Currently browsing posts about: Cannabis

When I wrote about dogs getting stoned on cannabis edibles last week, I had no idea this was a thing.

From Bill Nesheim (my sort of son-in-law):

This has been a fairly big problem for hikers in New Hampshire.   I’ve seen a number of situations where dogs needed to be rescued from the mountains due to eating edibles dropped on the trail.  Here’s an example:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/hikenh4k/posts/10162254129628724/.

He then sent me another example (you can’t make this stuff up): Owner warns hikers after dogs sickened on trail: Dogs test positive for THC after eating human feces.  And yet another that cost an $800 veterinary bill.

From Michael Jacobson (founder, CSPI, now director of the National Food Museum):

I can relate.  Guests left an unzipped backpack in our basement. Shortly after they arrived, Oliver was moaning, unable to walk. We thought he had a stroke, but when we rushed him to the vet their verdict was that he was stoned. Turned out that our dear guests had two THC-chocolate bars in their backpack, which Oliver decided to eat. Twenty-four hours and two thousand dollars later, Oliver was back to normal.

From Tamar Haspel (science writer, Washington Post)

I saw your piece today — maybe worth mentioning that, if your dog eats weed brownies, it’s often the chocolate, not the weed, that poses the threat.

And how do I know this? Because Kevin and I visited friends in NY, and we had a bag of weed brownies in our luggage. Their beloved King Charles Cavalier spaniel excavated our bag to find them, and ate the whole thing. We came home from the theater that night and he was being really weird, so we figured it out and took him to the emergency vet, who assured us that the weed wasn’t going to be a problem – he’d just be stoned for a while – but they kept him for 2 days because of chocolate toxicity.

We were SO worried that we killed our friends’ dog! But he was fine.

Comment

Tamar is right about chocolate, especially dark chocolate.  It is not recommended for dogs; they don’t metabolize theobromine or caffeine well.  Dark chocolate can have a 3% fatality rate.

Dogs will eat anything!

The bottom line for pets: keep them away from owners’ and friends’ cannabis edibles.

The bottom line for kids: keep them away from all cannabis edibles, whether intended for humans or pets.

Addition, May 22

A reader, Mollie Morrissette of Pet Food Safety News wrote to point out that cat owners need to be careful about THC in cats.  Apparently, cats’ livers lack key glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes responsible for processing and eliminating organic compounds like THC and its by-products.  This means that THC toxins can last longer in a cat’s system.

I am a big fan of Whole Dog Journal, a terrifically interesting and useful publication about anything you might want to know about having a dog as a pet—or family member.

One of its recent articles: What to Do If Your Dog Eats Marijuana (Edibles, Weed, Vape Cartridges, etc.)

I wrote about cannabis edibles in a chapter in my latest book, What to Eat Now, and discussed edibles as pet food in that chapter.  That section starts like this:

Pet treats and supplements constitute a sub-genre of edibles, and one that is highly profitable. Owners of dogs and cats spent an estimated $426 million on CBD [non-psychoactive cannabidiol],  pet products in 2020, an amount expected to increase in parallel with reports of increasing anxiety, stress, and behavioral problems in companion animals. For the cannabis industry, pet anxiety is a market opportunity, one that easily explains Honest Paws Calm CBD Peanut Butter for dogs or D Oh Gee CBD turkey and cranberry chewies for calming support and joint wellness.

Every cannabis store in my Manhattan neighborhood sells CBD—but also THC (psychoactive delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol)—treats for dogs.

The Whole Dog Journal article warns: “The amount and type of THC-containing product consumed will determine the seriousness of this event for your dog, and dictate the level of your emergency response.”

A variety of products are available as cannabis edibles, including gummies and other candies, mints, chocolates and chocolate bars, beverages, potato chips, and baked goods such as brownies and cookies. Unfortunately, many of these sweet or savory options are also attractive to our dogs. While we may have more self-control regarding how many edibles we consume at one time, dogs are more likely to ingest an entire package of any edibles they can reach because they taste delicious.

The writer warns that if you see signs of THC toxicity in your dog “listlessness, incoordination when walking, falling over when standing, dilated pupils, slow heart rate, dribbling urine, and an exaggerated response to light, touch, and sound,” take it to a veterinarian immediately.

My advice:

• If you have edibles in your home, lock them up where your pets—and your children—cannot get at them.  Edibles are an increasing cause of kids’ visits to hospital emergency rooms.
• If you have pet edibles in your home, keep them away from your pets (so they don’t overeat them)—but also keep them away from your children.  Young kids can’t tell the difference between gummies for pets, grownups, and them.

It’s taken me a couple of months to get to this but a reader in Montreal wanted to be sure I did not miss this article: Twinkies’ New Owner Courts a Novel Group of Snackers: Stoners

J.M. Smucker is sending a “Munchie Mobile” on a road trip leading up to the unofficial holiday of cannabis on April 20 to promote Hostess brands like Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Donettes…Smucker, which acquired Hostess for $4.6 billion in 2023, wants to revitalize sales of a storied yet dusty portfolio by connecting with a wider breadth of consumers…including 4/20 celebrations…The Munchie Mobile truck over the next few weeks will hand out free snacks outside cannabis dispensaries in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey every day at 4:20 p.m.

Why 4/20?  PBS explains.

Snack sales are down lately (blame GLP-1 drugs), so Smucker has to work hard.

Hostess’s marketing division, meanwhile, is getting better at targeting snackers at the right place and the right time, Hollander said. The company is scheduling its digital ads to pop up around popular snack times, such as after lunch and dinner, as well as using geotargeting technology to serve mobile ads to consumers at times when they might be driving close to a grocery store, or walking near a convenience store, she said.

Note: this marketing is aimed at YOU.  Stoned or not, ask yourself: Do you need Twinkies?  Will eating lots more Twinkies be good for you?

Cannabinoid (CBD, THC, psychedelics) and other edibles are now widely available—in stores on every block near where I live in Manhattan. legal and not.  Much remains to be learned about the products.  One thing for sure: keep them away from kids and pets (use them to treat pets at your risk).

THE [PURPORTED] BENEFITS

• CBD boosts sleep quality and immune function: StudyLow-dose CBD supports healthy sleep in healthy participants and increases immune cell expression, according to a recent study published in the journal Nutrients… Read
• Review highlights cannabinoids’ therapeutic potential in gastrointestinal dysfunction: A new Polish review of how endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids affect gastrointestinal (GIT) functions underscores their therapeutic potential… Read
• CBD boosts sleep quality and immune function: StudyLow-dose CBD supports healthy sleep in healthy participants and increases immune cell expression, according to a recent study published in the journal Nutrients…. Read more

THE MARKETING POTENTIAL

• Can cannabis beverages make their mark in bars and restaurants?  Cannabis beverages are most frequently consumed at home. But much has been made of their potential to replace alcohol – with important channels for alcohol including bars, restaurants and other on-premise locations. How can cannabis beverages succeed in the on-trade?… Read more

THE REGULATORY GAP

• CBD inspection highlights significant mislabelling in Portuguese market: A study of CBD products available in Portugal reveals significant discrepancies between label claims and actual cannabinoid compositions, highlighting the need for “stringent regulation and standardised testing protocols”… Read

ONE CASE OF REAL RISK: MUSHROOM EDIBLES

• CDC: Severe Illness Potentially Associated with Consuming Diamond ShruumzTM Brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, and Gummies.  CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), America’s Poison Centers, and state and local partners are investigating reports of severe acute illnesses potentially associated with consuming Diamond Shruumz^TM brand chocolate bars, cones, and gummies marketed as containing a proprietary blend of mushrooms.  [As of September 18: Cases = 169, Hospitalizations = 66, Deaths =2].
• FDA: Investigation of Illnesses: Diamond Shruumz-Brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, & Gummies: Do not eat, sell, or serve any flavor of Diamond Shruumz- Brand Products. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
• June 19: The outbreak linked to micro-dosing candies more than doubles; company refuses to recall: Despite the number of illnesses having more than doubled since an outbreak announcement this past week, a company that sells microdosing candy continues to refuse to issue a recall. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a public warning about the products sold under the Diamond Shruumz brand. Implicated products… Continue Reading
• July 22: Second person dies in edibles outbreak; recall initiated but products still available: Another person has died in the outbreak of illnesses tied to Diamond Shruumz edibles, which are sold nationwide. As of July 22, 2024, a total of 74 illnesses had been reported from 28 states. Sixty-two of the 74 people have reported seeking medical care, 38 have been hospitalized, and there… Continue Reading
• July 31: More sick in outbreak linked to edibles; FDA posts list of retailers: More people have been stuck ill from eating Diamond Shruumz brand edibles. The FDA has posted a list of hundreds of stores and online outlets selling the products. As of July 29, a total of 78 illnesses have been reported in 28 states. Sixty-five of the 78 people have reported… Continue Reading 
• August 22: More patients added to toll in deadly outbreak traced to Diamond Shruumz edibles:  The patient count in a deadly outbreak traced to edibles continues to increase with 145 patients having developed symptoms since the previous update this past week. The Food and Drug Administration continues investigating Diamond Shruumz brand chocolate bars, gummies, and cones. The outbreak has spread across 29 states, with 59… Continue Reading

I haven’t said much about cannabis edibles for a while, but here’s some of what’s happening.

In the UK

• An ‘historic’ moment for CBD industry as UK Gov sets legal THC limit: The UK Government has finally accepted a set legal THC limit for CBD products in an ‘historic’ move that aims to bring some legal clarity to the industry, but an expert warns there are some muddied waters yet to be cleared…. Read more
• ‘It’s imperative to recognise that not all CBD is created the same’: CBD players digest potential ‘dagger-blow to the UK industry’:  In a move that has potentially far-reaching implications for the CBD industry in the UK, the Food Standards Agency has issued new precautionary advice, recommending healthy adults should limit their consumption of CBD from food to 10mg per day, down from the 70mg level recommendation set in 2020…. Read more
• UK CBD brand Trip announces ‘best week of sales ever’, despite shake-up in FSA guidance: New advice published by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) earlier this month recommends adults should limit their CBD consumption from food to 10mg a day. But TRIP – the company boasting the country’s top selling CBD drink – reports record sales over the last week: saying this illustrates “consumers’ confidence in superior quality CBD.” So how could the CBD drinks market shape up moving forward?… Read mor
• Industry demands closure to CBD regulation stalemate: The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) has published a report calling on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Home Office to work together to end the regulatory stalemate threatening the sector…. Read more

In the US

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management’s list of dispensaries.

New York’s Housing Works Reports $24 Million in Sales. New York City‘s first legal adult-use dispensary, Housing Works Cannabis Co. logged $24 million in sales in its first year of business. That’s a significant portion of the $137 million in sales that the New York Cannabis Control Board reported for the entire state as of early December, according to its annual 2023 report.

New flavors, formats driving cannabis-infused food and beverage products: The Jones Soda brand has its sights on new products, including a new candy launch, as national efforts mount to reclassify marijuana.

Magnolia Bakery has weed edibles now. But you can’t buy them in New York: New York City’s iconic Magnolia Bakery, which is famous for its cupcakes and banana pudding and is often the first stop for legions of tourists, announced a new lineup of THC treats on Wednesday. However, none of them will be for sale at any of Magnolia’s eight locations in the city — or anywhere in New York state, for that matter….in New York, retailers selling THC products must be licensed by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management.

Research

Cannabis-Related Disorders and Toxic Effects. N Engl J Med 2023; 389:2267-2275.  DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra2212152: Heavy cannabis use has adverse effects on physical and mental health. Research is needed to better elucidate the pathophysiology of these effects and develop better treatments.

Congressional Research Service.  Farm Bill Primer: Selected Hemp Industry Issues: The 2018 farm bill further directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create a framework to regulate hemp cultivation under federal law and facilitate commercial cultivation, processing, marketing, and sale of hemp and hemp-derived products. USDA published its final hemp regulations in 2021. Other 2018 farm bill provisions made hemp producers eligible for federal crop insurance and agricultural research programs. Congress may consider further amendments as it debates the next farm bill.

The study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Decentralized Trial to Assess Sleep, Health Outcomes, and Overall Well-Being in Healthy Adults Reporting Disturbed Sleep, Taking a Melatonin-Free Supplement. Nutrients. 2023 Aug 30;15(17):3788.  doi: 10.3390/nu15173788.

Method: The study compared the effects on sleep of two THC-plus-botanical supplements against a placebo.  The two supplements differed in proportions of THC and botanicals.

Results: The supplement with the lower amount of THC (0.35 mg) and higher amount of hops and valerian oils (75 mcg) yielded better sleep outcome than the placebo.  The supplement with a higher amount of THC had no effect versus placebo.

Conclusion: “A botanical blend containing a low concentration of THC improved sleep disturbance, anxiety, stress, and well-being in healthy individuals that reported better sleep as a primary health concern.”

Funding: This research was funded by MDbio—The Doctors Brand™.

Acknowledgments: “The authors would like to express our deepest gratitude to the participant volunteers in this study without whom this study would not have been possible. We acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of the Radicle Science study operations team and MDbio—The Doctors Brand™ for the product formulas studied.”

Conflicts of Interest: “[Four of the eight authors] are employed by Radicle Science, the company who conducted the study. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript.”

Comment: Radicle Science is a contract research company in the business of doing clinical trials with supplements to provide data on which they can make structure/function claims, the special health claims allowed for supplements that require minimal scientific substantiation.  MDbio, of course, makes the supplement used in this trial (you will be relieved to know that all their ingredients are non-GMO).

What interested me about this one is the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) ingredient.  It’s hard to know whether it made any difference.  The supplement with higher THC levels but lower levels of botanicals had no effect.  The composition of the placebo is not disclosed in the paper,  and the data are not p).ublicly available (you can request them from the corresponding author).

Cannabis is greatly understudied as a result of long-standing prohibitions.  As more of it gets into the food supply (edibles!), it would be good to get real information about its effects.  My reading of this study suggests either that less THC is better for sleep.  The less the better?  That, we do not yet know.

For your calendar tomorrow:

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I live in weed city.  Within walking distance of my Greenwich Village apartment are at least ten outlets selling CBD and Delta-8-THC edibles—gummy candies, baked goods, drinks, treats for cats and dogs.

The nearest one opened in mid-November near the 8th Street subway stop to great fanfare.

It did not last long.  Late in the afternoon of December 28, I saw several police in the store supervising the removal of products to large garbage bags on the floor —a raid.  The next day, the store looked like this.

As it turns out, the raid was no coincidence.  The very next afternoon, Housing Works Cannabis, New York State’s first licensed recreational marijuana store, opened half a block away.

What a scene!  The lines to get into it circled the entire block.

Once things settle down and I can get into the store, I will report on its edible selection and prices.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime for your amusement, here’s what the FDA says about CBD edibles.

It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement.

To the question, “Can THC or CBD products be sold as dietary supplements?” the FDA has a simple answer: “No.”

How’s that for food politics!

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I learned about this from a newsletter I subscribe to, Dairy Reporter (this is why I subscribe).

Consumers can now taste a new cannabis-infused ice creams made by Boston’s Emack & Bolio’s in collaboration with cannabis operator MariMed.

The ice creams are vegan, no less.

Two vegan flavors – Cup O’ Coffee Chip and Chocolate Sunny Days – have already debuted, and a dairy line is arriving ‘in two weeks’, DairyReporter understands…“Our R&D team pays close attention to consumer trends and food categories that make sense to consider infusing with cannabis,”​ a MariMed spokesman said. “Ice cream has seen enormous growth, particularly craft ice cream.”

They are sold only in Massachusetts for now.​

“MariMed was looking to partner up with an ice cream company to develop products using their full spectrum cannabis oil and CBD,”​ Emack & Bolio’s founder Robert Rook told DairyReporter. “We both wanted great tasting product, with clean ingredients infused with the best full-spectrum cannabis oil.

Yum?

I tried to find ingredient lists for these products, but all I could find was a press release.

I wrote and asked for them.

Stay tuned.​