KEYSTONE 420

09/05/2026

Huge interest in CBD has catalyzed a rebirth of industrial h**p in the U.S. But is h**p the best source of CBD?

When it comes to CBD-rich oil production, the 0.3 percent THC legal limit is an absurd, impractical, resin-phobic relic of re**er madness. It has become the lynchpin of cannabis prohibition, a venal, dishonest policy that impedes medical research and blocks patient access to valuable therapeutic options, including herbal extracts with various CBD:THC ratios. For patients struggling with a wide range of conditions, CBD and THC work best together, enhancing each other’s beneficial effects.

Thus far, twenty-three U.S. states have enacted medical ma*****na laws and 17 states have passed versions of ’CBD-only’ laws that ostensibly permit the therapeutic use of high CBD/low THC products. None of the ‘CBD-only’ states, except for Kentucky, are in compliance with federal law regarding industrial h**p. There’s no consensus as to the proper THC limit for industrial h**p: North Carolina puts it at 0.9 percent; in Texas, it’s 0.5 percent. Each state government sets its own dysfunctional rules. Some states limit the sources of CBD-rich products and specify a narrow range of conditions for which CBD can be used; others do not.

Leading advocates for ‘CBD-only’ laws have argued that this legislation is a crucial first step toward full-fledged legalization of medical ma*****na. Thus far, however, there have been no such advances in any states that passed ‘CBD-only’ laws. Most patients are not well served by ‘CBD-only’ laws. They need access to a wide spectrum of whole plant cannabis remedies, not just low THC products.

Confucius once said that to change society one must start by calling things by their real names. If maximizing CBD-rich oil output for product formulation is the objective and the best plant sources are federally illegal because of a minuscule amount of THC, then perhaps it’s time to call things by their real name. It’s not industrial h**p that’s growing when American farmers harvest their cannabis crops before full maturity to minimize THC content. These are high-resin, CBD-rich drug plants, albeit the non-euphoric kind—in essence, ma*****na that doesn’t make you feel high. And ma*****na is still prohibited under federal law.

SOURCING CBD—SUMMARY:
Huge interest in the medicinal potential of CBD has catalyzed a rebirth of industrial h**p in the United States.
There are two types of cannabis plants, broadly speaking—low resin h**p plants and high resin drug plants. Low-resin industrial h**p includes plants grown for fiber and for seed oil. High resin drug plants include euphoric THC-rich plants and non-euphoric CBD-rich plants.
Industrial h**p is not an optimal source of CBD-rich oil.
Federal law prohibits American farmers from growing high-resin CBD-rich drug plants that narrowly exceed 0.3 percent THC, even though these high-resin cannabis plants are much better suited for extracting CBD-rich oil than low-resin industrial h**p.
The 0.3 percent THC federal legal limit for industrial h**p is an aribitrary, impractical, scientifically baseless distinction designed to maintain ma*****na prohibition, a disreputable policy built on a mountain of lies.
American farmers in Colorado and elsewhere are growing high resin CBD-rich ma*****na and calling it h**p. These “h**p” growers typically harvest their crop early to minimize THC content.
Colorado start-ups are marketing CBD-rich oil to all 50 states, despite the fact that federal law bans the cross-border transport and sale of Colorado cannabis oil products. CBD is not legal in all 50 states.
The Federal Farm Bill of 2014 carved out an exemption for growing and marketing industrial h**p under the auspices of state-approved pilot research programs, but only one state thus far implemented such a program. Licensed farmers in Kentucky are currently allowed to breed, cultivate, and harvest industrial h**p, formulate products, including CBD-rich oil concentrates, and ship these products across state lines.
For many h**p farmers in Canada and Europe, CBD oil extraction is actually a co-product or byproduct of industrial h**p grown primarily for another purpose. Farmers earn extra money by illegally selling their leftover h**p biomass to businesses that want to extract CBD.
CBD and THC enhance each other’s therapeutic effects. Most medical patients need access to a wide spectrum of whole plant cannabis remedies, not just low THC products.

https://projectcbd.org/h**p/ma*****na-industrial-h**p-the-vagaries-of-federal-law/

Huge interest in CBD has catalyzed a rebirth of industrial h**p in the U.S. But is h**p the best source of CBD?

09/04/2026

Understanding how cannabidiol (CBD) exerts its myriad effects on human physiology is a work in progress. Thus far, scientists have identified more than 60 different molecular pathways through which CBD operates. It is known, for example, that CBD acts through multiple receptor-independent channels and it also binds to various receptors in the brain, including serotonin 5HT1A (which contributes to CBD’s anti-anxiety effect), TRPV1 (which contributes to CBD’s anti-psychotic effect), the nuclear receptor PPAR-gamma (regulates gene expression), and the orphan receptor GPR55, among others.

CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have similar molecular structures, but CBD does not directly stimulate CB1 and CB2, the canonical cannabinoid receptors, like THC does. THC, ma*****na’s principal psychoactive component, makes a person feel high by binding to CB1, the most abundant protein receptor in the brain and central nervous system.

THC fits snugly into a special pocket – an “orthosteric” binding site – on the CB1 receptor. The image of lock-and-key is apropos for orthosteric binding: THC, the molecular key, fits into the CB1 receptor lock and turns it on, which triggers a signaling cascade on a cellular level that inhibits the release of other neurotransmitters (thereby protecting the brain from too much excitation). It’s one of the many reasons why THC is such a remarkable therapeutic substance.

CB1’s orthosteric binding site is also the “keyhole” for THC’s endogenous cousins, anandamide (the first endocannabinoid compound discovered in the mammalian brain) and 2AG (our most abundant endocannabinoid). Likened to the brain’s own ma*****na, these endogenous cannabinoid compounds fit into the same orthosteric binding pocket as THC and activate some of the same signaling mechanisms.

NEW DATA VERSUS OLD SCIENCE
Since the CB1 receptor was discovered in 1988, it’s been an article of faith among cannabinoid researchers that CBD, unlike THC, has little binding affinity for CB1. But this notion is based on old science.

New data emerging from the international cannabinoid research community indicates that CBD interacts directly with the CB1 receptor in ways that are therapeutically relevant. But CBD parks at a different docking site on CB1 that is functionally distinct from THC’s orthosteric binding site. CBD attaches to what’s known as an “allosteric” binding site on the CB1 receptor.

When cannabidiol, an allosteric modulator of CB1, docks at the receptor, it does not initiate a signaling cascade. But it does impact how the CB1 receptor responds to stimulation by THC and the endogenous cannabinoids. Allosteric modulation of CB1 changes the conformation (shape) of the receptor, and this can have a dramatic impact on the efficiency of cell signaling.

Every cell membrane has lots of receptors for many types of messenger molecules, which influence the activity of the cell. It’s not uncommon for a receptor to have two distinct binding sites or loci that can be activated by various drugs and endogenous compounds. The orthosteric site is the switch that a drug turns on, whereas an allosteric modulator can either amplify or decrease a receptor’s ability to transmit a signal depending on how the allosteric modulator changes the conformation of the receptor.

To extend the lock-and-key metaphor: If the orthosteric binding site is the lock on a door, then the allosteric binding site, when activated, makes the lock easier or more difficult to open. A “positive allosteric modulator” changes the shape of the receptor in a way that potentiates receptor signaling, while a “negative allosteric modulator” will reduce receptor transmission.

HEALING WITHOUT THE HIGH?
Numerous pharmaceuticals target orthosteric binding sites for receptor stimulation. Big Pharma has also brought to market several synthetic allosteric modulators of other receptor systems (Mimpara, Piracetam, and Selzentry, for example). There is serious interest among drug companies in allosteric modulation of the endocannabinoid system. In theory, if not practice, allosteric modulators can prime the system for amplification or inhibition by fine-tuning receptor transmission with amazing subtlety.

Full-on stimulation of CB1 can deliver therapeutic benefits, but THC’s psychoactivity intrinsically limits its medical utility, according to Big Pharma catechism. For the medical constabularies, getting high is by definition an adverse side effect. Allosteric modulation raises the prospect of increasing CB1 receptor activity without causing disconcerting dysphoria or needless euphoria.

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland have synthesized a positive allosteric modulator of CB1 to treat pain and neurological disorders. When researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University tested the compound on mice, this experimental drug, known as “ZCZ011,” had no psychoactive effects of its own, but reduced neuropathic and inflammatory pain by boosting the CB1 receptor’s response to anandamide, an endocannabinoid compound.

Research into allosteric modulation of the endocannabinoid system is still in its early phases. Allosteric modulators of CB1 were first discovered in 2005. Ten years would elapse before scientists at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, reported in the British Journal of Pharmacology that cannabidiol is a negative allosteric modulator of CB1 in vitro. This means that CBD lowers the ceiling on the ability of THC and endogenous cannabinoids to stimulate CB1.

The Canadian research team identified the exact molecular niche where CBD parks at the CB1 receptor, a protein which consists of 472 amino acids strung together in a crumpled chain that wraps around the cell membrane seven times. Scientists can mutate CB1 receptors with precision, targeting one amino acid at a time. Data generated by mutational analysis pinpointed positions 98 and 107 on CB1’s amino acid chain as the key docking loci for CBD.

A DIMMER SWITCH
Negative allosteric modulation of CB1 is conceptually similar to a dimmer switch on a light fixture. CBD alters cognition and improves mood; it creates mood lighting for the brain and dims the ‘strobe light’ triggering seizures. As a negative allosteric modulator of the CB1 receptor, CBD shows particular promise for treating conditions associated with endocannabinoid excess or overactivity (obesity, metabolic disorders, liver disease, cardiovascular issues), whereas a positive allosteric modulator that enhances CB1 receptor signaling could be helpful for diseases linked to endocannabinoid deficits (such as anorexia, migraines, irritable bowel, fibromyalgia, and PTSD).

It should be noted that allosteric modulators typically are unable to alter receptor conformation unless the orthosteric binding site is also stimulated. CBD can modulate CB1 receptor signaling only when THC or another cannabinoid compound is active at the orthosteric binding site. In terms of whole plant cannabis therapeutics, CBD’s efficacy as an allosteric modulator requires the co-presence of THC.

THC and CBD work in tandem; they are the power couple of cannabis therapeutics. Given the intimate synergies between these two plant compounds, how much sense does it make to attribute psychoactivity exclusively to one (THC) and not the other (CBD)? Is it really accurate to say that CBD is a “non-psychoactive” substance?

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Researchers have demonstrated that CBD confers antipsychotic, anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing), and antidepressant effects. If CBD can relieve anxiety or depression or psychosis, then obviously cannabidiol is a profound mood-altering substance, even if it doesn’t deliver much by way of euphoria. Perhaps it would be better to say that CBD is “not psychoactive like THC,” rather than repeating the familiar and somewhat misleading refrain that “CBD is not psychoactive.”

The identification of cannabidiol as a negative allosteric modulator that binds directly to the CB1 receptor challenges antiquated assumptions about CBD and sheds new light on its medicinal potential. In turn, as our scientific understanding and therapeutic experience deepens, the description of CBD as non-psychoactive may fall by the wayside.

Jahan Marcu is Chief Science Officer at Americans for Safe Access with 14 years of experience in Cannabis research and regulations. Ali S. Matthews is the pen name of an endocannabinoid researcher currently studying allosteric modulators and the mammalian brain, who wishes to protect the privacy and identity of his federally funded laboratory. Martin A. Lee is the director of Project CBD and the author of Smoke Signals: A Social History of Ma*****na – Medical, Recreational and Scientific.

Data shows that CBD interacts directly with the CB1 receptor and modulates THC's psychoactivity.

08/28/2026

08/22/2026

IRONIC, ISN'T IT?

08/22/2026

A federal science agency has released a new report as part of its effort to ensure that cannabis products are accurately tested and labeled for THC, CBD and more than a dozen other cannabinoids. It’s part of an ongoing effort by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to encourage standardized analysis of a wide range of cannabis compounds and contaminants across an ever-expanding class of legal products.

The agency, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced The Cannabis Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP) last summer. The program’s goal, NIST said at the time, was “to help laboratories accurately measure key chemical compounds in ma*****na, h**p and other cannabis products including oils, edibles, tinctures and balms.”

Laboratory testing of cannabis has been happening more or less openly in the U.S. for years, at least since the early days of medical ma*****na dispensaries in California. While NIST has acknowledged that most existing product labels already included concentrations of at least THC and CBD, the agency says many labs don’t have sufficient experience conducting those tests, which has led to “unreliable” results.

NIST already guides standardized testing and measurement in other industries, such as dietary supplements and food safety. “We work already in this space with regulators, product manufacturers, farmers, on the forensic side as well as in other areas,” NIST research chemist Brent Wilson told Ma*****na Moment in a recent interview. “We had the interaction with them already, and we knew that they needed us to get involved to help improve the analytical testing [of cannabis] that’s being done in the community.”

The first exercise in the CannaQAP program, which is the subject of the new report released last week, involved evaluating how laboratories determine the concentration of cannabinoids in h**p oils. Testing laboratories across the country were sent two samples of h**p oils containing known concentrations of THC, CBD and 15 other cannabinoids. After testing the samples, the labs returned their results to NIST along with an explanation of their testing methods.

The primary goal of the first report, published July 27, is meant to show how much variability exists between testing labs and methods. Its goal is to be observational and educational, not to pass judgment on the labs techniques or measurements. It published results in anonymized form, looking for how much measurements varied. “There needs to be a platform for these laboratories to demonstrate their confidence without worrying about…failing or passing a test that they’re taking part in,” Wilson said.

Overall, 116 laboratories participated, although not all reported results for each sample, nor did all submit results for each cannabinoid contained in the samples they analyzed. According to a list of self-identified participants, the group comprised an international mix of commercial labs that already focus on cannabis testing, commercial or academic chemical testing labs, law enforcement agencies and assorted others. Overall, about 83 percent returned data to NIST, Wilson said.

“The industry as a whole compared pretty well with the target values,” he said of the overall THC and CBD results covered in the report. “The accuracy as a community was good.”

Because the quality assurance program is intended to be anonymous and nonjudgmental, Wilson declined to draw any significant critical conclusions about the significance of the variability between laboratories’ results. Asked how the group’s cannabis results compared to those of other regulated industries NIST works with, he said the report showed “very similar results to what we’d expect in any of the similar programs that we’ve done. There’s always going to be a large amount of variability at first [but] as things progress, we expect to see that variability shrink.”

“We generally don’t go into the details about the capabilities of an industry,” he added, explaining that job is better left to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or state regulators. “Our main goal is just to try to improve the measurement capabilities.”

Testing a Schedule I controlled substance—any cannabis samples over 0.3 percent THC—”presents additional challenges on our part,” the researcher noted. For example, rather than simply shipping h**p samples, NIST has to ensure participating labs have the proper U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration paperwork so NIST can perform a legal transfer of ma*****na.

As the program evolves, Wilson said NIST expects to use samples that have higher concentrations of THC “so we can target both h**p and ma*****na companies that are out there to try to improve their capabilities.” He also said future studies will focus on the wide array of products that cannabinoids are added to, including edibles, topicals and a range of nutritional supplements.

“The entire cannabis space is still new in terms of testing,” Wilson said. One thing he’s heartened by is the broad consensus he says he’s seen among researchers, law enforcement and commercial testing labs on the need for improved accuracy and standardization in testing. “Across all aspects of the community, all of them want to improve,” he said. “The only path forward is together.”
https://www.ma*****namoment.net/federal-science-agency-issues-first-report-on-thc-and-cbd-variability-in-cannabis-laboratory-testing-results/?fbclid=IwAR2_mHq7kQQ3aoug89BxJM0HmI4lrOvmIypvenBsyt6xWqhxU0wCH3ocj4s

A federal science agency has released a new report as part of its effort to ensure that cannabis products are accurately tested and labeled for THC, CBD and more than a dozen other cannabinoids. It’s part of an ongoing effort by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to encourag...

08/15/2026

Pa. patients swear by cannabis as a tool to fight opioid addiction.
https://www.inquirer.com/health/opioid-addiction/spl/pa-opioid-addiction-medical-ma*****na-research-20210805.html?fbclid=IwAR1YpQHErDcZx9y6DCH3Th08xlmLPdhOSU_8u5QMrHwAEUbpqIRr4c3MZJQ

Pennsylvania approved opioid use disorder as a condition that qualifies a person for medical ma*****na in 2018, but experts are still conflicted about its use as an addiction treatment.

08/15/2026

The administration of a proprietary, water-soluble CBD tablet mitigates neuropathic foot pain compared to placebo, according to randomized clinical trial data published in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism.

Researchers affiliated with Pure Green Pharmaceuticals assessed the efficacy of sublingual CBD tablets (20mg) versus placebo in a cohort of subjects with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) pain in their feet. Subjects were administered either the active drug or a placebo three times per day for 28 days.

Those taking the active drug reported significant reductions in pain compared to placebo and no adverse side-effects. Subjects taking CBD also reported improvements in their sleep quality and reduced levels of anxiety.

Authors concluded: “This 28-day trial revealed statistically and clinically significant improvement in pain and a clinically significant improvement in sleep quality and in anxiety reduction for those in the CBD treatment group. Additionally, subjects taking CBD affirmed these results by having a statistically significant greater response to treatment as compared with subjects taking placebo. The benefit of this study demonstrates that the sublingual 20 mg CBD tablet should be considered as a safe and effective treatment for pDPN.”

Numerous placebo-controlled clinical trials similarly document the ability of whole-plant cannabis to mitigate neuropathic pain in a wide range of patient populations, including in subjects with HIV and diabetes.

Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol for the treatment of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial,” appears in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism. Additional information on cannabinoids and neuropathy is available from NORML.

https://norml.org/news/2021/08/05/clinical-trial-sublingual-administration-of-cbd-is-effective-in-patients-with-diabetic-neuropathy/?fbclid=IwAR3dhSe87tr14P3ms-YERIAwpavlVkOEOJeax0LmQoWfifO7hOtgmrzt3F4

Authors reported, "This study demonstrates that the sublingual 20 mg CBD tablet should be considered as a safe and effective treatment for pDPN."

08/11/2026

A combination of THC and CBD significantly reduced agitation in people with late-stage dementia “These trial results were extremely impressive and showed a level of response not seen before in clinical trials related to dementia,” he said. “Rarely do we see close to 90 percent of patients in a trial respond positively to a new medication.”

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1135740

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, U.S. researchers have found that people with agitation and dementia in late life who took a special medical formulation of two active ingredients found in ma*****na – THC and CBD – had significantly less agitation compared to people who received a p...

07/10/2026

NEVER FORGET! The DEA, a government agency, was behind submitting false propaganda in court to criminalize cannabis in collaboration with the multi-millionaire media mogul William Randolph Hearst (Patty Hearst was his granddaughter).

New data is now available on the effectiveness of cannabinoids, a cannabis extract, for the treatment of patients with severe forms of drug-resistant epilepsy.

07/03/2026

Happy INDEPENDENCE Day KEYSTONERS!