Happy Monday.
Time Magazine reports that cannabis legalization could be part of Gen Z’s broader shift to drinking less alcohol. It’s still early, but the evidence is mounting.
Let us know your thoughts by dropping us a line.
-JB, JR
Today’s newsletter is 608 words or about a 5.5-minute read.
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📅 CULTIVATED CALENDAR
Upcoming Cultivated events that should be on your radar:
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📣 Quotable
“I have four illicit stores within walking distance of my store. It’s under the counter,” Cannabis Place CEO Osbert Orduna told The New York Post.
⏪ In case you missed it
Friday’s This Week in Cannabis Live was a good one. The usual crew were joined by Judson Hill of Fine Fettle Georgia for a live segment on what Georgia's newly signed medical cannabis expansion means on the ground.
⏩ Quick hits
TSA explicitly allows medical cannabis in carry-on and checked bags
The TSA updated its medical cannabis policy in April, clarifying that officers don't search for illegal drugs but will refer any discovered illegal substances to law enforcement — leaving the final call to individual officers.
Alabama's first medical cannabis dispensary set to open
Nearly five years after Gov. Kay Ivey signed the state's medical cannabis law, Alabama is days away from opening its first dispensary, with nine facilities licensed statewide and the commission hoping to reach 12 by year's end.
🤝 Deals, launches, partnerships
The Opry partnered with Señorita, a hemp-derived THC margarita brand, from RYTHM, to offer 5mg canned drinks as a non-alcoholic option at its Nashville venues and other Opry Entertainment Group locations across the country. $RYM ( ▼ 0.18% )
🔬 Science & research
Cannabis could be the next weight loss drug, California researchers say
UC Riverside researchers gave cannabis to obese mice and found the rodents lost weight and saw striking improvements in metabolic function. Lead researcher Nicholas DiPatrizio said the work could point toward cannabis-based diet therapies, though further human studies are needed. Read more in SF Gate.
Heavy cannabis use linked to nearly 4x lung cancer risk
A new cohort study in the journal Lung Cancer found that people diagnosed with cannabis use disorder were nearly four times more likely to develop lung or bronchus cancer than a matched control group, with elevated risk across multiple cancer subtypes. The authors say further research is needed to clarify dose-response relationships and underlying mechanisms.
Depression and cannabis use disorder closely linked, meta-analysis finds
A new meta-analysis of 55 studies in Journal of Psychiatric Research found that roughly one in five people with cannabis use disorder has major depressive disorder, while nearly 30% of psychiatric patients with depression have cannabis use disorder. The authors call for systematic screening in both directions and note that overlapping symptoms between cannabis withdrawal and depression may complicate diagnosis.
🤔 One interesting thing
Jeremy spotted a full line of THC drinks at the bodega around the corner from his apartment in Brooklyn, including these “high potency” 60mg seltzers. That could really mess up someone who doesn’t know how to correctly dose.
Bodegas can and should be allowed to sell THC beverages like they do Modelo or Bud Light. At the same time, a 60 mg can is a little much. Leave the extra high potency stuff to the dispensaries where professionals can help people choose the correct products.
📰 What we’re reading
Some Medicare Patients Can Now Get Free CBD | The New York Times
The highs and lows of legal cannabis | Rochester Beacon