May 31st Highlights

• The wonders of psychedelic compounds - A beautiful excerpt from Franz X. Vollenweider, recent years have seen a burgeoning scientific interest in the neurobiology of altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelic drugs (e.g. such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT), also driven by renewed and growing evidence of their beneficial clinical effects in some psychiatric disorders. At the core of the psychedelic experience is the dissolution of the phenomenological self or ego alongside a feeling of oneness and unity with all that exists, and a sense that one’s everyday identity has dissolved into a timeless “ultimate” reality. 
• A fascinating note on the impact of cannabis on farmers - Cannabis is now a major cash crop in Canada. Statistics Canada said that cannabis accounted for about $2.3 billion in farm cash receipts in 2019, up from $564 million the prior year. Cannabis farm receipts are now about one-quarter of what farmers receive for canola, the country's largest crop. An iPolitics report said that cannabis sales helped to increase farmers' realized net income for the first time in three years, and there are now concerns from agricultural advocates that legal cannabis is stricken from industry calculations as agriculture usually consists of food and fiber products. Over the past 10 weeks, I’ve thought several times about the benefit of tax revenue generated by cannabis legalisation post-COVID-19. In New Zeland, if the measure passes for legal cannabis sales, it could bring the country as much as $490 million annually, according to a new report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER). This estimate is based on the 25 percent cannabis tax rate proposed in the new legislation, in combination with the country's standard sales tax. Material references from source and source
• Cannabis and memory - Truly facilitating, a recent study looked at behavioral measures of learning and memory in young vs. old mice. In each age group, some mice received a constant, daily dose of THC for 28 days, while others served as controls (they didn’t receive THC). After their 28-day treatment, their learning and memory abilities were assessed. There was no THC in their system during the assessment. The question was how learning and memory were affected after chronic THC exposure. It turned out that old mice responded differently to chronic THC compared to young mice. Old mice did better on learning and memory tests if they had a 28-day THC treatment beforehand. The behavior of old mice that had a chronic THC treatment looked like the behavior of young mice without a THC treatment. Article reference 
• Despite COVID-19, cannabis remains a hit - Canadian cannabis sales soared in March as consumers stocked up on recreational pot amid supply concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics Canada said Friday Canadians bought $181 million worth of cannabis in March, up 19.2 per cent from the prior month, marking one of the biggest monthly jumps since recreational pot was legalized in October 2018. Data sourced from reference

The Future of Medical Cannabis w Dr. Dedi Meiri and Adam Miller - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology 

Mind Medicine Australia announces first in Southern Hemisphere – Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies 

Two-year-old with severe epilepsy makes a remarkable recovery thanks to controversial treatment 

Study finds cannabinoid plays key role in PTSD and ‘fear extinction’ 

Legalising cannabis could bring New Zealand $500 million in annual tax revenue 

Cann Group to supply medicinal cannabis products to EU and UK  

Tasmanian Alkaloids to make Zelira Therapeutics’ insomnia and HOPE products 

MGC Pharmaceuticals receives ethics approval for CannEpil trial 

National leader Todd Muller signals cannabis legislation will have his support if New Zealand votes 'yes'