Month: October 2021

Categories
Concentrates Health

Cannabis Tinctures

There are numerous ways to take cannabis, and one of them is the use of tinctures. Generally, cannabis tinctures refer to cannabis dissolved in alcohol before it is taken. This method makes it easy for people to take and dose marijuana. Furthermore, the use of tinctures has been associated with the treatment of various conditions like low appetite, anxiety, chronic pain, nausea, insomnia, inflammation, and lots more.

Why do people choose cannabis tinctures?

Cannabis tinctures offer a wide range of benefits. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that lots of people are using cannabis through this medium.

Here are some of the benefits of tinctures.

  • They are easy to use

When you buy a cannabis tincture, you will be offered a small bottle that has an eyedropper tool. Regardless of your experience, this product is so easy to use. Lots of individuals dose with 1 milliliter each time. They will place the dose under their tongue and allow it to stay there for about 15 to 20 seconds. However, the severity of your condition and your weight should be the main determinants of your dosage.

This method ensures that the cannabinoids are directly absorbed by your bloodstream. Your body will start feeling the effect of the product almost immediately. For maximum effects, don’t eat or drink for the first 15 minutes after taking tinctures.

Some users may experience alcohol irritation on their tongues. So, consider diluting the cannabis tinctures with juice or water to get rid of the taste of alcohol. Otherwise, you can add soups, sauces, sherbets, or salad dressings.

Apart from the possible unpleasant taste and irritation, there is no other problem with taking tinctures.

  • They are easy to dose

When using cannabis tinctures, you can test the effect of each drop on your body. As a result of this, it is easy to determine your minimum effective dose which is the minimum amount of the substance required to relieve your condition or pain.

Through this, cannabis tinctures can help you to save money as you don’t have to use the quantity you don’t need. Similarly, it helps to boost potency and maintain a low level of cannabis tolerance.

As a starter, you should use only half an eyedropper every three days. With this, you can determine the effect of cannabis on your body. Based on the results, you may need to maintain, reduce or increase the dosage during your next schedule for taking the tinctures.

To find the minimum effective dose, new users must only take a dose every 60 minutes. Additionally, you should put a small drop of the tincture under your tongue. If you don’t like the taste of alcohol, dilute the tincture.

  • They prevent smell

When smoking or vaping, you cannot avoid the smell of cannabis. Fortunately, dosing with tinctures can prevent the smell. So, this allows you to take cannabis without anyone suspecting you.

  • They are a better and healthier alternative to smoking, vaping and edibles

Asthma and various other health conditions can be worsened by cannabis smoking or vaping. In addition, smoked cannabis is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Besides, weight-conscious people are advised to avoid edibles. This is because edibles will add to their calorie intake; thus, increasing their weight.

Luckily, cannabis tinctures get rid of all these worries. They make cannabis consumption to be discreet and healthier for you and the people around you.

Conclusively, cannabis tinctures are one of the best options for anyone that needs to use cannabis.

Categories
Veterans

Veterans & Cannabis

Today, the consumption of cannabis is legal in most states in the US. Consequently, the use of the substance is no longer stigmatized by most individuals. But because it is still considered illegal by federal law, there are still challenges with getting marijuana for use. This is a huge issue for military veterans.

Due to its illegal federal status, the Veteran Affairs (VA) doesn’t accept cannabis for the treatment of PTSD. This applies to all states – whether marijuana is legal or not.

According to some advocates, the disparity in the federal and local laws concerning marijuana is causing challenges for veterans. If they comply with local state law, using cannabis still put them at risk of:

  • Being unable to get other medications
  • Federal prosecution

However, even if veterans are willing to take the risk of accessing marijuana through state-level medical marijuana programs, affordability is always a problem. This is because they need the out-of-pocket payment for such programs. For many of them, such programs are unaffordable.

Veterans still unable to access cannabis

Skin conditions, cancer, anxiety/depression, and insomnia are a few of the conditions that cannabis is often used to treat. Many cultures have been using the plant for several centuries and still do so today.

Marijuana also helps in dealing with the symptoms of chronic pain and PTSD. These two conditions are common among veterans; hence, using them would have been greatly beneficial to them. However, access to the substance is extremely difficult for the veteran community. For an active military person, cannabis is completely out of reach.

As noted by Michael Krawitz, who is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Director of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access (VMCA), the VA officials don’t even tell veterans that cannabis could be the solution to their problems. Although these veterans could be aware of the existence of marijuana, they are unaware of its ability to treat chemo-related nausea, traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and so on.

After suffering an automobile accident during his service years, Krawitz was disabled permanently. He underwent various treatments, therapies and surgeries. However, they were not effective in relieving his discomfort and chronic pain.

Finally, he travelled to Europe where he was made to understand how cannabis could heal him. After using the substance for some periods, his quality of life improved significantly. This made him become an advocate for the use of cannabis by veterans to treat a wide range of health conditions.

It is noteworthy that Krawitz’s story is not an exception. There are many other veterans with similar experiences.

Progressive fight for equal access to cannabis

As it stands today, there is a continuous fight among veterans for equal access to cannabis. While speaking on the issue, AI Byrne, a navy veteran and cofounder of VMCA and Patients Out of Time, claimed that denying veterans access to cannabis could force them to go to the black market.

Many veteran communities and advocates have continued to voice their opinion about the unfair treatment of the veterans in this regard. However, they are confident that the full legalization of marijuana for veterans and active-duty military personnel will become a reality soon.

Categories
General Health

CBD to THC Ratios

When it comes to using cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the substance responsible for the euphoric high effect. So, it is not strange that every cannabis user knows and loves this cannabinoid. But THC is not the only important substance inside cannabis as there are many more, and cannabidiol (CBD) is one of them.

CBD is famed as the miracle substance that is capable of healing anything. However, there are some myths associated with this substance.

The combination of CBD and THC makes cannabis better

When CBD is combined with THC, it can offer some exceptional benefits that you cannot get from just smoking weed from your black market dealer. The combination provides The Entourage Effect, which is a synergistic encounter associated with the consumption of several cannabinoids at once. The more the number of cannabinoids, the lower the amount of each cannabinoid required to get a particular medicinal benefit.

The ratio of the cannabinoids available in your joint will determine the kind of effects that you will experience. For instance, CBD is capable of neutralizing increased blood pressure, paranoia, anxiety, and other side effects associated with taking lots of THC. Even if you experience an intense, calmer high, it will be manageable if you are accustomed to the high feeling associated with taking only THC.

A detailed explanation of cannabinoid ratios

Any product that contains CBD and THC will have a ratio on its packaging to indicate how the two compounds compare to each other. For instance, the packaging of a product that has 80mg of CBD and 40mg of THC will have 2:1 (CBD:THC). Notably, there is no fast rule for the ratio as THC may be higher, CBD may be higher, or it may be equal.

Nowadays, we have various strains of cannabis with significantly higher THC content but lower content of CBD and other cannabinoids. While such strain can be great for recreational users, it doesn’t offer enough medicinal effects. Nonetheless, there are cannabis cultivators and breeders that focus on making strains with high CBD content.

Varying ratios of CBD:THC with their different effects

If you are dealing with depression, epilepsy, mood disorders, inflammation and related issues, you can get immense relief from strains with a 20:1 (CBD:THC) ratio. But it is important to note that consumers can experience little intoxication when taking strains with ratios higher than 12:1 (CBD:THC). Nonetheless, this is not always the case because everyone has varying tolerances and sensitivities to THC.

Although intoxication is associated with high THC levels, most individuals prefer THC as the most medicinal cannabinoid inside marijuana. However, this doesn’t mean that CBD is not useful as it has cured some syndromes and diseases in adolescents and adults.

Nevertheless, when the two cannabinoids are combined, the efficacy of cannabis will increase. But no thumb rule for determining your ratio. You need some trial and error.

In conclusion, if your consumption of cannabis is for medicinal purposes, make sure you consult your doctor for recommendations on the frequency and dosage of use.s

Categories
General Health

The Entourage Effect

The entourage effect is a commonly discussed topic when it comes to the consumption of cannabis. Simply put, it refers to the synergistic impacts of the different chemical compounds that cannabis contains. But there is more to know about this phenomenon.

Understanding the chemical compounds inside cannabis

To have an in-depth understanding of the entourage effect, you have to first know the most essential compounds inside cannabis.

  • Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are some of the most essential substances found in cannabis. They are known to stimulate the endocannabinoid system which is responsible for modulating appetite, sleep, pain, and several other bodily functions.

In a cannabis plant, there are more than 120 cannabinoids with each having its particular function. Some of the most common cannabinoids are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While THC causes the intoxication associated with marijuana, CBD cannot get you high.

  • Terpenes

If you have interacted with cannabis before, you will agree that the substance has some aroma. The aroma could be lavender, citrus, pepper, pine, etc. Terpenes are the chemical compounds that ensure that cannabis has these varying aromas. These compounds are developed in the resinous glands of the cannabis plant. It is worthwhile to note that spices, herbs, fruits, and other plants also contain some terpenes.

Apart from producing the aromas, terpenes are also believed to offer some therapeutic benefits. These benefits include reducing anxiety and inflammation.

More on the entourage effect

The combination of various cannabis compounds tends to change or improve the medicinal effects of the cannabis product. Additionally, the combination can also change the psychoactive effects and flavors of the products. Notably, some synergistic effects are formed through the integration of the different cannabis compounds. This phenomenon is called the entourage effect.

As a result of the entourage effect, the cannabis product will contain some properties that you cannot find in pure CBD or THC. According to a lot of cannabis experts, the entourage effect may play a key role in boosting the medicinal importance of cannabis. It could encourage the substances to interact with the endocannabinoid receptions in the central nervous system and brain to relieve some medical conditions.

What does the research say about the entourage effect?

In 1998, Professor Shimon Ben-Shabat and Professor Raphael Mechoulam conducted a study on the entourage effect. They discovered the cannabis compounds boosted the activity of the receptors in the endocannabinoid system. A few studies were carried later to confirm the claims of the 1998 study, and the discoveries were similar.

Another study was carried out by Russo in 2010 to check the effects of Sativex, a drug that contains both CBD and THC. The research had a group of people taking the drug as well as a control group taking only THC. The study showed that 40% of the patients experienced a substantial pain-killing impact of the product. When compared to the controlled group, the Sativex was more potent than taking only THC or CBD.

In 2016, research was conducted to study the effects of cannabis on people smoking pure THC as well as those smoking products with both CBD and THC. The result revealed that individuals taking only pure THC encouraged cognitive issues such as memory problems.

Through the analysis of these various studies, it could be inferred that the entourage effect created by the combinations of different cannabis compounds could make a big difference in the benefits of cannabis.

With more research on the entourage effect of cannabis, we may soon discover some amazing ways through which cannabis could change our lives.