Cannabis residue was found on an altar at the temple in Arad Ancient Israelites burned cannabis as part of their religious rituals, an archaeological study has found. A well-preserved substance found in a 2,700-year-old temple in Tel Arad has been identified as cannabis, including its psychoactive compound THC. Researchers concluded that cannabis may have been burned in order to induce a high among worshippers. This is the first evidence of psychotropic drugs being used in early Jewish worship, Israeli media report. The temple was first discovered in the Negev desert, about 95km (59 miles) south of Tel Aviv, in the 1960s. In the latest study, published in Tel Aviv University's archaeological

A drug derived from cannabis has been given to a UK baby, in a world first trial. A British baby has become the first in the world to be given a cannabis-derived medicine as part of a new clinical trial to help infants born with a condition that can lead to brain damage. Oscar Parodi was born at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which is a lack of oxygen or blood flow from the placenta to the baby. Oscar was born by emergency Caesarean on March 11 when he was three days overdue. He was transferred to intensive neonatal care and given cooling treatment in which his body temperature was reduced to 33.5 degrees using a special jacket, i

CBD oil bottles and green plant of cannabis on a wooden background. Herbal medicine. Canadian researchers are studying the potential for cannabis to be used to prevent coronavirus infections. Researchers at the University of Lethbridge in Calgary are studying more than 400 strains of cannabis and have determined that at least a dozen may offer potential as part of treatments to prevent coronavirus from infecting a host. According to the researchers, the effective strains have, in some instances, managed to reduce virus receptors, which reduces the chance for an individual to catch coronavirus. "A number of them have reduced the number of these receptors by 73 per cent, the chance of it get

POLITICAL MOVES: David Littleproud rushed the bill to support the industry, a move that will coincidentally sure up Pauline Hanson's vote in the Senate. THE federal government has rushed through legislation that will make it easier to export medical cannabis and hemp products, to gain support from One Nation in the Senate. The Coalition needs One Nation leader Pauline Hanson to vote against extending JobKeeper to universities, foreign-owned companies with local workers and restoring the one-week consultation period for pay cuts. Ms Hanson has been seeking to expand the nation's medical cannabis opportunities for some time and passing the bill will secure her party's vote in the JobKeeper deb

Growers of medicinal cannabis will soon find a clearer path to pursuing export opportunities. Cannabis growers will find it easier to send their supplies overseas as the government moves to slash red tape for them. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has introduced legislation to certify legitimate exports of narcotic goods, including hemp and medicinal cannabis. "We want our agricultural industries to be able to capitalise on the opportunities that flow from growth in our region and globally," he told parliament on Wednesday. "This bill allow the growth of export markets for hemp and medicinal cannabis industries." The National Farmers Federation wants to grow agricultural exports from t

University of Lethbridge researcher Igor Kovalchuk is leading a study on medical cannabis as a potential therapy for COVID-19. Summited photo Cannabis extracts are showing potential in making people more resistant to the novel coronavirus, says an Alberta researcher leading a study. After sifting through 400 cannabis strains, researchers at the University of Lethbridge are concentrating on about a dozen that show promising results in ensuring less fertile ground for the potentially lethal virus to take root, said biological scientist Dr. Igor Kovalchuk. “A number of them have reduced the number of these (virus) receptors by 73 per cent, the chance of it getting in is much lower,” said Kovalc

OPINION: You may have heard the arguments for or against the upcoming cannabis referendum. But you may not know of people who desperately need the referendum to pass so they can gain quality of life. I am one of those people. I have fibromyalgia, a chronic pain and fatigue disease. This life-long disease can be explained using Christine Miserandino's 'spoon theory'. In this theory, spoons equal energy. A normal person may wake up with 20 spoons, and each spoon is taken away when they do something that requires energy - such as walking the dog or going to work. A 'spoonie' like me, may wake up with 10 spoons, and two spoons are taken away by just getting out of bed. Therefore, spoonies have t

Eli Turner uses cannabidiol, or CBD oil, to help ease his chronic pain.(ABC Goulburn Murray: Jackson Peck) Doctors have labelled medicinal cannabis prescriptions a "bureaucratic nightmare" requiring "a massive learning curve", as patients say people in pain cannot wait months for relief. Key points: After refusing to use opioids, former soldier Eli Turner says medicinal cannabis is helping ease his chronic back pain Medical specialists say gaining approval from the TGA to prescribe cannabis is time-consuming and difficult A Senate committee has recently recommended widespread changes to the medicinal cannabis industry Wodonga's Eli Turner, suffers from a spinal condition called spondylosis a

More than 50% of voters must say yes to the proposed changes for parliament to consider the changes. New Zealanders will be asked to vote on legalising cannabis at the country’s general election in September. Photograph: Darren England/EPA New Zealanders will be asked at September’s national election whether they want to pass a bill that would legalise cannabis and regulate how it is used and sold. This will include producing and selling fresh and dried cannabis, including plants and seeds – for people over 20 years old. The change would impose more stringent restrictions than the rules around sales of alcohol and tobacco. What are the key points of the proposed changes? Those under 20 caugh

Swissx CEO Alki David has said that his cannabis company is currently in talks with Premier League side Everton over a deal to have his brand take over as the club's main kit sponsor, just days after the entrepreneur revealed he had spoken to Barcelona regarding naming rights for Camp Nou. Billionare David hit the headlines in late April when reports erroneously claimed that he and ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson were business partners, and that the former boxer's 'Tyson Ranch' cannabis farm in California was interested in becoming Barca's stadium sponsor. While Tyson Ranch CEO Rob Hickman made it clear to Goal that his company were not in fact in business with Swissx, he did not rule out

If passed, the cannabis bill would allow cannabis to be consumed, sold, and purchased for recreational use, by people 20 years or older. Proposed cannabis legalisation will ban items designed to appeal to young people, set a four-year prison term for selling to under 20-year-olds and allow cannabis 'coffee shops' to open. On Friday, the Government released details of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, which will be voted on in one of two referendums at this year’s general election. It was released in draft form in December last year. The final version also confirmed the wording of the cannabis referendum question will be a straight 'Yes or No' option. The Bill sets out the regulatio