Latest news with #Leafwell
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Cannabis Is An ‘Effective Treatment' For Chronic Pain, Study Suggests
New research shows that medical cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic and improves the ... More quality of life for patients who use it. The use of medical cannabis is an 'effective treatment option' for chronic pain patients, according to the findings of a recent study. The research also found that chronic pain patients who used cannabis for at least on year 'exhibited significantly lower healthcare utilization' than non-users and had better quality of life. The study, which was published last week in the journal Pharmacy, was written by researchers with the Florida-based medical cannabis telehealth company Leafwell and George Mason University in Virginia. The findings also showed that chronic pain patients who used cannabis reported fewer visits to urgent care centers and hospital emergency departments (EDs). Additionally, the data showed that hospitalization rates were lower among chronic pain patients who used medical marijuana, although the difference was not sufficient to be considered statistically significant. 'Exposure [to cannabis] was associated with a 2.0 percentage point reduction in urgent care visits, a 3.2 percentage point reduction in ED visits and fewer unhealthy days per month,' according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. 'The findings of this study suggest, in line with existing research, that medical cannabis is likely an effective treatment option for patients with chronic pain,' authors wrote. 'This underscores the potential for not only [quality of life] The self-reported data used for the study was collected from chronic pain patients by Leafwell. The telehealth platform operates in 36 states, connecting physicians with patients seeking certification to use medical cannabis. 'The cannabis-exposed group included individuals who had used medical cannabis within the prior year and were seeking recertification of their medical card through Leafwell,' the authors wrote, 'while the unexposed group comprised first-time Leafwell patients who self-reported no cannabis use in the past year.' Study Of More Than 5,000 Chronic Pain Patients The study included data from 5,242 chronic pain patients. Of them, 3,943 reported using cannabis over the past year, while the remaining 1,299 participants reported no past-year cannabis use. Mitchell Doucette, senior research director at Leafwell and the lead author of the study, said the findings show that medical cannabis can improve the lives of chronic pain patients. 'We looked at a large set of real-world data, where we compared medical cannabis users who we knew used for at least one year and people who had never used cannabis,' Doucette told Marijuana Moment. 'When we compared those groups, we found that medical cannabis users who had used for at least one year had lower rates of emergency room visits, lower rates of urgent care visits and, importantly, increased quality of life.' 'When we combine those outcomes,' added Doucette, who has a doctorate in health and public policy from Johns Hopkins, 'it suggests that medical cannabis is not only leading to better quality of life for chronic pain patients but, again, potentially better health outcomes.' Doucette noted that some previous studies have explored quality-of-life improvements among medical cannabis patients, and other research has studied healthcare outcomes, 'but really this is the first study to kind of connect these two dots.' Overall, Doucette said, it is becoming increasingly apparent that medical marijuana 'is a helpful medicinal product for certain groups of people' and that healthcare systems 'should try to alleviate access and cost margins for those individuals who it may be too costly of a product for them to access.' Cannabis And Chronic Pain The Leafwell study is consistent with other research into the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain. Also last week, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reported on the results of German study showing that cannabis extracts significantly reduced pain and improved mental health for chronic pain patients who used it. 'Our findings indicate that treatment with medicinal cannabis improves both physical and mental health in patients with chronic pain,' the study's authors concluded. 'The results suggest that medicinal cannabis might be a safe alternative for patients who are inadequately treated with conventional therapies.'
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Cannabis Is An ‘Effective Treatment' For Chronic Pain, Study Finds
New research shows that medical cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic and improves the ... More quality of life for patients who use it. The use of medical cannabis is an 'effective treatment option' for chronic pain patients, according to the findings of a recent study. The research also found that chronic pain patients who used cannabis for at least on year 'exhibited significantly lower healthcare utilization' than non-users and had better quality of life. The study, which was published last week in the journal Pharmacy, was written by researchers with the Florida-based medical cannabis telehealth company Leafwell and George Mason University in Virginia. The findings also showed that chronic pain patients who used cannabis reported fewer visits to urgent care centers and hospital emergency departments (EDs). Additionally, the data showed that hospitalization rates were lower among chronic pain patients who used medical marijuana, although the difference was not sufficient to be considered statistically significant. 'Exposure [to cannabis] was associated with a 2.0 percentage point reduction in urgent care visits, a 3.2 percentage point reduction in ED visits and fewer unhealthy days per month,' according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. 'The findings of this study suggest, in line with existing research, that medical cannabis is likely an effective treatment option for patients with chronic pain,' authors wrote. 'This underscores the potential for not only [quality of life] The self-reported data used for the study was collected from chronic pain patients by Leafwell. The telehealth platform operates in 36 states, connecting physicians with patients seeking certification to use medical cannabis. 'The cannabis-exposed group included individuals who had used medical cannabis within the prior year and were seeking recertification of their medical card through Leafwell,' the authors wrote, 'while the unexposed group comprised first-time Leafwell patients who self-reported no cannabis use in the past year.' Study Of More Than 5,000 Chronic Pain Patients The study included data from 5,242 chronic pain patients. Of them, 3,943 reported using cannabis over the past year, while the remaining 1,299 participants reported no past-year cannabis use. Mitchell Doucette, senior research director at Leafwell and the lead author of the study, said the findings show that medical cannabis can improve the lives of chronic pain patients. 'We looked at a large set of real-world data, where we compared medical cannabis users who we knew used for at least one year and people who had never used cannabis,' Doucette told Marijuana Moment. 'When we compared those groups, we found that medical cannabis users who had used for at least one year had lower rates of emergency room visits, lower rates of urgent care visits and, importantly, increased quality of life.' 'When we combine those outcomes,' added Doucette, who has a doctorate in health and public policy from Johns Hopkins, 'it suggests that medical cannabis is not only leading to better quality of life for chronic pain patients but, again, potentially better health outcomes.' Doucette noted that some previous studies have explored quality-of-life improvements among medical cannabis patients, and other research has studied healthcare outcomes, 'but really this is the first study to kind of connect these two dots.' Overall, Doucette said, it is becoming increasingly apparent that medical marijuana 'is a helpful medicinal product for certain groups of people' and that healthcare systems 'should try to alleviate access and cost margins for those individuals who it may be too costly of a product for them to access.' Cannabis And Chronic Pain The Leafwell study is consistent with other research into the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain. Also last week, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reported on the results of German study showing that cannabis extracts significantly reduced pain and improved mental health for chronic pain patients who used it. 'Our findings indicate that treatment with medicinal cannabis improves both physical and mental health in patients with chronic pain,' the study's authors concluded. 'The results suggest that medicinal cannabis might be a safe alternative for patients who are inadequately treated with conventional therapies.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Delta what? Here's how to understand the difference between Delta 8, 9 and 10
As marijuana continues to be legalized throughout the U.S., more products that look, smell, taste and feel like marijuana are popping in states where the psychoactive drug isn't officially legal. These products, sold as smokables, edible desserts, candies and soft drinks, contain "Delta 8" or "Delta 10." These products can certainly result in a "high" that is like marijuana, but they aren't fully natural and don't include the compounds associated with medical and recreational marijuana. In 2018, President Donald Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act, more commonly known as the Farm Bill, which removed hemp from the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Previously, hemp was classified as a Schedule 1 drug alongside marijuana and other heavy drugs like heroin and methamphetamemes. Simply put, hemp production, manufacturing, sale and consumption is federally legal. Delta 8 and Delta 10 both fall under this hemp category, as long as they contain 0.3% or less THC. This means products containing Delta 8 or Delta 10 can be sold in states where medical or recreational marijuana has yet to be legalized. Alternatively, Delta 9, the compound associated with medical and recreational marijuana, contains 0.3% or more THC and is not federally legal. It is regulated state by state. So just what is the difference between all these "Deltas"? Here's what to know about the different cannabinoids on the market. Delta 8, Delta 9 and Delta 10 are three of the more than 100 cannabinoids, or chemicals, that exist within the cannabis plant. Each is a form of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is primarily responsible for marijuana's psychoactive effects. Each of the cannabinoids can produce a "high" effect, but they all work a little differently. Delta 8 is found in trace amounts of the cannabis plant, as it's produced when a cannabis plant ages, according to Leafwell, an online marijuana resource. Because cannabis plants only produce a small amount of Delta 8, most Delta 8 products contain a synthesized form of the cannabinoid, which is made by rearranging the molecules of CBD (cannabidiol), according to Leafwell. Delta 9 is the most abundant cannabinoid in marijuana. Discussions about medical and recreational marijuana, which are regulated at the state level, are about Delta 9. Like Delta 8, Delta 10 is a trace cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. It is also often produced in a lab from CBD. Though each of the cannabinoids may have different affects on the body, each interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system, which regulates bodily functions like mood, pain, sleep, appetite, memory, and reproduction and fertility, according to Healthline. Delta 9 attaches to the body's endocannabinoid system more strongly than Delta 8 and Delta 10, meaning its effects are more potent, according to Leafwell. Users may feel a more intense high with Delta 9. Delta 8 and Delta 10 are often available over the counter at convenience stores, smoke and vape shops and gas stations. Delta 9 is only available for purchase from licensed medical and adult-use marijuana dispensaries in states where marijuana is legal. Age restrictions on purchasing THC products vary per state, but commonly consumers must be 18 or 21 to purchase products that contain Delta 8, 9 or 10. Delta 8 and Delta 10 are both federally legal, as they are derived from hemp and contain low traces of THC. They are protected under the Farm Bill signed by Trump during his first term in 2018. However, some states have banned the sale and consumption of both Delta 8 and 10, citing health concerns. Delta 9 is not federally legal but regulated on a state-by-state basis. More: Where is marijuana legal in the US? Here's which states have legalized weed as 4/20 approaches Yes, each of the cannabinoids can show up on a drug test. However, more commercial drug tests cannot differentiate between the cannabinoids, according to WedMD. Historically, hemp, including Delta 8 and Delta 10, have not been as regulated or well researched as Delta 9. Though Delta 8 and Delta 10 are derived from the natural cannabis plant, the Food and Drug Administration advises consumers to be cautious of products that contain these compounds. For example, some Delta 8 and Delta 10 products may be labeled simply as "hemp products," which may mislead consumers who associate "hemp" with "non-psychoactive." Additionally, because Delta 8 and Delta 10 are largely unregulated, some manufacturers may use unsafe chemicals to make the compounds, the FDA warns. By and large, adults should always start by educating themselves before consuming any form of marijuana or hemp product and purchase products from licensed and/or regulated facilities. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delta 8, 9 and 10: What makes the cannabis compounds different?
