Best of the Week: April 4 – April 10, 2025

Let’s dive into the top stories shaping the conversation this week. Summaries of each article are listed below.

1. Multiple Sclerosis Patients See Improvement with Vaporized Cannabis Cannabinoids THC and CBD

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine investigated vaporized cannabis use in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), which contain standardized percentages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Researchers in Greece analyzed vaporized cannabis consisting of 13% CBD and 9% THC, with 69 participants. Some of the MS participants were experiencing muscle spasticity, disability progression rate, and bladder dysfunction. These symptoms were measured at baseline and then again at three months and six months.

“Significant improvement was observed across all outcome assessments”, researchers commented.

2. New Cannabis Responsible Workforce Training Program Launched in New York by OCM and NYSDOL

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) announced the start of the Responsible Workforce Training program. This initiative will work towards offering “comprehensive safety education to workers in the cannabis industry.”

Additionally, the program will make New York (NY) the first state to require, as well as create Cannabis Product Safety and Responsibility and Cannabis Workforce Responsibility courses that are targeted toward employment, health, and safety standards for all cannabis workforce participants. The press release mentioned that, “These courses, in addition to training on implicit bias, cultural competency, and licensee specific trainings, represent a significant step toward building a workforce empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the New York cannabis industry.”

3. Study Explores Natural Product Use Among Veterans, Including Cannabis for Pain

A survey aimed to gather information on US veteran use of natural products (NPs), including cannabis, for chronic pain. The goal was to develop a new, more comprehensive survey for veterans on the reasons for using these products, concerns while using them, medications being substituted, and more. Additionally, patients do not commonly report NP usage with their health providers, the study introduction stated, leading to a lack of knowledge about the frequency and types of products. The study, “Natural Product Use for Chronic Pain: A New Survey of Patterns of Use, Beliefs, Concerns, and Disclosure to Providers,” was published in February 2025 in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.

The survey asked about use of NPs in the past three months. Products listed in the survey included vitamins, minerals, cannabis (THC- or CBD-predominant, roughly equal, unknown), and other products. Participants were asked about the frequency and purpose of the NPs.

4. US Hemp Roundtable’s Jonathan Miller to Testify before House Committee on Oversight and Accountability

On April 8, 2025, the US Hemp Roundtable, a national advocacy organization in the hemp industry, announced that General Counsel Jonathan Miller would testify on Wednesday, April 9 before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability at a hearing titled, “Restoring Trust in FDA: Rooting Out Illicit Products.”

As the press release explained, Miller will explain the need for regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, advocating for a science-backed regulatory framework to guarantee consumer safety, provide support for responsible manufacturers, and remove gray areas that have resulted in harmful practices.

The hearing was streamed streamed live on April 9 at 10:00am ET.