Psychiatrists and other behavioral health professionals need to better understand the relationship between cannabis and mental disorders so that they can respond to increasing medical and recreational marijuana use among their patients. More than half of states now allow for medical use, and 8 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult personal or recreational use.

In his first “state of the VA” address at the White House on May 31, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin highlighted his department’s focus on wait times, accountability, quality of care, and veteran suicides. But it may have been one brief answer to a question after his speech that really signaled Shulkin’s openness to radical reforms for veteran health care.

Asked whether his emphasis on improving veteran mental health and preventing suicides meant he was considering  American Legion’s proposals to decriminalize marijuana and study the drug as a medicine, Shulkin responded: “I hope the people take a look at that.”

As I've noted, I don't smoke pot, but I have friends that do. Like me, they're aging baby-boomers. Unlike me, they're retired and don't have to meet daily deadlines.

So why the heck shouldn't they?

That question took on new urgency recently with reports that pot might play a major role in warding off Alzheimer's disease.

It seems that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, inhibits the tendency of "amyloids" to form in the brain. Amyloids are thought to be linked to a loss of memory and THC seems to be more effective than prescription drugs in hindering their formation.

I discussed this the other day with Kim Janda, a chemistry professor at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif.

An active compound in cannabis plants, once isolated, could be used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia according to findings of a new study.

Researchers at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) have been investigating what effect Cannabidiol has on the mental illness.

Cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia include social withdrawal and blunted emotional expression.

Previous studies have shown the isolated compound can improve cognition in illnesses like Alzheimer's disease and stroke.

Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi has revealed that the star will be trying alternative methods to beat her cancer such as cannabis oil

Olivia Newton-John announced the devastating news yesterday that her cancer has returned.

Having previously beat breast cancer in 1992 at the age of 43, undergoing a partial mastectomy and breast reconstruction as part of her battle against the illness.

She had been suffering from severe back pain whilst on her tour of the US and Canada, and tests unfortunately showed that the cancer had returned and spread to her back.

Germany is becoming a hotbed for Canadian cannabis producers and we think this trend is just getting started. 

Germany, the largest country in the European Union started 2017 by legalizing medical cannabis creating a major opportunity for cannabis businesses across the world. The legislation also will make cannabis available to people suffering from serious illnesses and available through health insurance plans.

These factors have led to a surge in the number of licensed Canadian medical cannabis producers focused on this market and we want to highlight some of the recent deals.

Aurora Makes Major Acquisition

The Denver dispensary is called Medicine Man and was founded on serving medical marijuana patients. Yet, since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana sales three years ago, few of the store's patrons have been making medicinal purchases.

“There’s less need for medical inventory because we have less medical customers,” said Andy Williams, owner and CEO of Medicine Man, one of Colorado’s largest legal marijuana stores selling both recreational and medical marijuana. “People don’t want to go through the hurdles to get their cards anymore.”

Imbalance of men in positions of power means 'some issues that are just about women have gotten shortchanged', says Democrat who proposed law.

Women living in New York who suffer from severe period pain could use medical marijuana to ease their cramps after proposals allowing its use were approved by a local health committee.

Painful periods – known as dysmenorrhoea – affect around 20 per cent of women to the extent that daily activities are interrupted, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Medical and now recreational marijuana is legal in Nevada. Many businesses in the state are grappling with drafting drug policies to ensure workplace safety. Diana Albiniano is a Reno based human resources consultant with Solutions At Work. She helps employers customize policies that work for their type of industry and explains that workplace drug policies should address the specific needs of an industry.

“Do you have heavy equipment, do you have manufacturing, do you have a lot of safety concerns? So your policy is going to be a lot different than a policy for a company that just has workers in an office,” Albiniano says.

The Initial Objective of the Collaboration is the Introduction of OWC's Active Cannabinoid-Based Topical Psoriasis Cream to the German Market.

OWC Pharmaceutical Research Corp. (OTC: OWCP) and mediq Innovation Partners (mediq) are pleased to announce an agreement for the introduction of OWCP's active cannabinoid-based topical psoriasis cream to the German market.

Frankfurt, Germany-based mediq has extensive experience, knowledge and a successful track record in enabling Israel-based companies to penetrate the European markets. mediq's objectives for OWCP will consist of both scientific collaboration and most importantly the development of a commercial market for OWCP's proprietary, active cannabinoid-based topical psoriasis cream in Germany.