A Beginner’s Guide to Cannabidiol & Cannabis Therapeutics

Project CBD has created a beginner’s guide for cannabidiol & cannabis therapeutics to address key questions of CBD users.
In 2009, a handful of CBD-rich cannabis strains were discovered serendipitously in Northern California, America’s cannabis breadbasket, where certified patients could access medical marijuana legally. Thus began a great laboratory experiment in democracy involving CBD-rich cannabis therapeutics.

The advent of whole plant CBD-rich oil as a grassroots therapeutic option has changed the national conversation about cannabis. It’s no longer a question of whether medical marijuana works—today the key question is how to use cannabis for the maximum therapeutic benefit. But most health professionals have little experience in this area. So Project CBD has created a CBD User’s Manual for patients to address key questions about cannabidiol and cannabis therapeutics.

What Is CBD?

 

Cannabidiol or CBD is a non-intoxicating component of the cannabis plant with enormous therapeutic potential. Although CBD doesn’t make people feel high like THC does, it’s causing quite a buzz among scientists, health professionals, and medical marijuana patients who are using CBD-rich products to treat a wide range of conditions—chronic pain, cancer, Crohn’s, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, PTSD, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, antibiotic-resistant infections, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and more. Academic research centers in the United States and elsewhere are currently studying the effects of CBD on these and other ailments. Scientists refer to CBD as a “promiscuous” compound because it confers therapeutic benefits in many different ways while tapping into how we function physiologically and biologically on a deep level. Extensive pre-clinical research and some clinical studies have shown that CBD has strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, anti-tumoral, and neuroprotective qualities. Cannabidiol can change gene expression and remove beta-amyloid plaque, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s, from brain cells.

Which is better CBD or THC?

 

Cannabidiol and THC (The High Causer) are the power couple of cannabis therapeutics; they work best together. CBD and THCinteract synergistically to potentiate each other’s curative qualities. CBD enhances THC’s painkilling and anticancer properties while lessening THC’s psychoactivity. CBD can also mitigate adverse effects caused by too much THC, such as anxiety and rapid heartbeat. When both compounds are present in sufficient amounts in the same cannabis strain or product, CBD will lower the ceiling on the THC high while prolonging its duration. (“Relaxing but not intoxicating” is how one patient described CBD-rich cannabis.) CBD broadens the range of conditions treatable with cannabis, such as liver, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, which may be less responsive to THC-dominant remedies. CBD and THC both stimulate neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells, in adult mammals.

What’s the best way to take CBD?

 

The most appropriate delivery system for CBD-rich cannabis is one that provides an optimal dose for the desired duration with few unwanted side effects. CBD-rich cannabis flower varietals for smoking or vaping are available in many medical marijuana dispensaries, but most CBD patients prefer non-inhalable products made with cannabis oil concentrates. Although banned by federal law, measurable doses of potent CBD-rich cannabis remedies are available in many non-smokable forms and can be utilized in various ways. The time of onset and duration of effect vary depending on the method of administration. CBD-rich cannabis oil products can be taken sublingually, orally (as edibles, lozenges, beverages, tinctures, and gel caps), or applied topically. Concentrated cannabis oil extracts can also be heated and inhaled with a vape pen. Inhalation is good for treating acute symptoms that require immediate attention; the effects can be felt within a minute or two and typically last for a couple of hours. The effects of orally administered CBD-rich cannabis oil can last for four hours or more, but the onset of effects is much slower (30-90 minutes) than inhalation.

Read more: Different Types of Cannabis Medicine

 

Can CBD cure epilepsy?

 

Cannabis has a rich history as a medicine for quelling seizures and convulsions going back thousands of years. In the mid-19th century, the U.S. Pharmacopeia listed cannabis tincture as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy, and subsequent scientific studies have documented the anticonvulsant effects of CBD, THC, and whole plant cannabis. CBD-dominant/low- THC cannabis strains and oil extracts can facilitate dramatic improvement in some children with intractable seizure disorders. Between 10-15 percent of severe childhood epileptics who are given CBD oil products experience a near-complete cessation of seizures; most improve (with a decrease but not total elimination of seizures), and some children have worse seizures when they take CBD. Many parents of epileptic children have learned through trial and error that augmenting CBD-rich oil by adding some THC—or better yet, THCA, the unheated, non-psychoactive form of THC that’s present in raw cannabis flowers and leaves—helps with seizure control. The take-home message: Low-THC cannabis oil products don’t work for everyone. Patients of all ages need access to a wide spectrum of whole plant cannabis remedies, not just high CBD oil.

Read more: List of studies on CBD & epilepsy

 

What is the right CBD:THC ratio for me?

 

Cannabis Therapeutics is personalized medicine. There is no single ratio or strain or product that’s right for everyone. Optimize your therapeutic use of cannabis by finding the proper combination of CBD and THC that works best for you. A person’s sensitivity to THC is a key factor in determining the appropriate ratio and dosage of CBD-rich medicine. Many people enjoy the cannabis high and can consume reasonable amounts of any cannabis product without feeling too high or dysphoric. Others find THC unpleasant. CBD can lessen or neutralize the intoxicating effects of THC. So a greater ratio of CBD-to-THC means less of a high. In some states with medical marijuana laws, cannabis oil concentrates and other products with varying ratios of CBD:THC are available so users can adjust or minimize psychoactive effects to suit their needs and sensitivities. Those who don’t like THC have the option of healing without the high by using a CBD-rich remedy with only a small amount of THC. But a low THC remedy, while not intoxicating, is not always the most effective treatment option. In essence, the goal is to administer consistent, measurable doses of a CBD-rich remedy that includes as much THC as a person is comfortable with.

Are specific CBD:THC ratios better for different conditions?

 

Some patterns are beginning to emerge. For anxiety, depression, spasms, psychosis, and seizure disorders, many people report they do well starting with a small dose of a CBD-rich remedy with little THC. For cancer, autism, and many other diseases, some say they benefit more from a balanced ratio of CBD and THC. Extensive clinical trials conducted outside the United States have shown that a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio can be effective for neuropathic pain. Note: The CBD:THC ratio is not an indication of how much CBD or THC is present in a given cannabis product or strain. Some people use cannabis products with different CBD:THCratios at different times of the day (more CBD for sunlight hours, more THC at night). Almost any cannabis strain or product theoretically could benefit a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders because THC and other cannabis components activate the CB2 cannabinoid receptor, which regulates immune function.

What is the optimal dosage of CBD?

 

An effective dosage can range from as little as a few milligrams of CBD-enriched cannabis oil to a gram or more. Begin with a small dose of high CBD/low THC oil, especially if you have little or no experience with cannabis. Take a few small doses over the course of the day rather than one big dose. Use the same dose and ratio for several days. Observe the effects and if necessary adjust the ratio or amount. Don’t overdo it. Cannabis compounds have biphasic properties, which means that low and high doses of the same substance can produce opposite effects. Small doses of cannabis tend to stimulate; large doses sedate. Too much THC, while not lethal, can amplify anxiety and mood disorders. CBD has no known adverse side effects, but an excessive amount of CBD could be less effective therapeutically than a moderate dose. “Less is more” is often the case with respect to cannabis therapy.

Read more: Cannabis Dosing 101

 

What should one look for when choosing a CBD-rich product?

 

Look for products with clear labels showing the quantity and ratio of CBD and THC per dose, a manufacturing date, and a batch number (for quality control). Select products with quality ingredients: No corn syrup, trans fats, GMOs, artificial additives, thinning agents or preservatives. CBD-rich products should be lab tested for consistency and verified as being free of mold, bacteria, pesticides, solvent residues, and other contaminants. Best to avoid products extracted with toxic solvents like BHO, propane, hexane or other hydrocarbons. Opt for products that utilize safer extraction methods such as supercritical CO2 or food-grade ethanol.

Read more: What To Look For In Your Cannabis Medicine

 

If CBD is so good, won’t pure CBD be even better?

Single-molecule CBD will inevitably become a federally approved Big Pharma medicine. Products infused with a crystalline CBD isolate, derived and extensively refined from industrial hemp, are already being marketed by unregulated internet storefronts. But single-molecule CBD is less effective therapeutically than whole plant CBD-rich oil extract. Scientific studies have established that synthetic, single-molecule CBD has a very narrow therapeutic window and requires precise, high doses for efficacy, whereas lower dose, whole-plant, CBD-rich treatment regimens are already showing efficacy for many conditions among patients in medical marijuana states. Whether synthesized in a Big Pharma lab or derived from industrial hemp, single-molecule CBD lacks critical secondary cannabinoids and other medicinal compounds found in high-resin cannabis strains. These compounds interact with CBD and THC to enhance their therapeutic benefits. Scientists call this the “entourage effect.” Numerous cannabis compounds have medicinal attributes, but the therapeutic impact of whole plant cannabis is greater than the sum of its parts.

Read more: Synthetic vs. Whole Plant CBD

 

Is there a difference between CBD derived from hemp and CBD derived from marijuana?

 

If you live in a state where medical marijuana is legal and available, look for CBD products made from high-resin cannabis (rather than low resin industrial hemp) that are sold in medical marijuana dispensaries. Unregulated hemp-derived CBD-infused products of varying quality are also available via dozens of internet storefronts. Many of these products are mislabeled. Compared to whole plant CBD-rich cannabis, industrial hemp grown for fiber or seed is typically low in cannabinoid content. A huge amount of fiber hemp is required to extract a small amount of CBD, thereby raising the risk of contaminants because hemp, a bioaccumulator, draws toxins from the soil. That’s a great feature for restoring a poisoned ecosystem, but it’s not recommended for extracting medicinal oil. Heavily refined CBD paste or terpene-free CBD isolate crystal is poor starter material for formulating CBD-rich oil products. The debate over sourcing CBD from cannabis rather than hemp will soon be moot as plant breeders succeed in developing high-resin CBD-rich cannabis varietals with less than 0.3% THC, the arbitrarily designated legal limit for hemp.

Read more: Sourcing CBD: Marijuana, Industrial Hemp & the Vagaries of Federal Law

 

Is it safe to inhale hemp CBD oil fumes from a vape pen?

 

Many cannabis- and hemp-derived CBD vape oil products include a thinning agent, which dilutes the oil that is heated and inhaled by vape pen users.

Beware of vape pen oil that contains propylene glycol. When overheated, this chemical additive produces formaldehyde, a carcinogen, as a byproduct, according to a 2015 report in the New England Journal of Medicine. Look for products that entail a safer method of extraction like supercritical CO2.
Other additives to avoid: polyethylene glycol (another thinning agent) and, in general, flavoring agents, especially cream and cinnamon flavors as these are very toxic and should never be heated and inhaled. Look for cartridges that contain only natural, cannabis-derived terpenes. That means that the flavor of your vape cartridge came directly from the cannabis flower from which it was extracted.

Read more: How Safe is Your Vape Pen?

 

Does CBD have any adverse side effects? What about drug interactions?

 

CBD is a very safe substance, but it can interact with many common pharmaceuticals. At sufficient dosages, CBD will deactivate cytochrome P450 enzymes, thereby altering how we metabolize painkillers, statins, blood thinners, insulin & more. CBD-drug interactions can be dangerous, but they can also help mitigate side effects while synergistically improving a patient’s quality of life. Cannabinoid-opioid interactions show great therapeutic potential. THC enhances the painkilling effects of opiates, while CBD is can reduce withdrawal and dependence. Patients taking Big Pharma meds should monitor changes in blood levels and, if need be, adjust dosage. Problematic interactions are more likely when consuming high doses of CBDisolate products.

Read more: CBD-Drug Interactions: Role of Cytochrome P450

 

Will big pharmaceutical companies control the CBD market when cannabis is legalized for adult use?

Only if we let them. Cannabis is a medicinal herb and it should be regulated as an herb, not as a pharmaceutical or a street drug.

 

Read the full article that was originally published by www.projectcbd.org/

Brooklyn-based DJ Chelsea Leyland is prominent in New York’s art and fashion communities trots the globe playing international music festivals and graces the pages of magazines like Vogue and Nylon. Both stunning and articulate with a strong-willed commitment to living life on her own terms, Leyland is a far cry from what you might expect of someone with an incurable illness. The stylish creative-turned-influencer also happens to be an epileptic and, on account of that, a rising cannabis activist. But she’s careful, as she says, not to let her condition define her.

Living in New York by way of London, Leyland has access to medical marijuana, vaping high-CBD oil to treat her epilepsy. In the fewer than two years since she began using cannabis, she hasn’t experienced any seizures. “There was this overwhelming feeling of groundedness and wholeness like this is what must it feel like not having epilepsy,” Leyland, now 30, says of her initial experience with cannabis.

Epilepsy had always been a large part of Leyland’s life, even before she was diagnosed. Her older sister, who suffers from a more severe form of epilepsy, had been having seizures since she was a baby. As time went on, her sister’s seizures got progressively worse, causing brain damage on top of an already mild case of autism. Despite being five years younger than her sister, Leyland stepped into a caring role, with ER visits and hospital rooms as a frequent backdrop to the girls’ childhoods.

Leyland’s own epilepsy began to reveal itself when she was in her early teens. She recalls sitting in the back of her mother’s car when light flickered across her eyes. It felt strange enough for Leyland to be suspicious, although neither she nor her parents nor even her doctors believed at the outset it could be epilepsy.

But it progressed, causing a teenage Leyland to experience jerks that would force her to drop her morning tea or whatever else she was holding. “It became this ordeal in the morning, I was dropping and smashing things the whole time,” she recalls.

Doctors thought it was connected to sleep deprivation, anxiety, or even psychosomatic sympathy with her sister, but Leyland kept linking that morning jerk in her fingers to a discrepancy in her brain. Finally, a neurologist diagnosed her with JME, or juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, also aptly nicknamed “flying saucer epilepsy.”

As if being a teen isn’t hard enough, the odd though bearable morning jerks graduated into grand mal seizures—causing humiliating falls to the floor as she convulsed, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. She remembers once, at 17, waking up from a seizure she had while showering, her body bashing against the bathtub until her father, having heard the racket, broke down the locked bathroom door to save her.

“Every seizure you have affects your brain, affects your memory, takes so much out of your body, as well as your confidence to live like a normal person,” Leyland says. “You’re living in fear of having another one.”

Leyland spent more than a decade on a drug called Keppra to cope with her epilepsy, something she kept secret as she moved through life—attending school in New York and blossoming into an international DJ. Something she calls “the craziest career possible” for an epileptic who’s sensitive to late nights and strobe lights.

“All the moments of being young for me came with this coating of danger because fun meant I was putting myself at risk of having a seizure,” Leyland says. “But I was adamant that I wouldn’t let my condition define me and I would lead a normal life.”

Only years into her career did Leyland come out about her epilepsy: She was in Barcelona, jet-lagged after a red-eye, and feeling quite uncomfortable during a magazine interview. “I was absolutely exhausted and in the danger zone state where I could have a seizure,” she recalls. Leyland paused the interview to say she wasn’t feeling well and when the journalist asked if it was a headache, she admitted to having epilepsy. “It was a huge release,” says Leyland. She’d exposed her grand secret and suddenly felt empowered.

“That was the moment where everything began for me,” says Leyland. “A huge part of me felt like I didn’t belong in the world I was working in. I often felt that I didn’t fit into the fashion industry.”

She began using her influence to do collaborations with charity. She produced and DJed a yoga event for the Epilepsy Society in collaboration with fashion retailer Farfetch. The event brought together 100 people to practice yoga and raise awareness for epilepsy. She also teamed up with fashion line Marc Cross, which designed two handbags with a portion of the sales going to the Epilepsy Society. She became an it-girl-turned-activist and life became richer.

Around the same time, she’d heard of a little girl named Charlotte, for whom CBD oil alleviated hundreds of seizures a day. Still, Leyland was skeptical of cannabis miracle stories. Not until a British activist offered her a few drops of CBD oil before a wedding did she realize just how miraculous marijuana is for epileptics.

That night, she stayed up past sunrise and, though she was sleep deprived, felt fine. She thought the feel-good normalcy she’d experienced might be due to the cannabis. Soon after, she tried it a second time, even forgetting to take her regular medication. Aghast once she remembered—it’s not the type of thing she’d ever need to set a reminder for, her body’s discomfort would be enough—she finally credited the CBD drops.

It took only a few months for Leyland to wean herself off Keppra and, along with it, she said goodbye to the irritability and insomnia it induced. The medication, she says, made her depressed and even suicidal at times, but in England, there was no alternative. In New York, all she had to do was sign up for the state’s medical marijuana program.

Epilepsy tends to be one of the first conditions to qualify for medical marijuana when states legalize. There’s still a limited understanding of how cannabis quells seizures, but the stories of its efficacy are abundant, dating back to Ancient China. “It’s clear that there’s enough evidence out there that if you’re not doing well on traditional epilepsy medication, then you should definitely explore the CBD solution,” says Sid Taubenfeld, CEO of Tikun Olam Pharmaceuticals.

But Leyland’s sister, who’s too ill even to leave the United Kingdom, is deprived of such an opportunity. Though the UK is said to be the world’s largest exporter of cannabis, thanks to GW Pharmaceuticals’ Sativex, the majority of that prescription pot leaves the country. And in the UK, CBD cannot be sold as medicine. This recently got national attention when the first patient in the country to legally access cannabis oil, a 12-year-old boy with epilepsy who needs it for his seizures, had his prescription revoked by the country’s health department. After the boy, Billy Caldwell ended up in the hospital from a seizure, the health department made an exception for him and allowed him to regain access to the oil.

CBD products are widely available as food supplements in the UK, but because Leyland’s sister is so sick, she can only take medicine given to her by a physician. If GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex is approved in the UK, that would be her first chance at trying a cannabis-derived medicine.

“Our politicians are still wrapped up in reefer madness hysteria,” says Peter Reynolds, president of CLEAR—Cannabis Law Reform, England’s largest pot policy reform organization. “We’re not just marching in the street and putting on demonstrations, we’ve grown into a professional lobbying campaign.”

Leyland, for her part, is co-producing and the main subject of a documentary called Separating the Strains designed to educate policymakers and the general public about the benefits of medical cannabis. “The nucleus of our film is not just my personal story, but my fight to get my sister access to this medicine,” says Leyland. “I have a medical marijuana card, I have a physician I can trust, and I can just go to the dispensary and pick up my medicine, but my sister lives in full-time care.”

Leyland is expressly in support of medical cannabis only, defying the stereotype of a DJ who likes to get high. Her mission is simple: to use epilepsy as a case study to open up a conversation about the medicinal benefits of cannabis. “This is an advocacy led mission,” Leyland says. “And one that is deeply personal.”

Read the full article that was originally published by www.herb.co 

Read the full article that was originally published by www.endoca.com/

There’s really only one thing you need to know about edibles. And, that’s how they metabolize.Once you understand how your systems process cannabis edibles, you can appreciate the importance of getting the dosage right.

Metabolizing cannabis edibles

The THCA in cannabis needs to go through decarboxylation before it becomes THC, the cannabinoid with psychoactive effects. When you smoke, the burning process triggers the decarboxylation. When you cook cannabis, you make the same thing happen.

Smoked cannabis is processed through the lungs. As it leaches from the lungs into the bloodstream, it reaches the brain and Endocannabinoid System almost immediately. But, when you digest cannabis edibles, it goes to your stomach, not your lungs. In your stomach, the cannabis processes like anything else in the stomach. The digestive system breaks it down into carbs and sugars as well as the THC.

The intestinal lining absorbs the THC and sends it to the liver for processing THC into 11-Hydroxy-THC, a high potency THC. Researchers believe but have not proven that this metabolite crosses the body-brain barrier quickly. What you should notice, it that the digestion/liver process takes more time than the lung process. So, your first dosing challenge is to understand that cannabis edibles take longer to deliver their effects.

A guide for beginners:

1. Patience! Patience!

When cannabis edibles are tasty, it’s tempting to have more than just one, especially when they are little gummy bears or berries. Why not pop a handful at once?

The fact is that you will suffer from taking too much too soon. You can easily overdose on edibles if you lack the discipline. It could take 30 minutes to two hours for cannabis edibles to kick in, so you must plan on the process.

Your body fat and personal metabolic rate run the show, so until you have some experience, you want to take a piece and wait for it to deliver before you think of a second treat. The payoff is that the effect last longer.

2. Consider your diet.

The cannabis edibles are not likely alone in your digestive process. You must consider what else you have eaten. Fatty foods will slow the process and an empty stomach will accelerate it.

A bigger concern is how much alcohol you have in your system. Trying an edible for dessert after a beer or wine loaded dinner will complicate the digestion. The alcohol will increase the THC concentration significantly.

Before you dose, consider how much you’ve eaten and what you’ve had to drink. An empty stomach means your edible may kick in more swiftly, and if this is the case, maybe think about starting with half a dose.

So, empty stomach or alcohol-flooded, you should try a smaller dose or piece. A modest dose for beginners might be 1-2.5mg of THC (plus CBD).

3. Follow the directions.

The industry is not quite there yet, but legalization is pressing manufacturers to develop standardized testing and labeling. Good, clear, and informative labeling will help users control their consumption and self-discipline.

Those labels will show a “standard dose” of 10mg. But, if you are a novice or have experienced low tolerance, you should divide that 10mg into mini-doses. There’s always room for another mini-dose once you feel the effects of the first one.

So, you must read those labels which will identify the dose as 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, or 100 milligrams. Those numbers should help you schedule your intake and experience until you know what you are doing. You do not want to gobble up the cannabis candies as if they were M&Ms.

This dosage chart makes slight modifications in text to the one created by Healer.com.

4. Remember the CBD.

Good labeling should identify the CBD content and its ratio with the THC. Edibles can be a great and convenient source of the medical benefits of CBD. For many medical patients, the edibles are much preferred to smoking.

It offsets the high potency and negative effects of THC to successfully treat anxiety, pain, and scores of other medical conditions. So, a CBD: THC ratio of 1: 1 suggests an ideal balance, but you still must avoid overdosing.

If the CBD: THC ratio favors the THC, you invite unwanted intoxicating effects and you reduce the desired medical effects. But, if it maintains a 4: 1 CBD dominance, you should realize the experience you want.

5. Newcomer tips:

• Lozenges, gummies, mints, oils, and troches all dissolve in your mouth. They begin the process by absorption in the mouth lining and tongue.

• Adding a fresh piece of apple or orange after consuming an edible can expedite its effects.

• When eating cannabis edibles, you should let them break down in your mouth a bit before swallowing.

• Caregivers for seriously ill patients must watch the administration and effects of the treatments.

• It’s necessary to remain hydrated while consuming and after consuming cannabis edibles.

The problem for beginners (and thereafter) is that cannabis edibles are so darned good. Still, you must discipline your intake and watch the results. Finally, beginners should not consume edibles without someone watching. Until you know what you are doing and are experiencing the benefits you want, you should not use alone.

Read the full article that was originally published by www.allbud.com

What Are The Benefits of Dabbing Live Resin?

Besides amazing flavor, live resin offers a significant amount of medical benefits. This is why you should consider trying it.

Live resin is a cannabis concentrate revered for its full flavor, but what is it and how is it made? Let’s take a close look to see the benefits of this expensive extract and why it’s a connoisseur favorite.

What is Live Resin?

Live resin is a “dabable” extract, but the main thing that differentiates it from other types of cannabis concentrates is the plant material that’s used. Live resin uses entire plants that are frozen at critical temperatures soon after harvesting, meaning they aren’t cured. Then, the frozen plants are used to make a solvent extract, similar to BHO, but at much lower temperatures with chilled liquid butane. The resulting product has a much richer terpene profile than regular BHO and even than cured cannabis flowers.

What are Terpenes?

Terpenes are fragrant oils produced in the resin glands of cannabis flower alongside cannabinoids like THC and CBD. They give weed its aroma and taste and also contribute to the herb’s medical benefits and overall effects.

When cannabis is cured, 55 to 85 percent of the terpene content can be lost, according to a highly cited 1996 study from the University of Mississippi. Most cannabis concentrates, like BHO shatter, are not only made with cured weed but also end up burning most of the remaining terpenes in the extraction process. But that’s how live resin is different: more terpenes are retained than in any other form of cannabis.

Different Types of Terpenes

There are two types of terpenes that refer to the compounds’ actual, physical weight. There are monoterpenes, which are lighter, and there are sesquiterpenes, which are heavier. Many monoterpenes produce floral scents, and some popular ones include myrcene, limonene, and terpinolene. Sesquiterpenes, on the other hand, have a more pungent aroma and give weed more skunk and diesel-like odors. Some common sesquiterpenes include caryophyllene and humulene.

What that University of Mississippi study found was that many monoterpenes evaporate more quickly, due to their size, during the curing process than sesquiterpenes. Then, the heavier sesquiterpenes that remain have a greater influence on the aroma and flavor of cured buds, as well as its medical benefits.

Again, this is how live resin is different. Because it’s freshly frozen, it should retain much more of the terpene profile of the original, fresh cannabis plant. That includes more monoterpenes and terpenes in general.

Benefits of Live Resin

Live resin’s rich terpene profile not only gives it a superior flavor for dabbing but provides the maximum amount of medical benefits. That’s because many cannabis experts, including scientist Ethan Russo, believe terpenes actually account for much of cannabis’ medical properties and psychoactive effects. By providing more access to terpenes, live resin provides users more control over their experience and cannabis medicine.

Terpenes have an incredible array of potential medical value, from fighting cancer to providing anti-anxiety relief. For instance, studies have found the common terpene limonene to prevent cancer cell proliferation, and pinene is a bronchodilator that can help those with asthma. Check out our full coverage of cannabis terpenes here.

Live resin is especially beneficial to those who need fast relief from symptoms like nausea, migraines, and tremors. Dabs provide a strong and potent effect without the need for actual combustion, and so can also be a good option for those who want to avoid smoking.

Live resin is only as good as the fresh flower it’s made from, so look out for cultivators you know and trust releasing limited batches. The only downside of live resin is the steeper price tag than “regular” concentrates. However, it’s incredible flavor and robust terpene profile is worth the extra change, on special occasions at least.

Read the full article that was originally published by https://herb.co/

Read the full article that was originally published by https://www.rxleaf.com

Prescription Drugs?

Anyone suffering from fibromyalgia will tell you it can be devastating. On some days, simple chores like doing laundry or making breakfast can be exhausting, if not downright impossible. Just ask Teri Robnett, a Denver-based medical marijuana patient’s rights advocate who runs the Rx MaryJane blog:
“There used to be days that I didn’t feel like I could get through the day. I just wanted to cry and go back to bed.”
Only a decade ago, many doctors didn’t believe fibromyalgia was real — “hysterical” women were just imagining it. To this day, it is still misunderstood and often misdiagnosed. Commonly characterized as a chronic pain condition, a growing body of evidence suggests that fibromyalgia is a complex neurological disorder. Beyond chronic pain affecting muscles and connective tissue, sufferers often complain of joint stiffness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, general weakness, headaches, digestive issues, anxiety, and cognitive issues (e.g., “fibro fog”).

According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 5 million Americans — mostly women — have fibromyalgia.

What Causes Fibromyalgia?

While the cause of fibromyalgia is widely debated, Dr. Ethan Russo, a prominent neurologist and pharmacologist who has dedicated much of his professional career studying cannabis and the endocannabinoid system, theorized that fibromyalgia could be related to Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (CECD).

The endocannabinoid system is like the Internet of your body — a communications network facilitating communications between your brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. The primary goal of the ECS is homeostasis — helping your body maintain a stable internal environment.

When the endocannabinoid system is out of whack, health suffers. An imbalance can cause a whole host of issues affecting mood, sleep, gastrointestinal health, muscle spasticity, to name a few — symptoms that are also prominent among sufferers of fibromyalgia, thusly supporting Russo’s theory.

Can Medical Marijuana be Used as Treatment for Fibromyalgia?

Hard to treat and impossible to cure, many sufferers are curious about whether cannabis can help treat their discomfort.

Robnett, who is also the founder and executive director of Colorado-based Cannabis Patients Alliance, was one such patient. Recalling how in 1987 a car accident triggered her fibromyalgia, she later learned that an endocannabinoid deficiency could be to blame. She fell to the floor and cried, but her sadness was swiftly replaced with anger. Recognizing cannabis might be able to help, she asked, “How could the one thing that could supplement what my body wasn’t making [is something] the government could tell me I can’t have?”

For years Robnett took doctor-prescribed pharmaceuticals, but she detested the side effects and was concerned about drug interactions. “In 2009, I started medical marijuana. By 2011, I had quit all of my pharmaceutical medications and now use cannabis exclusively,” she explained.

Robnett said that at first, it took her a bit of trial-and-error, but it didn’t take long for her to become convinced cannabis was preferable to pharmaceuticals. “From season to season, even day to day, the severity of symptoms can change because of the weather, stress, or hormones,” Robnett said. “Cannabis allows me to self-titrate. By being able to vary how I consume and types of strains, I can more effectively treat the symptoms.”

At night, Robnett medicates with an edible. Because edibles can take a bit to kick in, she begins her routine by vaporizing with an indica strain which quickly enters the bloodstream and immediately provides relief. While vaporizing works quickly, it doesn’t last through the night. “The edible takes much longer to affect me than vaporizing but lasts much longer, and I can sleep through the night,” she said. “Getting a good night’s sleep helps keep my symptoms under control the next day.”

During the day, she’ll use something higher in CBD and lower in THC to minimize psychoactive effects while alleviating her symptoms. Chronic fatigue is also a common symptom, and Robnett said the high CBD counters the fatigue, giving her energy to get through the day.

Cannabis for Treating Fibromyalgia vs. Prescription Drugs

Robnett is not alone in her experience. The National Pain Foundation conducted a survey in 2014 of over 1,300 patients. Remarkably, nearly a third — 30 percent of respondents — reported having used medical cannabis.

Of the more than 390 survey participants who had used cannabis, compared to FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, far more people reported cannabis as being effective:

62% reported cannabis as “very effective” in treating their symptoms

33% reported that cannabis “helped a little”

Only 5% said it did not help at all

Contrast these results with FDA-approved medications:

A mere 8 – 10% reported Cymbalta, Lyrica, or Savella as “very effective”

60 – 68% responded those drugs “[did] not help at all”

No wonder “big pharma” is scared of cannabis! In the hierarchy of evidence, a survey is not weighted the same as a random-controlled trial (RCT). However, given the relative safety profile of cannabis and absence of adverse side effects compared to the FDA-approved medications, the data clearly suggests more research is warranted.

Synthetic Cannabinoids for Fibromyalgia

There has been just one double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized, controlled trial (RCT) of synthetic cannabinoids. Researchers concluded nabilone was a “beneficial, well-tolerated treatment option” that could be a viable adjunct to other therapies.

But, anecdotally, patients report they prefer botanical cannabis. Only 10% to 20% of the THC makes its way into the bloodstream after metabolizing. Furthermore, nabilone doesn’t come cheap! 30 capsules cost more than $1,000.

Robnett is happy with cannabis. “With cannabis, I can vary by strain and consumption method according to how I feel or what time of day it is. More importantly, over the 28 years, I’ve suffered from this condition, I found cannabis is by far the most effective and efficient treatment.”

Given the widespread frustration patients have with available treatments, and the devastating nature of fibromyalgia on those who live under its grip, it’s hard to find a morally defensible reason to deprive patients like Robnett the right to not only alleviate their suffering but find a new lease on life.

Read the full article that was originally published by www.leafly.com