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THC

Tag: THC

  • The True Benefits Of Taking CBD Oil

    The True Benefits Of Taking CBD Oil


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    Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound in the cannabis plant which has already made a name for itself, and its merits are extolled by more and more people around the world. Cannabidiol is also known as the compound which doesn’t have the psychoactive effects found in another compound, THC, and it has proven itself as a great supplement for people who suffer from various ailments and has been believed to help with pain and sleep. But if you are keen on finding out more about CBD oil and what it can actually do, it does pay to do research about the compound and its effects. So what do you need to know about the true benefits and advantages of taking CBD oil? Let’s find out.


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    What it is – and how it is made

    While tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the compound in the marijuana plant which is associated with that ‘high’ or ‘stoned’  feeling, CBD doesn’t have quite the same effect. As mentioned, cannabidiol is not psychoactive, and this makes it the ideal solution or option for those who are not interested in getting that ‘high’ effect but who would like to find relief from pain or other ailments. CBD oil is produced with the extraction of the compound from the plant, and it is then diluted or mixed with an oil such as hemp seed or coconut oil in order to produce CBD oil.

    The potential benefits and advantages of CBD oil

    • Pain

    Did you know that the marijuana plant has been utilised for centuries for pain? In recent times, scientists have found that certain marijuana plant components, such as CBD, may be responsible for pain relief. This is because the body has an endocannabinoid system, or ECS, which is associated with the regulation of functions that include sleep, pain, immune system responses, and appetite. The human body can produce endocannabinoids, and these are neurotransmitters which bind to the cannabinoid receptors in a person’s nervous system. In certain studies, it was found that CBD oil may potentially reduce pain by having an impact on the activity of endocannabinoid receptors, which, in turn, may reduce inflammation and interact with the body’s neurotransmitters.

    CBD oil is now extensively used for the treatment of various conditions, and individuals believe that it is quite effective in the treatment of acne and other more serious conditions. Whilst they still need to do further studies on the real effects of CBD on peoples’ health and conditions, this natural supplement is definitely worth a try.

     

    Sources:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

  • Ever Wondered How CBD Can Potentially Help With Anxiety?

    Ever Wondered How CBD Can Potentially Help With Anxiety?


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    What Exactly Is CBD Oil & How Can It Fight Anxiety?

    You’re seeing it in supplements, beauty products, and even chocolate bars, but what the heck is CBD oil, and could it help with anxiety, so what is all the fuss about? You know it has something to do with marijuana, so is the wellness world just a bunch of potheads? Well, not exactly.

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    The basics of CBD oil: hemp vs. marijuana.

    CBD is short for cannabidiol, a cannabinoid compound that is found in hemp and marijuana. Both hemp and marijuana are part of the plant family known as Cannabis. The main difference between marijuana and hemp is the level of THC in each. THC, like CBD, is a cannabinoid compound. There are 60 different known cannabinoids, but THC is the most well-known—the Beyoncé of cannabinoids if you will. The reason THC is so famous is that it’s associated with the psychoactive high that people experience after smoking or ingesting weed.

    The definitions of hemp and marijuana can get pretty confusing, but for basic purposes, marijuana contains high levels of THC, and hemp contains low levels of THC. The ratios of CBD to THC in hemp oil can vary, depending on the product and the specific plant the oil was extracted from. CBD oil, a concentrated version of the cannabidiol compound, is typically derived from hemp but can be extracted from marijuana as well. CBD oil products on the market have varying levels of CBD and THC. Many have little to no THC, while some contain small amounts.

    The health benefits of CBD oil.

    OK, so CBD oil won’t get you high, turn you into a drug addict, or give you the munchies, so why is everyone talking about it? If THC is the Beyoncé of cannabinoids, then CBD is the Adele: Both you and your grandma will love it. CBD is just as talented as THC but safe for the whole family. CBD oil can provide amazing health benefits naturally, and there is a growing body of research to support it.

    While there are many different pathways driving the positive health benefits of CBD, the centre of its awesome abilities seems to be that CBD is a very effective natural anti-inflammatory. Chronic inflammation is really the commonality between most (and by most, I mean basically all) chronic health problems that we face today as a modern society. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, digestive issues, and hormonal problems are all inflammatory in nature. What the heck, right?

    Despite this, it’s important to know that inflammation is not inherently bad; in fact, it’s a brilliant aspect of our immune system. When balanced, inflammation heals wounds and fights off infections. The problem with inflammation arises when it increases and never calms down. Like a forest fire burning on in perpetuity, people get hurt. Same goes with the fiery squall of insidious, chronic inflammation. As a natural anti-inflammatory, CBD can help quell the flame and fight chronic inflammation.

    CBD oil, inflammation, and anxiety.

    Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States. An estimated 30 percent of adults in the United States (that’s 66 million people) and an estimated 25 percent of teenagers and preteens are affected by anxiety. As a functional medicine practitioner, I see many people who struggle with anxiety and panic attacks, and from these statistics, it should be no surprise. But just because something is common doesn’t make it normal. Fortunately, new insights into the cause of anxiety may help with the development of more effective treatment options.

    Most people do not associate cognitive health issues like anxiety, depression, brain fog, ADD, ADHD, and autism with inflammation, but it turns out that is exactly what the research is finding. There is actually a whole field of research known as the cytokine model of cognitive function studying how inflammation messes with our brains and may cause anxiety disorders. One finding is that elevated levels of NF kappa B (NFkB), an inflammatory bad guy, is associated with anxiety while people with lower levels of NFkB often have lower rates of anxiety.

    Enter CBD oil: an anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety compound. I have seen in my own life, and many of my patients’ lives, the positive impact CBD oil can have on anxiety. Studies have found that CBD oil is a natural anxiolytic (anxiety calmer) and is effective in treating social anxiety. CBD calms anxiety naturally without the potential side effects of pharmaceutical anti-anxiety medications.

    In addition to fighting inflammation in the body, CBD oil may reduce anxiety by directly affecting the brain. Studies have found that CBD actually lowers activity in the amygdala and increases prefrontal cortex activation, two parts of the brain involved in anxiety. There is also evidence that CBD is able to activate hippocampus neurogenesis, aka regenerate new neurons! This activates CB1 receptors, which has a positive balancing impact on GABA and glutamate levels, associated with reducing anxiety.

    CBD Oil: How much should you take?

    The studies done on CBD oil have a pretty wide dose range (anywhere from a few milligrams to hundreds of milligrams). I suggest starting at the lower end (around 10 milligrams) and slowly increasing over a few weeks or months to see what works for you. Some people also do well with splitting the dosage throughout the day instead of taking the dose all at once. As with everything, it is always a good idea to talk with your prescribing doctor if you are on any medications. CBD is generally very safe, but there are some pharmaceutical medications CBD oil could potentially interact with and increase or decrease the pharmaceutical drugs’ effectiveness.

    There are a growing number of quality CBD oils on the market. Just make sure the product you buy is getting third-party tested for quality and potency—and that the hemp was organically grown.

  • WHO Report Finds No Health Risks Or Abuse Potential For CBD

    WHO Report Finds No Health Risks Or Abuse Potential For CBD


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    A World Health Organization (WHO) Report Finds No Public Health Risks Or Abuse Potential For CBD

    A World Health Organization report has found no adverse health outcomes but rather several medical applications for cannabidiol, a.k.a. CBD, despite U.S. federal policy on this cannabinoid chemical.

    According to a preliminary WHO report published last month, naturally occurring CBD is safe and well tolerated in humans (and animals), and is not associated with any negative public health effects.

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    Experts further stated that CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical found in cannabis, does not induce physical dependence and is “not associated with abuse potential.” The WHO also wrote that, unlike THC, people aren’t getting high off of CBD, either.

    “To date, there is no evidence of recreational use of CBD or any public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD,” they wrote. In fact, evidence suggests that CBD mitigates the effects of THC (whether joyous or panicky), according to this and other reports.

    The authors pointed out that research has officially confirmed some positive effects of the chemical, however.

    The WHO team determined that CBD has “been demonstrated as an effective treatment for epilepsy” in adults, children, and even animals and that there’s “preliminary evidence” that CBD could be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, psychosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious conditions.

    In acknowledgement of these kinds of discoveries in recent years, the report continued, “Several countries have modified their national controls to accommodate CBD as a medicinal product.”

    But the U.S., the report noted, isn’t one of them. As a cannabis component, CBD remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it has a “high potential for abuse” in the federal government’s view. Nevertheless, the “unsanctioned medical use” of CBD is fairly common, experts found.

    For many CBD users in the U.S., the substance’s mostly unsanctioned and illegal state creates problems, especially as a wave of online (mostly hemp) and store-bought CBD oils and extracts have allowed patients to take the treatment process–and the risks involved in buying unregulated medicine–into their own hands and homes.

    While CBD itself is safe and found to be helpful for many users, industry experts have warned that not all cannabis extracts are created equally, purely, or with the same methods of extraction.

    And while reports of negative reactions to pure CBD are very few and far between, researchers are able to say that the cannabinoid wouldn’t be to blame alone. “Reported adverse effects may be as a result of drug-drug interactions between CBD and patients’ existing medications,” they noted.

    As the cannabis reform nonprofit NORML reported, the WHO is currently considering changing CBD’s place in its own drug scheduling code. In September, NORML submitted written testimony to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opposing the enactment of international restrictions on access to CBD.

    The FDA, which has repeatedly declined to update its position on cannabis products despite a large and ever-growing body of evidence on the subject, is one of a number of agencies that will be advising the WHO in its final review of CBD.

    Perhaps this time around the FDA will listen, and learn something.

    The report was presented by the WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, and drafted under the responsibility of the WHO Secretariat, Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products, Teams of Innovation, Access and Use and Policy, Governance and Knowledge.

    Reference Forbes

    Report PDF WHO (World Health Organisation)

  • Study Shows Nearly Half Of CBD Users Stop Taking Traditional Meds

    Study Shows Nearly Half Of CBD Users Stop Taking Traditional Meds


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    A new survey suggests that a growing number of patients are finding more relief from CBD than from traditional pharmaceuticals and they’re acting on this good news—especially the women.

    Conducted by the Brightfield Group and HelloMD and covering 2,400 of HelloMD’s community of 150,000 members, the survey found that 55 percent of CBD users were women, while men preferred THC-dominant products.

    The most common reasons people used CBD for relief, according to Dr Perry Solomon, the chief medical officer of HelloMD, were to treat insomnia, depression, anxiety and joint pain.

    “We are seeing an exponential rise in the interest of CBD products from our patient community—particularly among women,” said Solomon. “While we still have much to learn about CBD, we cannot ignore this one fact; the majority of those using CBD products today receive great benefit. This has the potential for far-reaching consequences.”

    Fully 42 percent of CBD users in the study said they had stopped using traditional medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen and stronger prescription (and addictive) pain relievers, after successfully switching to CBD, reported Forbes.

    Eighty percent said that they found the products to be “very or extremely effective,” with only three percent saying they had felt little to no effect.

    “This study is exciting because it shows there is potentially a huge barely-tapped market for CBD products that could improve the lives of many people,” said Bethany Gomez, director of research for Brightfield Group. “With further research and public education, CBD could be an effective alternative treatment for many people, particularly at a time when our nation is in the midst of an opioid crisis.”

    Amen to that.

    Reference Click Here

  • Everything You Need To Know About CBD Oil

    Everything You Need To Know About CBD Oil


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    There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that CBD can help treat a variety of ailments. It’s said to help with everything from epileptic seizures to opioid addiction, PTSD to arthritis.

    But despite CBD oil’s high profile status, there’s still a lot of confusion about what it actually is, and what it’s made from. Certain types of CBD oil are already legally available in the UK – such as those made from hemp – whereas other types are very much illegal in the UK – though are available to buy in other countries

    CBD oil extracted from hemp is often marketed as a food supplement to promote well-being – similar to other herbals like Echinacea – and boost the immune system. Although Hemp CBD oil is legal, it is not a medicine and should not be confused with the recent confiscation of 12-year-old Billy Caldwell’s CBD oil at Heathrow airport.

    Billy had flown with his mother to Canada to buy the CBD oil – which helps to keep his daily epileptic seizures at bay. But his oil was confiscated because it was made from cannabis flowers and leaves, and so was classed as illegal in the UK, pushing childhood epilepsy and CBD oil into the spotlight.

    Cannabis law explained

    So far, so confusing, but part of the problem is that terms like cannabis and hemp are often used interchangeably – which masks the nuances and complexities of the cannabis plant.

    Cannabis sativa L, the scientific name of the cannabis plant, is cultivated to produce two distinctive products – industrial hemp, and cannabis. The main difference between hemp and cannabis is based on two criteria. First, the levels of cannabinoids – a family of chemical compounds, the cannabis plant naturally produces – and second, the end use.

    According to current UK drug laws, cannabis is classified as an illegal drug because of the psychoactive properties of THC, the component in it that creates the “high”. And under UK law, cannabis is deemed to have a high potential for abuse – with no accepted medical properties.


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    Hemp vs cannabis

    But this is where it gets even more confusing because cannabis can be bred to create different strains. Cannabis consumed for recreational purposes is selectively bred to optimise high THC content strains – to maximise the “high” feeling. But cannabis also contains CBD, which is a non-psychoactive component.

    Hemp, on the other hand, is harnessed as seed, oil and fibre to produce a wide range of products. It is cultivated to produce a low concentration of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC – as well as higher levels of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD.

    Cannabis is classified as hemp if it has a maximum level of 0.2% THC. Billy’s CBD oil, confiscated at Heathrow, was made from cannabis with a higher level than 0.2% of THC – so it was classed as cannabis, which is why it was confiscated.

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    Medical marijuana

    A recent survey conducted by Sky News found that 82% of their poll subjects agreed that medical cannabis should be legalised. Professor Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, who was appointed to investigate the current scientific and medical evidence, about the therapeutic properties of cannabis-based products, also believes this. She recently said that “doctors should be able to prescribe” cannabis.

    Davies has recommended the removal of cannabis from schedule one classification – which covers a group of drugs considered to have no medical purpose, that cannot be legally possessed or prescribed.

    In Billy Caldwell’s case, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, made the decision to grant Billy access to imported CBD oil. This fresh approach to reconsider the classification of cannabis has been seminal and mirrors wider sentiment in other countries. In the US, for example, medical cannabis programmes have been initiated in 30 states. Hence, medical tourism to Canada – where cannabis is legal for medicinal purposes – and the US to gain access to CBD oil.

    In the UK, however, Sajid Javid will not reclassify cannabis until the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs provides recommendations about the public health implications – which will include the abuse potential of cannabis-based CBD. Though it seems very likely that the home secretary will continue to move towards a patient-focused resolution.

    For patients like Billy then, what this means is that cannabis-based CBD oil could soon be prescribed in the UK under controlled conditions, by registered practitioners, and for medical benefit.

    Reference: The Conversation

  • Athletes Are Choosing CBD For Their Recovery

    Athletes Are Choosing CBD For Their Recovery


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    Andrew Talansky is almost always sore. The 29-year-old spent seven years as a professional cyclist racing for Slipstream Sports. He recently switched to triathlon and now spends hours training both on and off the bike. “I’m using muscles I haven’t used in years,” Talansky says. “My body is constantly inflamed.” Many athletes in his situation rely on common pain relief like ibuprofen, but when Talansky strained a hip flexor last fall, he reached for a bottle of cannabidiol (CBD), an extract from the cannabis plant, choosing CBD instead.

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    “I took it for a couple of weeks, and there was a noticeable difference immediately,” Talansky says. “And it wasn’t just that my hip was feeling better. I was less anxious, and I was sleeping better.”

    Marijuana has long been considered an alternative pain medication, with THC, the principle psychoactive compound in the plant, getting most of the attention. CBD is another active component and could offer some of the same medical benefits (anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, analgesic), but without the side effect of getting high. CBD interacts with serotonin and vanilloid receptors in the brain, which affect mood and the perception of pain. It also has antioxidant properties. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its list of banned substances in January, which prompted many professional athletes, including ultrarunner Avery Collins and mountain biker Teal Stetson-Lee, to eschew ibuprofen for CBD. Some believe it’s a safer alternative to drugstore pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.

    More than a dozen countries have CBD-based medications on the market, including Canada and Israel, but in the U.S. advanced clinical trials are still in their infancy.

    Research on CBD has been slow to accumulate, largely because the federal government considers marijuana a Schedule I drug—the same classification given to heroin and LSD—making it difficult for researchers to gain access to it for study. And because many states have already legalized the drug for medical use, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to conduct costly clinical trials demonstrating its efficacy. (CBD remains illegal in several states that have yet to pass medical-marijuana or CBD exemptions.)

    Still, the market for CBD is booming. According to a study by the Brightfield Group, a market-research firm based in Tampa, Florida, hemp CBD generated $170 million in revenue in 2016. With annual sales growing at a rate of 55 percent, it’s poised to be a $1 billion industry by 2020. Charlotte’s Web, which bottles the extract in Colorado, is one of the largest producers in the industry. Talansky’s CBD of choice comes from Floyd’s of Leadville, also in Colorado, which was launched in 2016 by former pro cyclist Floyd Landis. Floyd’s of Leadville markets its products directly to athletes looking for a natural recovery supplement. “Think of your 40-year-old endurance athlete who wants to feel good when he wakes up in the morning,” Landis says. “That’s our target.”

    Landis uses CBD to manage pain from a hip replacement he had in 2006. He relied on WADA-approved opioid-based painkillers for years, both before and after he was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France victory for using synthetic testosterone. Eventually, Landis leaned on pot smoking to kick his opioid habit, and in 2015 a friend in the burgeoning marijuana industry suggested Landis try CBD instead.

    “It’s the only thing I use now,” Landis says. “I try not to oversell it, because I don’t want to sound insane. But if you can stop taking other pain medications, if you have a natural solution, that’s probably the better option.”

    There is research to back up his enthusiasm. A 2008 review by GW Pharmaceuticals examined two decades’ worth of preclinical studies and animal trials before concluding that CBD can be a successful tool for pain management without many adverse side effects. A 2016 study by the University of Kentucky examined CBD’s effects on arthritic rats and found that the compound reduced inflammation and overall pain. Some studies have also labelled it a neuroprotectant, suggesting that it has the ability to bolster the brain against the damaging effects of concussion. More than a dozen countries have CBD-based medications on the market, including Canada and Israel, but in the U.S. advanced clinical trials are still in their infancy.

    “There is overwhelming evidence that CBD can be effective for mitigating pain,” says Jahan Marcu, chief science officer with Americans for Safe Access, which works to legalize medical marijuana. “But we haven’t seen the full clinical trials necessary to understand exactly how it works.”

    Prospective CBD users should keep in mind that the scientific community still has a lot to learn about the drug. For instance, there have been no studies on the recommended dosage for a given ailment. There’s also no scientific consensus about how effective CBD is compared with anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or naproxen. That could change soon: at least 20 clinical trials examining the medical benefits of CBD are currently underway in the U.S., including a $16 million effort by the University of Miami, which is looking into CBD’s effects on brain trauma.

    Beyond these questions, there’s also growing concern about the quality of the products currently for sale. Because the federal government considers CBD an illegal drug, the industry is underregulated by the FDA, with little third-party oversight. A 2017 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that 69 percent of the CBD products tested didn’t contain the amount of cannabidiol indicated on the label. Most CBD companies don’t sell through retail outlets; they reach consumers online.

    “You can’t really trust what you’re buying over the Internet,” says Ryan Vandrey, who researches cannabis at Johns Hopkins University and coauthored the 2017 JAMA study. “After purchasing every CBD oil you could buy, we found that a number of companies were selling products that contained almost no cannabidiol, and others contained THC.”

    While there are many unknowns, anecdotal and preclinical evidence for the efficacy of CBD continues to build. Vandrey is conducting an ongoing survey of more than 1,000 users of marijuana products, many of them with CBD, and his initial findings suggest that the majority have seen an overall improvement in terms of pain relief, sleep satisfaction, and anxiety reduction, though the cause remains unclear. And a growing number of athletes like Talansky believe that aiding recovery without the long-term side effects of ibuprofen (such as the increased risk of heart failure) or the addictive qualities of opioids is a step in the right direction. “I haven’t taken an Advil in months,” Talansky says. “For any athlete who trains hard, that’s saying a lot.”

    Referece:outsideonline.com

  • What’s The Difference Between Non-Intoxicating CBD & THC

    What’s The Difference Between Non-Intoxicating CBD & THC


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    Why is THC intoxicating and CBD is not? How can one cannabinoid alter the mind, & the other not at all?

    When we’re talking about cannabis and euphoria, we’re dealing exclusively with CB1 receptors, which are concentrated in the brain and the central nervous system. The difference between CBD vs. THC comes down to a basic difference in how each one interacts with the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor. THC binds well with CB1 cannabinoid receptors. CBD has a low binding affinity for CB1 receptors. That’s where the two diverge.

    Think of it like an electrical plug connecting to a wall socket. A THC molecule is perfectly shaped to connect with CB1 receptors. When that connection happens, THC activates or stimulates those CB1 receptors. Researchers call THC a CB1 receptor agonist, which means THC works to activate those CB1 receptors.

    THC partially mimics a naturally produced neurotransmitter known as anandamide, aka “the bliss molecule.” Anandamide is an endocannabinoid which activates CB1 receptors. Animal studies have taught us that anandamide can increase appetite and enhance pleasure associated with food consumption, and it’s likely responsible for some of the rewarding effects of exercise (e.g. the “runner’s high”). Anandamide also plays a role in memory, motivation, and pain. THC is a “key” that so closely resembles anandamide that it activates CB1 receptors, allowing it to produce some of those same blissful feelings.

    CBD, by contrast, is not a good fit with CB1 receptors. It’s categorized as an antagonist of CB1 agonists. This means that it doesn’t act directly to activate or suppress CB1 receptors—rather, it acts to suppress the CB1-activating qualities of a cannabinoid like THC. In other words, when you ingest THC and CBD, the THC directly stimulates those CB1 receptors, while the CBD acts as a kind of modulating influence on the THC. As Project CBD co-founder Martin Lee once wrote: “CBD opposes the action of THC at the CB1 receptor, thereby muting the psychoactive effects of THC.”


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    ArticleCBDvsTHC 1024x813 1
    Left: THC directly stimulates the CB1 receptor. This interaction underlies the major psychoactive effects of Cannabis consumption. Right: CBD reduces, or “antagonizes,” THC’s ability to stimulate CB1 receptors. This can decrease some of THC’s effects, especially negative effects like anxiety and short-term memory impairment.

    How does that work in real life? Let’s say you vaporize cannabis flower with 24 percent THC. If that flower has 0.2 percent CBD, the THC is going to excite your CB1 receptors with almost no interference from CBD. You may feel extremely high, and you might also experience some of the less desirable effects of THC, such as a heightened feeling of paranoia. If you consume cannabis with 24 percent THC and 6 percent CBD, though, the CBD should have a dampening effect on the THC. You’ll still feel high, but perhaps not stupefyingly so—and the CBD should help keep the paranoia in check.

    This difference has had profound political implications. As the founders of Project CBD have noted, some have mistakenly labelled THC the “bad cannabinoid” and CBD the “good cannabinoid.” Legislators have passed many “CBD-only” laws in Southern states in an effort to allow patients access to this potent cannabinoid while prohibiting its euphoric sibling. But the pioneering cannabis researcher Raphael Mechoulam has often spoken of the “entourage effect,” the idea that cannabinoids and terpenes may work better together than in isolation. The GW Pharma product Sativex, for example, is a drug approved outside the U.S. for treatment of MS-related muscle spasticity. Sativex contains with a nearly 1:1 CBD-to-THC ratio.

    As researchers learn more about CBD and the role of other cannabinoids and compounds in the treatment of conditions like MS, we may be able to more accurately dose CBD in combination with other cannabis-derived compounds.

    Reference: Leafly

  • Everything You Need To Know About Using CBD

    Everything You Need To Know About Using CBD


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    The compound, found in the cannabis plant, is thought to be good for muscle pain, headaches and anxiety, among other things. But what does the research say?

    James Joliat, a 35-year-old video producer in Denver, has long experienced muscle and joint pain—mostly related to sports injuries. He says he started looking at natural remedies as an alternative to the prescription patches and pills his doctor recommended. After experimenting with homemade rubs infused with plant compounds—stuff like arnica and turmeric—he eventually stumbled onto topical cannabidiol (CBD) rubs.

    “I put that on my ankle after hiking or on my lower back, and it just feels like it really penetrates and has good anti-inflammatory properties,” he says. “I also fucked up my shoulder, and I felt like it helped a lot with the pain.”

    He’s been using topical CBD for years with good results, and he recently tried ingesting CBD oil, which he called an “amazing” experience. “I just felt super relaxed—kind of an anti-anxiety type of feeling,” he says. “My body felt super mellow and limber, but not in a tired kind of way.”

    “I just felt good,” he adds. “But I wasn’t high at all.” Joliat’s anecdotal experience with CBD is a common one. Some informal polling suggests a lot of people today are at least vaguely familiar with cannabidiol and have either used it themselves or know someone who has. But even some people who use it don’t seem to know exactly what it is or whether there’s any hard science out there to back up its benefits.

    What Is CBD?

    “Cannabidiol is a compound found in the cannabis plant,” says Jerzy Szaflarski, a professor of neurology and director of the Division of Epilepsy at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

    Szaflarski explains that cannabis contains about 500 different compounds, some of which—including CBD and THC—interact with certain chemical receptors in the human nervous system. But unlike THC, CBD isn’t psychoactive—meaning it doesn’t cause any kind of a high. Despite that, the US Drug Enforcement Agency classifies CBD (and other cannabis compounds) as schedule I substances, making their sale illegal in many states.

    “The brain has these receptors that respond to endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters that are naturally produced in the body and brain,” says Jerald Simmons, a neurologist at Houston’s Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates. “Some of the cannabinoids in the marijuana plant are very similar to the endocannabinoids in the brain, and they act on the same receptors.”

    The nervous system’s endocannabinoid system is not well understood. But it’s thought to play a role in regulating pain, sleep, mood, memory, appetite, and other cognitive and physical processes. Because CBD is able to mimic the actions of some natural brain chemicals, its potential therapeutic benefits are wide-ranging but—at this point—nebulous. “We know that cannabidiol modulates the endocannabinoid system, but we don’t know how it works,” Szaflarski says. That said, there are theories.

    “THC”—the more-famous, high-inducing compound in cannabis—“works directly on the cannabinoid system, meaning it attaches to receptors and mimics some of our own internal endocannabinoids,” says Igor Grant, a professor and chair of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. But CBD’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system is subtler. “Normally, these endocannabinoid-signaling molecules are broken down by enzymes, and one thing CBD does is interfere with the actions of those enzymes.”

    Grant says this may lead to a “dampening” or mellowing of some neurochemical processes, including those linked to pain. “CBD may also react with other receptors, like those for serotonin, and it may have actions that reduce the inflammatory molecules produced whenever there is tissue damage or bacteria coming in,” he says. “But we really don’t know the mechanisms.”

    Should I take CBD to treat pain?

    Talk to people or spend time on internet message boards, and you’ll see CBD is thought to have anti-pain, anti-soreness, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Some rat studies have linked topical CBD treatments to a drop in arthritis-related pain and swelling, and more research suggests it could help relieve headaches.

    That headache study cites research linking CBD to lower rates of anxiety. (Since anxiety often produces headaches, the authors say, CBD could be a plausible headache remedy if those anti-anxiety benefits are legit.) Grant says he’s looked at the literature on CBD and anxiety, and some of it is enticing. He mentions a Brazilian study, for instance, that found people with a fear of public speaking felt less anxiety and less discomfort about their phobia after taking CBD, compared to those who took a placebo.

    “There’s also some evidence it reduces psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders,” Grant says. “But there are a lot of open questions at this point.”

    One area where CBD is clearly helpful: the treatment of seizures associated with one form of epilepsy. A 2017 New England Journal of Medicine study found ingesting oral CBD dramatically cut down most patients’ seizure frequency—a finding that prompted the FDA to support the approval of one CBD drug for use in the treatment of some epilepsy patients.

    How do people take CBD?

    It’s usually sold as a droplet-administered oil or a balm, but it’s also sold in caplets, under-the-tongue tabs, lotions, face serums, and other products.

    Some users speculate about appropriate dosages or methods of application—including whether or not a small amount of THC boosts CBD’s effects, or whether different methods of administration lead to quicker or more significant effects. Some CBD producers also claim that it has a cumulative effect, and so needs to be used regularly to produce a benefit. But Grant says it’s tough to say at this point exactly how people should (or shouldn’t) be using CBD.

    “Even where marijuana is legal, you often don’t know exactly what you’re getting,” he says. “I’m sure some of these [CBD] producers have labs and do correct labelling, but none of it’s secure like it is with pharmaceuticals.”

    The nutrition and supplement industry—which includes CBD products—is almost wholly unregulated. “The concentrations in products are only approximate, and I don’t know how well they’re tracked,” Szaflarski says. Even if you could absolutely trust a product’s label—and many CBD manufacturers, aware of the current scrutiny on their industry, go to great lengths to assure consumers of the quality of their products—there aren’t a lot of concrete facts when it comes to the type or amount of CBD a person should take for a specific ailment or aim.

    Are there any risks to taking CBD?

    Some studies have turned up evidence—nearly all of it from lab work or animal research—that CBD could potentially affect cell health, fertility, and the breakdown and metabolism of drugs in the liver. “There may be some interactions with pharmaceutical drugs,” Szaflarski says, mentioning drowsiness as one (but not the only) possibility.

    In human studies, including one that found anti-seizure benefits among epileptics, some people have reported diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and fatigue while taking CBD.

    “But so far, the main risks are that it does seem to have a sedative action, so people could get drowsy,” Grant says. “I have not read about major side effects or bad reactions, so it seems relatively safe as far as we know, but we need systematic research on this.”

    While there are more unknowns than knowns at this point, Grant says he doesn’t discount all the anecdotal CBD reports. “You hear somebody say, ‘Hey, I gave this to myself and my kid and we feel a lot better,’ and we should never dismiss that kind of information,” he says. He points out that many modern medicines were discovered when researchers followed up on exactly this sort of human trial-and-error evidence. “But we still need to do the studies that confirm whether all the good things are true, and how much to give, and how to give it,” he says. “These are all questions that need to be answered.”

    Reference: Vice

  • The Hemp Revival: Why Marijuana’s Cousin Could Soon Be Big Business

    The Hemp Revival: Why Marijuana’s Cousin Could Soon Be Big Business


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    The useful crop has seen renewed interest alongside legalized weed with US officials warming to it

    Long associated with the hoariest hippie stereotypes, hemp (CBD) is now chic.
    The crop – which is a cannabis plant very similar to marijuana, but lacking its best-known property: getting you high – is a versatile raw material, and like its more notorious relative, it could once again become very lucrative.

    The spread of marijuana legalization has sparked renewed interest not because of hemp wallet fanatics – but due largely to demand for CBD, a chemical both it and marijuana produce in which some see potential as a pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement.

    For decades US anti-marijuana laws have made it very difficult to experiment on and develop new uses for hemp, though, according to the US government, hemp contains less than 0.3% THC, the plant’s primary psychoactive ingredient.

    But the climate is changing. In recent weeks, the US Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, a conservative Republican who opposes marijuana legalization, has called for hemp to be legalized, a move which would benefit farmers, though McConnell still opposes marijuana legalization.

    And it’s not just the farmers in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky who would be pleased to see a resurgence of the crop. Early this month for hemp history week, the US Senate unanimously passed a non-binding resolution acknowledging hemp’s economic value and “historical relevance”.

    China, though wary of marijuana, has emerged as a hemp “superpower”, according to a fascinating 2017 story in the South China Morning Post. While hemp is indigenous to China, Chinese research advanced only recently in 1970 when the military used it for uniforms that would be more comfortable in the Vietnamese jungle. Today, the Morning Post notes, China holds more than half of the world’s more than 600 hemp-related patents.

    Hemp’s revival is only the latest chapter in a long history.

    In China, hemp has been used to make fabric and rope for more than 3,000 years. A Chinese eunuch named Cai Lun, who is credited with inventing paper during the early Christian era, used hemp as one of his source materials.

    Between the 16th and 18th centuries, hemp rope, sails and rigging were so vital to the British Royal Navy that the supply was considered a national security issue. Both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I encouraged growing the crop.

    In the US, some of the founding fathers grew hemp. Stoner lore has it that the constitution and declaration of independence were written on hemp. It’s not true – they were written on parchment – but drafts of the documents probably were.

    But interest in hemp waned as cotton, a finer fabric dependent on American slave labor, ascended. It was last a relevant crop in the US during the second world war, when the Department of Agriculture made a Hemp for Victory film and encouraged production.

    Today’s hemp advocates, a passionate cohort indeed, claim paper, cloth and biofuel made from hemp are all environmentally and economically attractive, relative to the prevailing current methods. If hemp became a major source for any one of these staples, it would be an immense opportunity, akin to legal marijuana.

    And there are more uses for hemp still. The seeds are a good source of protein, popular with vegans. Hemp can also be made into a building material known as hempcrete, which is currently easier to access in parts of Europe than in the US. A bridge in sixth-century Gaul was built from hempcrete.

    Bryan DeHaven’s Colorado-based clothing company, Chiefton Supply Co, makes T-shirts from a hemp/cotton blend. The component organic hemp is grown, processed into fabric and then stitched into apparel all at one facility in China’s Shangdong province.

    DeHaven said hemp’s benefits included that it needed substantially less water than cotton to grow. The resultant cloth, he said, also had anti-bacterial properties; Chiefton is working with sportswear companies on breathable hemp clothing for athletes. “Those guys are really putting our garments to the test,” he said.

    Eventually, DeHaven said, he would like to see Chiefton hemp goods produced in the US “from seed to seam”. It will be difficult. Hemp is not completely illegal in the US but the current rules are wildly convoluted, probably even more so than those for marijuana.

    But the laws weren’t the main problem, DeHaven said. You can’t make hemp clothing in the US because the country no longer has sufficient expertise in textile production.

    Reference: The Guardian

  • What Is CBD? The ‘Miracle’ Cannabis Compound That Doesn’t Get You High

    What Is CBD? The ‘Miracle’ Cannabis Compound That Doesn’t Get You High


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    The cannabis-derived chemical is non-psychoactive and has been hailed as a cure for the disease in early May.

    A federal court declined to protect cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical produced by the cannabis plant, from federal law enforcement, despite widespread belief in its medical value.

    The ruling was contrary to existing evidence, which suggests the chemical is safe and could have multiple important uses as medicine. Many cannabis advocates consider it a miracle medicine, capable of relieving conditions as disparate as depression, arthritis and diabetes.

    The perception of its widespread medical benefits has made the chemical a rallying cry for legalization advocates.

    The first thing to know about CBD is that it is not psychoactive; it doesn’t get people high. The primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But THC is only one of the scores of chemicals – known as cannabinoids – produced by the cannabis plant.

    So far, CBD is the most promising compound from both a marketing and a medical perspective. Many users believe it helps them relax, despite it not being psychoactive, and some believe regular doses help stave off Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

    Experts: medical marijuana (Cannabis) draws parents to US for their children’s treatments

    While studies have shown CBD to have anti-inflammatory, anti-pain and anti-psychotic properties, it has seen only minimal testing in human clinical trials, where scientists determine what a drug does, how much patients should take, its side effects and so on.

    Despite the government ruling, CBD is widely available over the counter in dispensaries in states where marijuana is legal.

    CBD first came to public attention in a 2013 CNN documentary called Weed. The piece, reported by Dr Sanjay Gupta, featured a little girl in Colorado named Charlotte, who had a rare life-threatening form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome.

    At age five, Charlotte suffered 300 grand mal seizures a week and was constantly on the brink of a medical emergency. Through online research, Charlotte’s desperate parents heard of treating Dravet with CBD. It was controversial to pursue medical marijuana for such a young patient, but when they gave Charlotte oil extracted from high-CBD cannabis, her seizures stopped almost completely. In honour of her progress, high-CBD cannabis is sometimes known as Charlotte’s Web.

    After Charlotte’s story got out, hundreds of families relocated to Colorado where they could procure CBD for their children, though not all experienced such life-changing results. Instead of moving, other families obtained CBD oil through illegal distribution networks.

    In late June, the US Food and Drug Administration could approve the Epidiolex, a pharmaceutical form of CBD for several severe pediatric seizure disorders. According to data recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the drug can reduce seizures by more than 40%. If Epidiolex wins approval it would be the first time the agency approves a drug derived from the marijuana plant. (The FDA has approved synthetic THC to treat chemotherapy-related nausea.)

    Epidiolex was developed by the London-based GW Pharmaceuticals, which grows cannabis on tightly controlled farms in the UK. It embarked on the Epidiolex project in 2013, as anecdotes of CBD’s value as an epilepsy drug began emerging from the US.

    While parents treating their children with CBD had to proceed based on trial and error, like folk medicine, they also had to wonder whether dispensary purchased CBD was professionally manufactured and contained what the package said it did. GW brought a scientific understanding and pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing to this promising compound.

    Fortunately, like THC, CBD appears to be well tolerated; as far as I can tell, there are no recorded incidents of fatal CBD overdoses.

    Since Weed first aired, GW’s stock has climbed 1,500%.

    Should I grow my own weed at home? Here’s what you need to know

    GW’s first drug Sativex, which contains both CBD and THC, is available as a treatment for MS-related spasticity in Canada, Australia, and much of Europe and Latin America. The company is also studying cannabinoid-based drugs as a treatment for autism spectrum disorders, an aggressive brain tumour called glioblastoma, and schizophrenia.

    Other industries, not subject to the strict regulations governing pharmaceuticals are eager to develop their own CBD products, everything from joints and vape pens to skin creams and edibles which may or may not have a valid medical use.

    In Los Angeles, it’s among the latest wellness fads. It can be found in cocktails, and an upscale juice shop will even add a few drops of CBD infused olive oil to a beverage for $3.50.

    Reference: The Guardian


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