“…in those wretched Countries where a Man cannot call his Tongue his own, he can scarce call any Thing else his own. Whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing the Freeness of Speech.”
Silence Dogood, pseudonym of Benjamin Franklin, The New-England Courant, Number 49, 2-9 July 1722
Freedom of speech was once one of the West’s most cherished rights, but in the modern-day governments are attempting to strip us of this right. In almost all Western nations legislation is being introduced to thwart our ability to speak freely. Politicians and bureaucrats justify this anti-free speech stance in the name of the “greater good”. They claim that with more control over what people say, fewer people will be led astray by misinformation and disinformation and fewer people will be harmed by the criticisms and insults of hate speech. In this video we make the case that censoring and criminalizing the expression of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech is an existential threat to a free and prosperous society.
“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the right of the hearer as well as those of the speaker. It is just as criminal to rob a man of his right to speak and hear as it would be to rob him of his money.”
Frederick Douglass, A Plea for Free Speech in Boston, 1860
In the West there have long been limits on what can and cannot be said. Property rights create one such limit. A property owner can assert the authority of my house, my rules and expel any individual from his or her premises who says something the property owner wishes not to hear. The principles of common law, which are foundational to many Western legal systems, also recognize speech which threatens the person or property of another, conspires toward the committing of a crime, or incites others to violence, as requiring legal sanction. Laws against defamation and false advertising place additional limits on speech. The purpose of this video is not to argue against the value of these basic limits on our speech – rather our concern is solely with the dangers that arise if governments censor and criminalize what they consider to be misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
“…the opinion which it is attempted to suppress by authority may possibly be true. Those who desire to suppress it, of course, deny its truth; but they are not infallible. They have no authority to decide the question for all mankind and exclude every other person from the means of judging.”
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
Disinformation is typically defined as false or inaccurate information that is spread with the intent to deceive, while misinformation is defined as false or inaccurate information that is spread without the intent to deceive. To accuse someone of spreading false ideas, a judgement must be made as to what is true. Government censorship of misinformation and disinformation, therefore, requires the creation of a regulatory body tasked with distinguishing between truth and deception.
Few people are naïve enough to believe that politicians and bureaucrats are mentally equipped to be the ultimate arbiters of truth, but many believe that governments can rely on the opinion of experts to determine if something is misinformation or disinformation. There are several reasons why experts are ill-suited to play this role. Firstly, there are relatively few ideas which all experts agree on. Politicians, therefore, can influence what will be classified as misinformation or disinformation through the selection of the experts authorized to distinguish between truth and error. Secondly, experts, like all of us, are corruptible by money and power. If granted the authority to determine truth for a society, it is very likely that most experts will fall prey to the same corrupting influences that turn politicians into forces of social destruction.
But even if an expert’s motives remain pure, they are still not suited to play the role of ultimate arbiter of truth. For experts tend to be hyper-specialized in a specific field of study which creates a myopia in their vision. They may have a strong grasp on the current knowledge base of their domain, and they may be the best person to ask what is considered true right now, but it does not follow that the expert will always be attuned to the truth, especially if the truth is new and groundbreaking. Years of specializing in a single field of study often leaves the expert entrenched in their views and unwilling to consider competing points of view. For this reason, it is often the outsider who discovers the truths that revolutionize our understanding of the world; and the outsider is the very individual who risks censorship by the so-called expert. Or as Iain McGilchrist writes:
“. . .there is a prejudice against outsiders, who have the advantage of not starting with the same preconceptions. Hermann von Helmholtz’s crucially important discoveries in physics were dismissed because he was a medical doctor and philosopher by training; equally Louis Pasteur’s and Francois Magendie’s medical discoveries were dismissed because they were not physicians. There is a tendency for many scientists to take an uncritically contemptuous, and at times, frankly, self-righteous attitude, to whatever might challenge the mainstream of conventional thinking.”
Iain McGilchrist, The Matter with Things
Another reason the expert is ill-suited to play the role of the ultimate arbiter of truth is because truth is not discovered by decree. Truths are converged upon through a spontaneous and free-flowing competition of ideas and in this process false ideas play a crucial role. False ideas are the contrast through which truth emerges, or as Frank Furedi writes in his book On Tolerance, truth emerges “through the process of debate among competing views and opinions: from this perspective, even views that are deemed to be false can serve the positive end of forcing others to develop and clarify their opinions.” (Frank Furedi, On Tolerance)
When a government bureaucracy, and its appointed experts, become the arbiters of truth this stunts the intellectual development of mankind. It hinders our ability to challenge the ideas of the status quo and thwarts the creative dynamic by which we test, refine, and discover new truths. The expression of what we believe to be false ideas should not be silenced, these ideas should be openly debated, for not only do false ideas help us arrive at truth, but sometimes what is thought to be false, is later discovered to be true. Or as John Stuart Mill wrote:
“The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.”
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
A further danger of permitting governments to censor and criminalize the expression of misinformation and disinformation, is that it creates an infantilized population. When a government claims that it is necessary to protect people from what they consider to be false or dangerous ideas, what they are asserting is that the population is too immature to exercise independent judgment. Like children, we are to be told what to believe, what is right and wrong, and what can and cannot be said. And as the philosopher Ronald Dworkin explains:
“Government insults its citizens, and denies their moral responsibility, when it decrees that they cannot be trusted to hear opinions that might persuade them to dangerous or offensive convictions. We retain our dignity, as individuals, only by insisting that no one – no official and no majority – has the right to withhold opinion from us on the ground that we are not fit to hear and consider it.”
Ronald Dworkin, The Coming Battles over Free Speech
The greatest danger of censoring and criminalizing misinformation and disinformation, however, is that it paves the way for totalitarianism. For as Frederick Douglass wrote:
“Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down. They know its power.”
Frederick Douglass, A Plea for Free Speech in Boston, 1860
All totalitarian nations of the past have censored speech and only permitted the expression of ideas that align with the ideology of the ruling party – all other ideas are classified as misinformation and disinformation. Creating a regulatory body tasked with determining what is to be considered true is taking a page out of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. In this novel the totalitarian government that rules over society operates a Ministry of Truth and the bureaucrats who work there are tasked with censoring the arts, entertainment, news, and education industries:
“Whatever the Party holds to be the truth, is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party.”
George Orwell, 1984
When a government is granted the power to determine what is true it possesses a remarkable power over its citizenry. Without needing to use overt force it can engineer a population to act in the ways desired by the ruling class and it can quell dissent of destructive government policies by classifying it as disinformation. In his book Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes, the French philosopher Jacques Ellul wrote that “The point is to make the masses demand of the government what the government has already decided to do.” And the way a government does this is by creating the lens of ideas through which a population views the world. And as John Stuart Mill wrote:
“…an absolute power of suppressing all opinions would amount, if it could be exercised, to a despotism far more perfect than any other which has yet existed.”
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
Whether a government uses its powers of censorship to promote what it thinks is good for society, is irrelevant. The mere act of stifling our ability to make our own determination about what is true and what ideas we allow to shape our lives, is a totalitarian act, as it rids us of the personal autonomy that is integral to freedom, or as Furedi writes:
“. . . [propagating and institutionalizing] forms of correct attitudes and behavior that are generated by government advisors and experts…is a form of social engineering that is devoted to re-educating people…If the term totalitarianism is to have any meaning, it is a system where the right to possess and act on private preferences is continually tested by officialdom.”
Frank Furedi, On Tolerance
When the dangers of censoring and criminalizing the spread of misinformation and disinformation are recognized it becomes clear that if we favor freedom, social prosperity, and the moral and intellectual advancement of mankind, we should oppose this form of government censorship. But what about laws against hate speech?
Hate speech, as the author Nadine Strossen writes, can be defined as “speech that expresses hateful or discriminatory views about certain groups that historically have been subject to discrimination or about certain personal characteristics that have been the basis of discrimination (such as race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation).” (HATE: Why We Should Resist it With Free Speech, Not Censorship) One of the primary ways that hate speech laws are justified is by claiming that hate speech constitutes a form of violence. Just as physical blows cause bodily harm, hateful words inflict emotional and mental harm that can be deeply damaging to the health of one’s psyche. If words can be weapons, then those who psychologically assault others with words, should be subject to criminal prosecution. This position, however, amounts to a reconceptualization of language and a fetishization of words, or as Furedi explains:
“At its worst [the idiom of assaultive speech] fetishizes words, reinventing them as objects that contain destructive properties in and of themselves. Historically, the fetishization of words emerged with ancient mystical and religious thought: according to numerous creation myths, saying the word could turn it into reality, while a spell or a curse could literally destroy lives. In ancient Egypt it was believed that the spoken word had a transformative impact on the world. In some religions, the word for God could not be said for fear of unleashing its wrath. These early fantasies of ancient superstition have now been recycled by opponents of free speech in the shape of psychic threats.”
Frank Furedi, On Tolerance
This fetishization of words overlooks the fact that there is a categorical difference between an assault with a word and an assault with a physical object. If a man is struck with a fist to the face, he will experience harm no matter his mental state. But when it comes to the weapon of words, the degree of harm a victim experiences is determined by his or her psychological constitution. Some people can be at the receiving end of brutal insults and yet experience very little harm, while others can be psychologically crushed by the most minor of slights. When assaulted by the so-called weapon of words, our mental state is the biggest determinant of the amount of harm we experience and as Furedi writes:
“Unlike physical harm, our emotional harm is limited only by the imagination. Regardless of intent, a gesture or comment can be perceived in a way that causes emotional harm.”
Frank Furedi, On Tolerance
And this leads to a major problem with hate speech laws – what one considers as meeting the threshold of hate speech is completely subjective and by granting the government the power to make this judgement, the government can use these laws to silence any individual or group they desire. For example, they can claim that criticism of the government psychologically harms politicians, criticism of immigration levels psychologically harms certain ethnic groups, criticism of abortion laws psychologically harms women, criticism of climate change laws psychologically harms the youth, or criticism of a war psychologically harms one of the groups involved.
“If you can’t express your biases or your hatreds or what others perceive as your biases or hatreds, then you’ve been pre-emptively gagged. You are at the mercy of those who get to determine what is and what isn’t hate speech where hate speech is simply whatever those who are given to censorship and have the power to censor find hateful!”
Gerard Casey, ZAP: Free Speech and Tolerance in the Light of the Zero Aggression Principle
Censoring hate speech also divides a society. It creates groups who are protected from criticism by the government and groups who are not. The privileged treatment of the protected groups can increase the animosity directed toward them and turn them into targets due to what many perceive as unfair treatment. Furthermore, when people are prevented from expressing their hatred in words, this can lead to pent up frustrations that manifest in physical violence.
To make matters worse, censoring and criminalizing hate speech stunts the psychological development of the members of the protected groups. A key component of maturity is cultivating the capacity to endure criticism without breaking down psychologically. If we demand that a government use the force of the law to protect us from what we consider hate speech, we become complicit in the weakening of our sense of self. Instead of cultivating the resilience and power required to respond to, or ignore, the cruel words of others, we disempower ourselves and play the role of the victim – a role that is not conducive to individual flourishing, and as Furedi writes:
“There is something childlike about the refusal to deal with offence. Learning to live with the troublesome experiences of life – such as being slighted, overlooked, insulted and hurt – is an important feature of adult maturity. Calling attention to feeling offended is another way of saying, ‘I want your sympathy’ and ‘You fix it!’ While every human being requires the empathy of others, learning to sort out existential problems is an essential feature of a moral maturity, and taking offense is often a display of immaturity.”
Frank Furedi, On Tolerance
Not only do hate speech laws have many negative consequences, but they are also unnecessary as there are more effective ways to inhibit the expression of hate speech. All functioning societies have used informal social mechanisms, such as norms of politeness and etiquette, and most importantly social ostracism, to effectively minimize hateful rhetoric. It is a false dichotomy to believe that our options are between allowing governments to criminalize hate speech or allowing it to spread unchecked, or as Casey writes:
“You are not called upon when walking down Oxford Street, if you should come across someone weighing 500 pounds, to walk up to him and say, “My God, you’re disgustingly fat!” Such matters are controlled by informal social norms which are more extensive and more effective than we often give them credit for being, as indeed is the case with most of the things that we say and do. . . Without these moral and social constraints, it would scarcely be possible to organize a functioning society even with the most extensive and minute legal regulations.”
Gerard Casey, ZAP: Free Speech and Tolerance in the Light of the Zero Aggression Principle
Permitting governments to censor hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation creates a slippery slope. For if we, as a society, come to accept that hateful speech and false or dangerous ideas should be censored and the subject of legal control, why stop there? Why not restrict or punish thoughts? For the wrong type of thinking is what leads to the expression of hate speech and to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. If we can identify which individuals are thinking in the wrong way, perhaps we should re-educate them before they put their dangerous thoughts into words. And if they resist re-education, perhaps we should imprison them for thought crimes. To prevent a descent into these dystopian conditions where governments police our thoughts and control our words, more of us need to exercise our right to free speech and to ostracize individuals and businesses who are complicit in government censorship. If we don’t, our future will be bleak, for as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn warned:
“Public opinion! I don’t know how sociologists define it, but it seems obvious to me that it can only consist of interacting individual opinions, freely expressed and independent of government or party opinion. So long as there is no independent public opinion in our country, there is no guarantee that the extermination of millions and millions for no good reason will not happen again, that it will not begin any night – perhaps this very night.”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago, Volume 3
The Canna Farms facility was one of a handful of companies to receive a commercial production licence in January 2014. It was also one of the first of these companies to post a profit while large pubcos continued to spend more than they brought in.
Keith Strachan, president of MediPharm Labs, tells StratCann that the decision to ramp down production at Canna Farms’ 47,000 sq ft. facility in Hope, BC, was made earlier this year. This decision reflects the declining price of cannabis and the small facility’s inability to compete with larger-scale growers, especially greenhouse growers.
“We slowly stopped cultivating there due to existing inventory and market conditions and just the ability to buy bulk flower at a better price than what we can grow it for,” explains Strachan.
Canna Farms’ primary business is direct-to-patient medical sales, he continues, which is why MediPharm has maintained Canna Farm’s licence, but says the final crop was planted in the facility earlier this year. In addition, in the company’s Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) for the three months ending March 31, 2024, posted in May of this year, it says that MediPharm had made the decision to begin to relocate Canna Farms’ direct-to-patient medical sales logistics toMediPharm’s Barrie facility.
In that same MDA, the company listed a cost of $323,000 related to “employee compensation for terminated employees and write downs of the carrying value of inventory at the Hope Facility.”
Strachan says one of the challenges is the facility’s size, which was not small enough to keep its costs down and not big enough to compete at scale.
“There’s lots of great small, craft indoor growers who can fetch a premium price in Canada. And then there’s some great greenhouse and even outdoor growers that could sell a good product at a good price. And you can’t really be in the middle and that’s really where this facility ended up lying. It’s big enough that it wasn’t craft but not big enough that it had the ability to scale.”
Canna Farms’ Health Canada Cultivation and Medical Sales licences expire on December 14, 2027.
MediPharm’s “Barrie facility” is 70,000 sq. ft., and its Health Canada Standard Processing Licence expires September 28, 2026.
MediPharm Labs also operates out of its 29,000 sq. ft. EU GMP Napanee-Ontario facility.
As of September 30, 2023, MediPharm’s management was committed to selling the Vanluven Road facility in Nappanee, Ontario, and the Yale Road facility in Hope, British Columbia.
A recent study has revealed that medical cannabis can offer numerous therapeutic benefits for older adults, positively impacting their mood, sleep, health and well-being. The study observed significant reductions in both pain interference and severity in older adults who use cannabis to manage chronic pain.
Published in the “Drugs and Aging Journal,” the study addresses the limited high-quality studies on marijuana use among older adults. Typically, clinical trials exclude participants older than 65 years of age, even as this demographic increasingly turns to medical cannabis for relief.
The research, which was carried out by a group from Drug Science and the Center for Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, examined information from the T21 project, a sizable cannabis observational study that was started in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020.
Since 2018, marijuana-based medical products (CBMPs) have been legally prescribed in the UK. However, access through the National Health Service is limited, with most prescriptions coming from the private market.
The study measured patient outcomes through self-reported overall health, quality of life, sleep and mood metrics. Findings showed steady improvements in all these areas from the start of treatment to a three-month follow-up. Older adults who continued using CBMPs reported significant enhancements in their well-being and overall health.
Further, the study noted that while older patients’ improvements in mood and quality of life were not as significant as those of younger patients (those below 65 years), the advantages were still significant. Improvements in general health and sleep were similar across all age groups.
The researchers emphasized the importance of their findings in filling a gap in the current understanding of medical marijuana use among older adults. They highlighted a nationwide study by the Center for Medical Marijuana that failed to differentiate older persons over age 55, and the UK’s National Statistics Office, which does not gather particular information on marijuana usage by adults over the age of 59. Additionally, they noted that most data does not distinguish between recreational and medical use.
The study also identified distinctions between older and younger patients. Older patients were more likely to be female, report chronic pain as their major condition and be on multiple prescribed medications. They were also less likely to have used cannabis before and to use it daily before starting treatment. When prescribed, older patients were more likely to receive CBD-infused oils and less likely to receive cannabis flower with high-THC potency.
The study concludes that the improvements, even if slightly lower in quality of life and mood for older adults, are significant and add to the limited knowledge about medical marijuana in this age group.
As more becomes known about the specific ways in which different groups of patients, such as seniors, can benefit from medical marijuana products, businesses such as Verano Holdings Corp. (CSE: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF) could see their clientele growing faster in the years to come.
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Proposed regulatory changes to the federal cannabis framework are a good step toward bolstering the industry, but some retailers, producers, and consultants say more needs to be done to help it grow and thrive.
Health Canada announced the proposed changes in early June, and a 30-day consultation period, which ends July 8, is now underway. (Note: Implementation of any proposed changes could take several months or more).
They cover everything from allowing cut-out windows and transparent packaging for dried and fresh cannabis products, plants, and seeds, to adjusting or removing some licencing requirements for producers, to quadrupling the threshold for micros from 200 m2 to 800 m2.
“For us, on a very functional level, it would be really nice to be able to tell the difference between one product and another without getting a magnifying glass out.”
Andrea Dobbs, Village Bloomery
“I think a lot of them are common sense, kind of much-needed for a very long time and it’s good to see that they are finally being implemented,” said consultant Deepak Anand, the principal with ASDA Consultancy Services.
“I wouldn’t say anything is bad. Definitely lots is missing.”
Two proposals Anand would recommend involve medical cannabis — allowing in-person access at pharmacies and removing the tax.
“We’ve had tax on medical cannabis for a very long time, cannabis is one of the only products, or the only product out there in Canada, that is a pharmaceutical product that is being taxed,” he said.
“The second, obviously, would be increased access, so certainly being able to both get this dispensed, but also received at a pharmacy would be another step in the right direction.”
Given that it has been nearly six years since legalization, Anand says the government needs to pick up the pace around some changes.
“It definitely is frustrating to see it moving so slowly,” he said. “If you think proactively and the way the government works, these things always take a very long time, but action was needed years ago. I think we are on the right path but it is a slow process.”
“That’s not to say it can’t be a step in the right direction, it’s just not something that will benefit who it is intended to benefit until those other pieces arrive as well.”
Walker Patton, Woody Nelson
The proposed changes to packaging — allowing cut-out windows on packaging for dried or fresh cannabis products and cannabis seeds, allowing transparent containers, and allowing lids to be a different colour than the container — will enable consumers to make more informed choices, says Andrea Dobbs, co-founder of Village Bloomery, a cannabis retailer in Vancouver.
“At least if you have three different cultivars, maybe the lid will be the difference. For us, on a very functional level, it would be really nice to be able to tell the difference between one product and another without getting a magnifying glass out,” Dobbs said.
“I think it’s going to be easier. When we start to talk to people about things that are quote, sativa, or equatorial, or whatever we want to call them … we’ll be able to talk about the shape of the bud. People will be able to see it in a more holistic way … it would be easy for me to say, ‘This is machine-trimmed and this is hand-trimmed, do you see the difference?’”
Dobbs says she would have liked to see the proposed changes crafted using more of an environmental lens.
Reducing some licensing requirements will allow for more product diversity.
“I like that they are not going to make people get a licence to process things like the stalk and the root,” said Dobbs. “This should be a completely closed-circle industry because every single piece of this plant is useful. I’m hoping to see a lot more products … paper, rope, canvas. I want to see more plastics, I want to see more fabrics, more paper, who knows, maybe the stalk will become the package one day. Let’s make it more accessible and not make someone get a Health Canada licence to do that.”
The changes are positive from a producer perspective, but more needs to be done, said Walker Patton, chief commercial officer at Woody Nelson, an LP in southeast British Columbia.
“One of the things that stood out to me which I thought was kind of neat was them (increasing) the canopy for micros, but then I quickly realized after talking to some folks on that side of things that that isn’t worth much when you don’t have the capital to expand. And the market price doesn’t exactly support the production of craft cannabis right now.”
“I think a lot of them are common sense, kind of much-needed for a very long time and it’s good to see that they are finally being implemented.”
Deepak Anand, ASDA Consultancy Services.
Ancillary supports are needed, he said.
“If there was capital available or the market price was higher and this was a more profitable industry, or the taxes were lower, there’s a few difference mechanisms that could be changed in order to make that a great policy. But without those other mechanisms, it kind of misses the mark,” he said
“But that’s not to say it can’t be a step in the right direction, it’s just not something that will benefit who it is intended to benefit until those other pieces arrive as well.”
As for his own recommendations, Patton would like to see the 30-gram limit raised to allow for bulk purchases for personal use.
He would also like to see a standardized methodology for cannabinoid and terpene testing.
“It doesn’t really matter if they want to develop their own or adopt something like SGS’s or ASTM’s, we just need consistency from one lab to the next,” he said. “There’s a reason why international labs aren’t generating the same inflated THC test results that we’re seeing in the Canadian marketplace.”
Health Canada estimates the proposed changes could result in $41 million annually in “administrative and compliance cost savings” for stakeholders.
Some of the proposed changes include:
Increasing the threshold for micros from 200 m2 to 800 m2 and the micro processing licence possession threshold from 600 kg to 2,400 kg of dried cannabis or its equivalent.
Increasing Nurseries’ canopy size for seed production from 50 m2 to 200 m2, allowing them to harvest up to 20 kg of flowering cannabis for seed production.
Removing the requirement for actual THC and CBD on product labels, only total THC and CBD.
Increasing the number of permitted alternate Quality Assurance Persons (QAPs) to “one or more” from the current allowance of “up to two”.
Licensed processors would no longer be required to provide printed copies of the consumer information document with every cannabis product package sent.
Adding grounds for suspension of any licences held by the same licence holder, should they have unpaid fees or have failed to submit a required statement of cannabis revenue for a licence as required under the Cannabis Fees Order.
Amending the Industrial Hemp Regulations to remove the maximum THC concentration of 10 parts per million for industrial hemp grain derivatives, as well as the testing requirement, labelling for wholesale, and import and export requirements.
Allowing for differentiation in colour between the lid or cap of a container and the container itself.
Permitting cut-out windows on packaging for dried or fresh cannabis products and cannabis seeds, while upholding the exclusion of cut-out windows for all other classes of cannabis.
Allowing dried or fresh cannabis products, in addition to cannabis plants and cannabis seeds, to be packaged in transparent containers while maintaining existing rules prescribing opaque or translucent packaging of all other classes of cannabis.
Removing the cumulative 10 mg THC limit for an outermost container of edible cannabis product to allow greater flexibility in packing multiple immediate containers, as long as the immediate containers do not have more than 10 mg of THC each.
Removing the requirement to file an NNCP to Health Canada for dried and fresh cannabis products.
(Newsfile Corp.) Houston, TX – Cannabis Bioscience International Holdings is excited to announce the submission of our inaugural pair of patents, focusing on novel treatment methodologies for breast and pancreatic cancers, for legal review and subsequent registration.
Our dedicated scientific team has invested countless hours in research, culminating in the development of innovative treatment approaches specifically designed to tackle breast and pancreatic cancers. These conditions, affecting millions globally, present unique challenges due to their prevalence and the severity of their outcomes. Breast cancer, for instance, impacts approximately one in eight women in the United States over their lifetime, while pancreatic cancer is notorious for its late-stage diagnosis and grim prognosis, with a five-year survival rate below 10 per cent.
Jennifer Salguero, PhD in Science with emphasis on Microbiology, highlights the urgency and strategic focus of our approach: “Given the stark statistics associated with these cancers, our team recognizes the critical need for aggressive yet targeted interventions. Our aim is to not only target the tumors but also safeguard surrounding tissues, leveraging the inherent antitumor properties of cannabinoids.”
CBIH aims to accelerate our pace of innovation by submitting an additional three-to-four patents per month throughout the remainder of the year. Among our top priorities are patents related to the treatment of herpes zoster, knee osteoarthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease, harnessing the antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective benefits of cannabinoids.
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To support this goal, we are expanding and strengthening our research team, focusing on patent and formulation development. We are honored to welcome Sheila Tarqui, with a comprehensive background in biology, pharmaceutical chemistry, public health, and dermatic cosmetics, enriched by her education from Ricardo Palma University, María Auxiliadora University, San Juan Bautista Private University (Peru), and Francisco de Vitoria University (Madrid, España), makes her an invaluable addition. We expect Tarqui’s expertise will significantly contribute to advancing our innovation and maintaining our high standards of excellence.
Moreover, we are proactively trying to recruit medical specialists in oncology and cardiology to deepen our exploration of cannabis compounds’ therapeutic applications. Despite substantial existing research, cardiovascular diseases persist as the world’s leading cause of death, with limited understanding of cannabinoids’ potential in this field. Identifying this as an emerging opportunity, we see the combination of cardiovascular medicine and cannabinoid research as a promising path for developing innovative treatments. Our recruitment efforts aim to fill this knowledge gap and unlock new possibilities for addressing prevalent and life-threatening conditions worldwide.
“These strategies contribute to securing and protecting our intellectual property which is paramount. By harnessing cutting-edge therapies, artificial intelligence, and advanced biotechnological techniques, we aim to safeguard and successfully market our groundbreaking medical advancements,” says Rosangel Andrades, Research and Development Department Director.
We remain steadfast in our mission to leverage the full potential of cannabinoids to improve patient outcomes and contribute to global health initiatives. At CBIH, we are redefining medicine and treatment strategies.
The University of Colorado Denver recently launched the CU Denver Center for Psychedelic Research. This center is focused on improving the quality of life of individuals by conducting research on the potential benefits psychedelics may possess in the treatment of various mental, neurological, emotional and other health conditions as well as their possible use in the management of chronic, debilitating illnesses such as cancer.
Professor Jim Grigsby, executive director and the center’s chief science officer, revealed that a national study was going on and the center was also planning a number of other studies. Grigsby, who teaches psychology at CU Denver, added that there was so much promise in this field of research and center officials were in talks with potential collaborators in the state.
The new center, located in the downtown campus on CU Denver, will conduct research on the impact of the use of psychedelics on the society as well as the economy. Studies in these areas will include research on how the new law in the state shall be applied, as well as the public health and ethical implications. Personnel at the center are also tasked with developing a structured educational curriculum to train individuals who would like to administer psychedelics in clinical settings.
In addition, the center plans to conduct research on the therapeutic mechanisms and effectiveness of these substances as therapies for various conditions, in collaboration with researchers on the CU Boulder and Anschutz campuses.
Scientists started investigating classic psychedelics for therapeutic use decades ago. However, this changed in the 1970s when the war on drugs ground research to a halt.
This has changed in the recent past, with the federal government even going as far as to provide funding for research. Additionally, some jurisdictions are considering enacting or have already enacted legislations decriminalizing psychedelic substances.
In 2022, voters in the state of Colorado approved Proposition 122, which decriminalized some fungal and plant-based psychedelic drugs. The measure also directed that the state establish regulations governing the use of these substances in controlled clinical settings to individuals aged 21 years and older. The protocols are set to go into effect this year.
Grigsby is also a coprincipal researcher of one of the country’s biggest studies on psilocybin’s therapeutic use in patients on end-of-life care. In his statement, he explained that preliminary studies suggested that psychedelics could enhance or induce neurogenesis and neural plasticity in some parts of the brain.
Psychedelics are said to have potent anti-inflammatory effects, which may make them effective as treatments for neurological conditions, including some neurodegenerative illnesses. Several companies, including Mind Medicine Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD) (NEO: MMED) (DE: MMQ), are racing to study how this therapeutic potential can be harnessed to take the management of various diseases to a whole new level.
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PsychedelicNewsWire (“PNW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on all aspects of psychedelics and the latest developments and advances in the psychedelics sector. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, PNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, PNW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. PNW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
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A plimsoll line runs all around the lower part of the hull of the ship, very clear to see. And it has a very practical purpose, which is simply so that captain and crew do not overload the ship.
You already know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Useless, dangerous cargoes. Your life was meant to carry only that which is necessary for a safe voyage and one that arrives where it’s supposed to arrive.
Sometimes we’re so worried about the esteem in which we are held by other people, that we’ll settle for just sort of a neutral tie contest. We don’t win a lot, but at least we didn’t lose much, right? You figure it’s a pretty rough world with everybody looking at you so harshly. You figure maybe the best I can do, and maybe all I can hope for is just kind of just hope they like me a little bit, and don’t risk that.
Now, you can’t get rid of anything. Set yourself aside, as best you understand what that means, and then you listen. Now what do you listen to? What you see is that you’re in a battle that you’ve never won, and you suspect you can’t win. Let that suspicion grow.
You have got to stop the stupid enjoyment of thinking that you’re inferior. You’re not inferior, you’re not superior, you are absolutely nothing at all. Who you really are cannot be thought about, explained, cannot be supported, cannot be defended. Who you really are does not need that.
_The only necessary object in the universe is God and everything that goes with God_. I’m not necessary, you’re not necessary, nobody is necessary. God knows this. He wants you to know it so that you can live in God’s kingdom instead of in the junky boat that you’ve chosen that isn’t going anywhere.
Become Conscious of This See the weight of self-concern. Think about that now. Since and because you don’t have an individual independent personal self, there is nothing to worry about ever again.
Become Conscious of This
You have to become conscious that this is your state that you say to everyone, “Please don’t get mad at me. Please don’t hurt me!”
Florida boasts more than 700,000 medical cannabis patients, and GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, who is currently opposing a proposal to legalize recreational cannabis, wants to highlight his achievements to this targeted group. Recently, Florida’s Health Department sent out an email to medical-cannabis patients, praising DeSantis for signing the state’s budget. The email also promoted a cancer research initiative by First Lady Casey DeSantis and highlighted various health issues addressed in the budget, including syphilis, HIV and hepatitis.
However, the email did not mention medical cannabis, which has raised concerns among advocates and patients who argue that the administration misused the patient list to push political messaging, violating the privacy of these patients. State Representative Kelly Skidmore, the top Democrat on the House Health Policy Committee, criticized the move as a misuse of power and information. She emphasized that patients did not consent to receive promotional material about the governor’s achievements.
In defense of its conduct, the Health Department said that the email was sent to every person in its databases — more than two million people — including the media, the general public, healthcare professionals and licensees. Weesam Khoury, a department spokesperson, did not elaborate on whether comparable marketing made use of patient records for COVID-19, HIV, cancer or other conditions. She was disappointed, she said, that the Associated Press chose to accentuate the annoyance caused by the email over the budget’s noteworthy initiatives.
Advocates argue that the issue extends beyond inconvenience to a breach of privacy. They worry that the broad public-records laws in Florida could allow someone to identify medical-cannabis patients from the email list, because these patients comprise about 35% of the email recipients. This could lead to unwarranted marketing, political messages or even job-related repercussions for patients.
Former agriculture commissioner and state Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried expressed surprise that the state was using the patient email list to promote policies. She said she would have encountered fierce criticism if she had taken similar action with the database of concealed weapons licenses. Fried referred to the action as reckless.
A medical-cannabis patient in Pensacola, who wished to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, mentioned plans to file a formal complaint. The patient compared the situation to a doctor disclosing private patient information for personal gain, insisting that accountability is necessary.
John Morgan, a personal injury attorney who led Florida’s 2016 medical cannabis initiative, questioned whether the email violated federal laws protecting medical information. He suggested that the email list could be highly valuable for political purposes, especially for promoting recreational cannabis legalization in the upcoming November election.
Leading cannabis companies such as Tilray Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) (TSX: TLRY) could be concerned at the casual way in which the health department in Florida is regarding the registry of medical-marijuana patients, given the potentially serious consequences that can result when that data reaches the wrong hands and the loss is traced to a state government agency.
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CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of an article each business day at 4:20 p.m. Eastern – a tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. The concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.
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Some experts believe that legislators that opposing the reclassification of marijuana under Schedule 3 may call for public hearings that will delay the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) final rule past the election. Some claim that this is the goal — to prevent President Joe Biden from boosting his appeal to younger voters.
The 60-day public comment period on marijuana rescheduling, which shall inform the DEA’s decision, is set to lapse on July 20, 2024. Thirty days after this period ends, the DEA is expected to decide on whether to move marijuana from its Schedule I classification. The decision will then go into effect on Sept. 20, 2024.
It has been more than a year since President Biden directed the secretary of Health and Human Services and the attorney general to carry out a scientific review of how cannabis is classified under federal law.
Earlier in April, the DEA agreed to reclassify marijuana. This was followed by a review by the Office of Management and Budget, concluded in 21 days. The fast-tracking of this process allowed the public comment period to begin sooner.
Thus far, more than 25,000 comments have been received by the federal agency, with 800-plus comments coming from residents in the state of Colorado or individuals who have discussed how the state became a leader in marijuana regulation. This makes sense, especially since the state of Colorado has been playing a key role in assisting the federal government with its research on rescheduling. Some agencies in the state provided scientific data and research to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, the Marijuana Enforcement Division under the state’s department of revenue supplied data on cannabis licenses. This included demographic data on who held the licenses.
The state’s Department of Safety compiled a report in 2021 centered on the impacts of cannabis, noting that the total number of cannabis arrests decreased significantly. Furthermore, the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment also provided a literature review on statistics and studies from Colorado’s Healthy Kids survey.
It should be noted that marijuana’s reclassification doesn’t fully legalize the drug. This is mainly because drugs under Schedule 3 are still controlled substances and subject to regulations and rules. This means that individuals who traffic drugs under Schedule 3, including ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone, could still face prosecution at the federal level.
Even under the new classification, legal marijuana dispensaries in America would still have to register with the DEA and fulfill the reporting requirements. As of 2023, 24 states had legalized recreational cannabis while 38 states had legalized medical cannabis.
The broader marijuana industry, including leading companies such as Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF), may be wondering when all this jockeying will end and a final ruling is made on marijuana’s reclassification so that the industry can adjust its strategic plans in light of the latest regulatory change.
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CannabisNewsWire (“CNW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on cannabis news and the cannabis sector. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
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