September “Weed to the Wise: CBD”
Welcome to the September Labor Day edition of our curated PLAYBOOK focusing on emerging CBD news! With the constant onslaught of advertising, articles, and new products touting the cannabinoids found in hemp and cannabis, this issue focuses less on the hype and more on the interesting information that is emerging. (Because CBD isn’t regulated, over half of the oils tested did not have the amount of CBD listed on the label and there was frequently evidence of pesticides and heavy metals. It pays to find a reliable product with frequent lab testing.) Links for in-depth information are provided at the end of section one. As you read this, Hurricane Dorian is barreling toward the coast and anxiety is on the rise. Take a deep breath (or a couple of drops of CBD) to find the calm in the midst and read a few passages to contemplate the churn of nature. Lastly, Lizzie Post shares some cannabis etiquette for those of us new to the pot culture.
EMERGING CBD RESEARCH: WHAT’S NEW?
- CBD Reduces Anxiety, Promotes Sleep in Large Case Series. “The final sample consisted of 72 adults presenting with primary concerns of anxiety (n = 47) or poor sleep (n = 25). Anxiety scores decreased within the first month in 57 patients (79.2%) and remained decreased during the study duration. Sleep scores improved within the first month in 48 patients (66.7%) but fluctuated over time. In this chart review, CBD was well tolerated in all but 3 patients.” **What becomes clear over multiple studies is that CBD fairly reliably reduces anxiety and allows for better sleep, especially if the insomnia is caused by anxiety. Of course, when you are rested and less stressed, you make room for your body to heal itself!
- Anti-microbial antioxidant activity of medicinal cannabis. The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial and antioxidant ability of extracts from high potent Cannabis sativa chemotypes. The six extracts were tested by standard microdilution method against Staphylococcus aureus (three strains), Streptococcus pyogenes, and the yeast Candidaalbicans. All tested extracts demonstrated high antimicrobial activity against two strains of S. aureus and S. pyogenes, moreover high antioxidant capacity was observed. The results indicate that cannabis has a high potential to be used in ointments and other material for wound healing. However, further research on the identification of the active components is needed.
- As a result of the anti-bacterial history and use of CBD, there is increased interest in applications for MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacterias. CBD and MRSA, A Testimonial: “The American Chemical Society, found that cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG), two nonintoxicating cannabinoids, “showed potent activity against a variety of MRSA strains.” Three other plant cannabinoids – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabichromene (CBC) – also showed encouraging results in preclinical research. How the cannabinoids work is not fully understood, but it appears to be due to natural antimicrobial defense mechanisms.” (Referenced in the article are also CBD Anti Microbial Study and Manuka Honey Study)
- Athletes are beginning to recognize the benefits of using CBD oil for the anti-inflammation, anti-pain properties, and rapid recovery applications of CBD (i.e. Former NFL Star Sings Praises of CBD). However, even though individual athletes are investing in new businesses and new products mentioned in the article, the NFL, as an organization, currently wants no connection with cannabis in any form.
- For a unique full-spectrum hemp blend (no THC) with Amazonian herbs for healing see Spirit Songs Botanicals (Say “Dede sent you.”)
- Links for in-depth information:
- **Exciting news last month from a Harvard NIH study (“Flavonoid Derivative of Cannabis Demonstrates Therapeutic Potential in Preclinical Models of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.”): “The findings demonstrate the potential for this new cannabis derivative in the treatment of both localized and advanced pancreatic cancer, providing the impetus for further studies toward clinical translation.”
APPRECIATING NATURE: THE RAW POWER OF STORMS
1. The Hurricane, William Cullen Bryant
Lord of the winds! I feel thee nigh,
I know thy breath in the burning sky!
And I wait, with a thrill in every vein,
For the coming of the hurricane!
What roar is that?–’tis the rain that breaks,
In torrents away from the airy lakes,
Heavily poured on the shuddering ground,
And shedding a nameless horror round,
Ah! well-known woods, and mountains, and skies,
With the very clouds!–ye are lost to my eyes.
I seek ye vainly, and see in your place
The shadowy tempest that sweeps through space,
A whirling ocean that fills the wall
Of the crystal heaven, and buries all.
And I, cut off from the world, remain
Alone with the terrible hurricane.
2. Gordon Hempton
“A single thunderstorm upended Gordon Hempton’s life. While on a cross-country road trip in his mid-twenties, he decided to pull over in a field to get some rest. As the storm rolled in, he simply laid back, listened, and began to hear things he’d never noticed before: chirping crickets and the way the thunder echoed across the valley. The experience made him realize that his understanding of listening was all wrong. “I thought that listening meant focusing my attention on what was important even before I had heard it and screening out everything that was unimportant even before I had heard it,” he says. “But I really hadn’t been paying a lot of attention to what is all around me.” In this week’s On Being interview with Krista Tippett, Hempton talks about how he came to the field of “acoustic ecology” and describes his decades-long journey around the world collecting sounds.
LIVING WELL: “HIGHER ETIQUETTE”– TIPS FROM LIZZIE POST
Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties. Lizzie Post, Ten Speed Press, 2018. [Thank you, Jan!]
- The main thing to remember with people who use cannabis for medical purposes (yourself included) is that medical information is private. Don’t share information about others to anyone without permission.
- Some medical users think of themselves as patients, some don’t. Some use it for a health benefit but don’t consider it medicinal. Some use it for temporary treatment of an injury. Some use it as a form of therapy. The etiquette is to respect and not negatively comment on how someone chooses to identify themselves with the plant.
- If asked, you might say something like, “I’m not comfortable discussing my medical life at the moment.”
- Do not ask a medicinal patient for some of his/her cannabis. In most states, it is illegal to give it to you and he/she might lose their medical card.
- The basic principles of cannabis etiquette are based on respect (for the plant, the person, the lifestyle, the language, etc.); generosity (it helps people, it is enjoyed, and it tends to be shared); and gratitude (for the freedom to use it, for the plant and its powers, and for the gifts of nature.).
Leave a Reply