CBD News Roundup: Hemp Bill Passes California Legislature

Here’s the latest CBD news:

• AB-45, a California bill that would legitimize hemp in the retail space, is undergoing a final review after its passage this week.
• Innocan Pharma states their liposomal CBD product was successful in large animals, who showed “prolonged release of CBD.”
• The British Medical Journal publishes clinical guidelines for doctors working with medical cannabis patients.
• A large review hones in on the public perception and use of cannabis products for chronic pain. 

Hemp Bill Passes California Legislature

As of Thursday afternoon, the California State Legislature passed bill AB-45, which would provide a regulatory pathway for CBD products in the retail space and more, by a vote of 56-3, sending it to the governor’s desk.

As we reported last week, the language outlines an authorization process for hemp manufacturers, the allowance of CBD into dietary supplements/beverages/cosmetics pending certain requirements are met, and several other provisions designed to nudge CBD into this new frontier.

The latest amendment repealed section 111928.5, which introduced an “authorization process” that would require cannabis licensing authorities to prepare a report to the Governor outlining “the steps necessary to allow for the incorporation of hemp cannabinoids into the cannabis supply chain.”

Throughout the bill, mentions of this authorization process have been changed to “registration process,” referencing registration under the State Department of Public Health.

Other late changes included several requirements relating to inhalable CBD products, such as the prohibition of inhalable CBD products except for those intended for out-of-state sales, taxation of said products, and an age requirement for inhalable products (21 years of age or older).

Liposomal CBD Delivery Successfully Tested In Large Animals

CBD drug developer Innocan Pharma announced in a press release late last week that their CBD-loaded liposome technology “demonstrated a similar pharmacokinetic profile (in large animals) as was demonstrated in a previous small animal study.”

In other words, the improvements in CBD absorption efficiency and sustained release afforded by liposome delivery was proven to be the same between small animals and large animals

Liposomes are cell-like structures composed of fatty phospholipids that can transport drugs and other substances throughout the body more efficiently, which is why many drug developers (not just CBD) rely on them to increase absorption.

Liposomes can go where unencapsulated substances can’t “fit,” and survive in mediums where unencapsulated substances would degrade, which is why they are absorbed and released more efficiently.

Innocan believes that this discovery of the success of liposomal CBD on large animals, which took place at the Laboratory of Membrane and Liposome Research in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, marks a prominent step towards developing liposomal CBD delivery systems in a pharmaceutical context for humans. 

The British Medical Journal Provides Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Use of CBD for Pain

On Thursday, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a document entitled “Medical cannabis or cannabinoids for chronic pain: a clinical practice guideline.”

Between the included infographic and the following set of guidelines, the authors addressed and clarified several points relating to the “role of medical cannabis or cannabinoids for people living with chronic pain due to cancer or non-cancer causes,” including, but not limited to:

• The effect medical cannabis or cannabinoids have on chronic pain
• The current set of guidelines governing medical cannabis use
• Indications for use (for whom and when should cannabis be used?)
• Review of the existing evidence focusing on medical cannabis benefits
• Potential benefit and harm

Per the authors, the guidelines were developed to summarize the findings of four systematic reviews.

The authors also addressed several barriers to the legitimization of medical cannabis as an official practice in standard care, including “inconsistent guidance from professional associations and federal agencies,” widespread use without a commensurate amount of study, and more.

Academic Review Explores Perceptions Surrounding Medical Cannabis Use Among Pain Sufferers

Expanding on the public perception of medical cannabis and otherwise, this systematic review from West China Second University explored the “values and preferences towards medical cannabis among people living with chronic pain.”

After combing through the 15 eligible studies, the reviewers came to the following conclusions as it concerned the public perception and use of medical cannabis:

• Most participants using medical cannabis preferred a balance of THC and CBD, or high CBD
• Many participants were motivated by the prospect of reducing reliance on prescription medication
• Out-of-pocket costs hindered participants from pursuing medical cannabis on many occasions
• People with life-limiting diseases were more likely to use medical cannabis

The authors intended these findings to serve as context for clinicians discussing medical cannabis with their patients.