Best of the Week: February 7 – February 13, 2025

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

1. US Hemp Roundtable Announces 2025 Officers and Focus on Protecting Direct-to-Consumer Online Sales

The US Hemp Roundtable, a coalition of companies and organizations advocating for safe hemp and CBD products through sound regulations, recently made announcements on updates in the organization. First, on February 7, the new officers for 2025 were announced. The new leadership will help to continue the organization’s mission of advocating for the interests of farmers, businesses, and other stakeholders in the hemp industry, and to develop a dependable supply chain of commerce.

Additionally, a February 5, 2025, industry update explained that the Board of Directors had recently voted unanimously that it would be prioritizing the protection of direct-to-consumer (DTC) online sales as an essential component of the success of the hemp industry.

Read statements from Jena Murray, the new president, and from Jonathan Miller, US Hemp Roundtable’s General Counsel.

2. Repeated Cannabis Use May Lead Cavities and Other Tooth Decay, According to New Study

The week featured several developments in cannabis research. One recent study conducted by Ellyce Clonan, DDS, a researcher from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (Buffalo, New York), discovered that frequent recreational cannabis (FRC) use may lead to tooth decay such as, cavities and severe tooth loss, which Clonan often saw while working on her Dental Public Health Residency Program at Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, New York.

3. Establishing a Standard Cannabis Dose: New Study Introduces the Index of Cannabis Equivalence

As legalization and use of cannabis increases in Canada, this study looked to establish a standard cannabis dose. As noted in the abstract, a standard dose could be useful in regulation, substance use guidelines, data collection, research, and also for self-monitoring and as a customary way to communicate low-risk recommendations and dose-related effects. The study “The Index of Cannabis Equivalence (ICE): A User-Centered Approach to Standardization of Cannabis Dose–Response” was published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs in January 2025 and received funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

4. Veterans, Cannabis for Chronic Pain, and Coaching Intervention: Insights from a Pilot Study

This pilot study examined the effects of coaching intervention in chronic pain management for veterans using medical cannabis for their symptoms. The researchers noted in the study’s introduction that up to 30% of the veteran population in the US is affected by chronic pain. The participants consisted of 21 Armed Services veterans ages 18 years and older with self-reported chronic pain lasting more than three months. All were either already using cannabis for chronic pain, or were interested in using it. The intervention lasted for 14 weeks and included four cannabis coaching visits and cannabis education materials to create a personalized cannabis use plan and provide guidance in follow-up visits.

5. Study Examines Prevalence of Schizophrenia Cases Associated with Cannabis Use Disorder After Cannabis Legalization

We featured this study in last week’s Best of the Week, but it has since been updated with editorial commentary, plus insights from Ruth Fisher, PhD, on the findings in this study.