Using medical marijuana helps people who suffer from lower pain significantly reduce their opioid use as well as experience lower pain intensity and functional disability, according to a new study that involved hundreds of patients.

Researchers with Tel Aviv University, Rabin Medical Center and Clalit Health Services in Israel enrolled 1,000 patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) who had previously never used cannabis and tracked their pain, disability status and medication usage annually for a period of 10 years at a specialized orthopedic pain clinic.

After a decade, opioid use, measured in morphine milligram equivalents, “decreased substantially” by 90 percent.

“Opioid reduction was rapid in the first year and remained stable through Year 10,” the researchers wrote.

Pain intensity also dropped by 84 percent, and functional disability was reduced by 30 percent.

The study, published in the European Spine Journal, also looked at how many patients achieved significant pre-specified thresholds for the outcome measures.

For reduced opioid use, 91 percent of patients met the target of at least 50 percent reduction in opioid use.

The goal of 30 percent of greater reduction on a pain intensity scale was achieved by 62 percent of participants. Sixty-two percent of patients reached the targeted decrease in functional disability scores of 10 points or more on a standardized scale.

“Medical cannabis therapy was associated with reductions in opioid use, pain intensity, and functional disability over 10 years, accompanied by polypharmacy reduction and acceptable tolerability.”

There was also a “substantial” reduction in use of other non-opioid medications among patients who completed the study.

“Tramadol/tapentadol use decreased from 89.7% to 5.6% (−84.0% points), benzodiazepines from 78.8% to 5.3% (−73.5 pp), SSRIs from 77.7% to 5.8% (−71.9 pp), and gabapentinoids from 31.3% to 0.6% (−30.7 pp),” the study said. “These reductions were clinically driven rather than protocol-mandated, reflecting individual physician-patient decisions based on symptom response. The pattern of polypharmacy reduction paralleled opioid reduction, occurring primarily in the first 2 years.”

The reduction in use of several different kinds of medications suggests that “medical cannabis may address multiple symptom domains simultaneously,” the researchers wrote.

“Chronic pain patients frequently require polypharmacy to manage pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression, each of which carries risks of adverse effects and drug interactions,” the said.

Participants in the study used marijuana products that included dried flower for vaporization and cannabis oils for oral/sublingual administration. There was some patient drop off as the study went on, and 638 of the 1,000 who enrolled ended up completing the final follow-up observation.

The researchers cautioned that the single-arm observational nature of the study means that causality cannot be inferred. They also noted that the size of the reductions in the outcome measures in the study “substantially exceeded” those from previously published randomized controlled trials, suggesting that “observational biases contribute to these findings.”

Nonetheless, they said their study is the “longest follow-up of medical cannabis therapy specifically in CLBP patients and demonstrates sustained, clinically meaningful improvements exceeding pre-specified [minimal clinically important difference] thresholds for opioid reduction, pain relief, and functional disability.”

“In this 10-year single-arm observational study, medical cannabis therapy was associated with reductions in opioid use (−89.8%), pain intensity (−84.2%), and functional disability (−30.4%), with high proportions of patients achieving pre-specified MCID thresholds,” the study concluded. “Substantial polypharmacy reductions and acceptable tolerability were observed.”

This is far from the only study supporting the efficacy of marijuana in the treatment of pain—nor is it the first to suggest cannabis can serve as a substitute for conventional therapies such as opioids.

A study published earlier this year found that medical cannabis use by people with chronic lower back pain leads to “large, sustained, and statistically robust improvements.”

In April, a study found that using medical marijuana appears to help people reduce the use of other medications, including opioids, sleeping aids and antidepressants. They also experience far fewer negative side effects after switching to cannabis from prescription drugs, the study involving more than 3,500 patients determined. 

About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a federally funded study published in February.

Similarly, another recent federally funded study, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), added more evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment.

Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.”

A separate paper published last year similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.”

In August, meanwhile, Australian researchers published a study showing that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in pain management treatment.

Another study published last year in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review found that, among drug users who experience chronic pain, daily cannabis use was linked to a higher likelihood of quitting the use of opioids—especially among men.

Other research also found that legalizing medical cannabis appeared to significantly reduce monetary payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors who specialize in pain, with authors finding “evidence that this decrease is due to medical marijuana becoming available as a substitute” for prescription painkillers.

Further research also showed a decline in fatal opioid overdoses in jurisdictions where marijuana was legalized for adults. That study found a “consistent negative relationship” between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis. Authors estimated that recreational marijuana legalization “is associated with a decrease of approximately 3.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals.”

“Our findings suggest that broadening recreational marijuana access could help address the opioid epidemic,” that report said. “Previous research largely indicates that marijuana (primarily for medical use) can reduce opioid prescriptions, and we find it may also successfully reduce overdose deaths.”

Another recently published report into prescription opioid use in Utah following the state’s legalization of medical marijuana found that the availability of legal cannabis both reduced opioid use by patients with chronic pain and helped drive down prescription overdose deaths statewide. Overall, results of the study indicated that “cannabis has a substantial role to play in pain management and the reduction of opioid use,” it said.

Source link

North Carolinians strongly support legalizing medical marijuana, and a majority wants to go even further by legalizing cannabis for recreational use, according to a new poll.

The survey published on Thursday by Elon University also found that North Carolina adults support keeping THC-infused hemp products like seltzers and gummies legal in the state, although with age limits.

Medical cannabis legalization is supported by 75 percent of respondents, with only 11 percent in opposition.

While there is bipartisan support for the patient-focused reform, Democrats are much more likely to support it, at 89 percent, as compared to Republicans, only 57 percent of whom are on board.

Broader recreational marijuana legalization comes in at 55 percent in support overall and 30 percent opposed. While 74 percent of Democrats favor the reform, just 33 percent of Republicans do.

Meanwhile, as North Carolina lawmakers continue to debate how to handle the issue of hemp-derived THC products, the poll shows that most state residents want to keep them legal.

When asked whether North Carolina should “allow or prohibit the sale of hemp-derived products like seltzers and gummies with THC levels that can cause intoxication or a ‘high,’” 53 percent said they back keeping them legal, while 28 percent said they should be banned.

As with broader cannabis legalization, a majority of Democrats (62 percent) were on board with legal hemp THC products, and only a minority (35 percent) of Republicans were.

In a separate question, 82 percent of all respondents said they back banning sales of hemp-derived consumable products to people under the age of 21, including majorities across party lines.

Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and professor of political science and public policy, noted that support for marijuana legalization has remained stable in the state in recent years.

“We found a significant increase in support for legalization between 2017 and 2021 as North Carolinians saw legalization occurring in other states,” he said in a press release. “Over the last five years, support for legalization has largely been stable with a large majority supporting medical legalization and a small majority favoring recreational legalization.”

“In turn, support for allowing hemp-based THC has similar levels of support and high correlation with support for recreational marijuana,” he said. “However, North Carolinians are largely unified in wanting hemp consumables restricted to those 21 or older.”

The poll involved interviews with 1,121 North Carolina adults between August 21-31 and has a margin of error of +/-5.09 percentage points.

The results come as Gov. Josh Stein (D) is continuing to pressure the GOP-controlled legislature for marijuana reform.

Last month, the governor called on lawmakers to legalize and regulate cannabis in a way that “protects kids” while lawmakers this week are considering a bill to restrict hemp THC products.

In a social media post he noted that lawmakers are considering legislation that “aims to eliminate the Wild West that is North Carolina’s THC market.”

The governor has repeatedly called on lawmakers to broadly legalize and regulate cannabis, though GOP legislative leaders have been more interested in focusing on the narrower hemp issue.

A bill to restrict hemp and kratom products that was recently approved by the Senate now awaits potential action in the House.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in North Carolina have been considering legislation to legalize medical cannabis for the last several sessions—with the Senate approving several proposals and the House refusing to follow suit.

North Carolina’s Senate president pro tempore recently said that lawmakers will take a more serious look at legalizing medical marijuana following the Trump administration’s move to reschedule cannabis at the federal level.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

The governor-appointed cannabis commission in North Carolina issued a report in April recommending that the state move away from a criminalization-based approach to the plant and toward a system of “robust” regulations that provide for adults’ legal access to THC products.

The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis, which Stein convened last year, says in the new document approved in April that the current “absence of regulation for North Carolina’s intoxicating cannabis market raises numerous concerns,” noting that hemp products are readily available yet largely unregulated and that marijuana remains prohibited altogether in the state, even for medical use.

“Compared to regulated marijuana frameworks in other states, this environment presents identifiable risks,” the interim report says. “While some operators voluntarily implement consumer protection protocols, these safeguards are not required under state law.”

Stein, for his part, thanked the group for its “expertise, hard work, and thoughtful deliberation” in a press release and reiterated his support for legalizing marijuana.

Members are tasked with developing and submitting initial recommendations on a “comprehensive cannabis policy, including any proposed legislation,” with a final report due by December 31 of this year.

During his time as the state’s attorney general, Stein led a separate task force under then-Gov. Roy Cooper (D) that examined racial injustice issues and ultimately recommended decriminalizing marijuana and studying broader legalization in response to racially disparate enforcement trends.

A tribe in North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, launched the state’s first marijuana dispensary in 2024—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers.

Democratic lawmakers recently filed legislation to allow voters to decide whether to legalize marijuana for personal or medical use at the ballot box this November—though Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R) said the bill is unlikely to advance.

Meanwhile, bipartisan North Carolina lawmakers have been stepping up the push for psychedelics reform legislation.

Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.

Source link

Only about a third of Americans think marijuana is dangerous, and less than half still believe the “gateway theory” that using cannabis makes people significantly more likely to try more dangerous drugs, according to a new poll.

The survey, released by Rasmussen Reports on Tuesday, asked U.S. adults how dangerous they think cannabis is.

Just over one out of three indicated they think marijuana is either somewhat (24 percent) or very dangerous (13 percent).

In contrast, a majority of respondents said cannabis is either not dangerous at all (27 percent) or not very dangerous (28 percent).

When asked how likely they believe it is that “marijuana use leads to the use of more dangerous drugs,” just 18 percent said it is very likely and 27 percent believe it is somewhat likely. Nineteen percent said it is not at all likely and 27 percent think it is not very likely, while 9 percent said they aren’t sure.

When broken down by party, Republicans are more likely to believe that marijuana is either somewhat or very dangerous (50 percent) than Democrats are (33 percent).

GOP voters are also more likely to buy the gateway theory about marijuana being very or somewhat likely to be true (60 percent) than Democrats are (42 percent).

The poll involved interviews with 1,234 American adults between September 8-10 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

The results comport with other recent surveys showing that American attitudes and behaviors around cannabis are shifting.

A Gallup poll released last month, for example, found that a record-high number of U.S. adults now smoke marijuana, while cigarette smoking is at an all-time low.

Similarly, an analysis of federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data published last year showed that more Americans now use marijuana than smoke cigarettes amid shifting perceptions of harm of the two substances.

A study released last month found that people who consume cannabis-infused THC beverages end up drinking less alcohol.

Last year, a separate Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans remain in favor of legalizing marijuana but that support saw a slight dip from 2024—a trend that’s been “driven by Republicans” who are turning against the reform.

Source link

Regular cannabis users given legal access to regulated products through pharmacies are moving away from smoking and towards less harmful ways of taking cannabis, according to interim findings from a randomised trial led by researchers at the University of Bern.

The Safer Cannabis Research in Pharmacies Trial (SCRIPT) followed 1,177 regular cannabis users across Bern, Biel and Lucerne for six months. Researchers randomly split the group, with 588 given immediate access to buy regulated products from participating pharmacies while the remaining 589 carried on sourcing cannabis as they normally would, before gaining pharmacy access themselves at the six-month mark

The results show a significant shift in consumption patterns: In the group with pharmacy access, the proportion smoking cannabis dropped from 78% to 58% over six months. Meanwhile, the control group saw virtually no change, remaining at around 82%.

“The majority of study participants consumed cannabis exclusively by smoking at the start of the study,” the report states. “Over the course of six months, people with access to cannabis products in pharmacies switched more frequently to smoke-free forms of consumption or combined different forms of consumption, whilst hardly any changes were observed in the control group.”

Crucially, the study found no evidence that regulated pharmacy sales increase consumption frequency. Cannabis and tobacco use remained largely stable in both groups, suggesting that regulated access does not drive higher consumption rates.

The SCRIPT scheme is designed to test how cannabis consumers respond to stringent regulation. Participating pharmacies charge prices above illegal market rates, including a simulated tax of CHF 3-4 per gramme – representing 30-50% of the final sale price depending on THC content. This makes SCRIPT’s taxation the highest among Swiss cannabis pilot projects.

Products are sold in plain packaging with standardised health warnings, modelled on Canadian regulations. Monthly purchase limits are capped at 10g of THC, with a maximum of 2g per transaction. All products adhered to a 20% THC limit.

Professor Reto Auer, who led the study, explained that the approach positions SCRIPT on “the more regulated side” of cannabis policy. The study deliberately avoided competing with the illegal market through attractive pricing or marketing, instead focusing on harm reduction within strict regulatory boundaries.

Participating pharmacies reported high satisfaction with the new customers, describing them as “patient, friendly, open and well-informed”. Several pharmacy staff said their preconceptions about cannabis users had changed positively through direct contact.

Study participants also responded favourably to the pharmacy model. After six months, 87% found purchasing cannabis in pharmacies pleasant, 71% were satisfied with staff consultations, and 79% felt sufficient privacy was maintained.

Pharmacists provided counselling on study products and safer consumption methods. Some 71% of participants reported sharing harm reduction information with others in their social circles.

Cannabis flowers accounted for roughly 65% of all sales over the two-year period. E-liquids for vaping made up 21% of purchases, whilst cannabis resin represented 11% and tinctures just 3%.

The study also analysed 127 illegal market cannabis samples provided by participants. Results showed that self-reported THC estimates were wildly inaccurate – only one person correctly assessed their sample’s THC content out of 69 tested. Some participants underestimated by up to 24 percentage points, whilst others overestimated by a similar margin.

Nine samples tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids. Most illegal market cannabis was obtained through friends or known dealers (66%), with 14% from known dealers, 11% home-grown and 9% from unknown sources including street dealers and online.

The pilot continues until 2029, with pharmacy sales extended until 31/10/2028. Researchers plan to analyse long-term effects including changes in tobacco consumption, pneumological risk factors and the prevalence of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.

Professor Auer emphasised that whilst SCRIPT provides robust evidence about individual-level effects of regulated access, broader societal impacts – such as effects on non-users, youth, consumption norms or the illegal market – require additional data sources, including other Swiss pilot projects and international regulatory experiences.

The findings echo those from other Swiss cannabis trials, such as Zurich’s pharmacy-based pilot, Züri Can, where people reported high satisfaction with harm-reduction advice from sales staff after its first year.

Source link

Full-spectrum cannabis oil is associated with “favorable perceived quality of life and sleep satisfaction,” according to a new study of medical marijuana patients. Higher concentrations and longer treatments also seemed to produce “higher odds of better outcomes.”

Researchers at State University of Montes Claros conducted a cross-sectional observational survey involving 71 medical patients enrolled in Brazil’s medical marijuana program. Respondents included people who use marijuana for psychological conditions (37 percent), neurological disorders (21 percent) and chronic musculoskeletal pain (11 percent) that can contribute to sleep issues.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, found that the use of cannabis oil with a 3:1 THC-to-CBD ratio was linked to “positive correlations” between the “psychological domains of quality of life and sleep satisfaction.”

About half of patients reported using marijuana-derived preparations with concentrations of 6 percent, followed by 9 percent (20 percent of patients) and 3 percent (14 percent of patients). The participants were monitored by medical professionals throughout the treatment, with laboratory reviews and assessments of “medication concentration adequacy,” for example.

Notably, the researchers determined that higher cannabis oil concentrations and longer treatment durations were associated with “higher odds of better outcomes.”

“In a real-world clinical context, supervised use of full-spectrum medical Cannabis oil was associated with favorable patient-reported perceptions of quality of life and sleep, consistent with perceived effectiveness,” the study said. “These findings highlight the need for longitudinal studies with pre-treatment baseline assessment.”

To analyze the impact of medical marijuana, patients completed a version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire that asked about “physical, psychological, social relations and environment domains,” as well as an equivalent to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to determine “subjective and objective sleep components” over four weeks before the test was administered.

“A key finding was the relationship between sleep and wellbeing as an integrating axis, evidenced by the positive correlation between psychological domains [of the life quality survey] and sleep satisfaction,” the study authors said. “Consistent with prior evidence, systematic reviews and scoping reviews on cannabinoids and sleep indicate that subjective improvements are frequent but inconsistent, varying substantially according to population, metabolite, dose, ratio of cannabinoids, and route of administration.”

The study findings are “consistent with the hypothesis that cannabinoid interventions may influence wellbeing through direct and indirect pathways (sleep, relaxation, anxiety reduction, and symptom modulation), beyond the primary control of a target symptom,” they wrote.

“In summary, the results suggest that, in supervised clinical practice, patients using full-spectrum THC and CBD rich oil reported favorable perceived quality of life and sleep satisfaction. However, given the cross-sectional design and the absence of pre-treatment assessment, these findings reflect self-reported perceptions rather than evidence of treatment efficacy, and causal interpretation is not warranted. Future longitudinal studies, with pre-treatment assessment, systematic follow-up, and more detailed product characterization, are needed to clarify mechanisms, responding subgroups, and the risk-benefit balance of prolonged use, especially in products with higher THC content.”

The study reaffirms some of the best-studied health impacts of cannabis. That is, it has been shown to hels people sleep and feel physical and psychological symptom relief.

For example, research published earlier this summer found that a cup of tea infused with marijuana before going to bed can lead to a better night’s sleep and an overall improved sense of happiness in life.

“The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in happiness levels between pre-experimental and post-experimental groups, indicating that cannabis-infused tea had a positive effect on participants’ well-being,” the study, published in the Journal of Health Science and Medical Research, found.

A study of adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages that was published earlier this year, for example, found evidence of a “substitution effect,” with a significant majority of participants reporting reduced alcohol use after incorporating cannabinoid drinks into their routines. It also identified improvements in overall wellbeing and sleep, as well as reductions in pain, stress, depression and anxiety.

A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that about 2 in 3 Americans who use marijuana say it improves their sleep.

Separate research involving more than 3,500 patients showed that using medical marijuana appears to help people reduce the use of medications, including sleeping aids. They also experience far fewer negative side effects after switching to cannabis from prescription drugs.

A 2025 study on the use of medical marijuana by older patients—age 50 and above—concluded that “cannabis seemed to be a safe and effective treatment” for sleep disorders, pain and other conditions.

About 16 percent of Americans aged 21 and older say they use cannabis as a sleep aid, according to a separate industry-backed survey from last year. That makes marijuana more popular for sleep than prescription sleep aids (12 percent) or alcohol (11 percent), but still not quite as common as using supplements (26 percent) or over-the-counter sleep aids (19 percent).

A pair of 2024 studies found that both older medical marijuana patients as well as people with fibromyalgia reported that cannabis improved their sleep.

A different study that year from the retirement group AARP found that marijuana use by older people in the U.S. has nearly doubled, with better sleep as among the most frequently cited reasons.

Another industry-backed survey last year found that an oral CBD solution effectively treated mild to moderate anxiety, as well as associated depression and poor sleep quality, with no serious adverse events observed.

A study published in 2024, meanwhile, found that using marijuana before sleep has minimal if any effect on a range of performance measures the next day, including simulated driving, cognitive and psychomotor function tasks, subjective effects and mood.

In 2023, a federally funded study found that people with anxiety experienced better quality sleep on days when they used marijuana compared to days when they used alcohol or nothing at all.

Separate studies in 2019, meanwhile, found that fewer people purchased over-the-counter (OTC) sleep medications when they had legal access to cannabis and that many adult-use consumers at the time said they used marijuana for the same reasons medical cannabis patients did: to help with pain and sleep.

Source link

Federally legalizing marijuana would generate $57.9 billion in new tax revenue over a decade, according to a new Yale University analysis—and additional states also moving to legalize cannabis would nearly double that haul.

The report, from the university’s Budget Lab, notes that the “cannabis market has grown into a substantial economic sector” but caveats that there is an “unusual degree of uncertainty” about the fiscal projections, however, given the “complicated legal context” of marijuana.

“Marijuana presents an appealing target for taxation,” the Yale analysis says, noting that it is considered by many policymakers to be “socially undesirable”—as is the case with alcohol and cigarettes.

“A tax levied specifically on marijuana could serve the dual purposes of discouraging use and raising revenue, thereby funding new public spending or replacing taxes on socially desirable activities like work or savings,” it says.

Researchers projected that if cannabis were federally rescheduled and an excise tax of $0.00625 per mg of THC were applied, a gram of marijuana would be taxed at $1.31. “At an average price of $8.59 per gram of marijuana, this tax would amount to about a 15% increase in the tax-inclusive price,” the report says.

The tax would result in $57.9 billion in new revenue over the course of ten years, the researchers project, If all remaining states were to also legalize marijuana in their jurisdictions, the total haul would be $111.3 billion over a decade.

The Yale report bases its estimates on existing state tax revenue to determine that the recreational marijuana market was about $25 billion in 2024

“We project that, if the market continues to grow without federal legalization or any new states legalizing, the market will reach nearly $40 billion in 2035,” it says. “The medical segment, while more established, represents the smaller share of total activity at only about 20 percent. As such, the medical marijuana segment accounts for between $5 and $8 billion in sales each year from 2024-2035.”

Uncertainties underlying the revenue estimates include how much illicit activity would convert to the regulated market under legalization, as well as the effect of taxes on consumer purchases.

Legalization would also cause some cannabis workers who are not currently paying income and/or payroll taxes to begin doing so.

“Federal legalization would likely generate income and payroll tax revenue beyond that collected through the excise tax. Workers in the illicit cannabis economy—cultivators, trimmers, distributors, and retail-facing sellers—currently earn income that is neither reported to the IRS nor subject to FICA withholding, because their employers have no lawful basis for establishing formal employment relationships at the federal level. Federal legalization would bifurcate this formerly invisible workforce into two distinct categories for tax purposes. Employees absorbed into licensed, formally structured cannabis firms—the multistate operators, vertically integrated cultivators, and dispensary chains that already operate in the state-legal market—would receive W-2 wages, generating both the employer and employee shares of FICA taxes as well as federal income tax withholding.”

People who own cannabis businesses would also enter into the tax system and be subject to self-employment taxes or federal income tax on net profit—”income streams that are currently entirely outside the federal tax base,” the report says.

“Federal legalization could result in a large-scale transfer of economic activity from the untaxed underground economy into the tax-compliant legal market,” the analysis says. “This shift holds implications for income and payroll tax revenue that is analytically distinct from, and additive to, the excise tax revenues. The scale of the illicit market that would be subject to this transition is substantial.”

Another piece of uncertainty that researchers did not attempt to account for in their calculations stems from the fact that federally legal marijuana businesses would be able to take advantage of tax deductions and credits that they are not eligible for in light of cannabis’s Schedule I status under the law known as 280E.

Despite the uncertainty, the report says, federal legalization would undoubtedly lead to new revenue.

“Federal legalization, by eliminating federal restrictions on banking access, interstate commerce, and formal employment relationships for many illicit operators, would reduce the structural advantages that sustain the black market and pull a meaningful share of that activity into the regulated economy,” the analysis says.

A separately recently published federal report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that states where marijuana is legal have generated nearly $15 billion in tax revenue from legal cannabis sales since late 2021.

Another report from the advocacy group the Marijuana Policy Project found that states have generated more than $28.4 billion in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales since the first markets launched over a decade ago.

Source link

Marijuana legalization might be a popular policy issue in recent polls, but most Americans don’t think cannabis itself is “cool,” according to a new survey. In fact, marijuana is considered less cool than things like sourdough bread, country music, math, word games and reading books.

The YouGov poll looked at public opinion on the subjective concept of coolness—with findings that might challenge conventional thinking. When it comes to a wide range of commodities and activities, marijuana stood out as a comparatively lame, falling near the bottom of the cool list despite being commonly associated with popular cultural figures, political movements and lifestyles.

If that comes as a surprise to people, they wouldn’t be alone. In a separate question in the new survey, respondents overrated how cool other people think marijuana is as compared to their own views.

Overall, just 36 percent of American adults described marijuana as cool, with 13 percent saying it is “very cool” and 23 percent grading it as “somewhat cool.” Another 10 percent weren’t sure, while 55 percent said cannabis isn’t cool—with 35 rating it as “not cool at all” and 20 percent believing it is “not very cool.”

The survey listed a total of 36 things or activities that respondents were tasked with rating on a coolness scale. Marijuana was was the fourth to last on that list, with just guns, sports betting and cryptocurrency considered less cool.

Perhaps as surprising as the relative un-coolness of cannabis were some of the items that ranked as significantly more cool. Among the picks that a majority of adults described as either very or somewhat cool were science (87 percent), outer space (83 percent), reading books (81 percent), tea (65 percent), math (59 percent), sourdough bread (59 percent), country music (56 percent) and avocados (51 percent).

Via YouGov.

“The results suggest the typical American is a bit of a square,” YouGov’s senior data journalist David Montgomery wrote. However, “there are many activities that Americans are less likely to consider cool than to think other people think are cool.”

To that point, the survey’s cannabis finding showed that it’s somewhat common for people to overestimate how cool other people view marijuana. Just over one-third of adults said they themselves think cannabis is cool, but the respondents on average said they expected about half of other people (49 percent) to regard it as cool.

Via YouGov.

The poll involved interviews with 2,236 U.S. adults from April 9-17, with a +/- 3 percentage point margin of error. That’s a relatively common margin for online surveys. But as Montgomery conceded, it’s worth noting that, in this poll, the adults who were asked to judge what’s cool and what’s not cool are also adults who voluntarily elected to take an online survey in the first place.

Meanwhile, a polling report from the Pew Research Center released in March found that Americans across every demographic—age, gender, religion and political affiliation—all agree that using marijuana is not morally wrong. However, Republicans are still twice as likely as Democrats to say consuming cannabis is a moral no-no.

Pew also released a poll last year that showed an overwhelming majority of Americans—nearly 9 in 10—support legalizing marijuana in some form.

An earlier Pew survey from 2024 separately highlighted views on the societal impacts of recreational legalization, and a majority (52 percent) said the reform is “good” for local economies. A 42 percent plurality additionally agreed that legalization would make the criminal justice system “more fair.”

Source link

Success is not realized by the efforts of a single person. Olympic athletes glean tips from their coaches, engineers study the work of their predecessors, and artists take inspiration from past visionaries. No matter the industry or practice, people need mentors and resources in order to hone their abilities and define their strategies.

The same idea applies to the cannabis industry, where everyone is still learning as they go. That includes legislators, who are faced with novel challenges in crafting fair and supportive regulations with limited national experience to guide them.

One of the many roles of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is to provide a welcoming and productive environment for all industry stakeholders to connect and learn from one another. One of the ways the organization accomplishes the goal is by hosting cannabis trade shows, which are not just about renting a venue, passing out invites, and letting the crowd mingle. For a truly impactful educational conference that leaves attendees with actionable insights they can apply to their own business, offering effective sessions and engaging the audience are imperative

How is that accomplished, exactly? It’s not as straightforward as you might think.

Collect feedback

First and foremost, conferences must be tailored to specific audiences. Similarly to how brands ask for customer feedback about products, smart conference producers solicit programming preferences from their attendees to ensure they are building timely and relevant agendas.

One simple way to gather information is to conduct surveys following an event. Questions might ask attendees what they thought was missing from the programming and what they would like to learn next. Their responses will help conference producers better tailor future agendas to what people seek, ensuring the same attendees will show up at the next event.

Of course, industry conversations don’t have to stop after a conference ends. Monthly or quarterly webinars can provide an ongoing source of information, especially within niche sectors. Encouraging viewers to chat, ask questions, and answer a brief survey following a broadcast may provide up-to-date information about the most pressing concerns and issues faced by businesses.

It’s crucial to listen to the target audience when building an event so the program will answer their most pertinent questions. Seeking input in advance removes the guesswork and provides concrete data for planning.

Seminars and networking

Educational conferences are meant to teach every participant new tricks. That means sessions must touch upon foundational topics as well as emerging trends. Every single agenda should cover the most basic topics when it comes to operating in the cannabis space. All first-time entrepreneurs have a lot to learn, from accounting best practices to accessing financial services to compliance tactics and consumer demographics. Often, the key to long-term success hinges on having a comprehensive understanding of operational nuances.

Foundational topics are always relevant, especially within the fast-changing cannabis industry. These subjects are a recurring problem for a majority of NCIA’s members, many of whom are seasoned professionals. Just because they aren’t high-level subjects doesn’t mean they aren’t important.

The other side of the coin is emerging trends, which are critical to help business owners and regulators adapt to this maturing space. Regulations constantly change, and new markets come online every few months. Business owners need to keep abreast of what’s coming down the line so they can make proactive decisions about their growth strategies.

Panels featuring real-world case studies or testimonials are often the most in-demand at cannabis trade shows, engaging, and impactful sessions. While audiences are always eager to learn from success stories, openly discussing mistakes and perceived failures can be even more informative for aspiring business owners. Providing balanced and comprehensive viewpoints can prevent entrepreneurs from repeating the mistakes of their predecessors and help everyone in the industry navigate an increasingly complex space.

Some of the most powerful sessions feature panelists with existing professional relationships. One of NCIA’s previous panels invited speakers from BDSA and Wana Brands to explain how to interpret consumer data to increase sales and improve business blueprints. Since they worked together previously, they were able to present case studies and actual experiences from their successful partnership. Sessions like these provide practical business advice and are incredibly valuable to attendees seeking battle-tested guidance.

It’s vital for all to hear firsthand from industry veterans who have been through the peaks and valleys of their careers. Events should bring together industry veterans, thought leaders, regulators, politicians, and other professionals working within and outside the industry; a robust program includes a perspective from every sector. Sometimes ideas can clash, but it’s important for people to see the point of view from where another leader stands.

This is true not just in building robust programming for cannabis trade shows, but also facilitating networking and establishing business-to-business relationships. Attendees might meet a future client or an ancillary company that could streamline their supply chain down the line. Business owners get the chance to see regulators as real humans rather than an anonymous regulatory body, and regulators have the opportunity to engage meaningfully with business owners about current industry challenges.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

In the rapidly maturing cannabis space, curating panels with diverse representation is especially important. Minority business owners, in particular, as well as women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, have encountered significantly more hurdles to breaking into the industry than other entrepreneurs. It’s essential for their unique challenges and experiences to be heard and recognized by those who wield the most decision-making power in the industry.

Speaker diversity extends into geographical location as well. Without federal legislation in place, every single U.S. cannabis market is beholden to distinct regulations, demographics, and social attitudes. Newer markets, particularly regulators from these states, can gain an abundance of insight from the experiences of leaders in more mature markets.

Ultimately, organizers of cannabis trade shows have a responsibility to empower attendees to share their expertise. Each event must cultivate a collaborative and encouraging culture in order to leave audiences feeling fulfilled.

It’s no secret cannabis isn’t an easy landscape to navigate. The onus now is on more seasoned stakeholders to share their roadmaps to success with new entrants. Robust educational sessions at conferences can help us build that map, especially when they are designed with inclusion and functionality in mind. 

Brooke Gilbert is the director of events and education at the National Cannabis Industry Association, where she develops the organization’s event calendar and educational programming in addition to managing more than fifty networking, advocacy, and educational events annually. Prior to joining NCIA, she served as outreach and events coordinator for Americans for Safe Access, where she facilitated the organization’s first national conference, the National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference, in 2012.

Source link

Vaporizing marijuana releases far fewer harmful chemicals than smoking joints does, according to a new study.

“These results demonstrate that combustion—not cannabis itself—is the primary driver of harmful inhalation byproducts, and that controlled vaporization can significantly reduce exposure to these compounds,” the study conducted and self-published by the vape device company PAX found.

Lighting marijuana on fire through smoking releases a number of harmful or potentially harmful compounds (HPHCs)—including benzene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Vaporization, in contrast, heats cannabis to below the point of combustion while still releasing cannabinoids and terpenes.

The research—conducted by Richard Rucker, who serves as PAX’s director of product integrity, and Derek Shiokari, a senior chemist and data scientist at the company—compared aerosol generated by PAX’s dry herb vaporization device (FLOW) and its oil vaporization device (TRIP) with smoke from combusted marijuana joints.

The team compared levels of 16 HPHCs between the methods of consumption, all using the same batch of ground Lemon Cake Batter cannabis from Humboldt Farms.

“Across all measured analytes, vaporization reduced harmful byproducts by up to 99% compared to joint smoke,” they concluded.

Via PAX.

“Combustion produces harmful byproducts—whether it’s tobacco, wood or cannabis,” Rucker said in a press release. “By heating cannabis without burning it, vaporization significantly reduces the formation of these toxic compounds. It’s the same plant, but completely different exposure. This research helps quantify the difference, giving consumers clearer information about how their choices impact exposure.”

When cannabis is lit on fire via smoking, its components like cannabinoids, terpenes, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates experience thermal degradation and oxidation. That leads to the formation of particulate matter and generates additional compounds such as volatile organic compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen-containing compounds, among others, the study said.

“Combustion of cannabis plant material produces a complex aerosol containing numerous harmful byproducts generated through pyrolysis and oxidation. Under matched puffing conditions, vaporization of cannabis flower reduced exposure to these harmful compounds by up to 99% compared with joint smoke. These findings demonstrate that combustion is the primary source of toxic chemical exposure during cannabis smoking, and that vaporization technologies can substantially reduce formation of these byproducts.”

“Across the sixteen quantified HPHCs, vapor aerosol contained up to 99% lower concentrations compared with joint smoke,” the paper concluded. “These results demonstrate dramatic reductions in key combustion markers including aromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes.”

Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.

Source link

Marijuana sales are increasing as purchases of alcohol are declining, according to a new federal report from the Canadian government.

Retailers in the country sold C$5.5 billion worth of legal recreational cannabis products in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, Statistics Canada reported, representing a 6.1 percent increase from the previous annual period.

Meanwhile, alcohol purchases were down 1.6 percent year over year, a dip that occurred despite a 1.6 increase in retail alcohol prices. The resulting decline in government revenue “was the largest annual decrease since Statistics Canada began tracking this series in 2004/2005,” the federal agency said.

While the C$25.8 billion worth of alcoholic beverages sold in the fiscal year still outpaces marijuana’s total, the two data points represent a trend where consumers are switching away from beer, wine and liquor toward cannabis, which is increasingly viewed as a safer alternative.

Even as marijuana sales in Canada increased in the last fiscal year, growth slowed, however, from the 11.6 percent increase in 2023-2024 and the 15.8 percent bump from 2022-2023. Still, the overall rise in cannabis purchase totals came even as prices dropped 1.1 percent over the last year.

Within the cannabis sector, inhaled extracts were the fastest growing product category in the most recent year, the government report, which was noted earlier by ICBC, said.

“The market share of inhaled extracts continued to increase in 2024/2025, up to almost one-third of total sales (31.1%),” it said. “Solid cannabis edibles (-2.2%) was the lone cannabis category with a sales decline in 2024/2025.”

Overall, cannabis sales during the fiscal year were equivalent to C$167 per person of legal age to consume marijuana.

A separate recent study funded by the Canadian government found that alcohol and tobacco cause far more harms to people who consume them, and to society overall, than marijuana does.

The findings about relative harms of different substances may help explain why alcohol consumption has been gradually declining over recent years, and why multiple surveys and studies have indicated that more adults are opting for marijuana.

For example, recent polling shows that younger Americans are increasingly using cannabis-infused beverages as a substitute for alcohol—with one in three millennials and Gen Z workers choosing THC drinks over booze for after-work activities like happy hours.

Another survey released last October found that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol. And most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years.

Smoking marijuana is also associated with “significantly” reduced rates of alcohol consumption, according to a recent federally funded study that involved adults smoking joints in a makeshift bar.

A study published in 2024 that looked at adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages found more evidence of a “substitution effect,” with a significant majority of participants reporting reduced alcohol use after incorporating cannabinoid drinks into their routines.

Meanwhile, as the Trump administration considers moving marijuana out of Schedule I, the most restrictive category under U.S. federal law, another recent study concluded that cannabis isn’t as dangerous as its current classification would suggest.

Source link