Tag: medical marijuana

Hawaii Senate Passes Bill To Let Doctors Recommend Medical Marijuana For Any Condition They See Fit

Senators in Hawaii on Wednesday gave approval to a medical marijuana bill that would, among other changes, allow healthcare providers to recommend cannabis to treat any condition they believe it would benefit.

The full Senate chamber voted 24–1 to approve HB 302, from Rep. Gregg Takayama (D).

As introduced, the proposal would clarify that under state law, a medical marijuana recommendation would no longer need to be made by a doctor who had conducted “an initial in-person consultation” with a patient.

Last month, however, a pair of Senate committees amended the bill to effectively allow medical marijuana to be recommended for any condition that a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) believes it would benefit. Currently providers can recommend marijuana to treat only those maladies on a specific state list.

The provision would redefine “debilitating medical condition” to mean “any condition determined by the certifying physician or advanced practice registered nurse to be appropriate for the medical use of cannabis.”

That would open the door to wider access for patients who might have conditions that stand to benefit from medical marijuana but whose ailments haven’t been specifically recognized by state officials.

Senate lawmakers did not discuss the bill ahead of Tuesday’s vote. The lone no vote came from Sen. Brenton Awa (R).

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Florida Lawmakers Vote To Exempt Military Veterans From Medical Marijuana Registration Fees

A newly amended Florida bill would allow military veterans to skip the state registration fee for medical marijuana cards and obtain the certifications for free.

The bill, HB 555, was filed in February by Rep. Alex Andrade (R) and originally would have made more significant changes to the state’s existing medical cannabis program, for example allowing home cultivation as well as reciprocity for out-of-state patients. But on Thursday, the House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee advanced a two-page substitute bill that instead would make only small changes to the program.

First, the measure would change how often patients need to renew their medical marijuana cards, from the current annual process to once every two years.

Second, it would also waive the $75 registration and renewal fees for veterans, specifying that the state “may not charge a fee for the issuance, replacement, or renewal of an identification card for a qualified patient who is a veteran.”

Veterans would need to include their discharge form (DD 214) along with their applications.

“It certainly does help in the medical marijuana space, and it certainly helps veterans,” Rep. Michelle Salzman (R) said at Thursday’s hearing, according to a report by Action News Jax.

Jodi James, with the Florida Cannabis Action Network, told the publication that the group is “really excited about making medicine more available to people on a fixed income, and particularly our veterans.”

Rep. Lavon Bracy Davis (D) told Florida Politics: “I love this bill.”

If HB 555 becomes law, the changes would take effect July 1.

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An Ointment With The Marijuana Components CBD And CBG Can Effectively Treat Symptoms Of Eczema, Study Shows

Authors of a new report on cannabinoids and atopic dermatitis—also called eczema—say their study demonstrated that an ointment including cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) was “effective in reducing itching and improving the quality of life of patients…leading to symptom remission in some cases.”

Published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, the original research looked a number of metrics of skin health, including hydration sebum level and pH, in nine adult patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (AD).

The transdermal ointment was used as an alternative “to conventional auxiliary therapies during both flare-ups and remission” from May to July 2022, the team wrote. “The results we achieved included improved skin hydration, sebum level, and TEWL [water loss] as well as reduced erythema [redness] in the studied areas (forearms).”

AD, or eczema, “is the most common, chronic, and relapsing non-contagious inflammatory skin condition,” authors noted.

The ointment itself consisted of 30 percent CBD, 5 percent CBG, hemp seed oil and cholesterol. Patients were instructed to “apply a generous layer of the ointment to the same site (the forearms) once daily before sleep and to cover the area with a wet wrap dressing to enhance its effectiveness and protect bedsheets,” the report says.

Photos and other metrics observed a marked improvement in skin appearance and health over a three-month period. Authors wrote that their preliminary analysis of the results “showed that the topical delivery of the ointment compounded with Cannabis Sativa L. var. sativa oil, cholesterol ointment, 30% CBD, and 5% CBG led to the remission of skin lesions on the forearms of the included patients.”

Patients who better adhered to the treatment regimen, they added, demonstrated greater improvement.

“In the course of the therapy, patients adhering to the topical cannabinoid regimen achieved satisfactory skin parameters, including normal hydration and sebum levels, as well as improved TEWL and erythema,” the study says, “as opposed to patients who reported failure to comply with the regimen owing to the fatty texture of the formulation, despite the instructions they received.”

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Trump’s New White House Drug Czar Called Medical Marijuana A ‘Fantastic’ Treatment For Cancer Patients

President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as the next White House drug czar has called medical marijuana a “fantastic” treatment option for seriously ill patients and said she doesn’t have a “problem” with legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy.

Trump picked Sara Carter, a journalist known for her coverage of drug cartels, to serve as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The president said Carter has “been on the front lines of this International Fight for decades” and ” will lead the charge to protect our Nation.”

Given the role of ONDCP director in setting and carrying out the administrative agenda on drug policy issues, the fact that Carter has gone on the record enthusiastically endorsing medical cannabis will likely be welcome news for advocates amid the Senate confirmations of officials with a mixed bag of marijuana records.

Under longstanding federal statute, the drug czar is prohibited from endorsing the legalization of Schedule I drugs in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), including marijuana.

“The Director…shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 812 of this title and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that— (A) is listed in schedule I of section 812 of this title; and (B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Trump himself has previously expressed support for medical cannabis, as well as rescheduling of marijuana under federal law.

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GOP Senator Paints Dire Picture Of Medical Marijuana Legalization In His State, Saying Voters Didn’t Understand ‘Consequences’

U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said at an event on Friday that voters in his home state didn’t understand what they were doing when they legalized medical marijuana in 2018.

Pointing to a new report from the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, which covers north Texas and Oklahoma, Lankford said the state has been overrun by growers and dispensaries and has “seen rising crime, human trafficking [and] illegal migration coming into our state” since the law took effect.

Although citizens voted in favor of medical marijuana legalization, he said, “I don’t think a lot of Oklahomans realized, when that vote actually occurred, what the consequences of that would be.”

The senator’s comments are in keeping with criticisms that Republican politicians in Oklahoma have levied against medical marijuana for years. In 2022, for example, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) similarly suggested that state residents misunderstood the cannabis initiative they voted to enact.

Stitt said at the time that he was directing law enforcement to “crack down hard on the black market,” adding that “drug cartels, organized crime, foreign bad actors have no place in the state of Oklahoma.”

But in comments on Friday, Lankford—a longtime critic of legalization—painted a dire picture of what’s happening in the state.

“The findings that are coming out are stark,” he said of the new HIDTA report. “We have Chinese criminal organizations and organized crime that has moved in to Oklahoma in just the last six years, in numbers that have skyrocketed.”

That’s led to what he described as “execution-style murders in rural areas of the state” that are connected “directly to marijuana grows and what is happening here on the ground.”

“We, as a state, have to decide what we’re going to do about it,” the federal lawmaker said. “We have hard decisions to be able to make on what we’re going to do to be able to protect our kids in the days ahead… This is a very serious issue that we need to be able to take on and to be able to address.”

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CBD-Rich Cannabis Offers ‘Potential Benefits’ For People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Scientific Review Finds

A new review of scientific research on the use of marijuana’s components to treat autism spectrum disorder (ASD) finds that “preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits,” including improvements around anxiety, sleep and behavior. But more work—especially randomized controlled trials—are needed “to confirm these results and establish clear treatment guidelines,” authors said.

“Preliminary findings suggest that CBD-rich formulations may provide modest benefits for sleep and social interaction, with a reduction in anxiety symptoms,” says the peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Cureus. “Regarding core ASD symptoms and behavioral outcomes, cannabinoids demonstrated greater efficacy compared to placebo in some studies.”

Researchers also acknowledged that “adverse events varied” among patients, and “response to treatment was inconsistent across individuals,” underscoring the need for further study.

“While cannabinoids, particularly CBD-rich formulations, appear to be relatively safe and potentially beneficial,” the new paper says, “further large-scale, controlled trials comparing CBD to established ASD treatments are essential to clarify its role and long-term impact in ASD management.”

The 13-person team behind the new study includes researchers from various hospitals and universities in Brazil.

Overall, they wrote, “While preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits, particularly for anxiety, sleep, and behavior, the findings remain inconclusive due to study heterogeneity and methodological limitations.”

For the analysis, authors looked at seven studies involving 494 patients, focusing on “key clinical outcomes, such as sleep, autistic core symptoms, anxiety, behavior, social effects, and adverse events.”

“Improvements were noted in anxiety, sleep quality, social effects, and behavior, although these findings varied across studies,” they concluded. “Importantly, adverse events were generally mild and occurred at similar rates in cannabinoid and placebo groups, supporting the intervention’s safety profile.”

Studies also indicated “a slight improvement” in sleep quality, while “autistic core symptoms showed positive responses” the report says. “Some studies also reported reductions in hyperactivity, agitation, self-injurious behavior, and epilepsy, along with improvements in communication skills, attention, and eye contact.”

Drowsiness was the most common side effect, followed by decreased appetite, weight loss, anxiety and restlessness.

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Nebraska Bill To Implement Voter-Passed Medical Marijuana Law Awaits Changes Ahead Of Committee Vote

The legislative committee mulling how to help implement Nebraska’s voter-led medical cannabis laws awaits an amendment before lawmakers vote on whether to advance the bill.

Legislative Bill 677, from state Sen. Ben Hansen (R-Blair), seeks to help carry out the overwhelming voter approval to legalize and regulate medical cannabis in the state last fall. His bill would create a regulatory structure for licensing and detail how patients or caregivers could become registered to obtain up to five ounces of physician-recommended cannabis at one time.

State Sen. Rick Holdcroft (R-Bellevue), chair of the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee, said last week that he and seven other committee members were awaiting a final amendment that could help the currently deadlocked committee decide whether to advance the bill.

“The people have spoken, and we need to put in place the best possible regulatory structure,” Holdcroft told the Nebraska Examiner.

Hansen has said one key change in his amendment would be tracking medical cannabis through the state’s prescription drug monitoring program, similar to the process for opioids. At least nine states use a local prescription drug monitoring program to carry out local medicinal cannabis laws.

The Blair senator has also voiced support for defining a “qualifying medical condition” for which a health care practitioner may recommend the drug and requiring that a physician be required to be appointed to one of the two at-large spots on the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission charged with regulating and implementing the laws.

The new commission automatically includes the three commissioners of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. Under current law, the governor has the option to appoint two more members.

‘The people have spoken’

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CBD Mouthwash Helps Reduce Oral Inflammation And Prevent Plaque Biofilms, Study Finds

Newly published research suggests that mouthwash containing cannabidiol (CBD) and another botanical extract could be a useful tool for promoting oral health, controlling bacteria and reducing inflammation.

The report, published late last month in the journal Clinical Advances in Dental Medicine and Oral Health, involved 40 patients using a mouthwash containing tea tree oil, CBD oil and spilanthol, a fatty acid extracted from the Acmella oleracea plant. Authors noted growing interest in CBD and spilanthol as natural ingredients in mouthwash products.

Compared to a mouthwash containing only tea tree oil, the CBD-infused product was significantly more effective at reducing plaque buildup and oral bleeding—chief symptoms of gingivitis.

Researchers also found that the CBD/spilanthol mouthwash maintained “homeostasis of the oral microbiome, thereby reducing the levels of bacteria that can affect periodontal health.”

The findings stand to benefit more than just oral health, authors noted, writing that inflammation in the mouth “has been demonstrated to correlate with the health status of the entire organism.”

“Prolonged, unaddressed inflammation, instigated by plaque bacteria and their interaction with the host immune system,” the paper says, “results in the deterioration of the supporting tissues of the teeth, as well as elevated levels of inflammatory mediators, which in turn, increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and complications during pregnancy.”

In the study, participants who had oral inflammation and demonstrated what’s called “bleeding while probing” (BOP) showed a “significant reduction in BOP index values,” researchers observed.

They noted that CBD and spilanthol share characteristics that appear to help address oral inflammation and bleeding.

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Idaho Lawmakers Hold Hearing On Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana

Jeremy Kitzhaber, a U.S. Air Force veteran, held up a blue lunch bag to a committee of Idaho lawmakers on Monday that he uses to store the drugs meant to soothe his pain, including hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone.

Kitzhaber has a rare type of stage four cancer that he developed while transporting radioactive and hazardous materials in the military. He can take those strong opioids at any point in the day—in addition to the drugs he takes to keep his cancer from growing and manage his bowel movement and anxiety. However, the one drug he cannot legally take is marijuana.

Idaho has some of the strictest laws against any kind of marijuana usage, but an informational hearing held in the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee opened the discussion for Kitzhaber to advocate for a bill to legalize medical marijuana for Idahoans living with chronic pain and answer lawmakers’ questions about what legalizing marijuana would look like in Idaho.

Kitzhaber has been working on legislation to legalize marijuana for six years, and this year, Reps. Ilana Rubel (D-Boise), and Jordan Redman (R-Coeur d’Alene), named House Bill 401, or the “Sgt. Kitzhaber Medical Cannabis Act,” after him. The sponsors introduced it as a personal bill, meaning it has no chance of advancing this session and is intended to send a message.

What would medical marijuana look like in Idaho?

Unlike most of its neighboring states, marijuana is recreationally and medically illegal in Idaho.

During the 2025 legislative session alone, lawmakers passed at least two pieces of legislation aimed to restrict marijuana usage in Idaho. This includes a bill signed by the governor and set to take effect July 1 to implement a $300 minimum fine for individuals found possessing less than three ounces marijuana.

Another piece of legislation passed in both chambers is a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that, if approved by voters, would make it so that only the Idaho Legislature has the power to legalize marijuana and other narcotics.

House Bill 401 is modeled after Utah’s legislation, Rubel told the committee, who said Idaho lawmakers should at some point consider this type of legislation.

The bill would move marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II controlled substance. It would allow medical practitioners to give medical cannabis cards to patients who are at least 21 years old and diagnosed with qualifying conditions such as cancer, ALS, AIDS, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating illnesses. The card would be valid for up to one year, and renewal must be sought after.

Under the bill, individuals with medical cannabis cards would not be subject to prosecution for certain amounts of marijuana possession.

“The bill does not legalize cannabis, it only decriminalizes it,” Kitzhaber said.

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Medical Marijuana Is ‘A Cost-Effective Adjunctive Therapy’ For PTSD, New Study Shows

A newly published study on cannabis as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) finds that medical marijuana—especially non-flower formulations—”represent a cost-effective adjunctive therapy for moderate PTSD under various reimbursement scenarios.”

The findings indicate that given certain assumptions about the efficacy and cost of medical cannabis for PTSD, it would be worthwhile for health insurance providers and other healthcare payors to include coverage of marijuana alongside other standard forms of treatment.

“This article suggests that, for the vast majority of types of products, there is pretty solid evidence that medical cannabis is cost-effective,” lead author Mitchell Doucette told Marijuana Moment, “meaning that…adding these items to [patients’] drug formulary would be advantageous for not only the patient—because of the lowering of the cost—but also advantageous for health insurance.”

The study, published in the journal Clinical Drug Investigation, says that products such as edibles, oral solutions and tablets “consistently demonstrated cost-effectiveness” under a standard model of insurers’ willingness to pay.

The five-person research team from Leafwell, a company that helps patients obtain medical cannabis cards, drew on efficacy findings from a 2022 study on the efficacy of marijuana for PTSD as well as prices from Curaleaf, one of the largest multi-state cannabis operators in the country.

“Our findings suggest that medical cannabis may be a cost-effective adjunct to standard care for patients with moderate PTSD,” authors wrote, “particularly when payor reimbursement partially or fully offsets treatment costs.”

As nearly all patients in the U.S. have discovered, health plans don’t always cover full medical costs. Medical marijuana patients currently pay for cannabis themselves, without reimbursement or cost-sharing from medical plans. The study says that given the apparent utility of the substance as a PTSD treatment, medical marijuana is a worthwhile investment for health insurers even if they cover costs in full.

Notably, that finding applies only to non-flower medical cannabis formulations. Because cured flower was more expensive than edibles, tinctures or tablets, the analysis only found it to be a cost-effective treatment when payors covered it at lower amounts—50 percent to 75 percent, depending on the type of flower.

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