Alpen Organics CBD Review Today I will be reviewing a CBD company called Alpen Organics. What I like to call, the CBD oil that’s been treating my insomnia. Their website boasts the fact that their products contain no smell or taste. Let’s jump into some company information and then I will give my assessment of …
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Envy CBD Review Today I will be reviewing a CBD brand that sells a variety of flavorful CBD products. Just like the title suggests, that brand is called Envy CBD. In this review I will go in depth into what products they sell, which ones I have tried and give some company information. I will …
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CBD Oil for Pain Management: Advantages & Uses More and more countries are legalizing the use of marijuana because of its benefits. CBD is a chemical compound found in the marijuana/cannabis plant, and there are multiple products made from it. One of them is the CBD oil that has recently gotten popularity. What Is CBD …
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How CBD Oil is Made: Introduction CBD (Cannabidiol) is becoming ever more popular today, now being incorporated into many products such as topicals, drinks, and even as massage oils. Many swear by CBD’s amazing effects, helping them treat anxiety, depression, and other ailments. CBD can be extracted through many different methods. We’ll discuss them below, …
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BY ON 6/23/19 AT 2:00 PM EDT
As scientists work to stem the tide of antibiotic resistance, the authors of a study believe an ingredient in cannabis could one day form the basis of a new drug.
Antibiotic, or antimicrobial, resistance is where bugs such as bacteria can survive drugs created to kill them, making infections difficult, or impossible, to treat.
Scientists in Australia found cannabidiol—the non-psychoactive ingredient marijuana— killed all the strains of bacteria they tested in a lab, including some which are highly resistant to existing antibiotics.
What’s more, the bacteria did not become resistant to the drug after being exposed for 20 days: the period when bacteria can survive some currently used drugs. The team tested a group of bacteria called Gram-positive: staphylococcus aureus— which causes conditions including the hospital bug MRSA—and streptococcus pneumoniae—which lead to pneumonia—as well as E. faecalis, which can be life-threatening in those with weak immune systems.
Study leader Mark Blaskovich, senior research chemist at the Centre for Superbug Solutions, told Newsweek: “We still don’t know how it works, and it may have a unique mechanism of action given it works against bacteria that have become resistant to other antibiotics, but we still don’t know how.”
“So far, we have only shown it works topically, on the skin surface. To be really useful, it would be good if we could show that it treated systemic infections e.g. pneumonia, or complicated tissue infections, where you have to give it orally or by intravenous dosing. A very preliminary study didn’t show that it works in these more difficult models.”
Addressing the issue of antibiotic resistance more widely, he said the study shows there may be compounds that could be used as antibiotics that haven’t been properly studied, he said.
“The most challenging part [of the study] was getting the correct permits to handle cannabidiol in our laboratories, as the Queensland government regulates who can use/handle it—even though the material we are using is completely synthetic, it falls into this grey area under the definitions of cannabinoids,” he explained.
The findings were presented at the annual conference of the American Society for Microbiology, ASM Microbe 2019 in San Francisco, and have not been published in a peer-reviewed study.
Asked for his advice for those who might see the study as an excuse to ditch regular antibiotics in favor of using cannabis-based home remedies, he responded: “Don’t! Most of what we have shown has been done in test tubes—it needs a lot more work to show it would be useful to treat infections in humans.”
“It would be very dangerous to try to treat a serious infection with cannabidiol instead of one of the tried and tested antibiotics,” he stressed.
Dr. Andrew Edwards, a non-clinical Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology at Imperial College London who was not involved in the research, told Newsweek: “The antibacterial properties of cannabidiolhadn’t been appreciated previously and it’s significant that there appears to be activity against antibiotic-resistant strains.”
“Cannabidiol is already well-characterized in terms of human use,” he said. “This is important because if cannabidiol is found to be effective in treating infection it could be fast-tracked into clinics.”
Critiquing the study, Edwards emphasized the work is in its early stages, and that the substance only works in Gram-positive bacteria.
“It is not effective against Gram-negative bacteria, which are especially difficult to develop new antibiotics for because they have a very selective outer-membrane that prevents most drugs from entering the bacterial cell.”
The work comes as cannabidiol has emerged as a treatment for conditions such as epilepsy and inflammation.
Last month, a separate team of researchers published work showing it could one day be used to treat people addicted to heroin and in turn help tackle the opioid crisis.
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Beth Stavola, Sara Gullickson & Jessica Billingsley (L-R).
JAVIER HASSE
Less than four years ago, high ranks in the cannabis industry were among the most female-friendly in the world, with women occupying 36 percent of C-Suite level positions – as per Marijuana Business Daily numbers for 2015. However, as time went by and the industry continued its upward trajectory, many women started to bump into the so-called “grass ceiling.”
By 2018, women were only occupying 27 percent of C-Suite level positions in the marijuana industry. Cassandra Farrington, CEO of Marijuana Business Daily, remains one of them.
After discussing the topic extensively, I managed to break down what I think are the main factors driving this trend. Namely: deeply rooted social conceptions, the continued migration of male executives from men-dominated industries into cannabis, and the clear trend of funding favoring male-founded businesses.
However, a few women have persevered, proving their resilience and reaching C-Suite spots at publicly traded cannabis companies. With the recent listing of women-led cannabis tech company Akerna (formerly MJFreeway) on the Nasdaq, this seemed like a good time to get to know some of the top women in cannabis, and learn about the challenges they faced to get to where they are today.
Jessica Billingsley is the CEO of Akerna, and thus, the first female to serve as CEO of a Nasdaq-traded cannabis company.
Jessica Billingsley at the Nasdaq
LIBBY GREENE / NASDAQ, INC.
Ten years ago, Billingsley invested in the first Colorado cannabis licensee and, given her tech background, she was quickly asked to advice them on software issues. She noticed there was “nothing suitable for the cannabis industry that would provide a business with the ability to track their product from seed to sale, down to the gram level.”
“My co-founder [at MJFreeway] and I believed that tracking across the entire supply chain would be necessary to support the growth of the industry. We invented seed to sale tracking to drive product, public and patient safety.”
MJ Freeway rapidly grew from an idea to 100-plus employees, offering services in 14 different countries. “I suppose the old joke applies: after ten years of hard work and dedication, people will talk about what an overnight success you are.”
Sara Gullickson
SCHULTZ DIGITAL
Sara Gullickson is the CEO of Item 9 Labs, which is OTC-listed in the U.S., with a valuation close to $200 million. She previously served as the CEO and founder of cannabis consulting firm Dispensary Permits, a company she started at age 27, with only $3.00.
Specializing in cannabis licensing, her consulting firm secured multiple wins in state markets across the country. Four years ago, Gullickson decided to expand her licensing offerings by developing a more inclusive resource platform. She created sister company DispensaryTemplates.com, a site with an extensive online library of downloadable cannabis business plans available for purchase.
“Leveraging my different skillsets and diversifying my business services has allowed me to get where I am today. I grew my company into the top 3 percent of women-owned businesses and secured ownership of multiple properties before making the decision to sell. My company was acquired by publicly traded Item 9 Labs Corp where I now serve as CEO,” she explained during a recent, exclusive conversation.
Beth Stavola serves as Chief Strategy Officer and Director at iAnthus Capital Holdings, a cannabis company that is listed in Canada and the U.S., raising most of its money up north and deploying into U.S. cannabis businesses. With a market cap of more than $600 million, it stands among the top marijuana companies in the world.
Beth Stavola
PATTY’S PIXELS LLC
After working on Wall Street for many years, focusing on institutional equity sales, Stavola made a personal investment in a medical marijuana company in Arizona. When the deal went south, she took over the business to save her investment.
She quickly went full time into the medical marijuana industry and began rolling up licenses in Arizona.
As she witness the “many medicinal benefits cannabis brought to patients,” Stavola became passionate about the plant. It was in this environment that she launched two vertically integrated medical marijuana operations in Arizona. In order to meet the regulatory deadlines, she invested additional capital to help get the her Health for Life brand and its licenses up and running under a 4-month window.
She later partnered with MPX Bioceuticals and became the COO. MPX was then acquired by iAnthus in a multi-million dollar transaction, and Stavola was named CSO of the parent company. “I truly believe that the people make the business, and my job is to create that culture in our business and the wider industry at large,” she said.
Getting to the top is never easy. But making it as a woman is even harder. We could quote all sorts of statistics to back this claim but the reality is: it’s so evident, so widely known and accepted, that we don’t need to.
Gullickson also brings up industry-specific challenges: “Attaining a C-suite position as a woman is a challenge in any industry. Early on, the cannabis space was talked about as being female-centered where women were leading companies at a higher than usual percentage when compared to other sectors. However, this number has been declining since 2015.”
She assures the industry is still male dominated, and the biggest challenge lies in bridging this leadership inequality gap. “More and more male executives are entering the cannabis space from mainstream industries, funding still favors male-founded businesses, and there are still social conceptions that men make better CEOs. Every day I work hard to prove that I deserve to be exactly where I am today,” she voices.
For Stavola, the biggest challenge was fear: fear of making mistakes in the early days.
“Part of success is dealing with the failures that lead to success.”
“You need to be committed to your goals and believe in yourself and your vision,” she advises. “But part of success is dealing with the failures that lead to success. Everyone eventually gets knocked down. It’s how you recover from a setback that’s important. Learn from your mistakes and move on.”
It’s not just getting to the top that’s hard. Remaining atop is also a big challenge.
In Stavola’s view, “it’s about guiding the ship through rough waters and making positive changes along the way.”
Stavola always tries to focus on the things she has the power to change, and not worry about things she can’t control. She says she’s constantly setting higher goals and standards, and always striving to be better. “Re-evaluating where your company is and planning the next 2, 3, 5 years becomes very important. It’s a process and it takes patience and a belief in yourself,” she explains.
See Also: Is The Cannabis Industry As Women-Friendly As It Claims To Be? New Report Says ‘Meh’
For Billinsgley, the top is still far. This is “just the beginning,” she assures. “I consider this to a wonderful acknowledgement of a milestone, but it’s just the beginning. There is much more for us to do… Being on Nasdaq means we have a much larger platform now to pursue our strategy and vision… Staying focused on where the industry is headed – not where it is now.”
However, remaining a leader means doing the right thing and being part of the solution – whatever the problem is. “Doing the right thing means operating with integrity. Being part of the solution means innovating and remaining focused on the solutions we need to solve tomorrow’s emerging challenges and opportunities.”
Finally, I asked these ladies to share some advice for other women aspiring to the same kind of position, one in the C-suite at a big company, cannabis or not.
Billingsley holds this topic close to her heart. She often brings up stats from the tech world, where there are less women today than 25 years ago. Furthermore, she mentions, 56 percent of women who enter the tech field drop out in the first ten years. And it’s an even bleaker situation as you get higher up, with females making up only 20 percent of executives in tech.
“We can all be more helpful than we think, and everyone can commit to one act to help one woman’s career,” she says, bringing up her company’s One Woman Challenge. “It could be a coffee, an introduction, a mentoring position to help one woman when and where you can. Additionally, women getting into the industry should be bold and reach out and ask for help. There are people willing to help, you just need to ask.”
Gullickson adds one should be realistic: there is no fast track to the C-suite.
People need to work hard and put time in, gain the expertise.
“Slow and steady wins the race,” she says. “I stuck to my own game plan and made sure to not get caught in the ‘green rush’ mentality. I have also been committed to this industry from the beginning. There have been multiple times where I have thought about giving up, but I believe the reason I didn’t get out earlier is my determination. I felt I had a higher calling to be involved in this industry for others, not just myself. When you see how people are benefiting from the plant, it feels selfish to stop what you are doing.”
“Slow and steady wins the race.”
Stavola adheres to this view as well: perseverance is the key.
“Check your ego at the door and do whatever it takes to see your vision through to the end, despite the setbacks,” she recommends. “Surround yourself with great people and ensure your employees are happy and the company culture matches your long-term goals. I am more interested in the effectiveness and integrity of the individual.”
While the women in this article are running some of the largest publicly traded cannabis companies in the world, there are other marijuana, hemp and CBD companies that also count on the female touch. These ladies are:
See Also: Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are: Meet Six Ladies Behind This Women-Only Cannabis Fund
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out some of my other workhere.
I’m a young, cannabis-focused writer, author of the book “Start Your Own Cannabis Business” (Entrepreneur Media, 2018), which hit the #1 Best-Seller spot on Amazon.
As an award-winning reporter and editor, I’ve had more than 4,700 unique articles published across numerous mass media outlets including CNN, Forbes, MSN, CNBC, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo, MarketWatch, the Houston Chronicle, The Street, Nasdaq, Morningstar, Playboy, Benzinga, MERRY JANE, High Times, Leafly, DOPE Magazine, and many others.
I currently serve as the Managing Director of Benzinga Cannabis; and sit on advisory boards in Africa, Latin America, and Canada.
Beyond cannabis, I’m a published photographer and Billboard-charting rapper featured on hip-hop albums that also included Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Inspectah Deck, Twista, Lil Windex, Riff Raff, Cyhi The Prynce, Yung Bleu, DJ Whoo Kid, Jonathan Hay, and others. Hope you like my stories.
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What is CBD (cannabidiol)? CBD is one of some 113 identified cannabinoids derived from the Cannabis plants and accounting for up to 40% of the plant’s extract. CBD does not contain THC, which is a different cannabinoid all together, so CBD has no psychoactive properties.
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A study funded by Jim Pattison’s Children’s Hospital Foundation monitored seven children suffering from severe pediatric epilepsy, in which up to 1,200 seizures a month are common.
On average, the overall reduction in seizures was close to 75%, while three of the seven children stopped having seizures altogether.
“Some people might say that’s not perfect, that’s not 100 per cent, but you have to take into consideration these are kids that have failed multiple anti-seizure medications, multiple treatments. The likelihood of getting a good result with another medication is really, really low,” said pediatric neurologist Dr. Richard Huntsman, one of the study’s authors.
After one month of observing their seizures, the children received increasing doses of an herbal cannabis extract. The dosage was then increased each month for six months.
A major barrier to the study was the notion that the cannabis-based medicine would make the children intoxicated.
But the actual medication consisted of 95 per cent Cannabidiol (CBD) and five per cent THC. CBD is derived from cannabis plants but does not create a high, whereas THC can be intoxicating. –CBC
“What we were able to show is that the THC levels, even at the highest doses in this study, remained low,” said Huntsman. “Based on this —and, again, this [is] preliminary data for seven patients of study so we have got to keep that in mind — but what we’re able to show so far is that the concerns about THC intoxication, maybe it’s not as much of a concern.”
And while this study may have been small, it confirmed a growing body of evidence supporting the known efficacy of cannabis for a variety of ailments. In fact, there are already FDA-approved treatments for seizures associated with certain conditions, such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet syndrome, both of which are rare.
CBD for seizures is nothing new
The non-psychoactive CBD cannabinoid found in Marijuana was famously used in 2013 to treat seizures in Charlotte Figi, a 3-year-old from Colorado who suffered from severe, 30 minute seizures.
The twins were 3 months old when the Figis’ lives changed forever. Charlotte had just had a bath, and Matt was putting on her diaper.
“She was laying on her back on the floor,” he said, “and her eyes just started flickering.” –CNN
Charlotte’s doctors weren’t able to pinpoint what was going on; her blood tests and scans were all normal, telling the Figis “It is unusual in that it’s so severe, but it’s probably something she’ll grow out of.”
As the years went on, Charlotte got worse.
With medical and recreational marijuana having been approved in Colorado, the Figis – who had previously been against marijuana use – considered using cannabis to treat Charlotte after Matt Figis discovered an online video of a California boy whose seizures were mitigated using the alternative treatment.
By then, Charlotte had lost the ability to walk, talk, and eat, and was having 300 grand mal seizures a week. Her heart had stopped several times, only to be resuscitated over and over.
At just five years old, the Figis turned to CBD cannabinoid treatment as a last resort.
“They had exhausted all of her treatment options,” said Harvard-trained physician Alan Shackelford, who added: “There really weren’t any steps they could take beyond what they had done. Everything had been tried — except cannabis.”
The results were stunning…
Charlotte’s recovery was dramatic.
“When she didn’t have those three, four seizures that first hour, that was the first sign,” Paige recalled. “And I thought well, ‘Let’s go another hour, this has got to be a fluke.’”
The seizures stopped for another hour. And then for seven days.
Paige said she couldn’t believe it, nor could Matt. But their supply was running out.
Enter the Stanley Brothers
With the Figis expensive supply of CBD oil marijuana nearly gone, one of Colorado’s largest marijuana growers, the Stanley Brothers, stepped up to create a strain of marijuana containing high levels of CBD just for Charlotte – naming it Charlotte’s web.
“The biggest misconception about treating a child like little Charlotte is most people think that we’re getting her high, most people think she’s getting stoned,” Josh Stanley said, stressing his plant’s low THC levels. “Charlotte is the most precious little girl in the world to me. I will do anything for her.”
Years later, Charlotte was thriving – only having 2-3 seizures per month, mostly in her sleep. Not only can she walk, but she’s was riding a bicycle, feeding herself, and talking as of CNN‘s 2013 report.
“I literally see Charlotte’s brain making connections that haven’t been made in years,” Matt said. “My thought now is, why were we the ones that had to go out and find this cure? This natural cure? How come a doctor didn’t know about this? How come they didn’t make me aware of this?”
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The rise of CBD products has sparked a new question in law enforcement circles:
How should police departments treat aspiring cops who admit to using or test positive for CBD (cannabidiol), the active ingredient in cannabis known for its soothing qualities?
CBD, unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), is not psychoactive. Read: It does not get you high.
Nevertheless, the board that regulates police certifications in Arizona has historically regarded the use of over-the-counter CBD products — such as balms for aches and pains — the same as pot you’d find in a medical marijuana dispensary.
Until last month.
On June 19, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) issued a statement clarifying that it “does not view the use or possession of over-the-counter products containing CBD as constituting the illegal use or possession of marijuana, a dangerous drug, or a narcotic drug.”
Matt Giordano, the executive director of AZPOST, said CBD has been widely discussed since he started his job in 2018. In a memo explaining the policy directive, Giordano said would-be officers using CBD products aren’t trying to get blitzed.
“Police agencies have seen an increase in the number of applicants that have disclosed the use of products containing CBD during their backgrounds,” he said. “What we are finding is someone who might rub a product containing CBD oil on their elbow or knee before going out for a run.”
CBD products containing more than .3 percent THC that were purchased at a dispensary would not fall under the exemption. AZ POST will continue to prohibit medical marijuana products above that threshold.
It’s the same amount of THC allowable under a 2018 Farm Bill signed by President Donald Trump, which effectively legalized hemp production and led to the proliferation of over-the-counter CBD products, from gummies to lotions to dog treats.
In an email, Giordano said his office could not locate any cases in which a cop was denied certification for CBD use.
Haziness over CBD has also raised questions on the other side of law enforcement in Arizona. In October, Phoenix New Times published a report revealing that the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office charged two people with marijuana possession in 2017 for having CBD oil.
One of those charged, Robert Stapleton, tried to explain to the Prescott Valley officer who pulled him over how the CBD vape pen in his car was different than a product containing a higher concentration of THC.
The officer phoned a deputy attorney and asked how he should handle the case.
“Treat the CBD as marijuana instead of a narcotic,” the prosecutor told the cop.
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If you like to keep track of trends in the business world, there is probably one product that you have found it hard to ignore: CBD. From cosmetic brands to major pharmaceutical companies, CBD (including hemp products) have been a cross-industry sensation, and there is scientific backing as to why. Every person has an endocannabinoid …
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