whole-flower feel. These may come from plants other than cannabis—and some may even be synthetic.

Roger Adams: Idealistic Unsung Hero of Cannabis Science

Posted on December 17th, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , .
Roger Adams

The name most associated with cannabis science in the minds of aficionados is that of Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam—who is credited with first isolating and identifying THC. But given the current craze for CBD, there is another figure who should receive his due. The American chemist Roger Adams is the man who first isolated cannabidiol. And, by some accounts, he even has a claim to being the one who first identified its pyschoactive cousin THC.

In addition to this, he played a little-recognized role in the great world political upheavals of his time, as he grappled with the role of science—and its misuses—in war and totalitarianism.

University of Michigan to host Green Wolverine cannabis conference

Posted on September 6th, 2018 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , .

THCThe Green Wolverine conference at the University of Michigan this month will bring speakers from across the country for a symposium on cannabis science. With Michigan facing a legalization initiative this November, the student-organized event is intended, among other things, to help voters make an informed choice.

Health benefits of THC overlooked in CBD-mania?

Posted on August 22nd, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , .

THCHaving just undertaken a "critical study" of CBD, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid held to have multifarious medicinal applications, the World Health Organization is now opening such a study on THC. Stigmatized due to its psychoactive properties and currently in the shadow of the suddenly sexy CBD, tetrahydrocannabinol shows its own potential for application by the medical industry.

Do hops contain CBD? Experts skeptical on corporate claims.

Posted on August 22nd, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , .

hopsA new product is being plugged as containing CBD derived from humulus—that is, hops, the buds used as a bittering agent in beer. Some of the media hype has implied that this novel origin gets around the US federal stricture on the cannabinoid. But experts raise a skeptical eyebrow at the claim of hops-derived CBD. And in any event, the federal stricture is on the cannabinoid itself, regardless of how it is derived. 

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