Author: Vanessa

A parliamentary committee has recommended the decriminalisation of possession of all drugs for personal use, following an extensive examination of drug policy in Ireland.The Joint Committee on Drugs Use published its final report, which includes 161 recommendations aimed at shifting Ireland’s approach from a criminal justice to a public health model. Central to these is the repeal of Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, which currently criminalises drug possession.“The committee has concluded that the personal possession of drugs for one’s own use should cease to be treated as a criminal matter and should instead be met with…

Since the turn of the millennium, cannabis reform has swept the world. Countries spanning five continents have ended the blanket prohibition of cannabis, boldly opting for a range of alternatives, from decriminalisation, medical use, heavily state-controlled sales or unfettered capitalism.With two and a half decades of data available, a comprehensive review published in The Lancet Psychiatry has examined the effects of reform on usage rates, links to poor mental health outcomes and wider impacts on society. The results once again challenge the narrative that prohibition is the best route to keeping the public safe, while warning that the way countries…

As more states legalize cannabis, patient advocates across the country are asking the same question: who is actually protecting and representing consumers once legalization arrives? In Connecticut, Erin Kirk has become one answer to that question. As the state’s Cannabis Ombudsman, Kirk works directly with patients, regulators, legislators, cultivators, pharmacists, providers, and consumers to help people navigate Connecticut’s cannabis system while advocating for stronger patient protections and smarter policy. An ombudsman is an independent, neutral official who investigates complaints, mediates conflict, and aids resolutions between individuals and organizations, such as government agencies, corporations, or universities. Derived from a Swedish term…

For many of the patients I see, sleep has become one of the most frustrating parts of managing their condition. Not because they are doing anything ‘wrong’, but because standard advice rarely accounts for what their bodies are actually contending with. When poor sleep sits alongside chronic pain or another long-term condition, it stops being a question of habits and ‘sleep hygiene’ alone. It becomes a clinical problem in its own right, and one that feeds back into the very condition that is keeping the person awake.According to findings from a Curaleaf Clinic survey, more than half of people living…

A coalition of patient organisations across Europe has launched an appeal and public petition challenging a move to treat cannabidiol (CBD) as a drug precursor.The appeal, titled Care Before Discrimination is a Human Right, was launched after the Czech government said it was considering placing restrictions on the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, including placing it on a European precursor list and restricting how it can be processed under Czech law.The group has raised concerns over the lack of transparency and patient consultation before any restrictions are introduced.CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that is available in most countries across the world, with a…

Approximately half of cancer patients experienced meaningful improvements in symptoms after using cannabis oil extracts placed under the tongue, according to results from a new Canadian study.The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, was published on the preprint server medRXiv and conducted by cancer specialists from various Canadian universities and hospitals.Ninety-one participants took part in the trial across eight cancer centres in Canada. Each person tested four different treatments – three types of cannabis oil (THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, and 1:1 balanced mixture) plus a placebo – for four days each in a randomised order.56% of the participants recorded meaningful symptom…

A pioneering universal basic income (UBI) programme funded by cannabis tax revenue has helped dozens of low-income families in Albuquerque improve their financial stability, with some participants even becoming homeowners in its first year of operation.The scheme, which launched in April 2025, provides 59 families with $750 per month with no strings attached. City officials announced on Friday that the programme has exceeded expectations, with participating households reporting a 26% increase in savings and significant improvements in food security.Mayor Tim Keller said the programme’s simplicity was key to its success. “Instead of telling you what you have to do with…

People living with hypermobility disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) experienced sustained improvements in symptoms after being prescribed cannabis-based medicines, according to a study published in Clinical Rheumatology.The study analysed patient-reported outcome measures from 240 UK-based hEDS patients over 24 months, making it the largest and longest-duration observational study of medical cannabis therapy specifically for hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome to date.Researchers used data supplied by patients registered on the UK Medical Cannabis Registry (UKMCR), the largest patient registry in Europe that collects real-world data on patient outcomes and cannabis treatment. Patient health was monitored using standardised tests including…

People in the UK support the medical use of psilocybin alongside therapy, with backing from voters for all parties, according to the results of a new nationwide poll.The YouGov survey of 2,148 UK adults, commissioned by PAR (Psilocybin Access Rights), found that 68% of respondents support the medical use of psilocybin-assisted therapy for end-of-life psychological distress in the terminally ill, against just 8% opposed.Support for psilocybin use in physical and neurological conditions such as cluster headaches, traumatic brain injury and stroke recovery reached 61%, with 12% opposed. For serious mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, PTSD, anorexia, OCD and addiction,…

Cannabis has entered its industrial phase, with large operators building multi-state footprints, standardizing production, and moving product through increasingly familiar retail channels. That version of the industry is easy to recognize and increasingly efficient, but it is only part of the story.  Alongside it, a smaller segment continues to develop with different priorities, propelled by the belief that cannabis quality depends on proximity, control, and a level of attention that does not translate easily across large systems. Tito Bern has spent decades moving through cannabis culture from multiple angles, first as a cultivator working quietly before legalization and later as…