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New study shows use of high potency cannabis changes DNA

cannabis use disorder,legalisation

A recent study from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London and the University of Exeter has revealed that frequent use of high-potency cannabis alters DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function. This research, published in Molecular Psychiatry, is the first to demonstrate a distinct DNA imprint associated with high-potency cannabis, defined as containing 10% or more Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The findings indicate that DNA changes vary between individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis and those without such experiences. This suggests potential for DNA blood tests to identify cannabis users at risk for developing psychosis, which could inform preventative strategies. Most participants reported using high-potency cannabis frequently and had begun using it around age 16.

Senior author Marta Di Forti emphasized the need to understand the biological impacts of high-potency cannabis, noting the significance of the study in linking cannabis use with changes in DNA methylation—a process that affects gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. The research involved analyzing blood samples from 682 participants, including those with and without psychosis, revealing specific changes in genes like CAVIN1, which are linked to mitochondrial and immune functions.

Dr. Emma Dempster, Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter and the study’s first author, said: “This is the first study to show that frequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct molecular mark on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function. Our findings provide important insights into how cannabis use may alter biological processes.” This research provides insights into how cannabis may influence mental health through biological pathways, particularly through lifestyle-related epigenetic changes.

Original story here:https://scitechdaily.com/startling-study-shows-high-potency-cannabis-alters-dna/

MEDIA RELEASE: Warnings of Wild West Of Medicinal Cannabis

Warnings of Wild West Of Medicinal Cannabis
Warnings of Wild West Of Medicinal Cannabis

Family First is calling for caution around the use of medicinal cannabis which, when loosely regulated, can result in mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids and psychotic episodes.

According to data obtained under the Official Information Act by Family First in August, New Zealand health authorities say that 461 patients have had a primary diagnosis of Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids, psychotic disorder in the last recorded 12-month period (22/23) – rising from 376 in 2019/20 – an increase of 23% over four years.

According to a recent report in Australia, “doctors are warning of a significant increase of people ending up in hospital with psychosis after being prescribed the drug. Their concerns come amid a proliferation of “single-issue” cannabis clinics setting up in Australia, some of them willing to prescribe via telehealth consultations with few checks. Brett Emmerson, Queensland chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand’s College of Psychiatrists, says the college wants stronger regulations of medicinal cannabis products and prescribing practices.”

This is now a prospect for New Zealand, as reported in Newsroom today. Telehealth provider Dispensed which offers medical cannabis to patients through questionnaires and online appointments wants to set up shop in New Zealand.

It appears that Big Marijuana wants to sneak into New Zealand via the smokescreen of medicinal cannabis – which we always warned would happen. Combined with high-THC products, we are setting up the perfect storm of health and social problems associated with the drug.

The prescriptions for ‘medicinal’ cannabis is increasing in New Zealand, increasing from 22,506 in 2021 to 108,000 last year and 160,000 in the most recent period.

But it appears that the industry is becoming the wild west with high potency THC products being made available. During the Referendum in 2020, Patrick Gower found growers who were manufacturing a concentrated cannabis resin (dab) with an incredibly potent 81 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Dr Marta Rychert, a senior researcher at Massey University who with co-author Associate Professor Chris Wilkins have just published NZ Medical Journal: Implementation of the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme in New Zealand: six emerging trends warn about the increasing prevalence of products high in THC, and the rise of private cannabis clinics.

Dr Rychert says “My hope is that cannabis clinicians prescribe responsibly.” But medicine should never be based on ’hoping’ that clinicians do the right thing, especially when it comes to such a controversial ‘medicine’.

Just last week, two men in Australia with mental health conditions were prescribed medical cannabis by a pharmacist who founded a medicinal cannabis company . One was hospitalised with psychosis, the other took his own life.

There are justified concerns about the prevalence of online prescriptions without adequate patient-doctor interactions. The report says that while medicinal cannabis is legal in Australia for certain conditions like severe childhood epilepsy and cancer-related vomiting, it’s often prescribed for anxiety and insomnia despite lacking evidence of effectiveness.

In 2021, the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) said that there is no robust evidence from gold-standard studies that proves cannabinoid products effectively treast chronic non-cancer pain.

A significant study released at the time of the referendum found that “people who smoked marijuana on a daily basis were three-times more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis compared with people who never used the drug. For those who used high-potency marijuana daily, the risk jumped to nearly five-times.” By “high-potency” the researchers meant marijuana with THC content of just 10%+.

A study released in 2017 in the US and published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that marijuana use and marijuana use disorders – in which people use the drug in unhealthy or abusive ways – increased at a “significantly greater rate” in states with medical marijuana laws than in states without the laws.

Family First has always supported the expansion of further quality research into the components of the marijuana plant for delivery via non-smoked forms (‘medicinal cannabinoids’ products), and the establishment of a programme that allows seriously ill patients to obtain other non-smoked components of marijuana approved and listed by the Ministry of Health via their GP – but with appropriate regulation around safety and efficacy.

The Health Ministry needs to step up and ensure robust monitoring and enforcement of this new industry.
ENDS

Australian doctors warn of increased risk of psychosis with prescribed medicinal cannabis

The use of medicinal cannabis in Australia has raised concerns among healthcare professionals due to reported harms, particularly an increase in patients presenting with psychosis after being prescribed the drug. These concerns coincide with the proliferation of “single-issue” cannabis clinics that offer prescriptions via telehealth with minimal oversight.

Professor Brett Emmerson from the Royal Australian and New Zealand’s College of Psychiatrists advocates for stronger regulations, citing cases where patients have experienced their first psychotic episode or relapsed due to medicinal cannabis. He criticizes the lack of communication between prescribing doctors and patients’ regular healthcare providers, which delays awareness of cannabis prescriptions.

Dr. Jennifer Martin highlights additional issues such as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome and high-potency psychoactive products leading to hospital admissions. Both emphasize the prevalence of online prescriptions without adequate patient-doctor interactions.

While medicinal cannabis is legal in Australia for certain conditions like severe childhood epilepsy and cancer-related vomiting, critics argue that it’s often prescribed for anxiety and insomnia despite lacking evidence of effectiveness. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians stresses the need for regulatory reforms to align prescribing practices with medical evidence and minimize potential harm.

In response to these concerns, there have been calls for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to tighten regulations, limit THC-containing products, and enhance oversight of prescribing practices to ensure patient safety.

Original article found here

Study finds high risk of heart disease among women who frequently smoke cannabis

A recent study on cannabis use and women from France found that women who frequently use cannabis have a significantly higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to non-users. The study involved nearly 122,000 British participants, categorized into low, moderate, and heavy cannabis users based on their reported lifetime usage. Over a 13-year follow-up period, 2,375 deaths were recorded, with 1,411 from CVD.

Heavy cannabis users were more likely to be younger, use tobacco, and have lower alcohol consumption, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high education, and income levels. The study’s findings highlighted a significant link between heavy cannabis use and CVD death among women, particularly those who also used tobacco. This was not the case for male users. The study’s researchers stressed that the association between death and cannabis use remains unclear. However, they theorized that chemicals in cannabis may cause inflammation and arterial issues, and carbon monoxide exposure from smoking may contribute.

The study noted limitations such as self-reported cannabis use without biological verification and unknown specifics regarding cannabis dosage and consumption methods. The findings coincide with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports that cannabis is the most popular illicit drug in the US, with 19% of Americans using it at least once in 2021. Additionally, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease is expected to rise due to increasing rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

Original and full article here

McBLOG: The pro-drug crowd’s own goal

McBLOG - The pro-drug crowds own goal


The pro drugs crowd are back. More than 150 ‘experts’ have signed an open letter to the Government calling for the legalisation of ALL drugs. But most of the “experts” who signed their letter aren’t the experts that you’re thinking of. Some of them are even from America! (shock, horror!)


TRANSCRIPT:

The pro drugs crowd are back. They’ve been silently sulking for the past 4 years since losing the cannabis referendum despite significant support from the media – and it’s not that they’ve stopped sulking, but they’re just trying new things to try and suck in the public. But it’s the same crowd

According to a Newshub report – and interestingly it was only Newshub that reported this…

More than 150 experts have signed an open letter to the Government calling for the legalisation of all drugs in New Zealand.  Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa (HRCA) presented the letter on Tuesday, calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to end drug prohibition and legalise all drugs. The letter includes 155 signatures from experts in drug policy and criminology including professors, academics, researchers, clinicians and health professionals. 

Founding member of HRCA Wendy Allison was instrumental in bringing drug checking to New Zealand. 

HRCA chair Lachlan Akers added to the statement, saying a new drug law would “benefit our society as a whole”. 

So let’s have a look at the letter

Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa… seeks a new fit-for-purpose drug law for Aotearoa New Zealand, rooted in science, experience and evidence, to promote harm reduction and protect human rights….

Ah there’s your immediate red flag. Human rights. The right to use drugs. The right to get addicted. The right to use and grow drugs around families and children.

Founded by a diverse, non-partisan, (yeah right) independent group with a wealth of expertise in drug policy and practice, HRCA boasts a membership of over 50 individuals and six organisations, including; the Drugs Health and Development Project (DHDP), the Drug Injecting Services Canterbury (DISC), Aotearoa Drug Information Outreach (ADIO), Know Your Stuff (KYSNZ), Students for Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa (SSDP) and HIT UK.

Okaaaaay. Drugs Health and Development Project – according to their website – funded to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood borne viruses amongst injecting drug users (IDU). They offer a wide range of services including a needle exchange and drug checking. DHDP is run by people who have a practical knowledge of issues that affect injecting drug users. I bet. Only 221 followers on their facebook page fortunately.

Drug Injecting Services Canterbury – enough said.

Aotearoa Drug Information Outreach – same stuff as DHDP that we just mentioned.

We are a peer-based organisation with peer workers who have lived experience of injecting drug use. All our staff are non-judgemental and here to help. We neither condemn nor condone the use of drugs and respect where you are on your journey. Our needle exchange service is completely confidential and anonymous.

Know Your Stuff – the drug testing crowd set up by the Drug Foundation – encourage drug use and try and persuade people that somehow drug use can be safe if we test some of them to make sure the illegal drug is actually an illegal drug – and then you can use it.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa – they’re a club at Otago University

HIT UK – never heard of them. Not NZ. But I did check their website –

one of their featured publications was A Guide to Safer Injecting – A step-by-step guide to reducing the risks of injecting street heroin and the specific risks of preparing, sharing and injecting drugs.

Basically they’re just like the Drug Foundation in NZ. Ignore the law. Here’s how to do drugs “safer”.

So the so-called coalition is kinda like the hard core group who sit off to the side and most people stay clear of them cause they’re just not that friendly. That’s what this coalition is like. The misfits.

Now on their website they feature an anthropologist and drug use expert goes over the reasons for full drug legalization and regulation.

Sheesh – there’s some wacky logic there. P is all good if you’re not poor and there’s no stigma and the police weren’t so violent – which they’re not of course.

Back to the Newshub article, it starts with “The letter includes 155 signatures from experts in drug policy and criminology including professors, academics, researchers, clinicians and health professionals.”

So I don’t know about you but that sounds like 155 “experts” in the drug field in NZ. But further down, right near the very end it admits

Signatures include those from eight professors, 31 doctors, 29 organisations and supported by experts from 14 countries across North America, South America, South Africa, Europe and Australasia.   

Oh – so its 155 minus the experts from 14 countries – so it’s 141 drug experts from NZ.

But when you look at the full list of signatories, it gets real funny – and I suspect that the organisers might have prepared the list on the 20 April. In the US, 4/20 is a date that both marijuana smokers and non-smokers recognize as a national holiday for cannabis culture.

Of the organisations, only 10 out of the 29 are NZ organisations – so a 1/3rd. In fact, there are them are American – and you know what they say about NZ groups importing culture wars from the US – so scrub those 3 eh.

And one of the groups is Student Christian Movement Aotearoa

Hadn’t heard of them Now I know why. I didn’t want to.

Here’s a couple of events they’ve hosted

And this might explain why you haven’t heard of them

we seek to be welcoming to all, especially people marginalised by sexuality, ability, gender, health, or ethnicity. We are a rainbow-affirming community

And they’re big on decolonising their faith and seeking a progressive Christianity – better talk to all the Pasifika and churches full of different ethnicities about that “decolonisation”. Those multi-ethnic churches throughout the country obviously didn’t get the memo from SCMA.

Let’s be charitable tho. SCMA are clearly NOT experts in drug policy or criminology.

Of the 8 professors, only 2 are from NZ. One is from that terrible America country – and Joe Boden is not only a well known pro-drug advocate being used by Jacinda Ardern to push the yes vote on the so-called expert panel, but – shock horror – he’s American.

And then there’s the Doctors. Now this is pretty shrewd. They’ve grouped medical doctors with PhDs – the 2 groups are very very different.

But only 21 of the 31 are from NZ.

I did check a couple – one was a doctor in transport policy and electric vehicles, (Helen Fitt), a phd on food sovereignty, (Isa Pearl Rotchie), phd in welding (jez Weston),  data engineer,

But only 2 maybe 3 max were medical doctors. The rest are academics.

So – of the 155 signatories that we started with, there are 2 professors from NZ, 10 organisations only, maybe 2 medical doctors.

And then in the list of 155, only 93 individuals are from NZ. And 29 of the signatories are the organisations that these people belong to. How do I know? It says KnowYourStuff – but Wendy Allison the boss’s name is also in the list. Prof Elizabeth Stanley from the Institute of Criminology at Waikato Uni is listed, and the Institute of Criminology at Waikato Uni is also listed.

I think that’s called double dipping.

Now just before we totally mock this open letter off the stage, I thought I would just check a couple of signatories who are experts.

Ok here’s one. He’s a protestor who turns up to Parliament a lot. An expert – in protesting.

Another has just graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Media Production at. Massey University. An expert – in making films

One is a PhD student in Gender Studies who is researching post-prison experiences. So not a drug expert.

One is doing a PhD in how self-identifying gender diverse Māori practice embodiment and relate to their bodies in contemporary Aotearoa.

One has a Bachelor of Communication so not a drug expert

There was even a signatory who’s a computer expert and was found guilty of causing unnecessary danger to the Mt Cook Airlines flight as it approached Wellington Airport by shining a green laser into the cockpit of a plane – this was in 2008. So that’s an expert in – stupidity?

So the takeaway from all this is that while the majority of NZers recognise the harm of drugs and voted against legalising cannabis back in 2020 – thank goodness – there is still a few activists who will get some media coverage that you should just take with a grain of salt.

But Newshub could have done this research before printing and promoting the Open Letter.

They didn’t. And sadly, that’s why their trust levels are plummeting.

Leading expert outlines what we aren’t hearing about marijuana’s health effects

Bertha Madras, 81, a psychobiology professor at Harvard Medical School and one of the foremost experts on marijuana with over 60 years of research experience, warns against the move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. She emphasizes the risks associated with marijuana, including addiction potential, cognitive impairment, psychosis, car accidents, and lasting damage to the brain, particularly in young users. Ms Madras highlights the lack of strong evidence for its medicinal benefits and calls for rigorous research instead of legalization. Ms Madras highlights that it is pointless to spend more on addiction treatment and harm reduction whilst weakening laws that act to prevent people from addictions. She expresses concern about the cultural normalization of marijuana and its potential precedent for other drugs. Madras advocates for defending public health against the risks of drug use at all ages. She quotes “This is not a war on drugs. It’s a defence of the human brain at every possible age from in utero to old age.”

Check out the full story here https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-you-arent-reading-about-marijuana-permanent-brain-damage-biden-schedule-iii-9660395e?st=da45ugo08uv00v1&reflink=article_email_share