Medical Cannabis, CBD, Hemp

First things first.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Please always consult your doctor
before making any changes in supplements or medicines.

Now I can move on (annoyed sigh)

CBD Oil
&
Medical Cannabis

I have became quite passionate about this plant (specifically CBD) and want to share it with everyone I can.

Included on this page are videos, documented scientific tests and as many links as possible.
Please keep an open mind, take the time to watch the videos and I think you will be amazed at this plant that God has blessed us with.

I know of no other leaf that can illicit such a plethora of reactions.

Why?

What do you feel when you see it?

Do you giggle?
Do you look over your shoulder to make sure no one sees what you're looking at?
Do you see it as a symbol of lay-about-no-good-hippy-type-folk?
Do you see it a medicine?
Do you see it as an illegal drug with no use?
Do you see hope?

Now, ask yourself if those reactions are because you have done your research or are you just listening to what you've been told?

Hemp or Marijuana

Hemp Field

Marijuana Field

Yes, there is a difference!

Hemp is Cannabis Sativa but so are some strains of marijuana. Marijuana can also be Cannabis Indica or Cannabis Ruderalis but hemp never comes from those strains.

The biggest difference is the THC content.
Marijuana contains upwards of 30% THC with most strains falling somewhere around 18%.
Hemp generally contains less than .3% THC.
(Old timers use to call it "ditch weed". You could smoke it all day long and never get high)

Another difference is use. Generally marijuana is only grown for its THC compound while hemp has literally thousands of applications!

*As a side note, marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug according to the FDA. That means that they consider it highly addictive with NO medical benefit BUT our government also holds a patent for cannabidoids!

Yes, we hold a patent that says it has neuroprotective, anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

But, that same government says it is worse than meth (which is a Schedule 2 drug) and has NO medical value!!!!!!

A contradiction that we, the citizens, are paying for!

Okay, I'm getting off that soapbox.

In Indiana, the state I live in, marijuana is illegal but hemp is not; kinda?!?

Oh, boy, here it goes...

President Obama did sign a bill that allows hemp grown for research purposes in 2014 but there is still a long way to go to bring this amazing crop back to U.S. soil.

But you can not purchase U.S. grown hemp products in states that have no medical marijuana legalization.

So what do you do? We import it! Yes, that's right, if it's imported we can use it in all 50 states! Sound stupid? I agree.

Why would some people go to all the trouble of importing a cannabis product for medicinal use that doesn't contain THC?

CBD oil that's why!

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis. And quite possibly the most profound.

No, it is not psychoactive, so you won't get high when using, but it does look like it may do some pretty amazing stuff

Research is showing that it may help with...
Inflammation
Chronic pain
Anxiety
Stress
Depression
Fibromyalgia, Migraines & IBS
and much more

Is this a potentially an astoundingly useful drug?
I think so.

The following links are documentaries that have aired on CNN
and hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta and I think are an excellent place to start if you are new to the potential of cannabis a medicine.

Short Overview

The Endocannabinoid System

We have all heard of the immune system, the endocrine system and the nervous system
but how many of you have heard of the endocannabinoid system?

I would wager not many.

This system was not even known prior to the 1990's!
An amazing researcher, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, has been studying cannabis for over 45 years and his discoveries have been pivotal in the ongoing understanding of this plant.

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam documentary.

The endocannabinoid system has been dubbed "The Master Switch". It achieves this by up or down regulating as needed. Its entire goal is balance and homeostasis.

Think about that! An entire system whose job is to keep you balanced and healthy. Imagine if this system was not functioning at its optimal level. This could wreck havoc on everything: from the way you feel about people to your body switching off cancer cell growth.

That is HUGE!

Dr. Dustin Sulak explaining the endocannabinoid system

The current thinking is that our endocannabinoid system may become deficient.

Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CEDC) was a proposed spectrum disorder that had been implicated in a range of illnesses, including fibromyalgia, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome. After further clinical research is bearing this out.

So many times, in the health food/supplement industry, a new golden child will come along and everyone will tout its healing powers. Don't get me wrong, I have benefited from many of them but it never seemed like it really got to the core of my problem.

I just never felt like I was strengthening my core being. I still felt like I was weakening over time. To put it simply, I felt off. Possibly endocannabinoid defficiency has been my problem all along.

How to use

If you live in an area with medical marijuana available talk to your Doctor and
local dispensary about what would work best for you.

If you live in a state where medical marijuana is not available you should still talk to your Doctor but don't be surprised if they have no idea what you are talking about.

Whether you chose a marijuana strain that contains THC and CBD or go with hemp based CBD product do your research as to where it comes from, how it was grown, and how it was processed.

*I will be focusing on CBD in this section because that is all that is available to me in Indiana currently.

Sprays and dabs

Vaporizing

Capsules

Because there is not a lot of research currently available and if you don't have access to a dispensary, often times trial and error will be your guide.

Decide how you want to take CBD: CBD oil is available in sprays, capsules, edibles and other products.
Find the milligram: Look for the cannabidiol mg (CBD). Do not confuse this with the hemp oil mg.
Begin with a low dose: 2 mg is an average starting dosage,
Use the same dose and ratio for several days: Observe the effects and if necessary adjust the ratio or amount. Increase dosage by 2mg a day; remembering to maintain same dosage for a few days before increasing.
Don’t assume it will take a lot: “Less is more” is often the case with cannabis usage.
Be aware of possible side effects: Cannabis is a safe and forgiving medicine. Taking CBD at bedtime may increase alertness. If this is bothersome either take your last dose earlier in the day or take only a small dose at bedtime.
Consult your health care provider

Dosing

Odds and ends

As you have read, marijuana and specifically cannabidiol, can help with many pain and inflammation issues but I want to share some research of another condition it is showing promise with.

Please keep in mind that research is just starting to really kick off. However, that doesn't mean that this knowledge wasn't out there. It was! Just withheld because of the ongoing stigma on cannabis. All the way back in 1980 research showed good results with CBD and epilepsy. Think about that...35 years we have known!

Report of a parent survey of cannabidiol-enriched cannabis use in pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Josh Stanley Ted Talks

A concern that many people have is that several of the current research models are being conducted using extracts. A whole plant approach is the most holistic way to go. Think of fresh baked, organic, heritage, whole grains compared to a commercially made white hot dog bun.

Whole plant cannabis, be it hemp or marijuana, is a very complex plant. It, on average, contains 500 separate chemicals compounds.

One example is terpenes. Terpenes are basically the aroma therapies of the cannabis world and have an entire medical usage in and of themselves! They can relax, uplift, help with alertness, depression and even nausea.

Terpene Video

I've been talking about CBD's but there is also CBC, CBDa, CBG, CBN, THC, and THCa to name a few! There are over 80 cannabinoids in cannabis and only a few have been researched so far. When taken as whole plant therapy it has a synergistic effect.

This synergy is referred to as the entourage effect. Simply put, 1+1=3 or 4 or 5,6, or 7! The different compounds in the plant work together with each other creating more of an effect than if they were isolated and used alone.

Florida Legalization Commercial

This video is a commercial for legalization of medical marijuana in Florida but does a good job at explaining the entourage effect in quick simple terms.

Drug testing...

Well, this can be a little dicey. Most jobs follow the guidelines set by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Law requires hemp based CBD to have no more than .3% THC and reputable CBD manufacturers, with stringent standards, are usually closer to .1% THC. So the amount of THC passed in the urine with average daily use (1 mg - 25mg) would fall below that limit.

But keep in mind that every one metabolizes things differently. Most people will test negative unless they are taking extremely high doses of CBD (1000-2000 mg a day) but I have heard of people taking at home drug tests and getting a positive results while using less than 25 mg a day.

It all comes down to personal choice. Each person must weigh the benefit of using a CBD product to the cost of potentially failing a drug test (no matter how low the chance is). I am blessed to work from home so drug testing isn't an issue but, even if it was a worry, I would not stop taking my CBD oil. The benefits have been too many. I have stopped one of my prescribed medications entirely and dramatically decreased two others. Even with only taking a fraction of the medication, my pain is exponentially decreased, my mind has cleared and I have more energy. For me, there is no question of it being worth while.