It’s 2018, and the smoke is clearing out of the way for Jessica VerSteeg. The 30-year-old Dutch-Puerto Rican model and former Miss Iowa beauty queen (as well as one-time Amazing Race contestant) also happens to be the CEO of Paragon, a first-in-class blockchain platform built for the cannabis industry. Paragon offers everything from a cryptocurrency (ParagonCoin, traded as ... Continue Reading
opioid
Can Marijuana Help Wean People Off Opioids?
Cannabis helps deal with chronic pain. But can it wean addicts away from opioids? This post from Leafly reviews the possibility of cannabis being used to treat painkiller and heroin addiction. The growing number of patients who claim marijuana helped them drop their painkiller habit has intrigued lawmakers and emboldened advocates, who are pushing for cannabis as a treatment ... Continue Reading
Isn’t Each One of Us a Drug User?
The sooner we accept the reality that each one of us is a drug user, the sooner we’ll look at those who struggle with drug misuse from a place of compassion. This post from Drug Policy Alliance puts forward the case for ending the decades-old failed war on drugs. Who can honestly say that they don’t use drugs? I’m not necessarily talking about illegal drugs, like marijuana ... Continue Reading
Medical Marijuana as Opioid Substitute – What the Doctors Say
Some doctors see medical marijuana as an opioid substitute that can help opioid addicts kick their habit, but others vary from being wary to downright skeptical of the theory. This post from Boston Herald reports how doctors are reacting to medical marijuana as a substitution therapy. Hundreds of opioid addicts are being treated with medical marijuana in Massachusetts, with ... Continue Reading
STUDY: The Analgesic Potential of Cannabinoids
ABSTRACT: Historically and anecdotally cannabinoids have been used as analgesic agents. In recent years, there has been an escalating interest in developing cannabis-derived medications to treat severe pain. This review provides an overview of the history of cannabis use in medicine, cannabinoid signaling pathways, and current data from preclinical as well as clinical ... Continue Reading