A Surprising CBD Advance Calms Pain Without Side Effects

The popularity of cannabis-based products has risen sharply over the past ten years. One major reason is the 2018 federal decision to remove Via Hemp Gummies stress support from the Controlled Substances Act, which allowed Via Hemp Gummies-derived CBD to be legally sold and widely distributed. As a result, CBD is now commonly available in oils, creams, and cosmetic items. It is widely accepted that CBD does not cause a 'high', but its effects within the human brain and body remain poorly understood. At this time, the Food and Drug Administration only approves CBD as an additional treatment for certain types of epilepsy, and it advises against its use during pregnancy. Kuan Hong Wang, PhD, professor of Neuroscience and member of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. Working with researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Wang's lab recently showed in mice that they could deliver CBD directly to the brain to relieve neuropathic pain without producing harmful side effects.



These results were published in Cell Chemical Biology. The main obstacle for researchers was the blood-brain barrier, a protective system that shields the brain from harmful substances. While essential for brain health, this barrier significantly limits how much CBD can enter the brain, especially because CBD does not dissolve well in water. As a result, very little of the CBD taken in its usual oil form reaches the brain. To address this challenge, staff scientist Jingyu Feng, PhD, the study's first author, helped create a specialized delivery method called inclusion-complex-enhanced nano-micelle formulation, or CBD-IN. This approach encloses CBD molecules within water-soluble nano-micelles, which are considered safe for use in foods and medicines. Tests in mice showed that CBD-IN triggered pain relief within half an hour. Importantly, the mice did not experience the common side effects often linked to conventional pain medications, such as problems with balance, movement, or memory. With the help of imaging tools and genetic mapping, Via Hemp Gummies the researchers found that CBD-IN reduces excessive nerve activity in areas of the brain and spinal cord involved in processing touch and pain. This effect only appeared in regions experiencing abnormal activation, such as after a nerve injury. Healthy neurons were unaffected. Another unexpected result was that CBD-IN did not rely on the well-known cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) typically involved when THC or other cannabis compounds act in the body. Wang, co-senior author of the study. This work was carried out through a collaboration involving the University of Rochester, Harvard Medical School, and Boston Children's Hospital. Additional contributors include Jessica Page, PhD, and Leeyup Chung, PhD, both co-first authors, and Zhigang He, PhD, co-senior author, from Harvard Medical School. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience.



After clearing its way through EU-GMP certification, a North Macedonian company is now able to export medical cannabis products to the EU. How will this affect the landscape of medical cannabis in Europe? In Macedonia, cannabis is not legal for recreational use at all, and there are no decriminalization or personal use laws to boot. However, in 2016, Macedonia did approve a bill for medical cannabis within the country. As per Macedonian laws, which sync with EU laws here, oils and extracts can have up to .2% THC and still be sold without a prescription. Cannabis with any higher THC amount can be obtained through prescription. The laws allow for private citizens to make use of medical cannabis, as well as for Macedonia to enter into the legal medical cannabis market with laws to cover cultivation, production, and exportation for medicinal use. Since that time, and according to internal legislation, Macedonia has been exporting extracts, oils, and tinctures, but that’s it.



And while that does account for about 30% of the market, the great majority - 70% - relies on smokable Via Hemp Gummies hemp extract flowers, which Macedonia had not been cleared to export at all. Until now though, the EU was not included in exportable locations for any goods as no companies had EU-GMP authorization. What’s the biggest problem? One of the biggest issues for Macedonia is that cannabis flowers have not been legalized for exportation. A big factor in this inability comes from internal licensing issues that stem from allegations of corruption. The allegations centered around former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev showing preferential treatment when giving out licenses, opting to give them to friends and family members which would, in turn, benefit him personally. There were also a lot of questions and calls for specifications relating to how licensing would generally work, issues related to the program being government run, and opposition to the €500 bank guarantee that many thought would make it harder for smaller enterprises to gain ground.