Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you really need to know about
What’s Cannabis (CBD vs THC)?
The two main components of Cannabis (known as cannabinoids) are tetrohydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC has contrasting effects on the brain. THC makes you feel high while CBD is responsible for its analgesic, antiseizure and purported anticancer effects. CBD is a compound in Cannabis that has medical effects but does not make people feel “stoned” and actually counters some of the effects of THC.
Our bodies contain two main receptors (CB1 & CB2) which respond to Cannabis by allowing the absorption of cannabinoids. CB1, the euphoric receptors (found in brain cells), allow us to respond and feel the benefits of THC, the psychoactive form of cannabis. Our CB2 receptors (found in immune system, bones, liver, and other tissues), allow us to experience body relief without any psychoactive effects.
The reduced psychoactivity of CBD-rich Cannabis makes it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety and/or anti-spasm effects. In simple terms, one-way traffic to nerves is the main cause of inflammation in the body.
Under this scenario, immune cells are being continuously attacked and nothing is communicating with the nerves to tell them to calm down. However, studies show that when you add cannabis to the equation, a two-way communication is made possible, resulting in reduced inflammation.
Also, CBD acts as an agonist on an entirely different receptor called the 5-HT1A receptor, and this is how CBD actually works as an antidepressant with anti-anxiety and neuroprotective effects. It also serves as what is called an “allosteric modulator” of your opioid receptors, which is how it works to remove pain and reduce the effects of chronic inflammation.
CBD has really strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, due primarily to its effects on your adenosine receptors and cytochrome P-450 and 2C enzymes. When this was first discovered, the US government insisted that cannabis has no medical benefits, but at the same time, they took out patent 6,630,507, which gave them rights to the antioxidant properties of cannabis (which they ironically still claim don’t exist). Incidentally, that patent was not extended to actual oil or capsule extracts of cannabis.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services holds patent 6,630,507, which states that:
“Cannabidiol has been studied as an antiepileptic. Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties … useful in the treatment of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV.
Numerous scientific and clinical studies indicate that CBD could be effective in easing symptoms of a wide range of difficult-to-control conditions, including: rheumatoid arthritis, PTSD, epilepsy, antibiotic-resistant infections and neurological disorders. It also might be useful in treating insomnia, anxiety, Parkinson’s Disease, type 1 diabetes, and nausea. CBD has also demonstrated neuroprotective effects, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored at several academic research centers in the U.S. and other countries.
Consuming Cannabis vs Smoking
Some call cannabis the “most important vegetable on the planet” because it can assist the function of your immune system, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, and improve bone metabolism and neural function. In fact, research has shown medical marijuana is even capable of inhibiting cancer cell growth.
Eating the plant is the best way to go about getting the necessary ingredients which are the cannabinoids. Drinking fresh-squeezed cannabis juice (similar to wheat grass juice) or eating raw cannabis as a leafy green vegetable is fast becoming a preferred means of consumption for individuals in search health benefits without losing their heads in the clouds. Many of the people who consume raw cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation have no interest in getting high.
For them, the plant is a safe and natural method of relieving constant pain and constant discomfort, and it’s euphoric and thought befuddling qualities are seen as (unwanted) side effects. Research has shown the benefits from eating or juicing raw cannabis.
Raw cannabis contains THCA and CBDA, ineffective alkaloids. They must be heated to produce THC and CBD, which in turn produces the “high.” This is the reason for smoking or vaporizing. By eating or juicing raw cannabis in its natural state, there is no “high”.
Smoking is not preferred given that as cannabis is heated and burnt, it changes the chemical structure and acidity of the THC which changes its ability to be therapeutic. Anytime you burn something and inhale it, you also create oxidation within the body. That oxidation is not healthy for the body and can lead to health issues itself.