"GREECE APPROVES 26 MARIJUANA GROW OPS FOR MEDICAL PRODUCTION"

Greece’s staggering economic collapse made international headlines. But now, The National Herald reports a new development in Greece’s medical marijuana laws brings some more positive news to the financially ailing country.

As the government finally begins digging its way out of its over $360 billion USD debt, one thing they hope will help achieve that goal is medical marijuana.

Like many politicians in Canada and the U.S., Greece sees marijuana as a revenue stream that could really bolster their economy.

Although marijuana is only legal in Greece for medical use, recent changes will finally help kick the industry into gear.

 Applications and Changes

 Greece is not wasting a second getting their medical cannabis industry up and running. At this point, the country received 72 applications. Out of the total, 26 were approved, four rejected and the rest are pending.

In order to begin growing, businesses need three separate licenses. So far, none of the approved aspiring growers received all three. Nonetheless, the current government is very progressive on marijuana reform and has pledged to get through the process as quickly as possible.

When Greece legalized medical marijuana in 2017, they imposed a ban on cultivation. However, they repealed that ban in March of 2018.

Recreational marijuana is still illegal, but its use is widespread and “largely ignored.”

"Study From Yale Explains Why Does Cannabis Stimulate Your Appetite"

Have you ever think, why do some cannabis consumers experience a heightened sense of appetite after the using of Cannabis??? 

Don't worry if you don't because a study from 'Yale School of Medicine'  has come up with a scientific answer exactly for this question...




The study was funded also by the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, The Klarmann Family Foundation, the Helmholtz Society (ICEMED) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB.

The study...

The “munchies,” or that uncontrollable urge to eat after using marijuana, appear to be driven by neurons in the brain that are normally involved in suppressing appetite, according to the study.

Lead author Tamas Horvath and his colleagues set out to monitor the brain circuitry that promotes eating by selectively manipulating the cellular pathway that mediates marijuana’s action on the brain, using transgenic mice.

“By observing how the appetite center of the brain responds to marijuana, we were able to see what drives the hunger brought about by cannabis and how that same mechanism that normally turns off feeding becomes a driver of eating,” said Horvath.

"Can CBD help With Neuroinflammation"

Neuroinflammation is an inflammatory condition of the brain, in which glial cells,namely,astrocytes 
and microglia,the resident macrophages of the brain, are involved along with blood-borne cells. 

Although in the past glial activation in neuroinflammation has been considered detrimental to the brain in general, currently the reparative/ protective aspects are being recognized. 

Cannabinoids, whether plant derived or endogenous  affect different glial functions. 

Importantly, glial cells are endowed with several, if not all, of the elements of the endocannabinoid system, and therefore are sensitive to cannabinoids and at the same time are a source of endocannabinoids. 

There appears to be general agreement that cannabinoids reduce the synthesis, production, and release of cytotoxic molecules such as proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide. 

On the other hand, these agents modify microglial cell migration in such a way that the result is usually beneficial in resolving neuroinflammation or limiting ensuing neurodegeneration.

"University of Guelph Researchers Unlock Access to Pain Relief Potential of Cannabis"

Researchers of the University of Guelph are the first to uncover how the cannabis plant creates important pain-relieving molecules that are 30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation than Aspirin.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019


The discovery unlocks the potential to create a naturally derived pain treatment that would offer potent relief without the risk of addiction of other painkillers.

“There’s clearly a need to develop alternatives for relief of acute and chronic pain that go beyond opioids,” said Prof. Tariq Akhtar, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, who worked on the study with MCB professor Steven Rothstein. “These molecules are non-psychoactive and they target the inflammation at the source, making them ideal painkillers.”

Using a combination of biochemistry and genomics, the researchers were able to determine how cannabis makes two important molecules called cannflavin A and cannflavin B.

"CBD is a Powerful New Antibiotic"

New research published by the American Society for Microbiology has found that CBD is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including those responsible for many serious infections (such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae), with potency similar to that of established antibiotics such as vancomycin or daptomycin.

The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

The project was co-funded by Botanix and Innovation Connections, an Australian government grant scheme to commercialize new products, processes and services. The paper will be presented on Sunday June 23rd from 11am-1 pm at the annual conference of the American Society for Microbiology, ASM Microbe 2019, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.

CBD, the main non-psychoactive chemical compound extracted from cannabis and hemp plants, has been approved by FDA for the treatment of a form of epilepsy, and is being investigated for a number of other medical conditions, including, anxiety, pain and inflammation. While there is limited data to suggest Cannabidiol can kill bacteria, the drug has not been thoroughly investigated for its potential as an antibiotic.

Work led by Dr Mark Blaskovich at The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience’s Centre for Superbug Solutions, in collaboration with Botanix Pharmaceuticals Ltd, an early stage drug discovery company investigating topical uses of synthetic cannabidiol for a range of skin conditions, found that "Cannabidiol was remarkably effective at killing a wide range of Gram-positive bacteria, including bacteria that have become resistant to other antibiotics, and did not lose effectiveness after extended treatment."

“Given cannabidiol’s documented anti-inflammatory effects, existing safety data in humans, and potential for varied delivery routes, it is a promising new antibiotic worth further investigation,” said Dr. Blaskovich.

“The combination of inherent antimicrobial activity and potential to reduce damage caused by the inflammatory response to infections is particularly attractive.”

Importantly, the drug retained its activity against bacteria that have become highly resistant to other common antibiotics. Under extended exposure conditions that lead to resistance against vancomycin or daptomycin, Cannabidiol did not lose effectiveness.Cannabidiol was also effective at disrupting biofilms, a physical form of bacteria growth that leads to difficult-to-treat infections.

Source: American Society for Microbiology