It turns out that cannabis is not the evil wacky weed we were led to believe by criminals disguised as politicians, but instead, provides the pathway to better living and good health. How does cannabis work as a medicine and why are so many people demanding it? There happens to be a really good answer that lives within you.
We are all familiar with basic bodily systems, such as the circulatory or digestive systems, but did you know that within those systems lives another whole system that actually helps control and regulate those same systems? The Endocannabinoid system (ECS) lives within each and every one of us but this system wasn't discovered until 1964 when Dr. Rapheal Mechoulam isolated the THC molecule and soon thereafter the CBD molecule.
How do these play into our ECS system and what does that have to do with cannabis as a medicine? Both THC and CBD are cannabinoids and surprisingly enough they actually fit and bind, similar to a lock and key, into receptors endogenous to our bodies more understood systems. Cannabinoid receptors are embedded in cellular membranes and it is believed they are in greater numbers than other receptor systems.
Research has identified two receptors – CB1 and CB2. CB1 is found mostly in the nervous system while CB2 is predominately found in the immune system. Many bodily tissues contain both, each linked to differing actions. Researchers theorize there may be a third receptor.
It turns out these receptors and the cannabinoids they accept are a necessary element that our bodies require to function at an optimal healthy level. So much so, in fact, that they regulate what is commonly known as homeostasis within our bodies. Homeostasis is the tendency of biological systems to maintain constant conditions internally, and for example, when maintained, allows for regulation of blood pressure and body temperature. Our bodies are likened to a machine, and machines need maintenance and proper fluid levels to run efficiently, therefore if we want our bodies to operate at an optimum without disease, we must treat it like we would any other valuable machine.
So then, can cannabis help prevent disease and promote good health by stimulating our ECS and help regulate homeostasis within our bodies? The answer is yes. Are there more than just two cannabinoids in the cannabis plant? Yes, herbal cannabis in its natural form may contain over one hundred cannabinoids, including THC, which work together synergistically producing positive medicinal effects.
These medicinal effects seem to be improved when using whole plant herbal cannabis as opposed to the newly formed synthetic versions currently marketed by pharmaceutical companies, GW Pharmaceuticals or INSYS Inc. Synthetic versions are (single molecule) isolates of cannabinoids like THC and CBD. They are not shown to be nearly as effective as whole plant cannabis proves to be, wherein cannabinoids work synergistically.
Jump from 1964 to 2018 to discover the latest medical information available. Medicine provided by none other than cannabis...what do we know and what does it all really mean?
To date: 140-plus Gold Standard clinical trials in over 8000 patients. Contrast to the median number of pivotal trials preformed to get an FDA approved drug at two (2). This while over 33 percent newly approved pharmaceuticals spring to market on a single pivotal trial, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Recent research on medicinal cannabis (aka medical marijuana) shows there are numerous clinical applications for the use of cannabis and cannabinoids such as Alzheimer’s, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Huntington’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, hypertension, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorders, incontinence, HIV, chronic pain, Tourette’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, MRSA, diabetes, hepatitis C as well as migraines, epilepsy and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Add to the list Dystonia, Fibromyalgia and Parkinson's Disease, Pruritus and Gliomas (malignant tumor of tissue found in nervous system).
While we are just scratching the surface here, there is a whole standard of medicine being created, as new developments emerge faster than the speed of light around plant cannabis. Appropriate strains for particular conditions with correct administration and dosing are paramount for good standards of practice. If you aren't yet excited by the plant cannabis and all it has to offer in the way of good health, I suggest you do the research and ask questions from professionals.
Being part of cutting edge medicine is exciting and will lead to a healthier society with less costs. In turn, the government who provides health care to many, saves. With breakthroughs in science and increased use of whole plant cannabis as medicine entire populations will begin to see a significant reduction in people seeking traditional medicine, that is until cannabis becomes traditional medicine.
