As the medical cannabis industry in the UK evolves, so do the companies that support it. Releaf is one of the latest clinics to open its doors to patients. We sat down with Managing Director, Tim Kirby, whose proven track record of building and scaling businesses in complex industries will serve Releaf well in achieving its mission: to transform access to medical cannabis in the UK through technology and compassionate healthcare. With innovative ideas, extensive experience, and impeccable focus on the patient, Tim Kirby explains how Releaf’s MedTech platform simplifies and streamlines access t ..read more

Despite being illegal in the UK for over five decades, cannabis remains widely used for both its medicinal and recreational properties. It is estimated that almost 10% of people aged 16 to 59 in the UK have used cannabis in the last 12 months – that’s more than 3 million people. But while prohibition may not impact consumer numbers, various considerations mean that it could affect consumer safety. Advocates for prohibition as well as those in favour of reform often refer to the potential presence of contaminants in black market cannabis products. The unregulated cultivation of cannabis has ind ..read more

A report published by the American Medical Association (AMA) has revealed that the legalisation of adult-use cannabis and the opening of dispensaries and retail stores does not lead to an increase in youth cannabis use. In fact, cannabis reforms were linked to more young individuals reporting abstinence from cannabis, as well as an increase in those abstaining from alcohol and vape products. Published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the study, conducted by a team of five researchers from Boston College and the University of Maryland at College Park, analyzed data from 47 states, encompassing r ..read more

For as long as people have been using cannabis recreationally, governments and the media have pedalled scare-mongering tactics in an attempt to control them. This has arguably been demonstrated most effectively in Western countries – particularly in the US where the ‘War on Drugs’ really ramped up in the 60s and 70s. Over the decades, we have been repeatedly warned of the increasing potency of weed, but do the numbers really stack up? We’re analysing figures from the ‘reefer madness’ days of cannabis to modern ultra-potent skunk to find out: Is cannabis really 67,200 times stronger today? This ..read more

Deputy Kirsten Morel has stated that the medicinal cannabis industry in the island nation of Jersey has now started to yield positive results, although as the industry began its journey there were many hurdles to navigate such as high start-up costs, strict regulatory minefields both domestic and international, and other problems like building appropriate infrastructure. In 2021, as part of a wider economic program to diversify its rural economy, Jersey issued its first commercial medicinal cannabis cultivation licenses to businesses including local firm Northern Leaf. And in November 2023 the ..read more

A literature review published this month in the Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists found the detection of THC or its metabolites in the blood, breath, urine, or saliva of a driver is not an indicator of driving impairment. Scientists affiliated with the University of California at Davis also stated, similarly to other recent studies, that current methods used to detect impairment caused by cannabis consumption often indicate only the use of it, not a reduction in the driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. Evidence produced in other studies has shown current detect ..read more

Researchers from the Canadian Government’s Office of Cannabis Science and Surveillance examined patterns in cannabis use during the period 2018, when those aged over 18 were allowed to purchase and use cannabis legally for medical and non-medical purposes, to 2022 Using responses from a national online questionnaire known as the Canadian Cannabis Survey, researchers were able to show that in 2019, the first full year of legalisation, only 37% said they purchased cannabis from legal sources, a figure that increased to 69% in 2022.  Continuing a trend that began pre-legalisation the data sh ..read more

Data published in the journal Neurology Clinical Practice shows cannabis to be an effective treatment for those who live with migraines, with many opting to use cannabis to treat their symptoms.   Researchers affiliated with Yale School of Medicine, Ayer Neuroscience Institute, and others selected a cohort of 1373 from 5400 respondents. Patients from a specialist headache centre in the USA completed a one-time online survey and researchers analysed the results.  Questions in the survey were designed to indicate to researchers how cannabis helps patients manage symptoms such as t ..read more

With an estimated 2.4 billion followers worldwide (or almost a third of the global population), Christianity remains the world’s largest religion. Based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, arguably the most influential prophet in history, Christianity has spread to almost every corner of the globe. But while Christ’s miraculous abilities and healing powers are usually thought to be a sign of his divinity, some people believe that some of these may have a more reasonable explanation: cannabis. In fact, this theory has gained increased support in recent years as scholars delve into refere ..read more

Scientists working with the John Hopkins University have published a study showing how a terpene called d-limonene found abundantly in cannabis, and in many citrus fruits, affects the experience of users when it is vapourised together with the well-known psychoactive cannabinoid THC.  Researchers working on the study, which will be published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence next month, used a small cohort of 20 adults. They were instructed to vape a placebo, d-limonene, THC, or a combination of d-linonene and THC. Their experiences were recorded and each category was analysed an ..read more