canna FACTS
More Dispensaries Means Less Opioid Deaths
Increasing access to cannabis dispensaries is associated with a significant reduction in opioid-related deaths , according to a new study . “ Higher medical and recreational storefront dispensary counts are associated with reduced opioid-related death rates , particularly deaths associated with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl ,” says the paper , published in the British Medical Association ’ s journal BMJ . Researchers looked at opioid mortality and cannabis dispensary prevalence in 23 U . S . states from 2014 to 2018 and found that , overall , counties where the number of legal marijuana shops increased from one to two experienced a 17 percent reduction in opioid-related fatalities . Increasing the dispensary count from two to three was linked to an additional 8.5 percent decrease in opioid deaths . Further , the study found this trend “ appeared particularly strong for deaths associated with synthetic opioids other than methadone , with an estimated 21 percent reduction in mortality rates associated with an increase from one to two dispensaries .”
Amsterdam Considers Banning ‘ Coffee-Shop ’ Tourism
Amsterdam has long been a haven for cannabis users around the world . But the mayor doesn ’ t want the city to become known only as “ a place of soft drugs tourism .” Tourists ’ plans to enter Amsterdam ’ s famous “ coffee shops ” after the pandemic may go up in smoke as Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema considers banning foreigners from entering the shops . Halsema says many of the everincreasing-number of tourists to Amsterdam were there simply to consume cannabis in the euphemistically named “ coffee shops ” and had become a problem for locals . “ Amsterdam is an international city and we wish to attract tourists , but we would like them to come for its richness , its beauty , and its cultural institutions ,” says Halsema . Technically , it ’ s illegal to consume cannabis in the country , but possession of fewer than five grams ( 0.18 ounces ) was decriminalized in 1976 . In principle , only Dutch residents can purchase cannabis in so-called “ coffee shops ,” but there is an exception for the 166 shops in Amsterdam .
CBD Affects Men and Women Differently
CBD affects men and women differently according to recent studies . Women may be more likely to use it to alleviate pain , sleep difficulties , anxiety and other health issues , according to Amy Abernethy , a top official with the Food and Drug Administration . “ We recognize there are significant knowledge gaps ” around CBD , says Abernethy , the agency ’ s principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs . Areas the FDA may explore include dosage levels , pregnancy and lactation , and whether pregnant women are more likely to develop a dependence on CBD . Rebecca Craft , a professor of psychology at Washington State University , carried out a study using rats . Her studies concluded females are initially more sensitive to the effects of cannabis due to the raised levels of estrogen in their body compared to males . Conversely , women developed tolerance levels faster . Craft also noted women are more likely to show severe withdrawal effects than men . However , men are more likely to get the munchies .
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