The legalization of Medical Marijuana in some parts of the United States has led to CBD becoming increasingly popular. The CBD market is being led by consumers who are buying these products to experience the medical effects while at the same time; there is plenty of confusion as to exactly how much CBD is needed to achieve the desired results. Cannabidiol products that are found in states with legal  recreational or medical programs consist of cannabis derivatives that contain as much as 30% CBD. However, non cannabis friendly states use hemp-based CBD products sold in health food stores that only contain 3.5% of this compound.

Medical Marijuana is becoming popular because most consumers are searching for a wonder drug that can treat ailments that relate to anxiety and chronic pain. Researchers are working diligently to find out if CBD can be used to cure cancer and epileptic seizures in children. There are plenty of medical professionals that believe CBD may also help those that are suffering with Alzheimer’s. Now that more than 17 states have legalized the use of Cannabidiol products in the last two years, the amount of people that can benefit from CBD has grown exponentially.

Various companies are currently producing Cannabidiol in different forms to include vape pens, edibles and topical salves that can be absorbed through the skin. CBD tinctures have become the best method of delivery for children who have epilepsy since tinctures are easy to administer and swallow.

A large percentage of the public currently prefers using Cannabidiol products over prescription opiates and other Schedule 2 medications. As these products become increasing more popular, the negative stigma associated with CBD and cannabis infused medication is being replaced with hope and the possibility of living a pain free life without opiates.

CBD oil sends signals to the brain and the immune system that gets cells to positively respond to pain. It is a good remedy for people who suffer from inflammation and serious back pain since it is powerful enough to relieve chronic conditions.

Cannabis has been found to improve sleep, mood, and pain unrelated to cancer. People who do suffer from cancer can use a therapeutic grade cannabis oil to provide relief from the pain associated with chemotherapy or the disease itself.

Cannabis has also been found to provide effective relief from anxiety and stress and is great at releasing hormones related to pleasure and relaxation. It is also effective in producing a sense of relaxation and calmness in those who take it.

CBD oil actually alters serotonin levels in the body which helps to improve mental health.

Cannabis oil is very versatile and also helps promote a healthy heart. It actually stimulates the antioxidant process and helps to rid the body of cholesterol which helps to boost the function of the cardiovascular system.

People who consume cannabis have been found to gain an appetite and cannabis essential oil can help to regulate the appetite as well as induce hunger. It can also be used to stimulate the digestive system to become more “regular.” This is a useful way for people to gain weight rapidly after losing a substantial amount of weight due to an injury or illness.

It also helps people who are suffering from insomnia as well as anxiety during the night. Cannabis has been found to promote restful and undisturbed sleep. It also reduces glaucoma and can prevent muscular degeneration.

Cannabis helps to protect the skin and can be used externally as well as internally. It helps to stimulate the shedding of dead skin and also promotes re-growth of healthy and even glowing skin. Cannabis sativa oil prevents wrinkles, protects against eczema and psoriasis and signs of aging. It even prevents headaches and is even believed to prevent cancer. It is very close to being a miracle remedy for countless ailments, and it is a natural way to contain and deal with pain. It has gotten a reputation for being a recreational drug, but it has the potential to do so much more.

Over 60 percent of Americans are in favor of the legalization of cannabis and the majority of states allow at least some cannabis use. Cannabis has the potential to become a booming industry and is in very high demand. According to reputable surveys, 52 percent of adults have tried cannabis at least once. Cannabis has the potential for profitability and is a sound business opportunity.

July 2, 2018 – PRESS RELEASE – International precision agriculture provider AgriTask has adapted its novel Agri-platform for use by medical cannabis growers who, unlike other farmers, face a unique regulatory environment. Already in wide use for other crops, the company modified the platform specifically to meet the stringent IMC-GAP regulations for growing medical cannabis.

“Our challenge was to quickly adapt our platform that has been so successful with soybeans, coffee, cotton, various vegetables and in orchards and forestry to a crop that is highly regulated,” says Israel Fraier, chairman and CEO of AgriTask. He adds that “the platform’s flexibility allowed us to take advantage of experience in Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Israel and develop a platform that meets the strictest regulations and at the same time improve productivity and increase yields.”

The AgriTask platform integrates various data sources into one comprehensive, easy-to-use system, which serves all management levels. The company’s proprietary app allows the user to benefit from a full range of integrated inputs including satellite and UAV image layers and indexes, automatic climate models, digitalization of field data based on individual protocols, and integrating machinery and third-party sensor data. This permits users to easily detect problems in the growing cycle, define a plan and control the entire process from beginning to end.

“AgriTask’s arrival on the scene was perfectly timed for us and has helped in a whole array of tasks from pest surveys to diseases, and from ongoing operations to costs to names just a few,” says Getulio Ferreira, director of planning and production at Girassol Agricola, one of the biggest seed producing companies in Brazil. He adds that the use of AgriTask’s platform “has enabled us to generate more accurate and reliable data for fast and assertive decision making.” In addition, Ferreira notes the platform enabled Girassol Agricola to take the technological era in the field one step further by totally eliminating the use of paper.

The company has taken its highly successful platform used in a full range of crops one step further to meet the stringent regulatory environment facing medical cannabis growers. The upgrading gives the growers the necessary tools to monitor and document every aspect of the process from the mother plant, to post-harvest processing and shipment reports. This includes tracking and documenting of all activities from pest monitoring, to waste and death of plants, mobility of plants at a specific facility, quantities harvested and quality assessment. Data can be entered into the system by farm workers and managers through the proprietary mobile application developed by AgriTask for medical cannabis growers or automatically via integration to alternative systems.

After harvesting, each batch receives a unique ID, which includes details from the mother plant stages, clones taken, the growth cycle, post-harvest, weight, packaging and all relevant laboratory test results. The ID is prepared in accordance with Israeli Health Ministry regulations, which are currently the most stringent in the world for medical cannabis.

This kind of documentation is a crucial part of the regulatory process that growers are facing in the US and Israel as well as other countries in this relatively new segment in agriculture. As a drug, the regulations ensure that the final product meets the stringent quality level for use by patients. No less important is to prevent any seepage of medical cannabis into the non-medical market.

Equally as important for growers are productivity and yields. The AgriTask platform gives growers up to the minute reports that allow real time assessments regarding the state of their batches and risks and immediate action on critical issues ranging from fertilizer, pest and disease treatment, lighting and irrigation to name just a few.

The system’s capabilities raise the overall responsibility of the staff and facilitate data reporting in real time. The quick response to risks and events effecting the growing of medical cannabis enables the prevention of unnecessary chemical applications on the plants, minimizes batch mortality and produces a cleaner, higher quality product for medical use. The bottom line for the growers is higher yields with far lower inputs and fewer losses from regulation.

From Forbes.com:

The non-psychoactive cannabis cousin of marijuana would finally become legal to grow in the United States under a bill overwhelmingly approved by the Senate.

The wide-ranging agriculture and food policy legislation known as the Farm Bill, passed by a vote of 86 – 11 on Thursday, contains provisions to legalize the cultivation, processing and sale of industrial hemp.

The move, championed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), would also make hemp plants eligible for crop insurance.

“Consumers across America buy hundreds of millions in retail products every year that contain hemp,” McConnell said in a floor speech on Thursday. “But due to outdated federal regulations that do not sufficiently distinguish this industrial crop from its illicit cousin, American farmers have been mostly unable to meet that demand themselves. It’s left consumers with little choice but to buy imported hemp products from foreign-produced hemp.

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In recent laboratory testing, Lexaria’s breakthrough discovery evidenced greatly enhanced drug delivery to brain tissue. Nicotine in-vivo (animal) studies showed that up to 560% more nicotine was delivered to brain tissue utilizing DehydraTECH^TM than concentration-matched controls lacking DehydraTECH^TM enhancements. The study provided evidence of surprising effectiveness in crossing the blood-brain barrier (“BBB”) which the Company is investigating more extensively, leading to Lexaria’s patent application titled: “Enhancement of Delivery of Lipophilic Active Agents Across the Blood-Brain Barrier and Methods for Treating Central Nervous System Disorders.”

It is well documented that nicotine – while addictive – does not cause cancer. It is the tar and other chemicals formed when cigarettes are combusted that cause cancer. Thus, an efficient delivery mechanism of minute quantities of nicotine that does not require combustion could lead to greatly reduced death and disease through the avoidance of smoking, while also potentially aiding reduced chemical dependence on nicotine until such time as addictive-avoidance behaviours can be empowered.

Lexaria’s surprising discovery of the DehydraTECH^TM apparent effectiveness in crossing the BBB also opens the door to possibilities of delivering other therapeutic drugs in the treatment of intractable diseases.

The BBB, while providing effective protection to the brain against circulating toxins, also creates major difficulties in the pharmacological treatment of brain diseases. Most charged molecules, and most molecules over 700 Daltons in size, are unable to pass through the barrier, and smaller molecules may be conjugated in the liver. These factors create major difficulties in the pharmacological treatment of diseases of the brain and central nervous system (“CNS”), such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, bacterial and viral infections and cancer.

Many therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the brain and CNS are sufficiently hydrophilic to preclude direct transport across the BBB. Furthermore, these drugs and agents are susceptible to degradation in the blood and peripheral tissues that increase the dose necessary to achieve a therapeutically effective serum concentration. However, as described above, although lipophilicity is generally associated with molecules that are easily able to cross the blood-brain barrier, lipophilicity is not the leading characteristic for molecules that transverse the blood-brain barrier. Seelig and colleagues studied the association of different factors with the ability of molecules to diffuse across the blood-brain barrier, including lipophilicity, Gibbs Adsorption Isotherm, a Co CMC Plot, and the surface area of the drug to water and air (Seelig et al. (1994) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA) 91:68-72). Their results showed that barrier permittivity is based on a complex interaction between relative size and the surface activity of the molecule, in which the surface activity includes the molecular properties of both hydrophobic and charged residues (Seelig et al. (1994) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA) 91:68-72).

Prior methods for delivering drugs across the BBB involve three general categories: (1) liposome-based methods, where the therapeutic agent is encapsulated within the carrier; (2) synthetic polymer-based methods, where particles are created using synthetic polymers to achieve precisely-defined size characteristics; and (3) direct conjugation of a carrier to a drug, where the therapeutic agent is covalently bound to a carrier such as insulin. Liposomes are attractive for transporting drugs across the BBB because of their large carrying capacity. However, liposomes are generally too large to effectively cross the BBB, are inherently unstable, and their constituent lipids are gradually lost by absorption by lipid-binding proteins in the plasma. Synthetic polymers have run into difficulties having the drug carried across the cell only to be trapped in an endothelial cell or a lysosome, instead of the desired result of being ejected into the brain parenchyma.

Cleveland, OH–JUNE 24, 2018 — PRESS RELEASE — The Medical Cannabis Pioneers Picnic will be held at Rid All Green Partnership, a thriving urban farm in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 22, 2018 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guests will enjoy healthy and organic picnic fare, while several certified-to-recommend doctors from Cleveland/Akron-area private practices discuss their path to recommending cannabis to their patients.

Food and drink included in price of ticket ($16). All children are free. Doctors will be available or patient questions. Cannabis industry businesses and activist organizations will be providing information on the status of Ohio’s medical program and professional opportunities and products. Keynote speakers are Dr. Solomon Zaraa of Compassionate Cleveland and Dr. Janet Levatin of Patient Focus.

A visit to Rid All Farm is always a treat, with “regenerative agriculture” on display amid a campus of greenhouses and orchard in Cleveland’s own “Innovative Agriculture Zone.” Sustainable agriculture talks and tours will be provided by the experts at Rid All. Children’s entertainment will be provided by Magic Nate, energy elixirs provided by Urban Farm Doctor, and food will feature locally-sourced plant-based foods with meat options. Wine-tastings, gift basket raffles, and giveaways throughout the evening.

Midwest CannaWomen is an organization formed by and for women from diverse backgrounds who are pioneering into the Midwest regional cannabis industry. Our mission at Midwest CannaWomen is to provide resources, education, skills training, and unique networking opportunities to women to unify, build a base of support for each other, and to connect with quality opportunities within the industry. Tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medical-cannabis-pioneers-picnic-tickets-47119280035

Deeply conservative Oklahoma became the 30^th U.S. state to legalize medical marijuana after voters approved a ballot initiative by a 57-43 margin on June 26. The move signaled new inroads among Bible Belt constituencies, where, by and large, state policies have restricted medical cannabis use to hemp-derived CBD products only.

(Neighboring Texas approved a restrictive low-THC medical cannabis law in 2015. Kansas, to the north, on the other hand, prohibits all uses of cannabis.)

“When you can get a large majority of the Democrats and independents and a third to a half of Republicans to support you, you can get anything passed in Oklahoma,” pollster Bill Shapard told PBS. 

Now, Oklahoma’s conservative state government will spend the next 30 days designing medical marijuana regulations and setting up a marketplace for future sales.

Earlier in the week, the Oklahoma Department of Health submitted draft rules to the governor’s office and to the state legislature.

Department officials will meet July 10 to present those rules to the State Board of Health for further discussion. In short, some sort of medical marijuana information is expected to be made available to Oklahoma residents by July 26; applications will be accepted starting Aug. 25, tentatively.

It’s unclear how many medical dispensaries will be allowed statewide.

For now, the State Board of Health is working with a fairly broad set of rules in the SQ 788 ballot language. By way of example, opponents had suggested that SQ 788 might confer authority to any medical professional, including veterinarians, to recommend a patient use medical marijuana. Industry observers expect that the board will ensure that only board-certified medical doctors or osteopathic physicians be allowed to do so, according to newsok.com. 

Gov. Mary Fallin, indeed, has reservations about the proposed medical framework described in SQ 788. She has also said she plans to call a special legislative session this summer to tighten the regulatory structure of the medical marijuana law. 

“I will be discussing with legislative leaders and state agencies our options going forward on how best to proceed with adding a medical and proper regulatory framework to make sure marijuana use is truly for valid medical illnesses,” she tweeted after SQ 788 passed at the ballot.

As of now, though, the approved ballot measure will allow qualifying Oklahoma residents to grow and sell marijuana for any medical condition (the ballot language did not specify any qualifying conditions). Those who hold a medical marijuana card in Oklahoma will be allowed to possess up to eight ounces of marijuana, six mature plants, six seedlings and as-yet-undefined amount of edibles or cannabis oil concentrate, according to preliminary ballot language.

Medical marijuana will be restricted to any patient 18 or older.

“The passage of State Question 788 highlights the strength and diversity of public support for laws allowing the medical use of marijuana,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a public statement. “Most Oklahomans agree that patients should be able to access medical marijuana safely and legally if their doctors recommend it. It is noteworthy that this measure passed in such a red state during a primary election, when voter turnout tends to be older and more conservative than during a general election. Support for medical marijuana is overwhelming, and it spans the political and demographic spectrums.”

The political makeup of Oklahoma is perhaps the most striking element of this ballot victory. The state favored Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election (65 percent of voters) over Hillary Clinton (29 percent). And past medical marijuana petition attempts in Oklahoma have come up short. 

“We are pleased to see state officials are already working on developing a regulatory framework for medical marijuana, and we hope they will include patients, advocates, and other stakeholders in the process,” O’Keefe said. “It is important that patients have reliable access to the products that work best for their conditions. Oklahoma officials can learn a lot from the successes and shortcomings of other states’ programs, and hopefully they will create a system that will serve as an example for other states in the region.”

“In spite of a well-financed and misleading opposition campaign, Oklahoma voters proved that medical cannabis is no longer a controversial issue by enacting a sensible law at the ballot box tonight,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “We applaud Oklahoma for joining the growing list of states that allow patients to legally access the medicine that works for them.”

Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock

Under the change announced Wednesday, the BIG3 becomes what’s believed to be the first professional sports league in the United States to allow use of the marijuana ingredient for pain management and recovery.

The BIG3 says its decision follows the removal of CBD from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances earlier this year.

The league says in a statement: “Despite many states around the country making efforts to decriminalize or legalize cannabis, both medicinally and recreationally, professional athletes who could benefit medicinally are prevented from doing so by league outdated mandates.”

The second season of the league co-founded by entertainer Ice Cube began last week in Houston. It has a stop Friday in Chicago. The league features players like Amare Stoudemire, Baron Davis, Kenyon Martin and Nate Robinson.

Edmonton, AB – June 26, 2018 – PRESS RELEASE – Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced today that it has agreed to a new $200 million debt facility, with a potential upsize to $250 million, with the Bank of Montreal (“BMO”).

The facility will consist of a $150 million term loan and a $50 million revolving credit facility (together, referred to as the “Loans”), both of which will mature in 2021. A short period after the implementation of Bill C-45 in October 2018, the Company may request an increase of up to a further $45 million to the term loan subject to agreement by BMO and satisfaction of certain legal and business conditions. BMO will also be providing up to $5 million in other credit instruments. Closing of the debt facility is subject to completion of final due diligence, negotiation of definitive documentation, and satisfaction of conditions precedent customary to a financing of this nature.

The debt facility will be primarily secured by Aurora’s production facilities, including Aurora Sky, Aurora Mountain, and Aurora Vie. Strategically located at Edmonton International Airport, Aurora Sky is the world’s most technologically advanced cannabis facility, projected to produce in excess of 100,000 kg per year of high-quality cannabis at low per gram costs, and slated to deliver its first harvest this week.

“Having successfully met all of BMO’s stringent risk assessment and other due diligence criteria to establish this facility reflects well on the maturity, progress and prospects of Aurora, as well as the quality and economic value of our production facilities,” said Terry Booth, CEO. “This is by far the largest traditional debt facility in the cannabis industry to date. The funds provide us additional fuel to complement our end-to-end portfolio of vertically integrated, geographically and horizontally diversified assets, aimed at building a pre-eminent global cannabis company with a superior margin profile.”

Glen Ibbott, CFO of Aurora, added, “The shift to traditional debt financing is significant. Our cost of capital continues to decrease, providing us a distinct competitive advantage as we execute on our growth strategy. The non-dilutive nature and attractive pricing are consistent with Aurora’s commitment to generating shareholder value. We believe this is a major milestone in the cannabis industry and a validation of our operational effectiveness. It also marks an exciting new stage of our long-term relationship with BMO, a Tier 1 bank with a sterling domestic and international reputation.”

The Loans can be repaid without penalty at Aurora’s discretion. The pricing of the Loans is a set margin over the BMO CAD Prime Rate or a Bankers’ Acceptance of appropriate term. Based on the current BMO CAD Prime Rate, the interest payable is expected to be in the mid to high 4% per annum range over the term of the Loans.

Cannabinoid Topical Cream For Treatment Of Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

VANCOUVER, June 27, 2018 /CNW/ – Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: PVOT / OTCQB: PVOTF / FRA: NPAT) (“Pivot” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it will file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Clinical Trial Application (CTA) with Health Canada to begin human clinical trials of PVT-005, the Company’s pharmaceutical drug candidate for the treatment of Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD).

HSDD, the most common type of female sexual dysfunction (“FSD”), affects approximately 12 million women in the U.S. alone. The condition is characterized by low sexual desire and marked distress which are not attributable to existing medical, pharmacologic, psychiatric, or relationship issues. Approximately 6 million pre-menopausal women meet the diagnosis for acquired, generalized HSDD.

Using Pivot’s drug formulation and delivery platform technologies, the Company will develop and aim to commercialize a topical cream containing cannabinoids (“PVT-N005”) for perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women who have noticed a decline in sexual desire and response. While erectile dysfunction in men has been extensively researched, very little has been completed on female sexual dysfunction which can involve reduced sex drive, difficulty becoming aroused, vaginal dryness, lack of orgasm and decreased sexual satisfaction.

“In vitro results from our contract research laboratory indicated that PVT-005 (1% CBD – formulated) was highly bioavailable. Additional studies showed that the product did not cause any local irritation in an in-vivo model. We have also successfully conducted degradation and stability studies with the product candidate. As a result, we have selected a drug candidate for HSDD which we will move to IND and CTA filings with health authorities to conduct clinical trials in women. Our cGMP manufacturing partner, BioV Pharma Inc., will produce the clinical trial material made using our formulation technology,” said Dr. Joseph Borovsky, Pivot’s Executive Vice President, Product Development.

Pivot’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Wolfgang Renz stated “Given that our topical delivery system has previously shown to be safe and well tolerated when administered intravaginally in a clinical trial setting, we believe that we can deliver cannibinoids to target female sexual dysfunction, a large unmet medical need with a multi-billion dollar market. The use of a highly bioavailable and safe topical cannabinoid is a great option for treating this indication, avoiding the known side effects of existing therapeutics.”

While men have had Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra to address their sexual dysfunction issues, finding a solution for FSD has been more complicated. The market for female sexual dysfunction drugs is believed to be larger than the market for male sexual dysfunction treatments since the percentage of women with FSD between the ages 18 and 59 is higher than that for men. The FSD market in the U.S. is estimated to exceed $4 billion with over 50 million potential sufferers.¹

About Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutic pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals using innovative drug delivery platform technologies. Pivot’s wholly-owned medical cannabis products division, Pivot Green Stream Health Solutions Inc. (“PGS” or “Pivot Green Stream”), conducts research, development and commercialization of cannabinoid-based nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Pivot’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, Pivot Naturals, LLC, based in Costa Mesa, California, will manufacture and supply finished powderized cannabis products such as food additives, capsules, bulk powder and stick packs to the California market. PGS has acquired worldwide rights to “RTIC” Ready-To-Infuse Cannabis oil-to-powder technology, BiPhasix Dermal Drug Delivery platform technology (topical), Solmic Solubilisation technology (oral) and Thrudermic Transdermal Nanotechnology (transdermal) for the delivery and commercialization of cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-based products. For more information please visit www.PivotPharma.com

Cautionary Statement

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth above may be forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, and similar expressions, as they relate to Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc., Pivot Green Stream Health Solutions Inc., Pivot Naturals, LLC, or its management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, such as the failure to meet the conditions imposed by the CSE or other securities regulators, the level of business and consumer spending, the amount of sales of Pivot’s products, statements with respect to internal expectations, the competitive environment within the industry, the ability of Pivot to continue to expand its operations, the level of costs incurred in connection with Pivot’s expansion efforts, economic conditions in the industry, and the financial strength of Pivot’s customers and suppliers. Pivot does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Investors are also directed to consider all other risks and uncertainties.

¹https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7977139_Female_sexual_dysfunction

 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pivot-pharma-to-file-investigational-new-drug-ind-application-with-us-fda-for-pvt-005-300672985.html

SOURCE Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc.

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2018/27/c8506.html

Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patrick Frankham, PhD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Email: Info@PivotPharma.com; Virtus Advisory Group, Investor Relations, Email: Pivot@virtusadvisor.com, Phone: 416-644-5081Copyright CNW Group 2018