“Why is marijuana needed when it is already available in pill form?

     "It", if referring to marijuana, is NOT available in pill form.  "It", if referring to THC - the main psychoactive compound in cannabis - is sold by prescription under the name *Marinol* (Dronabinol).  That may seem like a trivial point but we must keep in mind that THC and marijuana are not the same thing.
     Marijuana contains at least 66 active cannabinoids in addition to THC. Research has shown that these other compounds contribute significantly to marijuana’s therapeutic effects. For example, cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to have anti-nausea, anti-anxiety, and anti-inflammatory actions, as well as the ability to protect nerve cells from many kinds of damage. CBD also moderates THC’s effects so patients are less likely to get excessively “high.” Other cannabinoids naturally contained in marijuana have also shown significant
therapeutic promise.
      Also, people who use the pill find that it commonly takes an hour or more to work, while vaporized or smoked marijuana takes effect almost instantaneously. They also find that the dose of THC they have absorbed (in the pill form) is often either too much or too little. Because slow and uneven absorption makes oral dosing of THC so difficult, The Lancet Neurology wrote in May 2003, “Oral administration is probably the least satisfactory route for cannabis.”  In its 2008 position paper on medical marijuana, the American College of Physicians noted, “Oral THC is slow in onset of action but produces more pronounced, and often unfavorable, psychoactive effects than those experienced with smoking.”

     Now let's consider those who use cannabis for its anti-nausea properties.  As Mark Kris, M.D., one member of an expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health in 1997 to review the scientific data on medical marijuana, explained during the group’s discussion on February 20, 1997: “[T]he last thing that [patients] want is a pill when they are already nauseated or are in the act of throwing up.”
     Thousands of patients risk fines and/or jail time for using cannabis even though they could use a THC pill legally.  They obviously think it is worth the risk to use the whole plant versus merely one chemical from the plant.  It is time to legalize cannabis for medicinal use and stop punishing people for choosing a natural medicine for their ailments.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Are We Ready for a Cure Yet?

     I cannot go anywhere without seeing pink on someone or something... It's everywhere! From yogurt lids to NFL apparel, it seems that breast cancer awareness has become the "in thing". I do not necessarily have a problem with the pink - I just know that an answer to the problem has been discovered, but most "can't handle the truth" (thanks, Jack Nicholson!).
     *Cannabidiol* (CBD) has been found to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancerous cells. Many forms of cancer are a result of normal cells not dying on schedule. The typical healthy adult loses 50 - 70 billion cells each day from apoptosis. When certain body tissues fail to die, a malignant tumor develops. CBD stops the tumor in its tracks by encouraging the tumor cells to die - without adversely affecting healthy surrounding tissue. Chemotherapy and radiation cannot claim that!
     It has been brought to my attention that CBD's role in fighting cancer does not stop there. In a *2007 study* at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, scientists have discovered that CBD inhibits the function of a gene called Id-1, believed to be responsible for metastasis of breast cancer (as well as other common forms of cancer). Metastasis is the spread of disease from one location in the body to another. Breast cancer can become lethal when it spreads to the lymph nodes or other organs and tissue.  This breakthrough in cancer research is astounding, but most will not benefit from this because of current government regulations on cannabis.  

     Support the fight for breast cancer - support the legalization of cannabis!  When will we wake up to the truth?

Bud of the Week - Cannatonic (high CBD phenotype)

     Like *True Blueberry x O.G. Kush*, Cannatonic is a go-to strain for body pain relief without the head buzz common with most strains.  A 60i/40s hybrid (MK Ultra x G-13/Haze), this Cannatonic has almost equal levels of THC and CBD (approx. 7% each). I say "this" because I am referring to a phenotype that had a mutation resulting in the low THC levels.
     As far as growing is concerned, you can find a few YouTube videos posted by *tigerman1120*.  He has tracked the growth of this strain week-by-week. Cannatonic takes about 70 days but the results are worth the wait.
     The smell and taste both combine earthy with a little sweet.  The creeping high occurs probably do to the higher CBD.  Cannatonic is better for night use as it will have you body-relaxed and drowsy.  

Medicinal Uses: Chronic Pain, Body relief without mental intoxication, Insomnia, Muscle Spasms, Nausea, MS, Gastrointestinal Issues, Arthritis, Anorexia

Cannabidiol and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

     I always love finding study after study of the positive health effects of cannabis.  One such study that I came across in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that the leading non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), has been shown to reduce the harmful effects of diabetes-related heart conditions, including cardiac dysfunction and inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress. See for yourself *here*.
Now, mind you, as of last year this was all pre-clinical findings.  What does that mean?  According to the study, mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy were used as well as actual human heart muscle tissue. Actual diabetic human testing has not yet occurred.
    For years people have found relief of their diabetic symptoms by using cannabis.  NORML's website highlights findings of cannabis and diabetes.  Here is a *link*.
     I am keeping it short and sweet today.  Please share this with friends and family that could benefit from these findings.

Cannabinoids vs. MRSA

      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) kills about 20,000 people in hospitals in the U.S. each year.  MRSA is what some would call a "superbug" - Staph bacteria that have developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics (which include penicillins and cephalosporins).  These strains are a result of society's overuse and/or misuse of conventional antibiotics.

     We gotta love our cannabis-researching scientists!  In a joint effort between Italy's Universita del Piemonte Orientale and Britain's University of London, School of Pharmacy, five cannabinoids (cannabidiol [CBD], cannabichromene, cannabigerol, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol [that's THC, folks!], and cannabinol were found to show a "potent activity against a variety of (MRSA) strains". Here is a *link* to the study's abstract.

     Maybe you know of someone who is battling a nasty MRSA infection...  There is hope and help available.  God provided mankind with a wonderful healing herb that has been suppressed for decades by governments.  We need to take back our freedoms - and this is just one more reason why!

     

Bud of the Week - True Blueberry (DJ Short) x OG Kush

     Ask any given number of people what the main chemical component of cannabis is, and the overwhelming majority will say "THC". For years, delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol has been given the majority of attention due to its psychoactive effects. Many do not realize that there are over 80 discovered "cannabinoids" within the makeup of the cannabis plant - only THC having the mind-altering impact.  As scientists have begun to experiment with the different chemicals within this plant and horticulturists have bred and crossbred cannabis to create different strains, the cannabis community has been able to discover the varied benefits of the plant other than the "high".
     One example of these new developments is a strain called "True Blueberry (DJ Short) x OG Kush". As the name suggests, this strain is a cross between True Blueberry (50/50 strain) and OG Kush (Indica). With the goal of increasing the cannabidiol (CBD) content (over 12%) of the plant while reducing the THC (under 5%), this strain leaves a person's head clear while providing the pain relief sought after by many patients. A true "medical" strain, TB x OG also gives its users a wonderful palate, with a strong blueberry flavor and tones of cinnamon and vanilla.

Medicinal Uses: Chronic Pain, Body relief without mental intoxication, Insomnia, Muscle Spasms, Nausea, MS, Gastrointestinal Issues, Arthritis, Anorexia

Cannabis DOES kill brain cells!

     OOPS! I meant cancerous brain cells... I must get a rise out of intentionally misleading people... The title for today's post is true, but not in the fashion that most would infer.  Click *here* to read the abstract on a medical report from 2005 that explains how Delta 9 - THC and other cannabinoids destroy gliomas. What is a "glioma", you ask? Wikipedia defines a glioma as "a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine."  If you are new to the world of cannabis, maybe I should take a step back and provide links for more understanding of *cannabinoids*  and our own body's *endocannabinoid system*.

     What I don't understand is how in 2003, The U.S.A.'s government as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a patent on cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.  U.S. Patent 6630507. On the other hand, the U.S. government's own DEA still classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug - meaning it has NO MEDICAL BENEFIT...  Do you see the problem with that???
     The human body was designed for cannabinoids! Maybe "Big Pharma" should stay out of politicians' pockets and allow a God-given herb to provide medical benefits to the masses... Oh, wait... That would mean the pharmaceutical industry would lose BILLIONS of dollars from the reduction in sales of many of their so-called "wonder-drugs".