Dozens of pharmacy shelves in Uruguay will soon be stocked with a plant that is entirely prohibited in most other countries: cannabis. Three and a half years ago, Uruguay became the first country to fully legalize marijuana. And later this month, after overcoming legal hurdles and a presidential transition, government-approved marijuana will be sold out of dozens of pharmacies across the country.

Priced at $1.30 per gram, the legal weed will exclusively be sold at pharmacies. Uruguay’s government will have tight control over the process, from planting to puffing. The marijuana plants’ genetic material will be determined by the government, as will its THC–marijuana’s psychoactive component–concentration. Uruguayans ages 18 and up can purchase up to 40 grams each month.

According to the Washington Post, customers will register for the marijuana program via a government database. Instead of producing identification at the register to prove their age, customers will place their thumb on a scanner, which will be linked to the database, providing pharmacies with a buyer’s purchasing history.

Unlike some of the U.S. states that have legalized recreational marijuana, there will be no smoking cafes as part of Uruguay’s legalization regime. Foreigners cannot purchase marijuana, and there will be no shops selling pot edibles or other marijuana-infused products. For some, the caveats to Uruguay’s marijuana legalization are overburdensome and unnecessary. But to public health officials, the regulations will hopefully ensure marijuana does not tread down the same path as the tobacco industry.

“The risk of what they’re doing in Colorado is that you end up with something like the tobacco industry,” Julio Calzada, a public health official in Uruguay, told the Washington Post. “To us, marijuana is a vegetable substance with a capacity to generate addiction,” added Calzada, who helped design the regulatory framework after legalization in 2013, “so what we’re trying to do is control the production, distribution and consumption of that substance as effectively as possible.”

Uruguay is a socially liberal society, where gambling and prostitution are legal. The government maintains control of a majority of sectors, including banking and utilities. The same goes for its nascent legal weed market–only two government-approved private firms will supply marijuana to about three dozen pharmacies across the nation.

Distribution will be coordinated by the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA). According to its website, over 4,600 people have already signed up for the government database. Meanwhile, in America, marijuana advocates are worried the country’s top enforcer, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, will initiate stringent anti-marijuana measures. He once said “good people don’t smoke marijuana.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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The officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop last July said the smell of “burnt marijuana” coming from the vehicle made him fear for his life. The weak justification comes from a newly released transcript of Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez’s interview with two special agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the state agency investigating the shooting.

“I thought I was gonna die,” said Yanez when recounting the shooting the following day. “If he has the, the guts and the audacity to smoke marijuana in front of the five year old girl and risk her lungs and risk her life by giving her secondhand smoke and the front seat passenger doing the same thing then what, what care does he give about me.”

In other words, Yanez interpreted the smell of marijuana to mean that Castile had no regard for human life–a quantum leap, if I’ve ever heard one.

In the transcript, Yanez repeatedly mentions smelling marijuana in the car and claims it was on his mind at the time of the shooting. He said that because of the odor, he didn’t know if Castile had the gun “for protection” from a drug dealer or people trying to rob him. Make no mistake, Yanez’s prejudicial jump from possible pot user to criminal evading drug dealers is racially motivated, and he likely wouldn’t have come to that conclusion had Castile been white.

But more than half of American adults have admitted to trying marijuana at least once, and 22 percent of adults say they currently use marijuana. Numerous studies have shown that marijuana actually decreases aggression for many individuals. The majority of states have some kind of marijuana legislation–whether that be medical or recreational–on the books, and a growing number of states are actively advancing toward legalizing the drug recreationally.

While it is illegal to smoke marijuana without a medical license in the state of Minnesota, the drug is in fact decriminalized. Possessing 42.5 grams or less is a misdemeanor offense, carrying a no prison time and a maximum fine of $200.

Autopsy results concluded that Castile had high levels of THC in his system at the time of the stop, but it’s unclear whether he was impaired or not at the time. Still Yanez’s attorneys attempted to convince the judge that Castille was culpable in his own death because he was “stoned.”

“The status of being stoned (in an acute and chronic sense) explains why Mr. Castille: 1) did not follow the repeated directions of Officer Yanez; 2) stared straight ahead and avoided eye-contact; 3) never mentioned that he had a carry permit, but instead said he had a gun; and 4) he did not show his hands,” the lawyers wrote in a motion to dismiss the charges against Yanez.

Ultimately, Yanez was acquitted last week by a Minnesota jury on all charges in the shooting death of Castile, but the shocking conclusion still left much of the nation in a collective state of disbelief. Based on Yanez’s testimony, it appears clear that both racial prejudices and stigmas surrounding marijuana use factored into the tragic shooting.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, improves the memory of aging mice, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine. By conducting cognitive tests on dozens of mice, the researchers determined small doses of THC improved the older creatures’ ability to remember how to perform a number of tasks. Proving the same is true for aging human brains will be quite difficult, however, as recent studies have found that THC can have adverse affects on developing human brains.

“Together, these results reveal a profound, long-lasting improvement of cognitive performance resulting from a low dose of THC treatment in mature and old animals,” the German and Israeli scientists who conducted the study wrote.

The scientists provided some of the mice–aged two months, 12 months, and 18 months old–with daily doses of THC. Others were given a control substance that did not contain THC. The older mice–the 12- and 18-month-olds–showed an improvement in their ability to solve memory-based tasks–like navigating a water maze–with THC in their system.

The two-month-old mice, however, showed the reverse effect. According to the researchers, the younger mice who had ingested THC showed a decline in their ability to solve the cognitive tasks. This mirrors the findings of studies that suggest cannabis has adverse affects on developing human brains. One recent study showed that young people who smoked marijuana daily for a period of a few years almost directly led to cognitive decline.

In the U.S., marijuana is prohibited at the federal level. In recent years, however, eight states and D.C. have legalized pot for recreational use; twenty-nine states (and D.C.) have legalized marijuana use for medical purposes, and nearly a dozen others allow some form of CBD (cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant) use, also for medical purposes.

As the laws loosen, and the stigma surrounding marijuana use dissipates, marijuana-as-medicine is becoming an increasingly likely reality. Therapeutic uses for marijuana–to help alleviate pain, for instance–have been observed anecdotally for years. But there’s not much in the realm of concrete data proving marijuana’s medical properties exists. And further research is difficult because of the DEA’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule I substance. There is only one government-sanctioned research facility in the U.S.

But despite the lack of robust scientific data on marijuana’s effects on the human brain, the researchers of the recent study published in Nature Medicine are hopeful that THC may one day prove to be a reliable tonic for an aging brain. They wrote that a “chronic, low-dose treatment with THC or cannabis extracts could be a potential strategy to slow down or even to reverse cognitive decline in the elderly.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday released new guidelines for pediatricians to follow in light of recent marijuana legalization developments. Marijuana is legal, either medically or recreationally, in 28 states and D.C. Though overall marijuana use, even in states with the most lenient laws, has remained the same, decriminalization has “created an environment in which marijuana increasingly is seen as acceptable, safe, and therapeutic,” the report said.

This, the report added, can “affect use among adolescents by decreasing the perceived risk of harm or through the marketing of legal marijuana, despite restrictions that prohibit marketing and advertising to this age group.”

Co-written by Dr. Sheryl Ryan and Dr. Seth Ammerman, the report, “Counseling Parents and Teens about Marijuana Use in the Era of Legalization of Marijuana” will be published in the March edition of the Journal of Pediatrics. With an absence of solid scientific research into marijuana’s effects on brain development, Ryan said in a press release, pediatricians and parents must play a vital role in educating children to abstain from the drug.

“The adolescent brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex areas that control judgment and decision-making, is not fully developed until the early 20s, raising questions about how any substance use may affect the developing brain,” the report said. Ryan, in the press release, noted the negative effects marijuana might have on a developing brain: “short-term impairment of memory, attention, concentration and problem-solving skills, as well as motor control, coordination and reaction time.”

Marijuana, though illegal for anyone younger than 21, even in states that have legalized it for recreational use, is more accessible than ever before. Use among children ages 12 to 17 has remained steady since 2002. But there has also been an uptick in calls and visits to poison centers over the past few years, mostly involving children (babies as well) who have accidentally consumed a piece of candy or baked good infused with marijuana.

The stigma surrounding the drug is also dissipating, which is alarming to health professionals who are not entirely certain about its health effects, especially on developing brains. In addition, the concentration of THC–the active chemical in marijuana–in a plant has increased. In the 1980s, marijuana had a THC concentration of about four percent; in 2012, that rose to 12 percent.

The report included “talking points for parents and teens,” such as: regular marijuana use among teens can lead to depression; use by minors is illegal, and can lead to prosecution and a criminal record; secondhand marijuana smoke is toxic. The report suggests parents not use marijuana in front of their children, keep marijuana-infused edibles stowed away, and to “not share your own histories of drug use with your children.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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A new study found that children who are exposed to marijuana smoke are more likely to absorb THC which, the doctors conducting the study say, can lead to an increased risk of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The doctors expect the negative effects of secondhand marijuana smoke on children are similar to those of secondhand tobacco smoke, though there is no concrete evidence yet to back that up.

The study surveyed 43 children, from one month to two years old, in Colorado who had been hospitalized for bronchiolitis. Researchers found that overall, 16 percent of the children had traces of THC in their urine. That figure rose dramatically, to 75 percent, for children who have a parent or caretaker who smokes pot.

A separate study found that pregnant women are smoking pot at a higher rate than at least in 2002. In 2014, the study found, 3.9 percent of the women surveyed said they had smoked marijuana in the last month, higher than in 2002, when 2.4 percent of women said the same. The study found that in 2014, nearly 12 percent of pregnant women had smoked marijuana over the last year.

“If the current trends continue, with rates of use among pregnant women increasing as fast as they are in nonpregnant women, the U.S. may face a growing epidemic of prenatal marijuana use with associated consequences for maternal and child health,” said Dr. Qiana Brown, a researcher at Columbia University and a lead author of the study.

Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) issued a warning that the newborns of women who smoke pot to treat their nausea have a high risk of anemia, might have lower birth weights, and are more likely to have developmental issues. “Although more research is needed, there is strong reason to believe marijuana could be harmful to fetal development,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow in an email to Reuters. “Women who are pregnant should avoid using marijuana, even though it might seem like a ‘natural’ solution to their nausea.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Putting the “pot” in potency, marijuana in Colorado has a higher concentration of THC than ever before. A combination of lax regulations and an influx of growers selecting for desirable genes has led to the increased pop to Colorado’s pot.

“While we don’t do genetic engineering here, we’re constantly looking for better genetics. That means good, big, and fast. So, it’s been a constant evolution of our genetics over time,” Andy Williams, CEO of Denver-based dispensary Medicine Man Marijuana, told CNN in a recent interview.

Cross-breeding strains of cannabis has certainly played a role in the overall potency increase in the state’s crop. But Colorado’s regulatory framework, or lack of one, concerning limits on THC concentration in a flowering plant, has also had an effect. However, Colorado’s Marijuana Code does include stipulations regarding edibles: a packaged marijuana product can contain no more than 100 milligrams of active THC.

Academic studies–as well as mandatory tests conducted by state-licensed, third-party laboratories–have tracked the steady rise in THC levels in Colorado’s pot over the last few decades.

TEQ Analytical Laboratories is one of the state-licensed laboratories that tests producer’s products before they hit the market, a requirement for all growers in the state. They have examined over 100 strains from more than two dozen clients. JJ Slatkin, director of business development at TEQ, recently showed CNN the test results of a flower with a THC content of 32 percent, well above the average of 18.7 percent in .

“The biggest issue is protecting the public’s health and safety and making sure this industry is based on sound accurate science,” Slatkin said.

A study published in April of nearly 40,000 samples of marijuana–all from illicit material confiscated in raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration over the past two decades–reveals what might be a national trend: rising THC levels in illicit plants. In 1995, the average black market plant had a THC level of just 4 percent. That figure tripled by 2014, to 12 percent.

“This increase in potency poses higher risk of cannabis use, particularly among adolescents,” the authors of the study concluded.

Legislators concerned about THC’s effect on adolescent brains, and who would like to see caps on THC levels, introduced an amendment earlier this year that would bar producer’s from growing and selling cannabis with THC levels above 16 percent. That measure failed to pass.

Williams, the CEO of Medicine Man Marijuana, compared limiting THC levels to taking spirits and hard liquor off liquor store shelves. People who crave a stronger dose will simply “make it themselves,” he said.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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A new study from the University of British Columbia suggests that there is some truth to the stereotype that smoking weed makes you lazy–at least as far as rats are concerned.

Researchers published a study in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, that found THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, made male rats less likely to choose more cognitively demanding tasks. (Presumably they used male rats because all the female rats were already busy multi-tasking three things at once.)

UBC conducted the study by training 29 lab rats to complete behavioral tasks where they had to decide whether or not they wanted to engage in a task that required a lot of attention for a larger reward, or complete an easier task for a smaller reward.

Under normal circumstances the rats opted for the harder task to earn the bigger reward. However, when the scientists gave the rats doses of THC and had them pick between the same tasks, they chose the easier tasks for the smaller reward–basically they became “cognitively lazy.” Surprisingly, the rats could still perform the harder task, they just didn’t want to.

Some of the motivations behind the study were to determine whether or not marijuana legalization has an adverse effect on the quality of life of its users. The researches concluded:

We hypothesize that associations between THC and poorer life outcomes may be due to a drug-induced decrease in willingness to allocate cognitive effort, rather than impairments in fundamental cognitive abilities per se. Our findings also suggest that unlike THC, CBD does not adversely affect executive function, and as such its inclusion in medicinal cannabis is not of primary concern.

While the results of this study probably aren’t shocking for most of us, they do provide more information about the affects of THC–at least on rats. Although, I do think they could have gotten the stoned rats to try a little harder if they’d offered them pizza as their reward instead.

Watch the researchers explain the study below

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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