1. The Science on CBD for Pets: Scientists Hope it Can Help 4-Legged Patients with Arthritis, Allergies and Anxiety
Though studies are still mixed, and products inconsistent, many scientists have hope that cannabidiol can help dogs and other furry patients suffering from arthritis, allergies and even anxiety.
A13-year-old Norwich terrier, previously limping and stiff, able to enjoy walks again. A toy poodle with epilepsy, finally relieved from seizures. In case reports, these and other dogs had their ailments eased with CBD — cannabidiol — after scant success with conventional treatments
Evidence is growing that CBD, a non-psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, is potentially effective in treating various pet maladies, from pain and itching to seizures, says Chie Mogi, lead veterinarian of the Animal CBD Research Society in Japan, who has reported such cases in veterinary publications.
The positive reports also extend to more rigorous trials with placebos. “This was exciting to me because, quite honestly, I was worried that, despite the hype, it wouldn’t show a difference when studied more objectively,” says veterinary neurologist Stephanie McGrath of Colorado State University, coauthor of a review of CBD for dogs and cats in the 2023 Annual Review of Animal Biosciences.
2. Pennsylvania School Official Fulfills Dying Marine’s Last Wish
When a dying veteran’s last wish was to receive a high school diploma, a superintendent teamed up with an American Legion Outpost commander to make it happen.
Thanks to their tireless effort on behalf of a man who had given his all and more for the country’s armed forces, his final moments would be those of pride and joy as he was handed the honorary education he never received.
At Sharon School District in Pennsylvania, Superintendent Justi Glaros got a call from Legion Post 247. The caller, 247’s second vice commander, James Cappuccilli, explained that a marine who had given up higher education to fight in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, was hoping to receive an honorary diploma.
The marine, Richard Remp from Sharon, but who then lived in Poolesville, MD, had watched when another elderly marine was presented with a diploma, and thought he might like to have one too. Glaros did some research and found out that it was a simple procedure provided that the veteran had fought in one of those three wars.
Remp had fought in all three, but he had attended a neighboring high school, making it a longer chore for Glaros to get everything in order.
In the meantime, Remp suffered a fall, and when he was brought to the hospital it was discovered he had stage 4 prostate cancer that was aggressively attacking his liver. The prognosis was not much time.
3. Astronaut Training Pays Off at 90
60 years after passing Air Force selection as a candidate to be the first African-American astronaut, Edward Dwight fulfilled that dream by blasting off with Blue Origin on Sunday for a short trip into space.
Riding aboard the New Shepherd rocket from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ private space company, Dwight flew into space for a 10-minute jaunt above the Kármán Line, the imaginary barrier that separates Earth’s atmosphere from outer space.
“Fantastic! A life-changing experience. Everyone needs to do this!” Dwight told NPR. “I didn’t know I needed this in my life, but now I need it in my life.”
Beating out Star Trek actor William Shatner to become the oldest person ever to enter space at 91 years of age, Dwight nearly fulfilled the ambitions and dreams of a generation of black Americans when, during the Kennedy Administration, it was announced that NASA was keen on sending a black man to space, and that Dwight was the best-trained candidate to do so.
Recalling those days to Smithsonian Magazine, Dwight said he used to get 1,500 pieces of mail a week, all addressed to ‘Astronaut Dwight, Kansas City.’ By then, he had spent 6 years quickly climbing through the Air Force’s ranks to become a captain while accruing 9,000 hours of flight time, 2,000 of which came in high-performance jets.
