Published in BMJ Open in June, the study was led by Dr. Katherine Babyn at U of A’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The purpose of this particular study was not to investigate the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for menopause symptoms, but rather to “characterise the use patterns and perceptions of cannabis specifically for menopause in a population of women aged 35 and over.”
The study, which recruited people over the age of 35 who identify as women and reside in Alberta from various social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, notes that “a recent systematic review identified a lack of research on the effect of cannabis on menopausal symptoms. The increasing anecdotal use of cannabis for menopause symptoms demands more attention,” particularly in the Canadian context where cannabis has now been legal for several years.
The purpose of this particular study was not to investigate the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for menopause symptoms, but rather to “characterise the use patterns and perceptions of cannabis specifically for menopause in a population of women aged 35 and over.” The study was conducted using a web-based survey over two months, from October to December 2020.
The survey was comprised of 50 questions informed by existing published literature and Canadian cannabis surveys. Data collected included “demographics, medical history, self-reported changes to menstrual cycle and menopause symptoms, cannabis use,” and “respondents were asked about their perspectives related to cannabis, including use for menopause.”
The term ‘cannabis’ was used as a catch-all that included various forms, such as edibles, extracts, etc., that could contain any combination of cannabinoids, and the questions ranged from frequency and form of consumption to reasons for use and methods of access.
Responses were analyzed from 1,485 women, 34 percent of whom reported currently using cannabis, while 66 percent reported ever having used it. The study notes that current cannabis users were more likely to report experiencing discomfort associated with menopause.
“Majority of respondents identified as white (92.9 percent), had postsecondary education or higher (88.0 percent), and had at least a moderate level of health literacy (95.4 percent). Overall, 35.2 percent of women were in postmenopause and 32.7 percent in perimenopause. Most frequently reported symptoms were difficulty with sleep (65.3 percent), concentration (49.2 percent) and anxiety (48.8 percent).”
Many respondents, 73.5 percent, who used cannabis reported that it was helpful for their menopause symptoms. The most common forms of cannabis used were edibles and oils, followed by smoking.
While women who reported current cannabis use were more likely to identify as medical users, women who only reported past use were more likely to identify as recreational users.
The study concludes that while many women are using cannabis to treat discomfort associated with menopause, “further research is required to investigate the efficacy and safety of cannabis on menopause symptoms and foster the development of clinical resources for women to use in making informed decisions around cannabis for medical purposes.”
One of the pillars of Lift Events & Experiences is how we roll, and in planning the 2023 and 2024 events, we have had to just roll with it.
As the industry continues an incredibly challenging phase, we stand with the advocates, entrepreneurs, retailers, budtenders, and brands who choose to fight for the health and wellness of this incredible industry. We see you. We support you. We know more than ever what a difference convening and connecting can make at a critical time, but timing is everything.
We are rolling with it once again and making some much-anticipated shifts in both dates and venues for Lift Canada.
Lift Vancouver will shift out of January, moving to a later time in the year where we can gather outside and with beautiful weather. Lift Toronto will shift out of June and away from numerous other cannabis events in that same time as well as avoiding much needed family time and commitments in the summer.
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Lift is also exploring cannabis culture friendly venue options that might have the ability to display product on the show floor, implement sampling programs, and have a comfortable, convenient, and professional consumption area while also maintaining the original elements Lift is known for in terms of networking, education, and exhibits.
Our great thanks to our amazing partners, speakers, vendors, and guests over the years for the support, commitment, and the unforgettable moments. And for giving us both the feedback and confidence to push forward with these new plans. We cannot wait to continue this journey, together. Stay tuned for further updates and announcements on Lift Canada.
Though we were optimistic of holding the inaugural U.S. Lift event in San Francisco in February 2024, it is evident the cannabis industry remains in a particularly challenging season in its history.
Out of an abundance of respect and care for the cannabis industry and with a continued mission to serve the California market, we have made the difficult and bittersweet decision to pause Lift San Francisco in 2024. Our hope is the California cannabis ecosystem returns to health and prosperity and we find ourselves celebrating together at Lift San Francisco one day soon.
Our great thanks to the sponsors, exhibitors, partners and registered guests for their early support and commitment to Lift San Francisco.
By Blake Ellis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
THE INDEPENDENT
Enniskillen Pepper has appealed the passage of the zoning bylaw amendment passed in September to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Enniskillen Township Council was updated on the next steps in the process at its meeting on Oct. 16 as a memo from Township Administrator and Clerk Duncan McTavish was reviewed.
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The appeal package has been given to the tribunal and Attorney Ken Strong will represent the township during the appeal. McTavish doesn’t expect a hearing date will be determined until the official plan amendment, which was also passed by Enniskillen Township, will be processed by the County of Lambton.
There will be a meeting set up by the Ontario Land Tribunal to review the matter prior to the hearing, to identify the issues prior to the formal hearing.
Once the timeline is set in regards to the appeal hearing, McTavish will arrange a meeting with Strong to go over the status of the appeal.
Enniskillen Pepper, owned by Jack and Christine Greydanus, were denied an exemption to the new bylaw, which spells out where a cannabis operation can be set up in the township. Enniskillen Township was unable to make a decision at its Sept. 22 meeting about an exemption on the Lasalle Line property, which had previously home to High Park Farm.
There is no cannabis processing operation on the property currently, but the Greydanus’ hoped the exemption would allow for another cannabis operation on the property if the opportunity presented itself. Not having the exemption could be an impediment to selling the property, as it is currently up for sale.
By Zachary Roman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
CALEDON CITIZEN
It’s high time to review whether allowing legal cannabis stores in Caledon is beneficial, according to local lawmakers.
At Caledon Council’s October 24 meeting, Caledon resident Wendel Clarke made a presentation to Council outlining reasons why he thinks Caledon should allow legal retail cannabis stores.
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Clarke, a project management professional, was joined by his son Shane, who also lives in Caledon and owns Tottenham cannabis store Smokey Daze.
When the Cannabis Act came into effect in 2018, it allowed municipalities to choose whether or not they wanted to allow the sale of cannabis in their jurisdiction.
In a January 15, 2019 meeting, Caledon Council chose to opt out of allowing the sale of cannabis in Caledon.
Clarke said there are a number of reasons why Caledon should reconsider that decision.
He said there hasn’t been an increase in crime in municipalities that opted in to allowing legal cannabis stores, quoting a report from Calgary police.
Clarke said allowing legal cannabis stores can bring significant economic benefits to a community, through an increase in tax revenue and the creation of jobs.
Clarke quoted a report from professional services firm Deloitte that said legal cannabis has contributed $13.3 billion to Ontario’s gross domestic product.
Clarke said it would be naive to think that no one uses cannabis in Caledon. Based on accepting the fact there are cannabis users in Town, he said their needs are being met in one of two ways: either they are leaving Caledon to spend their money purchasing legal cannabis elsewhere, or they’re buying cannabis illegally in Caledon.
“We know that Caledon was not ready for cannabis when the initial decision was 1/8made 3/8,” said Clarke. “However, I believe that residents are now better informed and will be more receptive to having a cannabis store in full compliance with regulations and local by-laws.”
Clarke said Caledon OPP should be given all the tools to ensure laws and by-laws are adhered to if Caledon allows legal cannabis stores. He also said Council could implement its own rules to prevent “clustering” of cannabis stores, so that numerous stores do not open in the same area.
Ward 3 Councillor Doug Maskell thanked Clarke for his presentation. He said now that it’s been five years since cannabis legalization, Caledon is a position where it might want to look at allowing legal retail cannabis stores going forward.
He put forward a motion asking Town of Caledon staff to “review the feasibility of permitting cannabis retail stores within the Town of Caledon and report back in the first quarter of 2024.”
This motion was supported unanimously by his fellow Councillors.
Researchers from Sorbonne University have found that ketamine can reduce depression symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) just four hours after infusion. Compared to healthy controls, patients with TRD reported feeling more optimistic a few hours after ketamine infusion, indicating that the psychedelic may have potent and fast-acting mental health benefits.
Prior studies have suggested that ketamine can alleviate depressive symptoms and reduce suicidal thoughts in some people, but this recent study sought to understand exactly how ketamine delivered its antidepression effects.
Hugo Bottemanne from Sorbonne University’s Paris Brain Institute said several pharmacological studies have shown ketamine has the ability to change how people update their beliefs in the face of new information by disturbing the belief-updating process. He also noted another ketamine study that found that the psychedelic can cause a significant and long-term reduction in depressive beliefs in people with major depressive disorder after just one infusion.
Hugo and his team wanted to see how ketamine infusions affected belief updating in TRD patients and how the resulting cognitive effects of ketamine administration affected its clinical effects. They recruited 56 participants including 30 healthy volunteers and 26 individuals with depression. The group had a mean age of 32.4 years and 52% (29) were male.
The latter group included people diagnosed with bipolar depression or major depressive disorder, who had scored more than 20 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and more than 7 on the Maudsley Staging Method, and who hadn’t responded to a least two trials involving antidepressants.
Individuals with addictive or substance-use disorders as well as neurosurgical, psychiatric or neurological comorbidities, or a history of recreational ketamine use were excluded from the study.
The research team observed treatment-resistant depression patients 24 hours before the initial ketamine infusion, 4 hours after ketamine administration, and 4 hours after the third ketamine infusion, which happened a week after the first infusion.
The researchers found that after a single ketamine infusion, people with treatment-resistant depression could update their beliefs more after receiving good news than bad news compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, ketamine infusion caused a “rapid and significant increase” in MADRS scores only four hours after the infusion.
The Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale is a diagnostic questionnaire used to test the severity of depressive episodes in people with conditions such as treatment-resistant depression. Bipolar depression, major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression often cause patients to develop a pessimistic worldview that causes them to see themselves, the world around them and the future in a persistently negative light.
By making it easier for depression patients to update their beliefs based on good news, ketamine can open the door to more effective depression treatments with greater long-term efficacy.
With many other companies such as Compass Pathways PLC (NASDAQ: CMPS) looking to develop psychedelic medicines from other hallucinogens, it is only a matter of time before patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression and other mental illnesses have a variety of effective psychedelic treatment options to choose from.
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“We are extremely honored to receive this recognition from Clio Cannabis,” says OU Executive Chancellor Dale Sky Jones. “It recognizes the hard work of our team in creating high-quality content to educate people on cannabis, and help them grow in the industry.”
Dale Sky Jones is also affiliated with Bronze Winner “I’m High Right Now” by the Cannabis Media Council, in the Integrated Media Category. Dale was a founder board member of CMC.
Clio Cannabis Awards
Expanding on Clio’s enduring reputation for establishing best-in-class programs honoring creative ideas in a variety of specialized verticals, Clio Cannabis celebrates the creators at the forefront of cannabis marketing and communications. Launched in 2019, Clio Cannabis sets the bar for creative work in a rapidly growing industry, builds a greater understanding of a developing category, and elevates creative contributions from top talent and agencies.
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