thc
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What Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is used for

Dozens of years of research indicate many restorative uses for THC.

Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is often the most desired chemical found in cannabis. It is best known for bringing on the high that weed is known for. As one of the few compounds found in cannabis that is psychoactive, doctors and scientists have discovered many ways to utilize THC.
The extraction of pure Tetrahydrocannabinol was perfected by an Israeli physicist named Raphael Mechoulam. In 1964, Mechoulam separated and blended THC from Lebanese hashish, denoting the start of cannabis research that would prompt to the revelation of various different cannabinoids and how they interact with the body.
While the discoveries have been many and inspiring, they are not without their doubters. The federal government has classified cannabis as a schedule 1 drug meaning it has no medical benefit. This is in addition to the government obtaining patents for the neuro-protective capabilities of cannabis.
Be that as it may, while chemicals like cannabidiol (CBD) have begun to pick up support because of their absence of psychoactivity, many years of research have uncovered various health advantages one of a kind to THC. Here are a few of the most common uses.

Tetrahydrocannabinol relieves some types of pain.

A standout amongst the most common uses of therapeutic weed is for pain treatment. Upon closer examination, evidence has shown that Tetrahydrocannabinol interacts with the central nervous system to prevent the transmission of certain types of pain. Moreover, cannabis has been appeared to be particularly successful against neuropathic agony, or nerve-related pain.
The nerve signals that our brains sense as pain come from special cells with receptors on them. They become activated by temperature, touch, movement, or chemical changes in their environment. Pain signals arise and travel to the brain by one of three main pathways, each of which produces different pain sensations: somatic, visceral, and neuropathic.

There are three types of pain in general.

is the feeling most people recognize when they think about pain: a message sent by receptors located throughout the body whenever injury occurs. Somatic pain signals travel to the brain through nerves bundles and are typically experienced as a constant, dull ache. THC is able to reduce swelling and other contributing factors to somatic pain but in general is not very effective treatment.

 

occurs when skin or organs in the abdomen become stretched or otherwise disturbed from disease or injury. Pain signals issue from a special class of receptors present in the gut, producing feelings of pressure deep inside the body. Visceral pain can seem to be coming from different parts of the body than its actual source. THC is able to counteract feelings of nausea and many elements of chronic visceral pain.

 

occurs when the nerves are injured. It is often experienced as a burning sensation that can occur in response to even a gentle touch. Neuropathic pain usually doesn’t respond to narcotic painkillers making it stand out from the other types of pain. Antidepressant or anticonvulsant drugs, along with surgical procedures normally treat this type of pain but THC has also been found to be highly effective.

 
Cannabis is an excellent plant that has shown surprisingly positive results as a neuropathic treatment. The Tetrahydrocannabinol within that cannabis is able to work on a level that crosses many typical treatment boundaries. Pain treated by THC may be acute or chronic, blindingly intense or mind-numbingly dull. The pain can be momentary or have persisted for days to years.
However long it takes before a patient tries cannabis, it doesn’t take long for them to finally find relief. For acute pain, such as the discomfort that follows surgery, doctors typically prescribe opiates: narcotic drugs derived from, or chemically similar to, opium.

THC is better at dealing with some types of pain than opiates.

During the short-term treatment of intense pain, opiates offer significantly stronger relief for most patients. For chronic pain however, the tables turn in favor of Tetrahydrocannabinol. Treating chronic pain with opiates rarely brings relief.
Chemical dependence also becomes an issue with opiates as usage continues. Cannabinoids like THC have been proven to be non-addictive and highly effective for chronic pain. These differences combine to show that cannabinoids have significant promise in neuroscience and fundamental understandings of pain.
Peripheral nerves that detect pain sensations contain abundant receptors. Many of these receptors are tailor made for cannabinoids. According to research, cannabinoids appear to block peripheral nerve pain in experimental animals. Even more encouraging, some initial studies suggest that opiates and cannabinoids suppress pain differently.
If that is the case, marijuana-based medicines could combine with opiates to boost pain-relieving power while limiting the side effects. There are real hurdles to overcome if the initial Tetrahydrocannabinol research holds up. With the exponential expansion of scientific frontiers in recent decades and the recent deregulation of cannabis in over 26 states, we should have a significantly better understanding in the next decade.

Some people even use Tetrahydrocannabinol to treat PTSD.

Post traumatic stress disorder has only recently been classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) compared to other psychosomatic issues. PTSD is tied to traumatic memories and affects people from every walk of life. Soldiers, doctors, librarians and children can all have PTSD. Finding a safe treatment for so many different demographics is almost impossible.
Discovery of the endocannabinoid system by Dr. Mechoulam made safe treatment of PTSD, along with Parkinson’s and Cerebral Palsy a possibility. Since its discovery in the 1950’s, science has learned that Tetrahydrocannabinol is pharmacologically plastic. By manipulating the endocannabinoid system with THC and other cannabinoids, doctors are able to offer relief to patients that would otherwise have none.

We need more research to discover all that THC has to offer.

With the federal government classifying cannabis as a schedule 1 narcotic, it makes research in America almost impossible. There are some states like Oregon, Washington, California and many others that have taken steps to end Tetrahydrocannabinol prohibition but the fight is far from over.
Scientists can’t study cannabis if government continues to demonize it. As more states join the green revolution, it puts pressure on federal legislators to rethink their stance on legalization. If the community is able to enact declassification of cannabis it will remove the final argument against full legalization.
Once cannabis is removed from the scheduled substance list, we will finally put the whole scientific community to work, not just one Israeli scientist. No disrespect to Isreal, it’s just that cannabis is grown in other places to. We shouldn’t be stopping the Jamaican, American or Ukrainian scientific communities from contributing to THC research.
Thanks for reading.

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CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Guides, Medical, Science by

THC vs. CBD: What Do They Do?

Have you ever wondered what THC and CBD are?

For those who don’t know, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are potent chemical compounds produced in the trichomes on cannabis flowers. Trichomes are the small mushroom looking structures that sparkle like crystals in the light. Cannabis with a high concentration of THC or CBD is prized over just about anything else.
The states that allow cannabis sales require licensed retailers to prominently display the THC, CBD and possibly several other three letter words for everything with cannabis in it. People are always talking about how potent cannabis has become compared to times past and equating it with the THC and CBD content. This all points to THC and CBD being important, but why?
To start, cannabinoids are a group of compounds that our bodies and plants produce naturally. There are over 85 different cannabinoids identified so far with more just waiting to be catalogued. They are called cannabinoids because when Raphael Mechoulam  first identified them back in 1964, they were in the cannabis plants the Israeli doctor was studying.
Science has shown that our own bodies produce and process cannabinoids in immune and nerve cells. Humans are not unique in this ability to process cannabinoids either. The systems needed can be found in many mammals including dogs and cats.
Some animals simply can’t process THC and CBD. Insects like bees and ladybugs don’t have the right systems to be affected by the cannabinoids produced in cannabis. So even if insects or reptiles get covered in cannabinoids, it can’t get them high.
Science is discovering that the connection humans have to cannabis goes down to the molecular level. Continued research into the structure of THC and CBD has revealed that they are structural isomers. Essentially, they have the same basic parts but get arranged in a different way.

How do THC and CBD Work?

Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are able to bond with a special network or system of receptors in our cells. This system is present in most mammals, that is why cats and dogs will respond to cannabis in similar ways as you and I.
The specific receptors responsible for how weed makes us feel are called the CB1 and CB2 receptors. They were named after the different cannabinoids they are specialized to work with. I agree it’s not a very interesting name but being as simple as possible makes for easier science.
This system is called the endo-cannabinoid system. Endo for inside and cannabinoid for the type of chemical they work with. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD activate the receptors by mimicking the  neurotransmitters our bodies naturally produce called anandamides. Our bodies can’t tell the difference and accept the imposters without question. Yet each cannabinoid has a unique effect.

  • CB1 receptors respond to THC and are responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. They are present in most of the brain and play a role in vital functions like; memory, mood, sleep, appetite and pain sensation. Cancer, insomnia, PSTD, MS, and many more disorders respond positively to CB1 stimulation.
  • CB2 receptors respond to CBD and are responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis. They are found in immune cells and help reduce inflammation. Since inflammation is an immune response that is believed to be a factor in many diseases and conditions, controlling it can have life altering effects for people.

THC Ladybug

How are THC and CBD different?

THC is psychoactive, meaning it affects consciousness. Things like irritability, hunger and pain are all tied to brain function. THC reduces activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain where memories are formed/stored). It also inhibits the amygdale, the part where the fight or flight instinct is stored/triggered.
If enough THC is added to the hippocampus, it can lead to a build-up of anxiety. Feelings of paranoia often accompany this negative reaction as the brain tries to deal with the elevated levels of cannabinoids. While no deaths have ever been recorded from weed alone, consuming cannabis does lead to reduced activity in certain parts of the brain.
While reducing brain activity is normally a bad thing, trauma and chemical imbalances can lead to hyperactivity in these brain areas. Conditions like PTSD and anxiety are examples where THC is one of the best treatments available. In fact, the VA recently made strides toward incorporating treatments into the framework of our military.
CBD is a totally different beast. It’s non-psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t affect consciousness directly. Yet it has been shown to have many beneficial properties. Things like swelling, decreased blood flow and seizures are all treatable by CBD.
Besides calming muscle spasms, CBD is able to counteract the psychoactive elements of THC. They have a balancing duality and because of their chemical similarities, it only takes a little acid to transition from THC to CBD and back again. Several companies have successfully synthesized cannabinoids already but it appears that the best effects come from natural plant sources.

How do we use THC and CBD?

Given that our bodies are hard-wired to benefit from cannabinoids, how do we get more? The oldest and most reliable way is to smoke some of the cannabinoid-rich trichomes that cover the cannabis flower. Vaporizing, eating and creating topical creams are also common ways to consume cannabinoids.
Modern extraction techniques exist that can produce almost 100% pure THC from raw plant matter. While this is the most potent/efficient way to consume THC, most commercial products range from 60-80%. Part of the reason lower percentage extracts are more common is the high cost of extremely pure THC or CBD comparatively.
Most people today consume cannabis in the form of food or concentrate to treat a malady or illness. Research has shown THC from smoking weed to be a neural-protector and helps slow/prevent Alzheimer’s. Cannabis can also provide relief to people suffering from neural conditions like Parkinson’s and Cerebral palsy. Patients often find more relief from their tremors, seizures and chronic pain than through other treatments.
Cannabinoids also play a part in the success of traditional cancer treatments like chemo therapy by stimulating appetite, relieving depression and reducing pain. While these benefits may seem minor, the increase in quality of life to these patients is measurable. Over time, the body will adapt to elevated cannabinoid levels so monitoring dosing is important.
Higher concentrations of THC and CBD are often needed for treatment of life threatening illness than can be found in raw cannabis. Over the centuries, this problem has been solved by refining the raw flower into concentrates. Products like BHO, PHO, RSO and CO2 extracts are excellent sources of concentrated THC to modern consumers.
Thanks for reading.

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How does weed turn purple?

Purple Weed?

Most people think of weed as green but purple strains are becoming more common. Purple is the color of kings and you’ll sure feel like one after getting your first bag of purp. Granddaddy purple or GDP is the “granddaddy” of purple strains. GDP flowers are often deep shades of purple which contrast the abundance of white kief crystals. In the past, the only purple weed you could find was grown in cold outdoor conditions. Now, purple weed can be grown in normal environmental conditions.

How does weed turn purple?

Marijuana flowers have water-soluble pigment molecules that affect the color of weed. According to Sensi Seeds:
“Anthocyanins are a group of around 400 water-soluble pigment molecules that due to their structure and biosynthesis are classed as flavonoids, and appear red, purple or blue according to their pH (in acidic pH levels they appear more red, in neutral conditions purple, and in alkaline more blue). Flavonoids are generally yellow in appearance, hence their name, which is etymologically derived from the Latin for “yellow”, flavus, and does not indicate any association with flavour. In fact, flavonoids are usually extremely bitter, and are generally associated with pigmentation.”

How do Anthocyanins change the color of marijuana?

Growers may have noticed that many cannabis plants change colour towards the end of the flowering cycle. Even if that color isn’t purple. This is because Anthocyanins only begin to alter the appearance during the final stages of growth.
To make buds more purple, growers should increase the amount of time the plant spends in the dark towards the final stages. The deprivation of light will give the cannabis plant the signal to stop producing chlorophyll, which is an essential part of photosynthesis and vegetative growth. This allows the plant to focus its energies on producing flowers. The absence of chlorophyll makes the purple, blue, and red hues of anthocyanins more vivid. Colors like gold and orange also appear during the latter stages of flowering. If yellowing occurs during earlier stages it is a sign of disease of deficiency.

Is purple weed just for aesthetics?

Not exactly. Anthocyanins have been found to be powerful antioxidants with analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. These molecules can also bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors which means they might have other medicinal benefits.
Similar to cannabis plants, oranges with high levels of anthocyanins become blood oranges. Blood oranges depend on the cold for this color change to occur as well. In both cannabis and blood oranges, cold temperature leads to an increase in Anthocyanin levels. It is still not known why cannabis and other plants produce large amounts of anthocyanin when exposed to cold or stressful conditions. Further research on anthocyanin production would need to be conducted.
So if you’re smoking on purple weed, make sure the purple didn’t come from an improper grow. If it looks purple but smells tastes and feels like green weed you should be good. If you’ve got access to a dispensary and want to try purple weed ask for strains like Granddaddy purple, purple haze, or purple kush.
image credit: dwellgreen

Are pot smokers more fit than average
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Are pot smokers more fit than average?

Pot Smokers weigh less

In a recent study conducted by the University of Miami, cannabis users were found to have a lower body weight than nonusers. Considering the munchies that come with cannabis consumption, these results are shocking. The stoner you picture munching away while lazily seated on the couch might actually be skinnier than you! According to the study published in the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, marijuana users appear to have a lower Body Mass Indexes (BMIs). In fact, one study found medical marijuana laws were followed by decreases in the probability of obesity.

How?

One reason for the link between decreased BMI and cannabis consumption may be a decrease in alcohol consumption. In states with legalized marijuana, the rate of alcohol use typically decreases. As a result, less calories are being consumed by cannabis users. It’s hard to argue with the numbers. According to a Study by the American Journal of Epidemiology, twenty two percent of Americans who don’t use marijuana were found to be obese. Only fourteen percent of marijuana users were found to be obese. That’s 8% less than those NOT consuming a substance that increases appetite.
Other research, has pointed to the fact that marijuana users have been found to have higher metabolisms than non-weed smokers. This means that even if cannabis users are consuming more food due to their munchies, they can still be burning more calories. So in a sense, marijuana can help you lose weight.
For older stoners, smoking pot can relieve pains that would normally prevent physical activity. For example, by using cannabis to relieve the symptoms of arthritis, patients will be in a better position to engage in physical activities. As a result, they can exercise more and lose more weight than those who just deal with their debilitating conditions rather than treating it.

Study Results

The latest study on marijuana’s impact on BMI found cannabis use in both men and women was linked to a lower average BMI. Females using cannabis on a daily basis were found to have a 3.1 percent lower BMI than females not using cannabis. Similarly, men using cannabis daily had a 2.7 percent lower BMI than those who didn’t use cannabis.
A slightly older study found that smoking marijuana could help individuals lose weight. The study noted that states with medical marijuana had a 2 to 6 percent decrease in obesity.

In Conclusion

The exact reasons for why marijuana users seem to be more fit is uncertain. More research would need to be provided. More research would need to be conducted on the subject in order to determine the exact reasoning for marijuana use decreasing BMI.
“Future theory-based research is necessary to explore the pathways underlying the negative associations between marijuana use and BMI,” one researcher wrote in their report. “A broader understanding of such mechanisms along with causal elements will be most helpful to both policymakers and clinicians.”
With several studies pointing to marijuana’s potential for decreasing obesity, research on the exact ways in which marijuana does this should soon follow.
image: shutterstock

Weed impact motivation
CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Science by

Weed's Impact on Motivation

You may have heard that weed makes you lazy and unmotivated. There are now new studies on weeds impact on motivation. According to the research, stoners are apparently less motivated by things like money. This does not necessarily mean stoners are unmotivated to do anything, it just means different things motivate stoners than non-stoners.
The journal Psychopharmacology did a recent study on whether or not marijuana causes apathy or amotivational syndrome. In the 70s and early 1980s, there was a fair amount of anti-pot propaganda going around. The stigma of marijuana was beginning and parents believed weed caused teenage slacker behavior.
The small-scale study by the journal Psychopharmacology compared two groups. One had 17 members, the other had 20. According to High Times, the study “compares the ability (or interest) of subjects to push the space bar on a keyboard over and over again.”
The more times subjects pressed the spacebar, the more money they received. The amount of money was small but there was no limit on the number of times they could press the bar. Scientists believe that money is considered incentive and if a task involves incentive it requires motivation. They test how many times subjects press the bar when sober and then when stoned.
The study found that even though marijuana might impact motivation while under the influence, there were no long-term effects noted.
“These results support a transient amotivational syndrome caused by acute cannabis administration but do not support a chronic amotivational syndrome associated with cannabis dependence.”
The study also found the amotivational effect from marijuana can be reduced from cannabis with higher levels of cannabidiol (CBD). This is useful information for those who need medical marijuana but also want to live a productive life.
At the end of the day, is it so bad that cannabis smokers end up bored by a repetitive task like pressing a space bar over and over for small amounts of money? I highly doubt someone stoned is going to refuse a simpler task for higher rewards. Perhaps stoners are just more conscious of how they spend their time. Stopping to think about whether the effort and boredom are worth the reward.
Hopefully, pot motivates you to do something that interests you more instead. Unfortunately, some people choose to get stoned and spend their time sitting around but maybe they’d do that even without the pot. More than a small-scale study would need to be accomplished to determine whether or not marijuana creates slacker behavior.
This experiment does not prove marijuana causes an overall lack of motivation. It just illustrates the effects marijuana can have on those under it’s influence. Some people might view the way marijuana causes a lack of interest in superficial things as beneficial. It really all depends on what you’re looking to get from your marijuana experience.
Perhaps if stoners are given a more interesting or creative task to accomplish they’d be more motivated. A different study would have to be conducted to find out if marijuana causes amotivational syndrome or just a lack of interest in passionless tasks.
image credit: shutterstock

How Marijuana Is Helping Recovering Opiate Addicts
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How Marijuana is Helping Recovering Opiate Addicts

Opioid abuse has been on the rise in the United States for a long time. Since 1999 opioid abuse has more than quadrupled. The opioid problem has gotten so bad that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a guideline urging doctors to be more cautious with the number of opioid prescriptions they give out. You wouldn’t expect to treat a drug addict with another drug but science has recognized cannabis as a reducer of withdrawal symptoms. Even though marijuana has received a stigma over the last century, the negative side effects of addictive prescription medications have hardly been mentioned. Now marijuana’s coming to the rescue after being shunned, much like batman.
The number of prescription opioids being produced in the U.S. went from 76 million to 207 million in two decades. The number of opioid drug overdose deaths reached a record high in 2014.
During recent clinical studies, medical cannabis was found to treat chronic pain. This means medical marijuana could take the place of more addictive opiate painkillers. This will result in less patients becoming hooked on painkillers. Painkillers often come with much more harmful side effects than those associated with medical marijuana.
How about for people already addicted to opiates?
Cannabis therapy is a thing and there is research in favor of its ability to kick opiate addiction. A study conducted by Lydie J Morel and others at the Laboratory for Physiopathology of Diseases of the Central Nervous System illustrated the potential of cannabis therapy to relieve dependence on morphine.
According to Dr. Sean Breen at Medical Cannabis of Southern California, a patient was able to overcome his strong opiate withdrawal symptoms by using cannabis therapy:
“Today was his last day of using subutex and he plans on using cannabis to manage any withdrawal symptoms that he experiences after finally stopping all opiate medications! Amazingly the effects of cannabinoids can reduce or eliminate the majority of symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Cannabis can reduce anxiety and agitation, improve sleep and helps normalize the digestive tract.”
A fully recovered heroin addict recalls how marijuana helped him overcome his heroin and methadone addiction:
“The marijuana helped me to sleep and eat and provided strength to continue detoxification. With the help of marijuana, I weaned myself off methadone in about four months. To this day I have continued to smoke marijuana, about three cigarettes per day and have never felt the desire to return to either heroin or methadone. My conclusion, based on this experience, is that marijuana is a potent medicine in the treatment of withdrawal from both heroin and methadone.”
Opioid addiction is already being treated with medical marijuana in Massachusetts
After a statewide epidemic of opioid deaths, cannabis doctors like Dr. Gary Witman of Canna Care Docs began prescribing marijuana to people to get them off of opioids. Witman alone has treated about 80 patients who were addicted to opioids, anti-anxiety medications or muscle relaxers.
In Conclusion
The promise of marijuana’s ability to help recovering opioid addicts is out there but it remains federally illegal. The DEA continues to ignore the science and case studies already out there on the medicinal benefits of marijuana. This has left marijuana listed among the most dangerous drugs.

patent
CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Medical, Science by

Talk to the Hand DEA- Quit Lying for Personal Gain

Talk to the hand has been a phrase used by kids, teenagers, and adults alike for years, however, more recently cannabis activists have been utilizing the phrase to educate the public about the documented proof that cannabis is medicine!

If you are part of the cannabis community or have friends in your social media circle that are cannacentric, chances are you have seen a different posts and profile pictures popping up that include a picture of someone’s hand with a patent number written upon it.

You see just recently the DEA announced that they would not be rescheduling cannabis or removing it from a categorization that puts it in the same danger level as heroin, cocaine, and other deadly drugs.

This has outraged cannabis activists and medical marijuana patients alike as our federal government holds not just one patent stating that cannabis has medicinal properties but several.

One of the excuses the DEA gave for not rescheduling cannabis was the fact that it has no medicinal properties.

If you take a simple look at these patents you can see for yourself that this is an outright lie as they have known that cannabis has medicinal values for several years now.

In fact, the federal government has been sending medical marijuana to 4 patients for decades to be used for medicinal purposes. If you are sick and tired of the government lying and deceiving people for their own monetary gain, I challenge you to tell them to talk to the hand. Learn more about these patents via the links below.

6630507

6410588

Other patents are listed in more detail here.

palsay
CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Medical, Science by

Can Marijuana Help with Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy is an incurable congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture. Cerebral palsy is due to abnormal brain development, often before birth. Symptoms of cerebral palsy include difficulty walking, difficulty with bodily movements, stiff muscles, overactive reflexes, involuntary movements, muscle spams, stuttering, and more. According to Mayo Clinic seizures are also a common symptom of Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is non-progressive meaning it is resistant to change unlike cancer which can go into remission. People with Cerebral Palsy are suffering from a debilitating condition with no hope for change.
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
However, marijuana has been found by some to ease the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Unfortunately, we still don’t see CP popping up on the qualifying conditions lists of any states with medical marijuana laws. The pain and seizures that may come with CP make some suffers eligible for medical marijuana in certain states.
According to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA), between 30 to 50 percent of children that have CP also have seizure disorders. With 17 million people with Cerebral Palsy worldwide this is a significant number of people who could benefit from medical marijuana. Seizure disorders already allow patients in several medical marijuana states to have access to medical marijuana. Although the research is limited there has been evidence to illustrate how medical marijuana has been able to help people with CP.
The studies… 
In one case study, Curtis Kile, a middle-aged man suffering from CP was experiencing severe muscle spasms from his condition. He now uses cannabis to relieve his spasms. “I don’t smoke a lot… a couple of hits off a pipe… or a joint. It relives my spasticity.” Without it he would be stuck in his wheelchair for multiple days in a row. Since he began smoking marijuana he’s been able to enjoy more of a regular life.
A 2011 study on people with cerebral palsy found that 63 percent of them suffer from chronic pain on a daily basis. Apparently, cannabis was found to be the most effective pain treatment among the patients surveyed. Even though only 5 percent of those patients had even used marijuana to treat their chronic pain. This illustrates how the pharmaceutical drugs are failing to aid sufferers of Cerebral Palsy.
In fact, Terri Argast, a 53-year old CP patient has found cannabis to have no negative side effects unlike her experience with the drugs she consumed in the past to reduce her muscle stiffness and pain. Before using marijuana she had to take several pharmaceutical drugs “just to be able to walk.” Marijuana has eased her “life-long struggle.”
What needs to be done
There is not currently enough research on cannabis and cerebral palsy for the medical establishment to recommend it to their patients. This is due to the Schedule I status of cannabis. Doctors cannot currently prescribe marijuana to any patients and only doctors in certain states can “recommend” marijuana to patients. Even fewers doctors can recommend it to patients suffering from CP. With no alternative forms of medication for sufferers of Cerebral Palsy, they should have access to medical marijuana.

cannabis 6143
CategoriesScience by

Cannabis: An All-Natural Sleep Aid?

It’s widely known that smoking weed can help reduce anxiety and stress, and generally help you relax and mellow out. So it makes sense that many people smoke before going to bed as a kind of “self-prescribed” sleep aid, and claim that it helps them to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
However, those same people often have a difficult time sleeping without it. It takes them longer to fall asleep, and when they do they report having unusually intense and vivid dreams — even nightmares which are hyper-realistic and highly disturbing. Naturally, this can make it hard to stop smoking for whatever reason.
Then you’ve got other people who claim that marijuana makes them hyper, and causes their mind to race a mile-a-minute. Obviously, these folks wouldn’t dream of smoking pot at bedtime.
That’s the problem with a substance as chemically complex as cannabis. There are more than 80 naturally occurring cannabinoids in the plant, all of which could potentially have psychoactive effects. And each one of those compounds will affect each person differently, depending on their biochemistry.
The problem is made that much worse by the decades long ban on marijuana research, which has prevented us from properly studying cannabis and it’s medicinal properties, and gathering accurate data on how it affects different groups of people. We are forced to rely too heavily on anecdotal evidence, the “word on the street.”
The questions remain. Can marijuana really help you sleep? How does it affect your dreams and your sleep cycle? Can it be used as a safe and effective, all-natural sleep aid?
Let’s take a look…

Stoned Sleep Studies

Most of what we know about how cannabis affects the sleep cycle dates back to a 1973 study done on a group of insomniacs. The patients were given different doses of THC, from 10 – 30 mg, which were found to “significantly decrease the time it takes to fall asleep.” They also demonstrated some improvement in their ability to sleep through the night without waking up periodically.
The study also noted a “hangover effect,” which I for one am personally familiar with. (Sure, I may sleep soundly if I get high late at night; but in the morning I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. I’m tired and sore, and can barely drag myself out of bed.)
The greater the dosage, the worse the hangover, the study found. So like most things in life, moderation is key. Smoking too much before bedtime can make you feel terrible the next morning, and even make it more difficult to fall asleep (or eliminate the urge and desire to fall asleep).
There have also been some more recent studies on the effects of synthetic THC on those suffering from sleep apnea. This research is in the early stages, but preliminary results are promising.

Stages of the Sleep Cycle

In addition to helping users to fall asleep faster, cannabis is also shown to alter their sleep cycle in interesting ways. For one thing, it seems to lengthen the amount of time that people spend in deep, “slow wave sleep.” This is thought to be the most important phase of sleep, during which much of the body’s rejuvenation and restoration takes place.
Secondly, marijuana reduces the amount of time spent in REM (“rapid eye movement”) sleep, which is the phase in which dreaming happens. This explains why many pot smokers can’t ever remember their dreams — they aren’t spending enough time in REM sleep to actually have an active dream life.
It also causes the “REM rebound” effect I mentioned earlier, where a smoker who quits experiences a sudden surge of intense and powerful dreams for several nights, or sometimes weeks.
Truthfully, there’s still a lot we don’t understand about the nature of sleep, what happens during the different stages, and why it’s so important; much less how the influence of cannabis on our sleep cycle might affect our mental and physical health in the long run.

Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?

Given the pros and cons, is marijuana really a good choice for those struggling with insomnia or other sleep disorders? To arrive at a fair answer to that question, let’s consider for a moment some of the most commonly prescribed alternatives — and the side effects associated with them.
(It’s worth mentioning here that trouble sleeping is usually just a sign of bigger problems, like depression or chronic anxiety — and cannabis may also help to treat these underlying issues.)
Some of the most common drugs prescribed as sleep aids are powerful “sedative hypnotics.” Examples include Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, and sometimes Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan or Librium. These prescription pills are all potentially addictive or habit-forming, and in extreme cases have caused such effects as:

  • amnesia
  • hallucinations
  • sleep walking and sleep driving (wtf?!)
  • depression
  • abnormal behavior, sometimes violent
  • suicidal thoughts and actions

That’s some pretty heavy stuff. I mean, pot may suppress my dreams and make me feel kinda lousy in the morning, but it’s sure not gonna send me sleep-driving down the freeway at 70 mph. Or make me want to kill myself.
Okay, okay — so those are the most extreme cases; very rare. Fair enough. But even the most common side effects aren’t things I would wish on anybody. For instance:

  • drowsiness
  • dizzyness, loss of balance
  • trouble focusing or paying attention
  • memory loss
  • headache
  • heartburn
  • diarrhea
  • constipation
  • loss of appetite
  • tingling or burning in hands, legs and feet
  • uncontrollable tremors

When we consider the safety and effectiveness of marijuana as a medicine, we need to keep things in perspective… No, we don’t fully understand how pot affects the brain, or affects our sleep. But it’s a natural, herbal medicine that people have been smoking since the dawn of time. And the alternatives are dangerous synthetic chemicals that are known to cause serious harm, psychosis and even death.
For me at least, it’s an easy choice to make.

It’s All About the Strain

It’s also worth mentioning, as you probably already know, that there are some major differences in the way different kinds of bud affect you. It’s instructive (although really over-simplified) to differentiate between the two main strains of cannabis, namely indicas and sativas.
Indicas are shorter, bushier plants that are typically higher in THC. It’s commonly held (but not scientifically verified) that the indica high is more calming and relaxing, and the effects are felt primarily in the body.
Sativas plants are taller and ganglier, and tend to be higher in cannabidiol (CBD). The sativa high is generally much more energizing and cerebral (a mental, or “head high”).
It should be noted that after decades of careful cultivation and hybridization, there is now a dizzying variety of different strains, which combine the characteristics of both indicas and sativas in different ways. So there is really more of a colorful spectrum, as opposed to distinct categories.
The point is, that anyone wishing to use cannabis as a sleep aid is better off choosing an indica dominant strain, with a mellow, body high, instead of an uplifting and disorienting sativa strain.

Your Body, Your Choice

In the end, no one else can tell you how marijuana will affect you. Each person’s experience is unique, so you have to make an informed decision, and see for yourself how cannabis makes you feel, and what medicinal and psychological effects it has on you.
I think Dr. John Cline said it best:

“Cannabis is an exceedingly complex drug preparation, and its effects depend on the variety of the plant, the composition of the chemicals in any given sample, the route of administration, the setting in which it is used and the psychological state of the user.”

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Why Does Weed Give You the Munchies?

One of marijuana’s most famous effects, apart from mild euphoria, is that inevitably it has you cleaning out your fridge and cupboards, or running to the nearest store for smacks. The tremendous surge in appetite that cannabis gives us, commonly known as “the munchies,” is actually one of it’s most important medicinal properties. For people on chemo, or struggling with eating disorders, it can literally be a life-saver.
But why is it that smoking weed makes you so hungry?
You probably know that the effects of marijuana are primarily caused by molecules called cannabinoids, especially tetrahydrocannabidol, or THC. These molecules interact with naturally occurring receptors in the brain called the endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate mood, memory, sensitivity to pain, and—you guessed it—appetite.
Smoking marijuana stimulates appetite in multiple ways. A study done last year at the University of Bordeaux found that THC affects the olfactory bulb of lab mice, making them more sensitive to odors.  it would seem that smoking pot makes us smell and taste food more intensely, which would naturally tend to make us eat more. But this doesn’t fully explain the intense, ravenous, and seemingly insatiable hunger cannabis can induce.
Back in 2005, a team from the London Medical School published a study showing that cannabinoids stimulate appetite by activating the hypothalamus, and interacting with a compound called ghrelin which acts as a regulator of appetite and metabolism. A study released earlier this year delves even deeper into the mystery…
An international team of scientists led by Tamas Horvath found that cannabis effectively “flips a switch” in the hypothalamus, specifically a cluster of neurons called the POMC. Normally, these POMC neurons are responsible for signaling when we are full, and shutting down the appetite. But when we are high that effect is reversed, and these neurons, when activated, actually stimulate hunger.
Hence the bottomless pit in your stomach that can’t be filled.
Even this is probably just a part of the picture. The chemical cocktail found in the cannabis plant is extremely complex, and the effects that it has on the human brain and body even more so. But one thing is certain: cannabis does stimulate the appetite, especially in those who haven’t built up a tolerance. In fact, it does it so well that no other medication can even compare, and even the radically anti-pot pharmaceutical industry had no choice but to embrace it. The synthetic THC known as Marinol is the go-to appetite booster for chemo patients and others who are wasting away due to loss of appetite.
But why should we pay Big Pharma to synthesize something that we could all grow in our own backyard?
Whether you are a medical patient who needs to restore your lost appetite, or a casual smoker who just wants to take dinner up another notch, cannabis will do the trick. So grab some snacks, light up, and enjoy.
photo from abcnews.com