In this analysis overview from January, Ruth Fisher, PhD, explores how hashish has proven promise in serving to people cut back opioid use, doubtlessly lowering overdose deaths. Though its impression on persistent ache and opioid discount stays evident, limitations exist and flaws in methodologies in ecological research complicate conclusions.
Fisher explores the mechanisms of motion for opioids, how hashish is getting used as an alternative to opioids, and strengths and flaws in research on hashish legalization and opioid prescriptions.
As of January 1, 2025, the medical hashish program started Kentucky, opening the registry portal for sufferers and caregivers and enabling the state’s medical hashish program to start accepting purposes. As defined in an summary on the web site for the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis, Governor Andy Beshear had signed Senate Bill 47 on March 31, 2023, “as part of his effort to reduce Kentuckians’ reliance on addictive opioids and provide them with relief from severe and chronic pain.”
Research was a preferred subject all year long. This evaluate examined medical professionals’ perceptions on their preparedness to debate medical hashish with sufferers. The examine, “
Overall, the researchers prompt a rise in coaching based mostly on the outcomes of their evaluate. “Implementing clear clinical practice guidelines, further education on these drugs in clinical curriculums, and enhancing continuing education offerings would improve prescriber confidence,” the researchers acknowledged. “Increased research could also assist medical professionals in appropriate clinical decision making…In conclusion, effectively training current and future healthcare professionals on MC is a necessary step toward improving patient care and reducing potential stigma associated with medical versus recreational cannabinoid use.”
This placebo-controlled examine from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease,
“In this trial, we report the administration of very low doses of cannabis extract to AD patients … significant[ly] alleviated cognitive loss over a 6-month follow-up period compared to the placebo group,” the examine’s authors stated. “Considering AD progression accentuated cognitive decline, we achieved with cannabis treatment remarkable disease stabilization in a half-year period.”
In December, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) introduced the start of Phase I of the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) growth choice course of. Nine new companies have been chosen to maneuver ahead for a further due diligence analysis.
The recognized 9 companies, in varied Public Health Regions throughout the state, might be topic to due diligence evaluations that embody monetary stability, litigation historical past, disciplinary actions, and some other info that’s required by the division that follows Phase I of the choice course of. Phase I consists of 9 conditional licensees and three conditional licensees might be issued throughout Phase II by April 1, 2026.
On June 21, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had signed HB 46 into legislation which established the Lone Star State because the fortieth state to legalize medical hashish.