EU wants standard definition • Teen cannabis users could be at risk • Medical marijuana sales up in Oklahoma
EU looks to harmonize rules around medical cannabis
Lawmakers in the European Union passed a motion on Wednesday aimed at creating a standard definition of medical cannabis that would provide clarity for the bloc’s 28 members. It is important to note that the resolution is the starting point for discussion, and not a binding agreement. Here are a few highlights:
- National authorities should work together to provide a legal definition of medical cannabis;
- Considers that research on the potential benefits of medicines derived from cannabis and on cannabis in general has been underfunded and should be properly addressed;
- Calls on member states to provide medical professionals with proper medical training and to encourage increased knowledge on medical cannabis based on independent and wide-ranging research;
- Calls on member states to allow doctors to make free use of their professional judgement in prescribing regulatory-approved cannabis-based.
The entire list of recommendations can be found here.
Study: Teens who use pot at a higher risk of developing depression, suicidal behaviour
The Globe’s health reporter Wency Leung has written on a Canadian study which suggests teens who use cannabis are at a higher risk of developing depression and suicidal behaviour in young adulthood, compared with those who do not use the drug. The study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, suggest a greater need for education about the mental-health risks associated with cannabis.
Medical sales surge in Oklahoma
Numbers from the Oklahoma Tax Commission show medical marijuana sales topped US$4.3-million in January, a fourfold increase from the previous month. The agency released figures this week that show a 7 per cent tax on medical marijuana sales generated US$305,265 for the state in January. That figure doesn’t include the standard sales tax that varies from city to city that is also being assessed on medical pot sales. Oklahoma voters approved a medical marijuana state question in June, and the industry has taken off quickly . Nearly 44,000 Oklahoma patients, 950 dispensaries and 1,600 growers have been licensed since August. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority also has generated more than US$13 million in licensing fees.
- Associated Press