The discovery of the endocannabinoid system has advanced our understanding of health and disease. It has major implications for nearly every area of medical science and helps to explain how and why cannabinoids are such versatile compounds – and why cannabis is such a widely consumed plant. The endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in regulating a broad range of physiological processes that affect our everyday experience – our mood, our energy level, our intestinal fortitude, immune activity, blood pressure, bone density, glucose metabolism, how we experience pain, stress, hunger, and more. And when this system doesn’t function properly, we feel sick or experience diseases. Cutting-edge science has shown that the endocannabinoid system is negatively affected in nearly all pathological conditions. Thus, it stands to reason that “modulating endocannabinoid system activity may have therapeutic potential in almost all diseases affecting humans,” as Pal Pacher and George Kunos, scientists with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggested in a 2014 publication. By modulating the endocannabinoid system and enhancing endocannabinoid tone, cannabinoids can slow – or in some cases stop – disease progress
Cannabis is a plant which can be broken into three species; Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. The flowering plant, which can grow up to 16 feet high, was first cultivated in China and India. The leaves, stems, flower buds and extracts from the cannabis plant can be eaten, smoked, brewed in a tea or put into a tincture. It can also be vaporized and inhaled. Cannabis grown for industry is called industrial marijuana, or hemp. Hemp typically has very low concentrations of THC and has a wide range of uses. The seeds can be crushed for oil, food and beauty products. Hemp fibers can be used for paper, sturdy fabrics and rope.What are Cannabis Terpenes? (sub head)There’s something about the aroma of cannabis that soothes the mind and body. Terpenes are what you smell, and knowing what they are will deepen your appreciation of cannabis. They are secreted in the same glands that produce cannabinoids like THC and CBD. They are aromatic oils that color cannabis varieties with distinctive flavors like citrus, berry, mint, and pine.
Cannabis can have different effects at different doses. Be willing to experiment and find what is right for you. There is no ‘one-size fits all’ recommendation.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in the resinous flower of Cannabis. CBD is a safe, non-addictive substance that is one of the more than a hundred ‘phytocannabinoids’ that are unique to cannabis and give the plant its therapeutic profile. These properties are continuously being tested and confirmed by scientists and doctors around the world.
CBD is closely related to another important medicinally active phytocannabinoid: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that causes the high that cannabis is famous for. These are the two components of cannabis that have been most studied by scientists.
Both CBD and THC have significant therapeutic attributes. But unlike THC, CBD does not make a person feel “stoned” or intoxicated. That’s because CBD and THC act in different ways on different receptors in the brain and body.
CBD can actually lessen or neutralize the psychoactive effects of THC, depending on how much of each compound is consumed. Many people want the health benefits of cannabis without the high – or with less of a high.
The fact that CBD is therapeutically potent as well as non-intoxicating, and easy to take as a CBD oil, makes it an appealing treatment option for those who are cautious about trying cannabis for the first time.
Great CBD Resource: www.projectcbd.org