canna FACTS
Apple Helps Cannabis Users Track Interactions with Meds
The latest version of Apple ’ s iPhone software gives users an option to track medications and learn about possible drug interactions with other substances — including cannabis . As the cannabis legalization movement has evolved , the technology giant has been revising policies over the years that generally align with the normalization of cannabis . The latest example is the iOS 16 update to Apple ’ s Health app . Users can tell the app if they use alcohol , cannabis , or tobacco to search for “ potential interactions between medications on your list .” A footnote on Apple ’ s press release about the Health app update says the medication and interaction information “ is evidence-based content licensed from Elsevier , a leading publisher of health and science information .” While marijuana remains federally illegal , there have been several studies published over the years suggesting cannabis could interact with pharmaceuticals like warfarin . According to
drugs . com , there are nearly 400 “ known ” interactions between prescribed medicines and marijuana , 26 of which it categorizes as “ major .”
WADA Keeps Weed on Banned Substances List
The World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) has decided to keep cannabis on the list of banned substances for international athletes following a scientific review and a determination that cannabis use “ violates the spirit of sport .” Advocates strongly urged WADA to enact a reform after U . S . runner Sha ’ Carri Richardson was suspended from participating in Olympic events due to a positive THC test in 2021 . In response , WADA carried out a review of cannabis , but the executive committee has now decided to maintain the prohibition . “ The question of how THC should be dealt with in a sporting context is not straightforward ,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli acknowledged . “ We are also conscious that the laws of many countries — as well as broad international regulatory laws and policies — support maintaining cannabis on the list at this time .” Whether a substance should be banned depends on if it meets at least two of three criteria WADA uses in its evaluation — including a subjective finding that a substance “ violates the spirit of sport ” under its code .
Unlocking Cannabis ’ s Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Cannabis has long been accredited with anti-inflammatory properties . Researchers , however , have now discovered it is not only the familiar psychoactive substances that are responsible for this ; a compound we consume in vegetable nutriment also plays a significant role . Researchers from ETH Zurich and Bonn University examined a component in the plant ’ s essential oil that until then had largely been ignored and found it to have remarkable pharmacological effects . The findings open up interesting perspectives , especially for the prevention and treatment of inflammations . In the human body , CB2 receptors in the tissue plays a crucial role in inhibiting inflammation . If the receptor is activated , the cell releases fewer pro-inflammatory signal substances , or cytokines . Scientists have now discovered the substance beta-carophyllene , which composes between 12 and 35 percent of the cannabis plant ’ s essential oil , activates the CB2 receptor selectively . Mice that were suffering from an inflammatory swelling on their paws received orally administered doses of the substance . The swelling declined in up to 70 percent of the animals .
16 Maximum Yield