Alejandro Alcazar

<p id="output">What is CBD you ask? Get ready for a science lesson that is fun and relevant to our everyday lives! CBD (short for Cannabidiol) is a natural compound found in the resinous flower of the cannabis herb. CBD is a safe, non-addictive substance and one more than one hundred “phytocannabinoids” unique to the cannabis plant. A phytocannabinoid is a molecule that is synthesized by plants, and interacts with the same receptors as our “endocannabinoid” system, or <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877694/" title="Endocannabinoid System Study">ECS</a></strong></span>.</p>
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<p>Our ECS is thought to be responsible for regulating and balancing many processes throughout our body, including communication between cells, immune response, memory, appetite and metabolism among many others (this why smoking a joint may make you really hungry, so we’ve heard). So “phytocannabinoid” = plant receptor, “endocannabinoid” = human receptor. Two primary endocannabinoids are Anandamide and 2-ArachidonoylGlyceral (try saying that three times fast) or 2-AG. Anandamide is a molecule that runs all throughout the ECS and works with stimulation, appetite and memory. Cannabinoid receptors are in almost every part of the body, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827836/" target="_blank" title="Cannabinoid Receptors Throughout the Body" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to recent studies</a></strong></span>. Our two primary receptors are CB1 (which is primarily our Central Nervous System or CNS consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord) and CB2 receptors (most commonly found in our immune system. CB1 receptors are thought to be responsible for a healthy brain and our among the most common receptors in the nervous system, regulating mood, memory, pain, and motor function. CB2 receptors are responsible for inflammation and immune response, so autoimmune disorders or digestive issues can potentially be relieved by restoring balance to these receptors with CBD.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/marijuana_240x240.jpg?v=1648347239" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Cannabis Phytocannabinoids"></div>
<p>Among the most well known and researched phytocannabinoids are THC and CBD. THC is what makes one feel “high” or intoxicated when you ingest it, which CBD DOES NOT. Most cannabinoids can bind to both CB1 &amp; CB2. This is true for the two endocannabinoids (anandamide &amp; 2-AG) as well as phytocannabinoids like THC. However, CBD does not directly bind to either receptor, it modifies the receptor’s ability to bind to other cannabinoids. Because of this, CBD can play a huge role in balancing out the endocannabinoid system to promote general well being.</p>
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<p>Now that we got that science lesson, we can now get down to what CBD is useful for. Hemp derived from CBD has a host of potential benefits, but we will be narrowing down the scope to five.</p>
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<p>1. <strong>Sense of Calm</strong>: Usage of CBD on a regular basis can promote a sense of overall calm. Users report feeling more relaxed after ingesting a product with CBD. This is arguably the main benefit from these products, as modern society is so hectic. We are so wired to information that it is inescapable. Picture your room: you’ve probably got a TV on the cabinet, while you’re on your computer, and all the while have a steady stream of social media updates on your phone. The overall amount of information that we are passed is enough to inundate us in a sea of nervous energy. <strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6319597/" target="_blank" title="Scientific Study on Effects of CBD" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to this study</a></strong>, users who utilized a CBD product had less anxiety, cognitive impairment, and overall discomfort than those who had taken a placebo prior to public speaking. More people are afraid of public speaking than they are of any other phobia, including death! This is a good indication that overall, CBD derived from hemp products are among the best ways to promote a sense of bliss so that we can tackle our day. The effects can be priceless. Who knows how much better your day would be if you just had that extra sense of calm?</p>
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<p>2. <strong>Stress Relief</strong>: Stress is among the most prevalent issues in modern society, with most of the leading diseases having an underlying connection to stress like heart disease. We can all relate to a time where we felt a stress weighing on us, and came out feeling like a weight was on our shoulders. With the hours piling up at the office, lecture hours, classwork, family, relationships, and a calendar that is likely overbooked we now need healthy brain habits more than ever. In today’s “hustle culture,” we must take care of our minds so that we can function at an optimal level.</p>
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<p>3. <strong>Exercise recovery</strong>: CBD has risen in popularity among fitness instructors, chiropractors, and physical therapists for its healing properties. When one exercises, the body is challenged and this causes minor tears in the tissue. As the body heals those tissues, it grows back stronger. Meanwhile, the body experiences soreness and pain due to inflammation from healing the tissues. CBD may aid in the recovery of the body due to the anti-inflammatory properties.</p>
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<p>4. <strong>Pain</strong>: CBD has been shown to have effects on the ECS and serotonin receptors that deal with the perception of pain. The signaling network of CB1 and CB2 receptors control the stimulation of nerve cells which increase and decrease and pain. Usually, antidepressants and painkillers target neurotransmitters, but at the cost of a multitude of side effects. However, because of the ECS role in the perception of pain, one can use CBD to stimulate these neurotransmitters in a more natural fashion. These allows us to go about our day with the weight of pain off our shoulders and go through our everyday lives without the shackle of constant pain or harmful side effects.</p>
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<p>5. <strong>Improved Sleep</strong>: Many of us have dealt with insomnia before, and it can be a real nightmare. Staying awake for hours on end, running through the events of the day, while your heartbeat can be heard through your eardrums. Does this sound familiar? Well this has to do with your sleep hygiene is maintained. CBD can be one of the many components of a healthy sleep routine due to its ECS regulation (the ECS contains receptors specifically for the regulation of sleep). Among this routine should be familiar advice such as keeping the bedroom strictly for bedroom activities (limiting watching TV or being on a cell phone), shutting down electronics an hour before bed, settling into a certain time of night to sleep, and taking CBD before bed. Although CBD will not make one feel drowsy enough to knock out like melatonin, it should ease some of the thoughts racing through the mind and the racing heartbeat, allowing one to settle into a good sleep cycle.</p>
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<p>Overall, CBD derived from hemp does NOT have psychoactive properties, so therefore does not cause the feeling of “high” that cannabis that contains THC produces. CBD users also report a feeling of calm, and the ability to function at a normal level without the shackles of pain, stress and anxiety. CBD has a high safety index according to the World Health Organization, but it can cause some discomfort when too much is taken. Some dry mouth, nausea, and light-headedness can occur too high of a dose is consumed. This shouldn’t be a deterrent, however, because most people report feeling good when taking an optimal dose.</p>

What Is CBD?

<p id="output">When you hear about the CBD phenomenon sweeping through the United States and the world, the first thought may be “what is this new craze?” However, the “hemp craze” has been going on throughout most of modern human history, dating back 10,000 years. Here, we’ll take a look at hemp throughout history and examine why we should begin to use hemp again as it becomes legal again and more science and evidence pointing to its effectiveness comes to light.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/mesopotamia_240x240.jpg?v=1648348514" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Hemp Mesopotamia"></div>
<p>Hemp was likely the first plant to be cultivated for textile fiber (and the oldest example of human industry), with a remnant of hemp cloth being found in Mesopotamia from 8,000 BC. Mesopotamia is often referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization", and is a fertile area in what is now modern day Iraq, Kuwait, Eastern Syria, and Southeastern Turkey. It was the source of what we know as modern civilizations. For reference, agriculture is believed to have began in 8,000 BC; so that makes the usage of hemp about as old as civilization itself. That in and of itself should be enough to take your breath away.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/china_240x240.jpg?v=1648348591" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Hemp Ancient China"></div>
<p>By 4000 BC, hemp was widely known to be used throughout China, as a widely used and most common material for clothing. Silk was also often used, but as a statement for the wealthy. Hemp was used by the Egyptians as rope material for the construction of the pyramids. The first recorded use of cannabis as a medicine was by Emperor Shen Neng China in 2700 BC, though it was likely utilized for this purpose long before.</p>
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<p>By 2,000 BC, hemp began to spread to other areas of the world. By 1,400 BC, hemp was being referred to as “Sacred Grass” in India and was widely used for medicine, food, and clothing. In 1,200 BC, hemp clothing shows up in the tomb of Pharoah Alchanaten. In 600 BC, hemp entered Greece and Russia through Asia and in 500 BC the Greek writer Herodotus writes extensively on the benefits of hemp.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Roman_Empire_480x480.jpg?v=1648348884" alt="Hemp in the Roman Empire" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>By 140 BC, there is evidence that China is using hemp for paper. In 79 AD, the Roman Empire’s usage of hemp is documented. In 140 AD, the Romans bring hemp to Britain and in 400 AD the first hemp is cultivated in Britain. In 800 AD, the Vikings use hemp for many materials as they divide and conquer large swathes of Europe. During the Middle Ages, Europe used hemp as an important crop for food and fiber. Sailing ships became dependent on Canvas (based on the word Cannabis), which was composed of hemp.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/hempConstitution_240x240.jpg?v=1648349036" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Hemp in England"></div>
<p>In 1535, Henry VIII of England compelled all landowners to sow 1/4 of an acre of the special crop, or be fined. By 1600, English settlers in Jamestown, Virginia begin to grow hemp for clothing, rope, sail cloth, and other textiles. In 1700, US farmers became required by law to grow hemp. In 1776, the Constitution of the United States and Declaration of Independence were printed on hemp paper. Throughout the 1800s, the founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and John Adams are all using hemp for various purposes and/or even growing it. By 1850, marijuana is commonly used for medicinal purposes in the United States and the census reports there are over 8,000 farms growing more than 2,000 acres. In 1916, the US government publishes a report on how hemp can produce four times as much paper as trees.</p>
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<p>However, the turning point against hemp may have began when cotton began to overshadow Hemp. Cotton became less labor intensive to harvest with the development the invention of the mechanical cotton gin. However, by the 1930s, there was a machine invented that made it easier to harvest the fiber separate from the rest of the hemp plant. This innovations countered the simplification of the harvesting of cotton, and sparked interest in the byproducts of seed oil for paint and lacquer and hurds for paper.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Hemp_Billion_Dollar_Crop_240x240.jpg?v=1648349184" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Hemp: Billion Dollar Crop"></div>
<p>According to an article published in 1938 by Popular Mechanics, hemp was poised to become the next "billion dollar crop". However, there would be trouble on the horizon for the future of cannabis. Up to 1920, hemp was used in 80% of all the world’s textiles. However, by the 1920s and 1930s large chemical companies and other corporate interest gain large amounts of leverage within the US government and produced the first synthetic chemical as a competitor to hemp. They would lobby aggressively against cannabis as a whole.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Reefer_Madness_240x240.jpg?v=1648349264" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Cannabis Reefer Madness"></div>
<p> Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, there are several propaganda campaigns against cannabis declaring it the “devil’s lettuce” and culminating in the term “Reefer Madness,” a phenomenon that <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://hightimes.com/culture/crimes-reefer-madness/" target="_blank" title="Reefer Madness Article" rel="noopener noreferrer">supposedly turned people hysterical after smoking marijuana</a></strong></span>. All the lobby against Marijuana had a great effect on the psyche of the public, as more people began to grow fearful of cannabis. In 1937, the Marijuana tax effectively begins prohibition, but still allows distinction between marijuana and hemp. This didn't matter, however, as product of synthetic textiles pushed ahead and cotton replaced hemp as the dominant crop despite being inferior in quality in many aspects.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/HEMP_Model_T_240x240.png?v=1648349350" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;" alt="Ford's Hemp Car"></div>
<p>In 1940, Henry Ford built the Model T with hemp plastic panels that had 10x the strength of steel and ran on hemp seed oil! This gives an indication of the flexibility of this crop; it also can be used to create bioplastic and biofuel. This incredible invention gives hope for the future of hemp, but that hope is squashed going forward...</p>
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<p>The United States aggressive push against drugs during the Nixon administration resulted in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574544/" target="_blank" title="Controlled Substances Act of 1970" rel="noopener noreferrer">Controlled Substances Act in 1970</a></strong></span>, which had no distinction between hemp and marijuana. In 1976, the Ford Administration banned research into cannabis for medicinal purposes. The War On Drugs run by the Reagan Administration had turned so aggressive that there was a 28% rise in total arrests and 126% rise in arrests for drug offenses throughout the 1980s, of which the majority were for marijuana offences.</p>
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<p>Amidst all the legislation, there was a large anti-cannabis sentiment among the establishment of society. This made any pushes to investigate or study cannabis seem counter culture or against the norm. In 2004, the Hemp Industries Association beats the DEA in the ninth circuit court, leading to the protection of food and other hemp products. This leads to the resurgence in interest over the last 15 years in hemp products, leading up to the landmark year of 2018.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Hemp-2018-Farm-Bill-e1566343621565_240x240.jpg?v=1648349465" style="margin-right: 10px; float: left;" alt="2018 US Farm Bill"></div>
<p>In 2018, the US Farms Act is passed, making it legal to grow hemp for industrial purposes. This is a huge win for the hemp industry as whole, which lead to the current boom in the industry we are experiencing.</p>
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<p>Throughout human history, hemp has been a swiss army knife of sorts: textiles, paper, rope, clothing, shoes, food, bioplastics, insulation, biofuel, and now as a natural remedy. Over the past few years, the usage of hemp and CBD extraction from hemp for the purposes of health has been furthered more than ever. As we continue to push forward as an industry, who knows what kinds of amazing discoveries we will make about this truly “magical” plant. We hope you enjoyed our history lesson! We’re just happy to be along for the ride and be able to help people learn more about the plant as well as serve people with good quality products.</p>

History of Cannabis & Hemp

<p>If you're getting into CBD you've no doubt run into thoughts about the differences between hemp and marijuana. After all, they look very similar and can be hard to distinguish from another. This is because they are both members of the Cannabis family. However, they both have different chemical compositions and have different purposes. We'll briefly go over some differences so that you can choose the right product.</p>
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<p>Cannabis comes in different shapes and forms, but they broadly fit into two species: Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica. Cannabis Sativa is typically taller in stature and provides more of an invigorating effect when taken. Cannabis Indica is typically shorter in stature and provides more of a calming effect when used. They contain varying levels species, and can be broken down further by which physical characteristics they are made of and varying chemical compositions.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Phytocannabinoid_240x240.jpg?v=1648349787" style="margin-right: 10px; float: left;" alt="Phytocannabinoids"></div>
<p>All cannabis is made up of molecules called phytocannabinoids. Among these phytocannabinoids, we’ll be focusing on two: CBD &amp; THC. CBD is non-psychoactive, but has a host of benefits. THC is the molecule that is responsible for feeling “high” when using marijuana. Here at Potion Herb, we make CBD derived from hemp so that we comply with regulations.</p>
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<p>We’ll go over some of the differences so that you can be sure you’re not taking anything that is psychoactive. Marijuana is a member of the cannabis family that is considered a drug. There are more than 100 phytocannabinoids with many benefits in the marijuana plant, but we’re going to focus on the big one: THC. Marijuana plants can contain up to 30% THC, with averages anywhere from 5-20%. This means that they are very much psychoactive and will get you high. So marijuana is still federally illegal as of this blog post, and it cannot legally be sold online. Marijuana can only be bought and sold in states where it is legal in a dispensary, and potentially delivered to your doorstep.</p>
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<p>Hemp is a member of the cannabis family, related to Cannabis Sativa. Yet the big difference between hemp and marijuana is that it contains a miniscule amount of THC, so you cannot get high using it and is NOT considered a drug. According to the 2018 Farm Bill, the hemp grown to be sold must contain less than 0.3% THC. So hemp will not get you “high.” Yet hemp also contains more than 100 phytocannabinoids, so you get the benefits without the high. CBD users often report that they feel relaxed and calm after usage. Hemp is federally legal to be sold, so that is why you are able to buy all these products online as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC.</p>
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<p>Hemp is also useful for many purposes beyond medicine, like for textiles, clothing, shoes, bioplastics, and even biofuel amongst many others. Which is one is right for you? Are you looking to get high? If yes, marijuana will be your best bet. If not, but you still would like all of the benefits of the other phytocannabinoids, then our CBD products derived from hemp will be the right fit for you. It is important to make the distinction when looking for CBD products, because dispensaries and other locations may sell you a product with a higher ratio of THC to CBD. If you would like to know more, don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll be glad to answer any questions you have. Navigating the market can be intimidating, so we'll be sure to provide a magical experience in trying to understand this landscape.</p>

Hemp vs Marijuana

<p>The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a series of recently discovered receptors throughout our body that play an effect in the regulation of many systems. These receptors are "...neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors." Huh? We'll be doing our best to break down what this means.</p>
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<p>There are three main components of the ECS: endocannabinoids, endocannabinoid receptors, and Enzymes. We will be exploring them and some of their functions throughout the body. While the research is still in the trial phase, there are some genuine reasons to be excited about the ECS. However, we are not medical professionals or making any diagnoses, so we encourage our readers to do their own research and consult with medical professionals before beginning to take any new substances.</p>
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<p>Endocannabinoids: How they link to cannabinoids in cannabis The ECS is actually a system that exists in the human body whether you use cannabis or not. It is there to regulate the body and keep systems running in a state of homeostasis. Endocannabinoids are the cannabinoids that exist within our bodies. Scientists have discovered two main endocannabinoids: Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglyceral (2-AG) (I know, we had a blast trying to pronounce too).</p>
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<p>Endocannabinoids perform differently than other well known neurotransmitters like serotonin. They are hydrophobic, which means that they do not travel well throughout the body and are likely to stay local to certain area. They can also be produced on-demand by the body, so it is difficult to tell what "natural" levels are. For more information on how endocannabinoids help regulate the body, check out this research. </p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Endocannabinoid Receptors</strong></h3>
<p>Thus far, research has yielded the idea that there are two types of Cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2. These neurons are a direct complement to cannabinoids, like a lock and key system where neurons are a lock and cannabinoids are the key. CB1 (first discovered in 1990) receptors are found in the brain, Central Nervous System (CNS), peripheral organs, and tissues. This means they can help modulate activities like Dopamine transmission, which are the neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure. To learn more about the role of the ECS in dopamine transmission, click here.</p>
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<p>CB2 (first discovered in 1993) receptors are most often found throughout the peripheral nervous system/ the immune system. It plays a role in liver, spleen, pancreas and colon function, as well as the skeletal system.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Enzymes</strong></h3>
<p>Enzymes in the ECS break down endocannabinoids once they've completed their purpose. The two main enzymes in the ECS are: hydrolase, which breaks down anandamide and monoacylglycerol acid lipase, which breaks down 2-AG. Enzymes could be a potential key and are the target of research for effects on addiction. For a more detailed analysis, check out this analysis on enzymes.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Examples of ECS</strong></h3>
<p>Throughout the Body CBD is known to have many therapeutic purposes as well as not being intoxicating. There are many <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7666069/" target="_blank" title="Scientific Studies on the endocannabinoid system." rel="noopener noreferrer">ongoing scientific studies</a></strong></span> occurring to determine exactly how good hemp is for our health. Throughout the ECS some of the purposes include anticonvulsant, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, immune system, depression, anxiety &amp; depression, metabolism, gut and for dermatological regulation.</p>
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<p><strong>Anticonvulsant</strong>: CBD has been shown in tests to be effective in regulating seizures. Seizures are caused by “abnormal or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain,” and CBD regulates CB1 molecules in the brain to maintain homeostasis. The FDA approved a drug called Epidiolex for the treatment of seizures in two rare types of epilepsy. You can read more about it here.Although most CBD oil is not of the grade of Epidiolex, it gives some indication of CBD’s effectiveness in treating seizures as a whole.</p>
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<p><strong>Inflammation &amp; Rheumatoid Arthritis</strong>: Chronic inflammation throughout the body is caused by “…tissue injury, infection, and genetic changes.” CBD can play a role in increasing the response of the endocannabinoid system to attend to the damage caused by the inflammation. Essentially, CBD assists the human body’s response to issues that cause the body to become inflamed by connecting to CB2 receptors. You can read more about it here.</p>
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<p><strong>Chronic Pain</strong>: The human endocannabinoid system plays a role in the regulation of pain via nerves throughout the CB1 receptors throughout the body. CBD activates or diminished certain compounds throughout the body. While there are no clinical trials thus far, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700528/" target="_blank" title="Scientific study on the effects of cannabis on pain." rel="noopener noreferrer">a study</a></strong></span> and anecdotal evidence from users have reported that feelings of pain and unease were significantly diminished or altogether eliminated.</p>
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<p><strong>Immune System</strong>: The endocannabinoid system can function as both an immunosuppressant and an immunomodulator; in short, it serves the function of regulating immune response and bolstering our immune system overall. This can function to boost our overall health against conditions like Diabetes.</p>
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<p><strong>Anxiety &amp; Depression</strong>: One of benefits of CBD is that it may help with overall anxiety and depression. Users have indicated that their stress is mitigated in response to using CBD and they are able to go about their daily lives in a normal fashion without the side effects that come with the normal anti-depressant medication. Anxiety may be linked to low serotonin, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061893/" target="_blank" title="CBD effects on Serotonin receptors." rel="noopener noreferrer">CBD has been shown to affect serotonin receptors</a></strong></span>, which may be one of the factors towards lowering anxiety.</p>
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<p><strong>Metabolism</strong>: The endocannabinoid system has been shown to have links to the storing and metabolizing of energy. Researchers have shown that CBD stimulates proteins and may assist in the breakdown of fat, as well as boost the number of mitochondria in the body, boosting the body’s ability to burn calories. Cannabis strains that are high in THC are known to give people the “munchies”, stimulating hunger. However, the Endocannabinoid system is also known to stimulate anandamide and 2-AG receptors, which play a role in overall metabolism. Although more research is required to create a direct link, there is some evidence to the benefits of CBD for metabolism.</p>
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<p><strong>Gut</strong>: There are cannabinoid receptors in the GI tract, which is a series of hollow organs that make up a large part of our digestive system. When our GI tract becomes inflamed from issues like irritation from our everyday or even diseases like Crohn’s, we begin to feel the effects of digestive irregularity. Cannabis has been shown to balance our immune response and overall inflammation in the GI tract, balancing out any pain or discomfort we may feel. In connection with these primary symptoms, we may lessen secondary symptoms such as stress we may feel from intense pain in the digestive system. More about the ECS role in the gut can be read about here.</p>
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<p><strong>Dermatological</strong>: CBD’s anti-inflammatory property are beneficial towards conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema such that they soothe the skin and lower the amount of irritation caused by dryness. Although there further research is required to prove a direct link, doctors are optimistic about CBD’s dermatological properties. More on the ECS role in the dermatological system can be read here.</p>
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<p>Overall, CBD derived from Hemp seems to play many roles throughout our body, and we would do well to pay attention to ongoing research in effort to see how many lives we can change for the better as well as continue to take care of our own health. Due to the complexity of all the compounds involved, scientists believe they are just beginning to scratch the surface of Cannabis' potential in regulating health in the human body. This is by no means a comprehensive guide either; we only covered some of the basics. We are NOT saying CBD is a miracle cure or can directly heal any one issue until we receive conclusive results from ongoing clinical trials. But we can say that the signs of research thus far are positive and we encourage people to consult with a medical professional to see if CBD can help them with any of their symptoms.</p>

Endocannabinoid System

<p>If you’re been learning about CBD products, you’ve for sure run into the terms “Full Spectrum”, “Broad Spectrum”, and perhaps even “Isolate”. You’ve no doubt wondered what spectrum is being referred to and whether or not it is important. The spectrum in question actually all the compounds within the cannabis plant working together to produce the benefits that we expect from our CBD products. This includes the cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes. For an overview of these compounds, check out our <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://herbsandpotions/blog/the-entourage-effect" target="_blank" title="Link to the entourage effect" rel="noopener noreferrer">earlier post</a></strong></span>.</p>
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<p>Essentially, we have a system in our body called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) that interacts with the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877694/" target="_blank" title="Cannabinoids in CBD products" rel="noopener noreferrer">cannabinoids within the CBD products</a></strong></span>. This produces the effects that we associate with the products. How much of each chemical compound is within the product depends on what strain and the method of extraction. We here at Potion Herb produce from hemp products using Co2 extraction. Co2 extraction utilizes pressurized Co2 to extract out the desired chemicals from the hemp plant and place them into our products. So we can pick and choose which spectrum of chemicals we want our product, hence the "spectrum" name. We'll briefly go over the different spectrums so that you can make a more informed decision when selecting what spectrum product you want.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Full Spectrum</strong></h3>
<p>Full Spectrum CBD products contain all of the compounds within the cannabis plant, including even the infamous THC chemical but at a trace amount (less than 0.3%, so less than a psychoactive dose). In fact, it would probably take a few liters of CBD oil to get a buzz with that amount (which we strongly discourage, by the way!). The most prominent compounds are CBD, THC, CBN, CBG, THCV, CBDA and CBGA amongst many others. Full spectrum products contain all of the compounds in cannabis, which is important because evidence suggests that the compounds support each other and work synergistically to achieve the desired effects. These effects are collectively known as the Entourage Effect. The Entourage Effect is theorized to provide the greatest benefit overall to users, due to the way all the components work with each other. To learn more about the Entourage Effect, check out one of other posts.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Broad Spectrum</strong></h3>
<p>Broad Spectrum CBD products are essentially the same as Full Spectrum, except for the fact that they do NOT contain THC at all. So, broad spectrum still contain all of the cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes but without the trace amount of THC. There is no evidence that there is lessening of the entourage effect without the THC, however, there is more research to be done about this. It could be that there is less of an Entourage Effect, but more investigation is necessary to see if there is lessening of the effect. For those extra careful about not having THC in their system, broad spectrum may be the way to go. Isolate Isolate is the purest form of CBD, without all of the other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. It is often available at higher than 99% purity. The isolate itself is a white powder, which is then mixed with other carrier oils and put in a tincture or other products. Because it is isolate, it does not promote the entourage effect. Why would we want isolate for if there is no Entourage Effect? Some practical purposes could be to use a product with a higher amount of CBD per dose, ensure that is no THC at all, and to control the exact amount of CBD per dose. It also has no distinguishable flavor or odor. For those who don't have a need for the Entourage Effect, this could be an appealing option. Isolate is the most processed of the three, and is often the cheapest option.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Full Spectrum Vs Broad Spectrum Vs Isolate</strong></h3>
<p>Overall, there are some benefits and drawbacks to each choice. Which product you prefer comes down to what your needs are. Full spectrum is if you believe in the Entourage Effect, Broad Spectrum is if you want absolutely no THC in your product, and isolate is for if you want a controlled amount of CBD in your product. We encourage customers and people in general to do their own research and consult a medical professional when trying to decide on taking a new supplement. If you have any questions about which type of product you want to take, please reach out to us and we'll help you out!</p>

Guide to CBD Compounds: Full vs Broad Spectrum vs Isolate

<p>If you’re here, you’re no doubt curious about what CBD can do for you. You may have some ideas about cannabis as a whole so here we’re going to cover a few concerns people may have about CBD as a whole and topics surrounding general usage. Whether you’ve never used it before or are a regular, this guide should give some information on different forms of hemp derived CBD and what you can expect.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Science</strong></h3>
<p>CBD (Cannabidiol) is a naturally occurring compound from the Cannabis plant, and is non-psychoactive. CBD Oil is extracted from either Hemp or Marijuana, both a part of the Cannabis family. We use oil that comes from Hemp, as it contains a much higher percentage of CBD without the psychoactive component THC. CBD interacts with and plays a regulatory role in the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), a system that uses naturally produced cannabinoids throughout the body. However, we must mention that FDA has not officially recognized CBD as a treatment for any disease or condition, and is under review in many ongoing clinical trials.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Legality</strong></h3>
<p>CBD is legal in all 50 states due to the passage of 2018 Farm Bill, allowing for “industrial hemp” to be grown and sold as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC. So you can use CBD without worries about facing repercussions or getting high and enjoy all the benefits. How long before I feel effects? The effects that you should feel vary according to many factors. Due to the differences in body and internal chemistry, your experience may be different. In fact, it may be weeks of consistent use before you begin to feel effects at all! Some people report feeling calm and relaxed within a short time of usage; others report not feeling much at all at first.</p>
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<p>It all depends on a multitude of characteristics, including:</p>
<p>1. Biological factors include age, sex, weight, genetics, substance experience, etc. In short, any physical variables that make up your body can vary your experience with CBD. Most beginners take a dose of about 10mg, but if you are feeling a little nervous you can start with 5-6mg and increase by 2mg until you start feeling effects. Once you being getting used to taking CBD, you may need a higher dosage to feel the same effects. Although CBD is safe for toxicity and other harmful effects drugs usually have, you may began to feel nausea, dry mouth, and light-headedness if you take a lot so keep that in mind.</p>
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<p>2. Concentration of Dosage makes a difference in regards to the intensity of the effects. What matters is the of milligram (mg) per dose. For example, total CBD in bottle / amount of ml in bottle = amount of CBD mg per dose. If we take a 300mg CBD strength bottle and divide by a standard 30 mg size tincture we would get about 10 mg CBD per milligram, which is about a standard dose. So we would measure out a milligram for our serving size with the dropper. We can also take a standard size capsule or edible, which come at 10mg per capsule or gummy.</p>
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<p>3. Bioavailability is the amount of CBD your body is able to make use of at any given point in time. Depending on the amount and type of CBD you ingest, your body will not be able to make use of it all at once. Some of the CBD will not be able to be broken down prior to use, meaning a lower bioavailability. The longer that it takes the CBD to reach its intended target, the lower the bioavailability. This is really important when deciding on a method of consumption.</p>
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<p>4. Your method of consumption makes a huge difference on how the CBD reaches your body. Oils and vapes reach the body within minutes, and edibles and capsules can take an hour or two before they are digested. We will cover some of the differences between the products in terms of all the different variables we have.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Hemp_Products_240x240.png?v=1648350874" style="margin-right: 10px; float: left;" alt="Cannabis Product Bottles"></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Differences Between Products</strong></h3>
<p>CBD can be consumed through many different shapes and forms. The most common one is CBD Oil, which has the most variety in potency. There are also capsules and edibles, which are the most convenient way to take CBD. Cosmetics are a popular way to localize treatment to areas of the body. Finally, we have vapes and pre-rolls, which have their roots in how marijuana is commonly smoked.</p>
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<p>1. <strong>Oils</strong>: These can be taken sublingually, meaning under the tongue then swallowed. Tinctures usually come with a dropper, which can be used to measure the amount of oil the user wants to take. Once a dose is measured, the user then takes the dose and holds it under their tongue for around 60 seconds to allow the oil to penetrate the blood vessels before swallowing. One can also place it in drinks like tea, coffee, or smoothies and drink normally. The oil also can be drizzled in foods and eaten normally. One of the advantages of oil is that it only takes around 15 minutes for it to take effect. Oil generally comes in many different strengths, allowing one to have a lot of flexibility in what amount of concentration the user would like. Disadvantages include convenience, the bottles may break, and no measured dosage. If you would like to keep your usage conspicuous, taking out a bottle and taking a few drops would look out of place. Also, carrying a tincture in your bag could run the risk of breaking the bottle and spilling all of your hempy goodness. Although you can measure how much dosage you take with the dropper, you may move your dosage around by accident so there’s no EXACT amount you take every time. If all these disadvantages are a problem for you, we would recommend trying capsules or edibles as they are convenient and pre-measured.</p>
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<p>2. <strong>Capsules</strong>: The capsule is a much simpler form of CBD oil, made to be easy to use like any other vitamin or supplement. They are tasteless and easy to ingest. They are also convenient, easy to take on the go, and discrete. Whether you’re at the office, in class, coffee shop, or gym you won’t draw attention to yourself taking one of these and they are easy to carry in a bag. The dosages are pre-measured, so you don’t have to worry about taking the right dosage, unless you want to take more than one to get a more potent effect. Some disadvantages include lower bioavailabilty than oils and vapes- it takes longer for the capsule to take effect because it must digest first. They also have less strength options overall than oil, meaning that you have less flexibility in the amount you can take. They also are one standard dose, meaning you can’t take them in pieces. One pill is 10mg, so you can only take them in multiples of 10mg.</p>
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<p>3. <strong>Edibles</strong>: Edibles are a delicious way to ingest CBD, coming in a variety of different formats. Herbs &amp; Potions carries gummy worms, gummy bears, honey sticks and dried fruit. Edibles are convenient, almost to a fault. If you eat one, you want to eat the whole bag! They’re also premeasured like capsules at 10mg apiece, but can be cut in pieces if you would like a smaller dose. No one will question you if you eat them in public as well. Disadvantages include that edibles can take an hour or two to take effect. This can inconvenient, when you want to feel more of an immediate response. The bioavailability is also lower than a vape or oil, but lasts longer. In fact, some users report effects lasting up to 8 to 10 hours! Edibles generally come in fewer strengths than oils, so you have less flexibility in the amount you will take.</p>
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<p>4. <strong>Cosmetics</strong>: Cosmetics are good for localized treatment to areas that need spot treatment. Personal trainers, chiropractors, and physical therapists have all been blowing up the sports exercise world with recommendations of CBD due to its effectiveness in treating sore muscles. The CBD in cosmetics treats inflammation by seeping into the Cannabinoid receptors in that area and regulating that area locally. It’s also good for soothing the inflammation caused by acne and effective for general skin health. A disadvantage is that the bioavailability is much lower than ingesting the CBD, but that is balanced by the fact that is spread over a smaller area.</p>
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<p>5. <strong>Vapes &amp; Pre-Rolls</strong>: Vapes and pre-rolls are the most immediate way for CBD to take effect, taking effect usually within minutes. The vapes often taste like candy, pre-rolls taste like the flower. They are easy to use, and are a more traditional way to ingest the cannabis herb. Disadvantages may be that they are not as convenient in terms of doing them in a public area, as some people may not appreciate someone smoking around them. Most employers would also be horrified if you tried smoking during office hours. However, smoke sessions can be a good bonding experience amongst friends. This would not be for people who do not like smoking; we would recommend ingesting CBD through other methods.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Where and How to Buy?</strong></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/external-content.duckduckgo.com_64bcd9aa-0f52-4f06-90a0-d09d46a0bb48_240x240.jpg?v=1648350966" alt="Delivery Method" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></div>
<p>1. <strong>Online</strong>: Buying online is the easiest and most convenient way to receive your CBD products, especially if you find a good quality seller (wink). Most sellers ship the product within 3 days, and before you know it, the product is at your doorstep. You can thoroughly do your research and ensure that your seller has their lab reports and products in order.</p>
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<p>2. <strong>In Store Dispensaries, Gas Stations &amp; Apothecaries</strong>: The most likely places you will find good quality CBD products would be at a dispensary or wellness center; albeit with a caveat. If you want a majority CBD product, you must ensure to ask the products be derived from hemp with low THC percentages rather than from marijuana. Dispensaries mostly deal with marijuana products, so their oils and products may be derived from marijuana rather than hemp.</p>
<p>Overall, we are very beginner friendly and we encourage you to contact us if you have any questions at all, whether you’re ready to buy or you’re just curious about the effects of certain products.</p>

Beginner's Guide to CBD

<p>If you've been looking into buying Cannabis/ CBD products you've probably run into the term "Entourage Effect" before. Due to the recent interest in usage of Cannabis, more and more products are being used to treat various maladies. However, serious research into the effects of Cannabis has only just begun in the last few decades, due to the prohibition that was in effect against studying the plant. With this, more and more discoveries about potential effects with usage of the plant have become prevalent. When the whole plant is used, what's known as the "Entourage Effect" occurs. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7324885/" target="_blank" title="Endocannabinoid Studies" rel="noopener noreferrer">Studies</a></strong></span> have shown that the plant is more effective when the compounds work in conjunction with one another, as opposed to when they are in isolated against each other.</p>
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<p>The consensus amongst some experts was that CBD was the main compound responsible for all the positive effects of Cannabis, so isolate came into more popular use. However, a clinical trial revealed that patients had overall better outcomes with a full spectrum product, leading some to believe that usage of the whole plant led to a synergistic outcome between compounds.</p>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Copy_of_Copy_of_Entourage_Effect_Graphic_240x240.png?v=1648350648" alt="Cannabis Compounds" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></div>
<p>So each compound affects the body differently! This is also where the terms Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, and Isolate come into play. Full Spectrum is all of the compounds in Cannabis, Broad Spectrum is all the compounds minus THC, and Isolate is only CBD. For more information, check out our post on spectrums. Cannabis is a plant with over 500 compounds. Within those 500 plus compounds, the most important ones are cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. Here, we'll go over some of the benefits of each compound.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Cannabinoids</strong></h3>
<p>There over 100 identified cannabinoids in Cannabis, the most famous of which are Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Overall, some of the main benefits of cannabinoids are that they are involved in appetite, memory, movement and pain. The main star of the show is CBD, which makes up to 40% of cannabis' extracts. CBD is more and more being used for its medical benefits. Among CBD's main benefits are: promoting a sense of calm, helping users cope with anxiety, providing a stress reliever, helping with pain relief and improving sleep cycles. The next famous compound is THC, which is responsible for the "high" effect in cannabis. It binds to receptors in the brain, causing a heightening of certain senses. We at Herbs &amp; Potions only include product with less than 0.3% THC, meaning that they aren’t of a high enough THC content to you high. Some of the other main cannabinoids include cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), and cannabinol (CBN). CBC is shown to inhibit inflammation and pain, CBG has demonstrated anti-microbial properties, THCV has been shown to help regulate metabolism, CBDV is an anti-inflammatory and has been linked to the treatment of pain and CBN has been shown to have sleep regulation effects, making it an ideal treatment for insomnia.</p>
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<p>Cannabinoids play a role in regulating the body because they interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877694/" target="_blank" title="Endocannabinoid System" rel="noopener noreferrer">within the body</a></strong></span>. The endocannabinoid system is a recently discovered (in the 90s) group of receptors that play a role in regulating the body. So cannabinoids can act as general wellness mediators in that help the endocannabinoid system maintain homeostasis in functions such as metabolism, sleep regulation, pain relief, inflammation, skin function, nerve function, learning, memory, mood and appetite. Overall, we only covered some of the main cannabinoids in cannabis, however there are many more that contribute to the Entourage Effect. There are many cannabinoids that have not even been studied much, so as research improves on the subject we will have more information pertaining to the effects of each individual cannabinoid. What we do know that is that they contribute to the synergy of how the Entourage Effect works.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Terpenes_480x480.png?v=1648350764" alt="Cannabis Terpenes" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;" width="444" height="220"></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Terpenes</strong></h3>
<p>Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in all plants, responsible for the smell. They are organic hydrocarbons that are found in the essential oils of the plant. There around 100 known terpenes that exist in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7763918/" target="_blank" title="Terpenes in cannabis plant" rel="noopener noreferrer">cannabis plant</a></strong></span>. We'll go over some of the more common ones, but they are really just the tip of the iceberg. There are many others which provide benefits that are included in the Entourage Effect. Some common terpenes in cannabis include limonene, linalool, pinene, myrecene, terpinolene, and caryophyllene amongst others. Limonene has a citrus aroma and is commonly used for stress relief, and is commonly found in lemons, oranges and juniper. Linalool is used for sedation, and can be found in lavender. Pinene has a pine like aroma, is often used for alertness and can be found in rosemary and sage. Myrecene has a earthy smell used as a sedative and can be found in thyme and lemongrass. Terpinolene has a herbaceous smell, has a freshening effect, and can be found in tea tree. Beta Caryophyllene has a spicy aroma, is used as an anti-inflammatory and can also be found in cloves. Terpenes can vary between strains and there is evidence that they balance against and counteract effects of other compounds. Overall, terpenes can vary from strain to strain so it's important to take that into consideration when choosing which strain or product derived from a certain strain.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Flavonoids</strong></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Flavonoids_240x240.jpg?v=1648350724" style="margin-right: 10px; float: left;" alt="Cannabis Flavonoids"></div>
<p>Flavonoids are not just present in Cannabis, but also in <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7697716/" target="_blank" title="Flavonoid properties in plants" rel="noopener noreferrer">all other plants</a></strong></span>. There are over 6,000 variations of flavonoids across all plants! Flavonoids are responsible for the non-green color that we see in plants. There are over 20 types of flavonoids in hemp. We’ll go over some of the common flavonoids that are in hemp, but keep in mind that there are more that contribute to the Entourage Effect. Quercetin is commonly found in grapes, berries, apples and is known to have antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties. Apigenin is present in vegetables and spices like parsley, basil, celery and has anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties. Kaempforel is found in grapes, tomatoes, broccoli and has been shown to have antimicrobial, antidiabetic and anticancer activities. Vitexin is found in passion flower, bamboo leaves and is known to have neuroprotective and anti-asthmatic effects. Cannaflavin A is found in exclusively in cannabis plants and have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>In Summation</strong></h3>
<p>The Entourage Effect is about how the over 500 compounds within cannabis work synergistically to maintain homeostasis in many areas of the body. We’ve covered some of the main compounds in the form of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids but there are still many that we didn’t cover. As the research improves, we’re going to learn more and more about just how these compounds interact with each other. From what we found so far, we have reason to be encouraged about the many benefits of cannabis/ hemp. Again, we are not making any medical claims and we do encourage you do further research on scientific studies as well as talk to a medical professional who can find out if any of these can help with any symptoms. If you have any questions, please reach out to us and we’ll do what we can to help.</p>

The Entourage Effect

One of the main reasons people are buzzing about CBD is the potential benefits for anxiety symptoms. To understand why CBD may be effective for anxiety, we should understand a little bit more about our serotonin regulation system. “<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-serotonin-5189485" target="_blank" title="Scientific studies on Serotonin" rel="noopener noreferrer">Serontonin is a neurotransmitter</a></strong></span> that sends signals between nerve cells.” Its essential function is mood regulation, and helps the brain and nervous system cells communicate. The reason that this is important is that too little serotonin can lead to anxiety and depression.  <br><br>This is where CBD can come in! Brain receptors are not only sensitive to neurotransmitters like Serotonin, they are also receptive to plant cannabinoids like THC and CBD. They only affect the neurons with the appropriate receptors, however. They affect the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 &amp; CB2) indirectly through the signaling of the neurotransmitters. To learn more about CB1 and CB2 receptors, read more about the endocannabinoid system here. So CBD can improve the relationship between neurotransmitters in the brain like Serotonin.<br><br>Traditional anti anxiety medication like Xanax and Prozac have effects on similar neurotransmitters but also can lead to addiction and don’t work for everyone. CBD can be an alternative treatment for anxious disorders because CBD also interacts with opioid receptors. CBD could also target receptors that influence depression, pain, and nausea. However, we will say that our understanding of these systems are incomplete and neural networks in the brain are incredibly complex because they depend on so many variables. So we recommend following up with your physician on whether or not CBD is right for you.<br><br>

CBD for Anxiety?

<p>Delta-8 THC (also known as Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol) is a psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. It is over one of over 100 phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, but not in significant amounts usually. It is less well known than its counterpart delta 9 THC, which is what we refer to when we refer to high THC types of marijuana. The reason that this chemical has risen to prominence is because recent advancements in the manufacturing and extraction of hemp for CBD have led to the rise of being able to extract this compound from the federally legal hemp plant in trace amounts. The way this works is that CBD is extracted from the hemp plant, this extract is refined into an isolate, and then this isolate is converted into Delta-8 THC.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br><strong>Delta-8 THC vs Delta-9 THC</strong>
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<p>The effects of delta-8 THC are somewhat similar to delta-9 THC in that both substances can be considered psychoactive, except that the effects are less potent. People who take delta-8 report that they feel a lot of the same euphoria and happiness that delta 9 users have, but with less of the “hangover” some users of delta 9 report after use. This has led some to dub delta-8 THC “diet” THC because it does not carry all of the potency and effects of delta 9 THC. However, the duration of the high is about the same in both chemicals. This being said, all of the same precautions users take when consuming delta 9 THC should be appropriately taken when using delta 8 such as not using driving or using heavy machinery.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br><strong>Effects</strong>
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<p>Some of these effects include: body relaxation, pain relief, nausea relief, anxiety relief, and insomnia relief. Some of the common side effects of delta-9 are present, such as dry mouth, red eyes, hunger, and short term memory loss. However, some of the effects are cut down on like paranoia, anxiety, and irritability. The effects when ingested through an edible take about an hour to kick in, and last for about anywhere from 3-8 hours. However, the effects of edibles can vary widely in terms of metabolism, body chemistry, body weight, and even what food someone has eaten that day.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br><strong>Dosage</strong>
</h4>
The recommended dosage of delta-8 can vary widely due to the level of experience of the consumer. Delta-8 users often report that it is about a little under 50% of the strength of regular delta-9. Delta-9 THC edibles often come in 10mg doses, so people often take half or the whole edible as a standard dose. Delta-8 gummies usually come in 25mg doses, so half of a delta-8 edible would be a little more than the regular dose of a delta-9 edible. However, that being said we urge caution whenever trying delta-8 for the first time so try a little bit at a time and wait before eating more.<br>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Legality</h4>
<p>Now the big question: is delta-8 legal? The answer: kind of. Currently delta-8 exists in a legal gray area because few state laws exist to address it. There are currently 11 states (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Rhode Island, Utah) where delta-8 can be considered illegal according to state laws. The DEA has proposed indirectly classifying delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, however that classification is not official. A lot of the reason for the grey area is because delta-8 is commonly sourced from the federally legal CBD isolate, as opposed to the schedule I classified THC delta-9. <br><br>In summary, Delta-8 THC is one of the more than 100 phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, who has been popularized recently with the advent of hemp legalization and the ability to extract it from CBD isolate. We hope you understand it better, and feel free to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://herbspotions.com/contact" target="_blank" title="Contact Page" rel="noopener noreferrer">reach out to us</a></strong></span> if you have any questions as it is a relatively new phenomenon.</p>

Delta 8 THC

Delta-10 THC (also known as delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol) is a psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. It is over one of over 100 phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, but in trace amounts. The popularization of delta-10 THC coincides with the rise of delta-8 THC, which has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Much like delta-8, it is also extracted from the hemp plant. Because hemp derived products are federally legal, delta-10 is also considered legal. However, some states have taken initiative to ban delta-10 products. <br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Delta-8 THC vs Delta-10 THC</strong></h4>
Although they are both derived from federally legal hemp, delta-10 is actually much more complicated to manufacture than delta-8 and it must be refined to an incredible degree. For this reason, you may see more delta-8 products out in the market and a lot of products are actually some kind of combination of the two. For this reason, you should be skeptical when seeing a product that claims to be delta-10 and look for the lab report. <br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Effects</strong></h4>
Delta-10 can get you high, but also like delta-8 it is much less potent than regular delta-9 THC. Anecdotally, the effects are considered somewhat energizing. However, just like with delta-9 you should take the proper precautions when ingesting any delta-9 products and avoid driving or operating heavy machinery.<br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Dosage</strong></h4>
The recommended dosage of delta-10 can vary widely due to the level of experience of the consumer. Delta-10 users often report that it is about a little under 50% of the strength of regular delta-9. Delta-9 THC edibles often come in 10mg doses, so people often take half or the whole edible as a standard dose. Delta-8 gummies usually come in 25mg doses, so half of a delta-8 edible would be a little more than the regular dose of a delta-9 edible. However, that being said we urge caution whenever trying delta-8 for the first time so try a little bit at a time and wait before eating more. <br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Legality</strong></h4>
Delta 10 products are currently federally legal because they are derived from hemp. They fall under the provision of allowed cannabis that contains less than 0.3% delta-9 THC. However, some states have taken the initiative to ban them (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Rhode Island, Utah). Because of this, companies cannot ship to these states. Essentially, there is a bit of grey area but as long as you are not in one the states that has banned it, you are able to legally purchase delta-10 THC products.<br><br>In summary, Delta-10 THC is one of the more than 100 phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, who has been popularized recently with the advent of hemp legalization and the ability to extract it from CBD isolate. We hope you understand it better, and feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions as it is a relatively new phenomenon.

What is Delta 10 THC?

HHC is a cannabinoid that is similar to THC, a psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. Knowledge of HHC has been around since the mid 20th century when an American chemist added hydrogen modules to delta-9 THC. However, the popularization of HHC coincides with the rise of delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, and other cannabinoids derived from the hemp plant. Because HHC is also derived from the hemp plant, it is considered federally legal.<br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>HHC vs Delta-9 THC</strong></h4>
HHC is actually considered a different compound altogether; it is a result of hydrogenation of THC molecules, which converts THC to HHC (hexahydrocannabinal). Hydrogenation is not limited to cannabis products, however. This process is also used to convert vegetable oil to margarine. The process begins with hemp, so that it can fall under the regulations stipulated by the 2018 Farm Bill. CBD is extracted from raw hemp, then distilled and isolated into a powder in a lab. From there, HHC is extracted into the product. <br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Effects</strong></h4>
By definition, it is weaker than delta-9 and delta-8 THC milligram by milligram. It can be thought of as THC lite, to an even higher degree than delta-8 THC. So delta-8 itself can be regarded as half as potent than delta-9, and HHC can be considered weaker than delta-8. Users describe the effects of HHC as being mildly euphoric and cerebral, as well as relieving any aches or pains. Users also report feeling energetic and generally more alert than when on delta-8, delta-9 or delta-10. However, this being said, we recommend exercising caution when consuming HHC products, and not driving or operating heavy machinery after taking them.<br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Dosage</strong></h4>
The dosage of HHC must be larger to have similar effects to delta-9 THC or even delta-8. A standard dose for an edible can be considered 20-25mg per item, to have similar effects to 5-10mg of a standard delta-9 THC. However, this is where the information becomes murky because federally legal HHC is derived from delta-8 THC, which is about 50% weaker than delta-9 and then HHC is weaker than delta-8. We recommend starting with a lower dose, then working your way up in dosage as you understand the effects on your body. The effects vary person by person because of metabolism and body weight. <br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Legality</strong></h4>
HHC products are currently federally legal because they are derived from hemp. They fall under the provision of allowed cannabis that contains less than 0.3% delta-9 THC. They are currently legal to ship to all 50 states, although there is a bit of grey area as states respond to this new compound. <br><br>In summary, HHC is derived from THC found in the hemp plant through a process known as oxygenation to create a new compound known as hexahydrocannabinal. HHC has been popularized recently with the advent of hemp legalization and the ability to extract it from CBD isolate. We hope you understand it better, and feel free to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://herbspotions.com/contact" target="_blank" title="Contact Page" rel="noopener noreferrer">reach out to us</a></strong></span> if you have any questions as it is a relatively new phenomenon.

What is HHC?

Bioavailability refers to the amount of phytocannabinoids our bodies can absorb into our bloodstream according to the method of the consumption. Another influence is the amount and type of food one has eaten prior to ingesting any cannabis products. Fatty acids in saturated fats are the carriers of CBD and THC, which is why coconut oil is often used as a carrier oil when manufacturing CBD oil. There are a few methods which affect the bioavailability of THC and CBD and we’ll go over a few so you can make an informed choice when it comes to method of ingestion. <br><br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Oral/ Edibles/ Capsules</strong></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/gummy_bear_480x480.jpg?v=1651169554" alt="CBD Gummies" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Edibles may be the most popular and easy way to absorb CBD oil into the body, however there is generally less bioavailability because of the first-pass effect. When cannabis products are ingested, they are absorbed into the intestinal tract and then sent through the portal vein to the liver, where it is then metabolized. So because of this, the amount of cannabis that is actually received into the bloodstream is limited and delayed by the amount of time it takes for this process to occur. This why it can take anywhere from 45-120 minutes for one to feel the effects of cannabis when ingested in this manner. However, once the cannabis is metabolized by the liver is produces a long lasting and stronger experience than smoking so we would urge caution when ingesting edibles.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sublingual/ Tinctures</strong></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/tincture_480x480.jpg?v=1651169656" alt="CBD Tincture" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></div>
<p>Tinctures are another form one can take cannabis in, with the recommendation being that one uses the droppers that tinctures come with to put drops under the tongue. Placing cannabis under the tongue allows it to be absorbed by the body more quickly and bypass the digestive tract, meaning that the cannabis reaches the bloodstream more quickly. This may also mean that tinctures are more bioavailable so that cannabis reaches the bloodstream in more efficient quantities. This may be the reason some find the effects of tinctures more immediate and potent and enjoy them without the stigma of smoking/ vaping or having to wait longer with edibles.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Smoking/ Vaping</strong></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/joint_480x480.jpg?v=1651169688" alt="CBD Joint" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></div>
<p>Smoking and vaping are the two most immediate ways to ingest cannabis, because they both avoid the first pass effect. However, experienced users are generally more likely to enjoy the most benefits because they are able to ingest and inhale at a higher efficiency than newbies. Cannabis smoke that is not inhaled and absorbed by the lungs is more likely to be exhaled and wasted. Due to the immediacy of the effects, however, the high does not last as long, is not as powerful and is the least efficient method. This means that the user must continually smoke and vape to keep the effects going.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Lotions/ Balms</strong></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/balm_480x480.jpg?v=1651169719" alt="CBD Balm Jars" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></div>
Lotions and balms are the most localized way of treating a specific ailment. They are most often used to treat aches and pains in specific parts of the body. They work by influencing the CB1 and CB2 receptors located in the muscles, skin, nerves, and synovial fluid in joints. The effects are relatively immediate because they don’t have to go through any process to be absorbed by the skin. <br><br>In summary, there are many ways to use and ingest cannabis, with smoking/ vaping the most immediate and edibles taking the longest but also lasting the longest. Please <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://herbspotions.com/contact" target="_blank" title="Contact Page" rel="noopener noreferrer">reach out to us</a></strong></span> if you have any questions regarding which type of bioavailability is right for you.

Bioavailability

<p>Phytocannabinoids are compounds that are naturally produced by the cannabis plant by the trichomes covering the surface of the cannabis plant. These are differentiated from endocannabinoids, which are the cannabinoids that are inside of the mammal body. The term cannabinoid broadly refers to chemical compounds produced by multiple biological species. Together with terpenes, phytocannabinoids produce the therapeutic effects and what make you feel high by binding to CB1 and CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system throughout the body, the most common effects being inflammatory, analgesic and anti-anxiety benefits.</p>
<p><br>The following are a list of the most commonly found cannabinoids; although there are over 100 phytocannabinoids in the cannabis plant, due to the lack of research from federal prohibition different cannabinoids and effects are being discovered to this day. We’ll also go over some of the main cannabinoids, as well as some of their effects. Note: cannabis doesn’t directly have the famous cannabinoids associated with the plant; it synthesizes cannabinoid acids that must be decarboxylated (either heated up or gradual exposure to oxygen) to create the compounds we are familiar with like THC and CBD.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Main Cannabinoids</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): The most famous of all cannabinoids, the one that gets you high.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabidiol (CBD): The cannabinoid that needs no intro on this website, read more about CBD <a href="https://herbspotions.com/posts/what-is-cbd" target="_blank" title="Blog Post on CBD" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>here</strong></span></a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabigerol (CBG): A non-psychoactive cannabinoid that is the foundation for CBD and THC. This is why it is known as the father of all cannabinoids. CBG is usually only container in trace amounts (around 1%). CBG works by binding to CB1 and CB2 receptors, where its thought to strengthen the function of anandamide. Anandamide plays a role in enhancing pleasure and motivation, regulating appetite and sleep, and pain relief.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabichromene (CBC): Common cannabis strains are low in CBC. CBC’s effects are said to be similar to CBD, as an anti-inflammatory, anxiety relief, antidepressant, antibacterial, brain cell development and potentially even cancer cell killer.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabinol (CBN): A breakdown product of THC. Has anticonvulsant (anti-seizure), anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabigerivarin (CBGV): Structurally similar to CBD, effects include anti-epileptic, potential for neurological defects, anti inflammation, and anti-nausea. Most of the research for it is for the first FDA-approved CBD drug called Epidiolex.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Tetrahyrdocannabivarin (THCV): Despite its name, THCV is actually a very different substance from THC. Effects include anti-nausea, anti-vomiting, appetite increasing, and pain suppressing.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabidivarin (CBDV): Has a similar molecular structure to CBD. Effects include anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, anti-nausea and neurological effects. It is also being researched for autism, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel diseases, and alopecia.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannabichromevarin (CBCV): Often present in low percentages in cannabis. Most popularly known as an anticonvulsant. Being studied for its effects for cancer, arthritis, insomnia, chronic pain, depression and osteoporosis.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Other Cannabinoids</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA)</li>
<li>Cannabichromevarin (CBCV)</li>
<li>Cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA)</li>
<li>Cannabicyclol (CBL)</li>
<li>Cannabicyclolic acid (CBLA)</li>
<li>Cannabicyclovarin (CBLV)</li>
<li>Cannabidiol monomethylether (CBDM)</li>
<li>Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)</li>
<li>Cannabidiorcol (CBD-C1)</li>
<li>Cannabidivarin (CBDV)</li>
<li>Cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA)</li>
<li>Cannabielsoic acid B (CBEA-B)</li>
<li>Cannabielsoin (CBE)</li>
<li>Cannabielsoin acid A (CBEA-A)</li>
<li>Cannabigerol (CBG)</li>
<li>Cannabigerol monomethylether (CBGM)</li>
<li>Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA)</li>
<li>Cannabigerolic acid monomethylether (CBGAM)</li>
<li>Cannabigerovarin (CBGV)</li>
<li>Cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA)</li>
<li>Cannabinodiol (CBND)</li>
<li>Cannabinodivarin (CBVD)</li>
<li>Cannabinol methylether (CBNM)</li>
<li>Cannabinol-C2 (CBN-C2)</li>
<li>Cannabinol-C4 (CBN-C4)</li>
<li>Cannabinolic acid (CBNA)</li>
<li>Cannabiorcool (CBN-C1)</li>
<li>Cannabivarin (CBV)</li>
<li>10-Ethoxy-9-hydroxy-delta-6a-tetrahydrocannabinol</li>
<li>8,9-Dihydroxy-delta-6a-tetrahydrocannabinol</li>
<li>Cannabitriol (CBT)</li>
<li>Cannabitriolvarin (CBTV)</li>
<li>Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC)</li>
<li>Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ8-THCA)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-C4 (THC-C4)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid B (THCA-B)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-C4 (THCA-C4)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabiorcol (THC-C1)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabiorcolic acid (THCA-C1)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)</li>
<li>Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA)</li>
<li>10-Oxo-delta-6a-tetrahydrocannabinol (OTHC)</li>
<li>Cannabichromanon (CBCF)</li>
<li>Cannabifuran (CBF)</li>
<li>Cannabiglendol</li>
<li>Cannabiripsol (CBR)</li>
<li>Cannbicitran (CBT)</li>
<li>Dehydrocannabifuran (DCBF)</li>
<li>Delta-9-cis-tetrahydrocannabinol (cis-THC)</li>
<li>Tryhydroxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (triOH-THC)</li>
<li>OH-iso-HHCV</li>
</ul>

List of All Phytocannabinoids

<div style="text-align: left;">If you’re new to cannabis/CBD, you’re no doubt wondering what the best CBD strains are out there. We’ve compiled a list of federally legal flower strains that you can purchase over the internet, so that you can smoke legally.</div>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Harlequin</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Harlequin_240x240.png?v=1650588623" alt="Harlequin CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Harlequin is one of the most famous high CBD strains, known as an energizing sativa. It usually has around 12% CBD and less than 1% THC. It is a mix of Thai, Swiss sativa, and Nepali Indica strains mixed with Colombian Gold. It has a flowery aroma with citrus undertones. The smell is earthy, and the flavor is woody and piney. Its main terpenes are myrcene, pinene, and limonene with secondary terpenes being bisbolol, linalool, and terpineol.</p>
<p><br>Harlequin’s main effects include an increase in energy, boost in focus, pain relief, reduction in anxiety, and stress relief. If you’re looking for just a goodnight’s sleep, this strain isn’t it. This CBD strain can be thought of as a muse, as users often report feeling more creative and activities generally get a boost of inspired thought. <br> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sour Space Candy</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Sour_Space_Candy_240x240.png?v=1650588680" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;" alt="Sour Space Candy CBD Cannabis Strain"></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></div>
<p>Sour Space Candy is a ubiquitous hybrid strain, known for big, dense nugs with bright green color, orange pistils, and exotic trichomes. It usually carries around 15-17% CBD and under 1% THC. It is a cross between Sour Tsunami and Early Resin Berry. It has a citrus, pine herbal and lemon aroma with a high terpene profile. It’s main terpenes are myrcene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene and humulene. The flavor is piney and sweet with hints of sour candies and cherries.</p>
<p><br>Sour Space Candy’s main effects are uplifting energy and a strong sweet tart flavor due to the high amount of terpenes. It’s great for anxiety, racing thoughts, and restless body aches. Users can expect to feel both chilled out and uplifted, a remedy to any grogginess. This why this strain is known as a wake and bake strain, good for getting out of bed and conquering the day. If you’re looking for a natural energizer, Sour Space Candy is a good bet.<br><br></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Elektra</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Elektra_240x240.png?v=1650588737" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;" alt="Elektra CBD Cannabis Strain"></strong></div>
<p>Elektra is an sativa-dominant hybrid known for its dense, sticky buds as well as its bright green color with orange stripes. It has around 15-20% CBD, and it contains under 1% THC. It is a cross between the one of the most popular hemp strains ever (ACDC) and an almost equally popular strain (Early Rosin Berry). It has a pine, citrus, and spice aroma. It’s main terpenes are myrcene, pinene, beta-caryophyllene and limonene. The flavors are earthy, chocolate and black cherry providing a rich experience with every inhale and exhale.</p>
<p><br>Elektra’s main effects are a deep body relief, a natural sense of calmness of the mind, and sleep enhancer. This strain erases anxious thoughts and leaves consumers feeling energized and creative. The combined ability to relax the body and calm the mind while enhancing the imagination makes it a both a relaxant and powerful imagination booster. Its parent strain, ACDC, is also known for being a great pain remedy. So if you’re looking to blow off steam while staying alert, Elektra is the strain for you.<br><br></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Bubba Kush (CBD Hemp Version)</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Bubba_Kush_CBD_240x240.png?v=1650588561" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;" alt="Bubba Kush CBD Cannabis Strain"></strong></div>
<p>Bubba Kush is an indica dominant strain known for its calming effects and desert flavor. It has a CBD content of around 18%, and under 1% THC. It should be noted that we are talking about the hemp version of Bubba Kush, not to be confused with the notorious 17% THC Bubba Kush that will put you on your butt and have you eating a tub of ice cream. No, this strain will relax you but you will not feel the same psychoactive effects as the THC version. Its terpene profile consists of myrcene, alpha-bisabolol, beta-caryophyllene and humulene. Its Aroma is pine, mint, yet distinctly herbal. Its flavors are coffee, chocolate, and chamomile.</p>
<p><br>Bubba Kush’s main effects are a feeling of relaxation and sleep enhancer. This strain is best for bedtime, as users report feeling an excellent sleep after use. So while it has some similarities to the THC version of Bubba Kush, it will not make you high and want to devour everything in sight. If you’re looking for a good night’s sleep with the grogginess, this is the strain for you.</p>
<p> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Cherry Wine</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Cherry_Wine_240x240.png?v=1650588901" alt="Cherry Wine CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Cherry wine is a hybrid strain known for its balancing effects. This makes it great for either daytime or nighttime consumption. It has a CBD content around 17%, and THC under 1%. It has a spicy, pine and citrus aroma. Its main terpenes are beta-caryophyllene, pinene, limonene and myrcene. It’s main flavors are sweet, berry and stone fruit although Cherry Wine flavors can vary a lot between different flower.</p>
<p><br>Cherry Wine’s main effects are relaxation and an even experience throughout. This strain knocks out anxious thoughts and leave consumers feeling zen. This makes this strain ideal for reading a book, taking care of some work, or just sitting on the couch and watching tv. If you’re looking to relax, Cherry Wine is the strain for you.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Hawaiian Haze</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Hawaiian_Haze_240x240.png?v=1650588991" alt="Haiwaiian Haze CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Hawaiian Haze is a sativa dominant strain that is known for tropical, colorful vibe. It has around 18% CBD and under 1% THC. It is a cross between DC Haze and Early Resin Berry. It has an aroma of grapefruit, pineapple, and lemon. Its main terpenes are myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, humulene and alpha-bisabolol. The flavor profile is sweet, tropical, fruity and orange. <br><br>Hawaiian Haze’s main effects are a fast acting boost in energy, but also has been known to help those who struggle with insomnia so that makes this strain good for both daytime and nighttime use. It also is known to be beautiful in bloom so it would make a good strain for users to even attempt to grow on their own. If you are looking to uplift your day, Hawaiian Haze is the strain for you.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Lifter Plus</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/lifter_240x240.jpg?v=1650590045" alt="Lifter Plus CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
Lifter is a sativa-dominant strain known for as one of the first and foremost original hemp flower varieties to become popular. It is a cross between Suver Haze and Early Resin Berry. It has CBD content of around 20% and THC content of under 1%. Its aroma is citrus, skunk, funky cheese, and spice. Its terpenes are limonene, humulene and linalool. Its flavors are lemon, berry and spice.
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>Lifter’s main effects are pain relief, stress reduction, and relaxation. This strain is great for relaxing after a long day of working, and great for overall well being. It has a loud terpene profile that express themselves in the bold taste. If you’re looking for a strain for overall quality of life benefits, this is the strain for you.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Cherry Pie</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Cherry_Pie_240x240.png?v=1650589135" alt="Cherry Pie CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Cherry pie is an indica-dominant hybrid, known for being a heavy hitter. It has around 16% CBD and less than 1% THC. It has a proud lineage, counting granddaddy purple and Durban poison among its descendants. Its aromas include dried wood and sweet dark cherries. Its main terpenes are myrcene, guaiol, and caryophyllene. The flavor is cherry, fruity, berry, with a chocolate note.</p>
<p><br>Cherry Pie’s main effects are deep relaxation, anxiety and stress relief, and sleep induction. This strain is great for meditating and at night just before bed. Its indica lineage also makes it great for any aches and pains that one deals with throughout the day. In short, its a better dessert than actual cherry pie. Although its nausea effects might make you crave actual cherry pie</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Special Sauce</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/special_sauce_240x240.jpg?v=1651170198" alt="Special Sauce CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Special Sauce is a hybrid known for small, quality buds. It has around 16% CBD and less than 1% THC. It is a blend Special Sauce and Early Resin Berry. It has a a really high resin content. It also has a sweet berry, floral aroma. The flavor is a nice earthy herbal. Its main terpenes are myrcene, pinene and limonene.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>Special Sauce’s main effects are stress and fatigue reduction, mood elevation, and relaxation. Special Sauce is great for a creative Sunday or really any day you want to spend around the house doing some chores, reading a book, or even painting.  Its users report that is more on the stimulating end than sleep-inducing so this would be a great wake and bake strain.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Sour Tsunami</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/sour_tsunami_2985d28e-a98d-4f85-bffd-a2f6581fdfb5_240x240.jpg?v=1651170448" alt="Sour Tsunami CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>Sour Tsunami is a pioneer strain in the sense that it was one of the first to be bred specifically for a high CBD content rather than high THC. After the introduction of indoor growing and hydroponics, most growers went towards breeding for high THC and intentionally or unintentionally breeding out CBD. It comes from the cross of Double Diesel and Ferrari. It has around 12-15% CBD and under 1% THC. It was cultivated by the famous Lawrence Ringo. It has aromas of diesel, citrus, and butter cookie. Its main terpenes are limonene, myrcene and humulene. The flavors can be considered sweet, tart and earthy. <br><br>Sour Tsunami’s main effects are pain and anxiety relief, sleep induction and depression lifting. It provides deep relaxation and sleepiness and larger doses. This is good for someone looking for relief without causing drowsiness. However, it can be an optimal night time strain when consumed in larger quantities. For someone looking for a classic CBD dominant experience, fire up a little bit of Sour Tsunami.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Suzy Q</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Suzy_Q_240x240.png?v=1650589412" alt="Suzy Q CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Suzy Q is a indica-dominant hybrid known for its both medicinal and recreational uses. It has bright orange pistils and sticky trichomes. It has around a 12-15% CBD content with less than 1% THC. It has a piney, spicy and peppery aroma, with a pungent distinctive way of making itself known. Its main terpene is beta-myrcene, but it has an overall strong terpene profile and a high cannabinoid efficiency. Its flavors are pine, pepper, and earthy. <br><br>Suzy Q’s main effects are focus, relaxation, and calm. Overall, it an uplifting experience good for day usage. It will leave feeling zen to do some effective work in a flow state. If you’re looking for indica effects but in a productive package, this strain is a good fit for you.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Cherry Creme Brûlée</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Cherry_Creme_Brulee_240x240.png?v=1650589480" alt="Cherry Creme Brulee CBD Cannabis Strain" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cherry Creme Brûlée is sativa-dominant hybrid known for being a connoisseur’s delight in how smooth of a smoke it is. It is a cross between Berry Blossom and Dream Tonic, so it is actually challenging to grow and as a result is relatively rare. It has dark green leaves and bright, light orange hairs so it is visually very appealing. It contains around 16% CBD and under 1% THC. It has a sweet, floral aroma. It has a dark cherry and black pepper flavor. Its main terpenes are myrcene, caryophyllene and bisabolol.  </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>Cherry Creme Brulee’s main effect are pain, anxiety, inflammation and stress relief. It also is great as a sleep inducer, so it makes an ideal strain to use at nighttime. If you’re looking to relax and cool off after a long day of work, this strain is perfect for you.</p>

Top 12 CBD Dominant Cannabis Strains

<p>Stoned ape theory is a hypothesis first posited by Terrance McKenna in the 1992 book “Food of the Gods.” He introduced the idea that the consumption of psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) aided in the expansion of the human consciousness during the evolution from our ancestors (Homo Erectus) into our modern day human (Home Sapiens). McKenna didn’t introduce the name, and also it is marked as a hypothesis because there have no direct evidence for this claim. It is also likely we won’t ever find definitive proof for psilocybin being a catalyst for our evolution so we ask that readers suspend their disbelief while they consider the possibility.</p>
<br>
<p>The evolution between Homo Erectus and Homo Sapiens occurred during the Pleistocene period between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago. The brain tripled in size during this time, leading to the cognitive development that we enjoy today. But the question is, what changes during this pivotal stages of our evolution did undergo?</p>
<p><br>The ecosystems that put hominids, cattle, and mushrooms were together around that in timeframe as well. This lead to the claim that McKenna posited that our ancestors were migrating from Africa with herds of cattle. Psilocybe cubensis (magic mushroom species) is known to grow in cattle dung. Due to the relatively low amount of available food, McKenna states that our ancestors likely used these mushrooms as a food source.</p>
<p><br>Psilocybin can help with creativity and cognition, so because of that he posits that helped with cognitive development. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.depressionalliance.org/psilocybin-therapy/" target="_blank" title="Problem Solving Study" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scientific research</a></strong></span> shows that psilocybin increases connectivity in the brain between areas associated with problem-solving. This means that psychedelic mushrooms could help alter modes of perception and de-pattern the brain to make us able to create new modes of thinking.</p>
<p><br>While this increase in cognition would not have been an inherited trait genetically through one generation, due to humans advanced ability to teach and learn any activities learned by a parent would be passed on to children. So psilocybin may have been the spark that led to our ancestors learning how to make fires, which would then be passed on through the generations as a learned skill.</p>
<p><br>As the generations went on, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.elevatemedical.org/blog/epigenetics-neuroplasticity-stress-and-the-psychedelic-experience" target="_blank" title="Epigenetic Changes" rel="noopener noreferrer">epigenetic changes</a></strong></span> could have began to occur as the expression of genes could’ve been edited. Activation of the 5-HT2A receptor of the brain can alter gene expression to increase processes related to learning and memory. Psilocybin could’ve activated this receptor, and then these inherited gene expression changes could’ve increased our species’ capacity to learn and memorize information. Human intelligence and cognition appears to have been an emergent phenomenon, meaning that the random combination led to a whole that was bigger than the sum of its parts. Mushrooms may have been one of the many variables that led to the advancement of the human species.</p>
<p><br>Psilocybin not only may have aided our evolution, but also could’ve transformed behaviors that may have aided our ancestor’s survivability. Those who eat magic mushrooms may have been more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass down the changes they elicited to their offspring. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25007546/" target="_blank" title="Psilocybin and Visual Acuity" rel="noopener noreferrer">Evidence suggests</a></strong></span> that psilocybin may aid in visual acuity, the ability to tell apart nearby objects. If this were true, our ancestors’ hunting would improve as a result and the likelihood of survival would have increased due to more nutrients and calories.</p>
<p><br>Evidence also suggests psilocybin decreases <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23727882/" target="_blank" title="Decrease in Fear Responses" rel="noopener noreferrer">fear responses</a></strong></span>, which means our ancestors’ hunting ability, increased food consumption, and survival chances would have likely increased. Psilocybin may also <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30905276/" target="_blank" title="Psychadelics Creative Thinking" rel="noopener noreferrer">increase creative thinking</a></strong></span>, which would have improved problem-solving and the ability to create strategies for survival.</p>
<p><br>Psilocybin can have long term positive social effects. McKenna argues that this encouraged our ancestors to cooperate in groups, increasing our chances for survival and encouraging our human culture to develop. Even some of the ancient cave paintings featured people and mushrooms, like the Gwion Gwion rock paintings of Australia and Rock Art of the Tassili n Ajjer, Algeria, are some of the earliest recordings of art and they point to the ingestion of psychedelic mushrooms.</p>
<p><br>In summary, there is compelling evidence that psilocybin may have play a role in our cognitive and cultural development. Although Terrance McKenna had a lot of wild anecdotes and ideas, this theory presents a serious argument. However, there is no concrete evidence and there may never be, but it gives us some interesting possibilities to ponder while we continue to study the impact of psychedelics and magic mushrooms.</p>

Stoned Ape Theory

<p>Runner’s high is a phenomenon that anybody who has been a consistent jogger can attest to; a euphoric feeling towards the end of the run despite all the sweating, aches and pains one might feel throughout the run. Its a strange feeling in which you go from hating yourself for being out torturing yourself, to weirdly smiling and feeling cheerful once you’re finished.</p>
<p><br>The conventional wisdom is that the endorphins released during exercise are responsible for the feeling. However, that conventional wisdom seems to have been upended. According to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1514996112" target="_blank" title="Mice Runner's High Study" rel="noopener noreferrer">this study</a></strong></span>, a runner’s high may be the result of our endocannabinoid system. Running may release the endocannabinoid molecule anandamide, which lifts mood, dulls pain, and dilates the blood vessels and bronchial tubes in the lungs. When your body releases these happiness molecules, you get the rush of good feelings that lead to runner’s high.</p>
<p><br>In the study, scientists from the Central Institute of Mental Health at the University of Heidelberg  made mice run on running wheels and discovered they were less anxious, due to their runner’s high. However, when the scientist blocked the animals endocannabinoid system, the mice were just as anxious at the end of their run. So endorphins are not all that influence those anti-anxiety benefits. So next time you go run, you may be making yourself high!  </p>
<p><br>Cannabinoids also have a host of benefits that extend to outside of the run. Cannabis is good for muscle relaxation, expanding lung capacity, and inflammation. Runners will attest to having poor performance because of stiff muscles, joints and bad form. Cannabis allows one to smoke that stiffness away. Although smoking in the long term damages the human lung, it counterintuitively can have terpenes that have bronchodilator properties that can open up airways. Running can also cause inflammation in heavily used joints in the legs, so cannabis can be a great post run remedy for healing.</p>
<p><br>Although there no biological benefits that would make cannabis a PED, it does allow people to push through self-imposed mental barriers by allowing the user to relax. However, we urge users to also exercise caution when the smoke and run, because if you overdo it you can wander through the streets or forest lost because you lost track of what is happening. Make sure to have your wits about you when you’re running through traffic!</p>

Cannabis and Running

<p>When learning how to code, cannabis may not be the first thing that comes to when it comes to things that can help you along the way, but you may be surprised. Although cannabis can negatively impact your short term memory, it can also have some benefits. Cannabis can be great when used right, some examples include for stress reduction, bliss, creativity increasing and productivity enhancing. Note: these effects are purely anecdotal, we recommend you do your own research when experimenting with substances and programming. Also, some of these same effects can be achieved with a non-intoxicating version of the substance like CBD (which we happen to sell!).</p>
<p><br>Stress reduction may be the main useful factor when considering coding and cannabis, because I don't know about you but when I code sometimes I get stressed when I get stuck and that stress becomes another barrier for me to overcome. If you could take a few puffs and relax before digging into the problem, the sentiment is that maybe you can focus on the problem more if you aren’t trying to throw your keyboard through a window or smash your monitor with a hammer.</p>
<p><br>Reaching bliss while programming is a goal, because it can help you reach flow state and bash through stories one after another. Having anxiety or other thoughts while programming can derail you from focusing enough to get to the point where you can actively problem solve. Sometimes a programming session can ruined before it even gets started. Feeling relaxed is crucial to a production session and cannabis may be the best substance for that.</p>
<p><br>Studies show that cannabis can be great for enhancing creativity, because of its abilities to enhance perceptions on every level: visually , auditory and etc. Cannabis has many terpenes, many of which enhance one’s senses: for example, pinene enhances memory. When you’re on one, it can be that factor that pushes one over the edge of an important breakthrough. Many musicians (Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, etc etc) swear by cannabis’ ability to improve their creativity in song writing, performing, recording etc. So maybe it can have a similar creative effect on programmers? Like most other things in life, it depends on the person so we recommend exercising caution when experimenting and finding what is right for you.</p>
<p><br>Last but not least, cannabis can have the ability to boost productivity. Cannabis tends to have the effect of making one feel engaged and in the zone when focusing on one singular task. As anyone on the modern internet can attest to, there are so many distractions one can get up in instead of actual coding, so cannabis can help eliminate the noise while focusing. So instead of picking up your phone and watching Tik Tok videos you can continue to churn out code while continuing to be creatively engaged with the codebase.</p>
<p><br>In summary, cannabis can help with a few of the problems that plague coders. However, we again are not recommending you try anything, we only wish to inform you of what other coders who use cannabis in the community are saying. For health tips, we recommend you see your physician and ask if cannabis could potentially help you churn out your next big project as well as do your own research on what will be right for you.</p>

Cannabis and Coding

<p>There are many uses for hemp beyond just CBD products; it is estimated that farmers could produce the raw materials for over 50,000 uses! This is incredibly important, as hemp is environmentally friendly: it grows with much less water than other crops, is less destructive than other crops (cotton, trees),  uses relatively little to no pesticides, removes solvents and heavy metals from the soils, is durable and biodegradable, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and in a crop rotation has the potential to restore agricultural topsoil that has been generally devastated since the agricultural revolution.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/cannabisSativaL_480x480.png?v=1651272448" alt="Cannabis Sativa Hemp Diagram" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<p>Basically every single part of the hemp plant can be used:</p>
<ol>
<li>The stalk can be used for textiles like ropes, canvas, tarps, carpeting, netting, caulking and molded parts, clothing, diapers, bags, denim, shoes; paper for printing, newsprint, cardboard and packaging; building materials like insulation, concrete, fiberboard, fiberglass substitute and acrylics.</li>
<li>The seeds for industrial products like bio-fuel, solvents, coating, varnishes and oil paints; foods like seed hearts, hemp seed oil, protein powder, and food supplements; body care like soaps, shampoos, lotions, balms and cosmetics.</li>
<li>The flowers for CBD products.</li>
<li>The leaves are absorbent and good for mulch and compost.</li>
<li>The roots are organic compost and natural remedies like joint pain, fibromyalgia and eczema.</li>
</ol>
<p><br>As far back as 1941, Popular Mechanics wrote an article about one of Henry Ford’s many automobile prototypes, which had hemp plastic panels 10x as strong as steel and ran on biofuel. The reason they didn’t go through with it was the ongoing prohibition and war against cannabis, which made it practical impossibility to mass manufacture this car due to the taxes on cannabis. We go more in depth on the war on drugs <a href="https://potionherb.com/posts/history-of-cannabis-hemp" target="_blank" title="In Depth Overview on the History of Cannabis" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>here</strong></span></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Environmental Friendliness</h4>
<p>Hemp as a crop saves a lot of water when compared to other crops; hemp only needs 2300 liters of water to make 2.2 pounds of hemp, compared to 10,000 liters of water needed to make 2.2 pounds of cotton. Hemp yields up to 1500 pounds per acre, whereas cotton yields about 500 pounds per acre. Nearly 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% insecticides come from the cotton industry, whereas hemp is naturally resistant to most insects and disease. This basically eliminates the need for pesticides and herbicides when growing hemp.</p>
<p>The reason cotton is more widespread to this day is because cotton has been the more convenient option to farm for more than 100 years and doesn’t require as specialized equipment as hemp does to grow, harvest and extract. However, as the usage of hemp becomes more widespread we will began to see more convenient ways to farm hemp and economies of scale begin to kick in for the entire supply chain, making it the much cheaper and more efficient crop at scale. So your purchases can help save the environment if we can get a critical mass of consumers to help increase the number of farmers and entrepreneurs in the hemp ecosystem.</p>
<p>Hemp is the world’s strongest, natural vegan fiber whereas cotton tends to break down quickly. We can eliminate a lot of waste if people don’t need to buy new clothing as often, as well as save people money in the long term! As a matter of fact, hemp ages like fine wine in that it actually gets better with age. There is hemp clothing that is still intact from over thousands of years ago! Imagine being able to pass on a fine hemp jacket through the generations and have it be a source of pride.<br><br>Hemp removes pollutants and heavy metals (like arsenic, lead, nickel, and mercury) from the soil, making it an ideal plant for environmental remediation. An example of this was the scientist Ilya Raskin, who coined the term “phytoremediation” when hemp was being used to accumulate heavy metals from soil in contaminated fields near Chernobyl in the 1990s. The experiment was a success.<br><br>Hemp sequesters a disproportionate amount of CO2 relative to its size from the atmosphere because of its classification as a baste fiber crop. It can sequester around 22 tonnes of Co2 per hectare! This fact, combined with the fact that hemp grows very quickly and has multiple harvests per year, means hemp is the ideal candidate for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, even more so than trees. This is important because our rising Co2 levels are one of the primary contributors of climate change, and carbon sequestration helps reverse that.<br><br>Hemp restores topsoil by forming deep roots in the soil and preventing former erosion. The plant also increases the microbial content of the soil and the stems and leaves are rich in nutrients. After the harvest, the stems and leaves are returned to the soil to rejuvenate the yield for the following crop.<br><br>In summary, hemp is a swiss army knife of a crop and we hope that it can be used to create a more sustainable planet and reinvigorate economies going forward as states in the US and countries around the globe begin to repeal prohibitions against the plant. Every purchase of a cannabis or hemp product goes towards farmers growing more of it. So we thank consumers of every cannabis product for their patronage as the more cannabis hemp is grown by acreage, the more we can begin to undo some of the damage down to our planet by unsustainable practices and promote more sustainable practices going forward by utilizing hemp products.</p>

Hemp for Sustainability

<p>The hippie movement began as a youth movement in the early 1960s and morphed into the counterculture of the 1960s of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The culture claimed to be inspired by the teachings of Buddha, Jesus Christ, Gandhi, and Henry David Thoreau. The Beat Generation was a literary movement who explored new ideas in the post WW2 era, who was supported largely by the Silent Generation of the 1950s. The Silent Generation explored an era of economic prosperity in the United States post WW2 baby boom, but also struggled with issues of identity and conformity. They rejected the standard American values, and instead espoused rejection of materialism, experimentation with psychedelic drugs, and sexual liberation. The Beatniks merged into the 1960s, whose nickname which turned into Hippies eventually.</p>
<p><br>The core group of authors included Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Herbert Huncke, and William S Burroughs who met at Columbia University and later became figures in the San Francisco Renaissance. The San Francisco Renaissance was described by Bay Area based philosopher Alan Watts as “something else was on the way, in religion, in music, in ethics and sexuality, in our attitudes to nature, and in our whole style of life.” These poets, authors, and philosophers concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area played a foundational role in the rock generation of the mid 1960s of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and many others.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Golden_Gate_Bridge_480x480.jpg?v=1651171382" alt="Golden Gate Bridge" style="float: none; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></div>
<p><br>Bob Dylan became close friends with Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, who were then introduced to LSD by Michael Hollinghead in the early 1960s, which had a profound impact on the way the hippie generation thought. Psychedelic substances (cannabis, peyote, LSD and magic mushrooms, to name a few) were widespread throughout the hippie movement, which impacted the way people in the movement thought creatively. The change from beatnik to hippie officially occurred after the 1967 Human Be-In in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Michael McClure led the crowd in chanting “Om.” From then on, the trademark beatnik style went from somber colors to trademark hippie colorful psychedelic clothing and long hair.</p>
<p><br>The hippie movement became actively involved the opposition to the Vietnam War in 1964, which shaped them into a polarizing group of people to say the least. While their actions were largely peaceful and nonviolent, many Americans saw the hippies as Un-American and unpatriotic. The war effort in the US focused on treating the war as a stand against Communism, which was during the height of the Cold War against Russia and threatening to engulf Vietnam and other parts of the world. This ideology was known as the domino theory, which stated that once one country fell to communism, bordering countries would inevitably fall as well.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/antiwar_480x480.png?v=1651171527" alt="Hippie Anti War Movement" style="float: none; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></div>
<p>Much of the opposition to the war, however, came down to the draft enacted to conscript minorities as well as lower and middle class white people. The prevailing idea was that the draft unfairly conscripted only blue collar people, later famously immortalized by the song “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969.  Protests against the draft began on May 5, 1965 as student activists at the University of California, Berkeley marched on the Berkeley draft board and forty students staged the first public burning of a draft card. From then on, anti war activists and hippies alike began burning draft card in demonstrations.</p>
<p><br>Another core tenet of the hippie movement was the rock n roll, which began in earnest in October 16, 1965 at Longshoreman’s Hall. Around 1000 of San Francisco’s original hippies gathered to see Jefferson Airplane, The Great Society, and The Marbles. From then on, the Trips Festival, Fillmore Auditorium, Avalone Ballroom, and many other legendary venues saw some of the greatest acts of all time.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/haight_ashbury_480x480.jpg?v=1651171006" alt="Haight Ashbury Neighborhood San Francisco" style="float: none; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></div>
<p>The center of it all was the Haight-Ashbury, a district in San Francisco occupied by many former San Francisco State College students who dropped out after taking psychedelic drugs. By June 1966, 15,000 hippies were living in Haight Ashbury. Some of these residents included The Charlatans, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Grateful Dead.</p>
<p><br>The height of the hippie movement was the Summer of Love in 1967, where mostly young people visited San Francisco in droves to take part in the cultural phenomenon. Scott McKenzie’s rendition of John Phillips’ song “San Francisco” stated “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” This is where the colloquial phrase “Flower Children” came from, as people wore flowers throughout the summer. Throughout it all, the pervasive cloud of cannabis smoke filled the air. Once the summer ended, the hippies that departed back to their areas of the United States created many communities and communes throughout Northern California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, and many other areas.</p>
<p><br>However, by 1970 the hippie movement began to decline as it became more mainstream. In many ways, the movement was tarnished by Charles Manson. He was a lifelong criminal who in many ways captured the aesthetic of the hippie movement with his long hair and charisma. However, he used the hippie ideals for his own twisted means by using hallucinogenic drugs and manipulation to inspire his followers to commit murder. Although he didn’t follow the hippie deals of peace, love and compassion, his 1970 trial and conviction for murder tarnished hippies irreparably in the eyes of many Americans.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Grateful_Dead_480x480.jpg?v=1651170843" alt="Psychedelic Bands - Grateful Dead" style="float: none; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></div>
<p><br>Since its mainstream introduction, however, hippie culture has had a seismic impact on American  culture and culture worldwide. Many of the greatest rock acts of all time were credited as psychedelic acts, such as The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Box Tops, Don McLean, Simon &amp; Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone, and even the Beatles were singing about “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Eastern religions and spiritual concepts began finding their way into common parlance, alternative clothing styles, cooperative business enterprises, more widespread activism, huge festivals, natural/ organic food stores, herbal remedies and vitamins are all some of the examples of the impact hippie culture has had on us. Last but not least, the hippies “Legalize It” movement with regards to cannabis put the herb at the forefront of our minds. Even though it took 40-50 years for the United States to get its head out of its… , we are now seeing cannabis being legalized state by state and when it is eventually federally legalized we can thank the hippies in part.</p>

The Hippie Movement

<p>Is cannabis good for sleep? The answer may be more complicated than you previously thought. Although many people anecdotally swear by cannabis to help them sleep, we will review some scientific literature to see if it has the effects that people say it does. To do this, we will look into how other drugs affect our sleep, the effects that the endocannabinoids as a whole and the main endocannabinoids have on our bodies, THC and CBD. For more in depth look on the differences between the two, click here. Also, like usual, we don’t make any medical claims here and encourage you to talk to a licensed health professional to see which option is best to help with your sleep.</p>
<p><br>So many sleeping medications like benzodiazepines work by converting deep sleep into lighter sleep, so that the total amount of sleep is increased but the quality is not as good. Alcohol before bed will make you drowsy and increase deep sleep at the beginning of the night, but later cause sleep to be lighter. Usually, once you awaken it is difficult to get back to sleep no matter how hard one tries because the sleep pattern was made light then broken. This is why it’s good to limit alcohol before bed.</p>
<p><br>In light of this information on how prescribed sleeping medications and alcohol work, many people are reconsidering how drugs affect their sleep hygiene. A 2017 survey of over 1,500 patients at a New England medical marijuana dispensary indicated that “roughly two-thirds of patients decreased their use of pharmaceutical sleep medication upon medical cannabis use.” So people are beginning to use cannabis as an alternative. But is there any cost associated with doing so?</p>
<p><br>Although several studies indicate chronic exposure to THC and other CB1-activating compounds appears to product modest sleep improvement, there is still a need for clinical trials. However, increased exposure to cannabis and THC produces tolerance, and increased dosage is necessary to reach the same effects. Also, when subjects begin to not take cannabis and THC, they display signs of withdrawal; <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7388834/" target="_blank" title="Cannabis Studies on Sleep" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>decreases in total sleep time</strong></span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>sleep efficiency</strong></span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>NREM, and REM sleep</strong></span></a>. So people who return to taking THC products will report it is because of poor sleep after stopping use. Once you become a regular high THC user, it appears you will have some trouble with sleeping once you stop usage.</p>
<p><br>Most studies have focused on THC thus far, but interest in CBD studies has increased in recent following the advent of the 2018 Farm Bill which made CBD federally legal. Studies so far have pointed to CBD dominant cannabis being the most effective in aiding in sleepiness, with CBD only having modest effects on sleepiness. This points to the effectiveness of broad and full spectrum cannabis, with full spectrum cannabis being the most effective to the complete range of cannabis being available. The inclusion of all cannabinoids yielding the most effect results suggests that the entourage effect, which means the mix of cannabinoids in the cannabis plant are more effective than the sum of their parts. It is not exactly clear what dose of THC with CBD yields the best result, just that a low dose of THC mixed with a dose CBD yields the optimal result.</p>
<p><br>In summary, although cannabis has some good results anecdotally and scientifically, it is not a cure all. Users typically don’t take CBD and immediately get results, and may end up needing a higher dose to get the same results in the future. More clinical trials are necessary to determine the efficacy of cannabis. We would recommend anyone considering cannabis as an alternative to other sleep medications to do their own research and consult their health professional.</p>

Cannabis and Sleep

<p>We’re going to take a look at some differences in the consumption of alcohol and cannabis due to the ongoing introduction of cannabis to different states in the United States. After many decades of the demonization of cannabis, we are starting to see attitudes shift towards being more open to cannabis. For the purposes of the article, we will refer to marijuana as having over the 0.3% THC threshold of federal legality for cannabis. One trend that is consistent is that alcohol sales drop by at least 15% in states where medical marijuana is legal. People as a whole believe alcohol is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://americanaddictioncenters.org/learn/perceptions-of-alcohol-vs-marijuana/" target="_blank" title="Alcohol more dangerous than cannabis" rel="noopener noreferrer">25% more dangerous</a></strong></span> than cannabis. If only one could be legal, 43% of people would choose alcohol, and 57% would choose marijuana. But is there merit to the public opinion that cannabis is safer? We can only compare the scientific literature, state the facts and allow people to come to their own conclusions. Nothing we say here is medical advice, so consult with your health professionals on what is right for you.</p>
<p><br>There are plenty of studies on the effects of alcohol, so we’re going to rattle some of them off based on numbers made available by the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm" target="_blank" title="CDC Statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer">CDC</a></strong></span>. Regular alcohol consumption reduces grey matter, which contains the majority of neuron cell bodies and axons responsible for helping the brain process information. Excessive alcohol use led to more than 140,000 deaths and 3.6 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States from 2015-2019, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 26 years. Long term health risks include: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, digestive problems, breast cancer, mouth cancer, throat esophagus cancer, voice box cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, rectum cancer, weakening of the immune system, learning and memory problems, depression, anxiety and alcohol addiction.</p>
<p><br>There are not as many studies on the effects of cannabis due to the long federal prohibition and subsequent lack of studies, however we have an idea about the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/addiction.html" target="_blank" title="CDC Marijuana Statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer">basic effects</a></strong></span>. Marijuana does not effect gray or white matter, meaning there is no damage to the areas where our brains process most information in. This is not to say cannabis does not effect the brain, however. While there are no deaths directly tied to marijuana, driving under the influence of marijuana is incredibly dangerous and we may begin to see fatalities related to a different type of DUI. The long term effects of cannabis are anxiety, panic attacks, low blood pressure, paranoia, and marijuana use disorder.  Marijuana use disorder is defined as using more marijuana than intended, trying but failing to quit using marijuana, and using marijuana in high-risk situations.</p>
<p><br>So we’ve gone over some of the risks involved when using both alcohol and high THC cannabis (marijuana). However, one substance we haven’t discussed is CBD. CBD is non addictive and has no known health risks throughout all of the studies that it has been used for. CBD may even have the ability to treat addiction on opioids, cocaine, psychostimulants; even with alcoholism and strangely enough, marijuana. You see, as the second most abundant cannabinoid in the cannabis plant, CBD has actually been found to balance out a lot of the effects of the primary endocannabinoid THC. This is because of the endocannabinoid system in our bodies and how it has been shown to “<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4444130/%20" target="_blank" title="CBD Effects on Drug Seeking Behaviors" rel="noopener noreferrer">influence the acquisition and maintenance of drug-seeking behaviors, through its role in reward and brain plasticity.</a></strong></span>” So by stimulating our cannabinoid receptors (specifically CB1) with CBD, we may be able to activate the same areas of the brain activated by drug usage. However, further clinical trials are necessary to show engagement with all three phases of addiction (intoxication, withdrawal, and craving/relapse.</p>
<p><br>In summary, the alcohol vs cannabis debate as not as easy as it would appear to be on the surface. Although surveys indicate that people are becoming increasingly comfortable with cannabis, even showing a preference vs alcohol, we will have to pay close attention to research in clinical trials. We must pay attention to more of the long term effects of cannabis before we have a truly fair comparison between alcohol and cannabis. Also, we should pay close attention on clinical trials with regards to CBD’s effects on the brain. We may have a truly non-intoxicating, non-addictive alternative to both!</p>

Alcohol vs Cannabis

<p>Here we’ll dive into a topic that is a little out of left field, but not really. We can understand how cannabis affects our brain better if we understand some basic ideas about our brain and how it intersects with our happy plant.</p>
<p><br>The brain works like a big computer. It processes information that it receives from the senses and the body, and then sends messages back to the body. However, what separates our brain from a computer is the ability to think and experience emotions. Brain tissue is made up of 100 billion nerve cells (neurons) and one trillion supporting cells stabilize the tissue.</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/Cerebral_cortex_480x480.png?v=1650927340" alt="Human Brain Structure" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p><br>The various sections of the brain are: cerebrum, diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus and pituitary gland), brain stem (midbrain, pons and medulla) and the cerebellum.</p>
<p><br>The cerebrum has a right hemisphere and a left hemisphere, and the two hemispheres are connected via a thick bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callous. Each hemisphere is made up of six areas (lobes) that have different functions. The cerebrum controls movement and processes sensory information. The cerebrum also controls conscious and unconscious actions and feelings. It is also responsible for speech, hearing, intelligence and memory. The left hemisphere is responsible for speech and abstract thinking in most people, and the right hemisphere is responsible for spatial thinking or imagery. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. This is why a stroke on the right side of body occurs in the left hemisphere of the brain.</p>
<p><br>The left cerebral cortex is responsible for speech and language. The right cerebral cortex supplies spatial information, such as where your foot is at the moment. The thalamus provides the cerebrum with sensory information from the skin, eyes and ears, as well as other information. The hypothalamus regulates things like hunger, thirst and sleep. Together with the pituitary gland, it also regulates the hormones in your body. The brain stem relays information between the brain, the cerebellum and the spinal cord, as well as controlling eye movements and facial expressions. It also regulates vital functions like breathing, blood pressure and heartbeat. The cerebellum coordinates movements and is responsible for posture, balance, reaction time and coordination.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br><strong>How Cannabis Interacts with the Brain</strong>
</h4>
<p>Now we will go over how cannabis interacts with different areas of the brain, and what is going on when it interacts with those areas of the brain. So we’ve already gone over our endocannabinoid system and the brain chemical anandamide (also known as the bliss molecule). Essentially, THC’s chemical structure and anandamide are identical. This means that THC and the brain’s chemical structure similarity allows THC to be identified by the body and modify brain communication. The cannabinoids that are identical to anandamide function like the neurotransmitter and send the chemical messages among the nerve cells.</p>
<p><br>For instance, THC can modify hippocampus functioning and the orbitofrontal cortext, which are the parts of the brain responsible for forming new memories and shifting attentional focus. The hippocampi are located in each hemisphere of the brain and also one of the few places where neurogenesis occurs, the process by which new neurons are produced. This is why consuming high THC marijuana impairs the ability to perform complex tasks while intoxicated. THC also affects the cerebellum and basal ganglia, which, as we mentioned earlier, is responsible for things like posture, balance, reaction time and coordination.</p>
<p><br>Now CBD alone also has unique effects on different parts of the brain. CBD actually modulates brain activity and has <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33551817/" target="_blank" title="CBD modulates brain activity" rel="noopener noreferrer">opposite effects</a></strong></span> when compared to THC such as emotional processing (fronto-temporal), verbal memory (fronto-spatial), response inhibition (fronto-limbic-striatal), and auditory/visual processing (temporo-occipital). CBD even showed some potential for people with either existing psychosis or at a clinical risk for psychosis; CBD showed intermediate brain activity compared to placebo and healthy controls during cognitive task performance. CBD modulates resting limbic activity in test subjects with anxiety. CBD also modulates metabolite levels in patients with autism spectrum disorders. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33551817/" target="_blank" title="Neuroimaging Studies on CBD" rel="noopener noreferrer">Neuroimaging studies</a></strong></span> also have shown that small levels of CBD induce significant alterations in brain activity and connectivity patterns during resting state and performance of congnitive tasks in both healthy test subjects and those with a psychiatric disorders.</p>
<p><br>We hope going over some of the basic brain structure and function helps you understand how this magical plant interacts with our brain a little better. We also recommend before taking any substances that you do your own research and contact your health professional to see what is right for you. Also feel free to <a href="https://herbspotions.com/contact" target="_blank" title="contact page" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>reach out</strong></span></a> to us if you’re curious about any other cannabis related questions.</p>

The Brain and Cannabis

Psychadelics are a substance that are likely as old as cannabis if not older, and have been used by cultures since before there was agriculture. Although we don’t sell any psychedelic substances, we respect our readers as avid, curious readers and so we put together a handy guide to the history and usage of psychedelic substances. Psychedelic usage could've began with mushroom usage by the our ancestors (Homo Erectus) as far back as 2 million to 11,000 years according to the <a href="https://potionherb.com/stoned-ape-theory" target="_blank" title="Stoned Ape Theory Blog Post" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Stoned Ape Theory</strong></span></a>. However, our first “official” or “recorded” usage was likely by the Ancient Greeks from the Ergot fungus (where LSD is derived from). Ancient Sanskrit refers to Soma, an elixir that likely contained Psilocybe cubensis, which is a species of magic mushrooms. Also, there was widespread usage in the pre-colonial Americas by the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas during ceremonies. In these ceremonies, psilocybin, mescaline, peyote and many other psychedelic substances were consumed in order to talk to the their Gods. The Amazonians have recorded usage of Ayahuasca more than 1,000 years ago. The ancient psychedelic experience was usually seen as a ritual cleansing, where the people would received guidance from their Gods and offer something of value in order to continue enjoying from the bounty of mother nature. <br><br>Modern day psychedelics begins with the father of the psychedelic research, Albert Hoffman. He accidentally discovered LSD while working in a lab and experimenting with fungus ergot. As the story goes, on April 19, 1943, he ingested a high dose of LSD and rode his bike home. While he was riding, he experienced hallucinations, dizziness and saw what he said were “demonic transformations.” A doctor was called, but by the time they arrived Hoffman was feeling amazing and waved them off. This event is known in history as “Bicycle Day.” By the next day, he felt invigorated and like he had a renewed sense of life. <br><br>By the 50s and 60s, psychedelics were popularized and being used in studies. Psychiatrists Humphrey Osmond and Abram Hoffer used LSD in clinical studies to treat alcoholism. Their biochemical approach to the studies treated two subjects for alcoholism with LSD; one quit drinking immediately and another quit in 6 months. They expanded the study to over 700 patients with similar results. LSD was also researched for depression, schizophrenia, autism and terminal cancer in over 1,000 studies involving 40,000 patients with little adverse incidents. However, the FDA passed the Drug Amendments in 1962, introducing new restriction on drug testing which including LSD and psychedelics.<br><br>In the 1960s, the hippie culture embraced psychedelics wholeheartedly which turned mainstream public sentiment against the idea of using psychedelics for treatment. This proliferated illegal manufacturing, which in turn created a panic amongst the government. In 1970, US Congress passed the Controlled Substance Act, classifying psychedelics as Schedule I drugs, the highest classification. This basically shut down all of the research and firmly placed psychedelics as taboo in the eyes of mainstream America. <br> <br>Nowadays, psychedelics are making a comeback with many psychological benefits being studied as potential treatments for ailments like anxiety, addiction and depression. With the increasing amount of cannabis legalization throughout states in the United States, some cities have begun to decriminalize psychedelics. Denver, Colorado was the pioneer that decriminalized psilocybin back in May 2019, then Oakland, California decriminalized entheogenic plants in June 2019, Santa Cruz, California decriminalized psychoactive plants and fungi in February 2020 and Ann Arbor, Michigan decriminalized psychoactive plants and fungi in September 2020, DC decriminalized possessing entheogenic plants and fungi in November 2020. Many states have also introduced and passed bills for funding medical research for the therapeutic efficacy of psychedelics. <br><br>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Substances</strong></h2>
<p> </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Psychedelic Mushrooms</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/mushrooms_480x480.jpg?v=1651120080" alt="Magic Mushrooms" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>As previously mentioned, mushrooms naturally contain chemicals called psilocybin and psilocin. Psilocybin is known as a prodrug, it has to be metabolized by the body for it to take effect. Once consumed, psilocybin is converted into psilocin, which is the molecule that likely delivers the psychoactive effects. There are anywhere from 150-200 different kinds of psychedelics mushrooms growing in the wild in every continent in the world except Antartica. Some common types of magic mushrooms are the Golden Caps or Cubes (Psilocybe cubensis), Flying Saucer Mushroom (Psilocybe Azurescens), Liberty Caps (Psilocybe Semilanceata), Blue Ringer Mushroom (Psilocybe Stuntuzii), Philsopher’s Stone (Psilocybe Tampanensis) and many, many more. <br><br>These compounds activate serotonin receptors in the brain that control mood, thoughts, feeling and behavior. They are known for their profound effects on consciousness and perception; taking a medium size dose of about 2.5-3 grams lasts between 4-6 hours with the climax occurring about halfway through. Users report seeing fractal patterns and images, time moving slowly, and finding meaning within themselves. The trip can be either incredibly profound and meaningful or terror inducing. The effects vary from person to person, and also vary from setting to setting. The common phrase you will hear is “set and setting”, meaning how the user feels going into the trip and the location the user is tripping in.  </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>LSD</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/LSD_480x480.jpg?v=1651120369" alt="LSD Tabs" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), as previously discussed, was discovered by Albert Hoffman and since then it has been studied and subsequently labeled as a Schedule One drug by the FDA. However, there has been a resurgence in interest in utilizing LSD in therapeutic studies. At high dosages, LSD’s effects include visual and auditory hallucinations, dilated pupils, increased blood pressure and body temperature. Effects begin in 30 minutes and can last for up 20 hours! LSD is primarily known for ego dissolution, which means the normal sense of self is broken down and replaced by a sense of reconnection with themselves, others and the natural world. LSD causes parts of the brain that are normally separate to interact and connect with each other, for example: vision, hearing, and movement work together which explains what people mean when they say that they hear colors while tripping. Many people report the usage of LSD as a religious experience and say that their mental well-being is improved going forward. These changes are explained by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1518377113" target="_blank" title="Neuroimaging Study on LSD" rel="noopener noreferrer">this 2016 study</a></strong></span>, which used neuroimaging techniques to examine the changes in participants who ingested LSD. Results showed large changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns. This drug may be instrumental to the future of study of human consciousness and psychological research.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Mescaline</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/mescaline_480x480.jpg?v=1651120462" alt="Peyote Cactus" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Mescaline (found in the Peyote, San Pedro, and Peruvian torch cactus) is one of the oldest known hallucinogenic agents that influence human behavior, but the mechanisms behind how it works remain poorly understood. It is less understood than other drugs like Cannabis, but it is still relatively widely used in religious ceremonies practiced by Native American tribes. Its effects are attributed to the interaction with the serotonergic 5-HT2A-C receptors. It is similar to trypatime psychedelics like LSD, DMT and psilocybin but mescaline doesn’t just activate serotonin receptors, it also targets dopamine D2 receptors similar to MDMA. The effects include euphoria, hallucinations, depersonalization and psychoses. Overall, the high is described are more clear-headed than some of the other psychedelics on this list.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Ayahuasca</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/ayahuasca_480x480.jpg?v=1651120549" alt="Ayahuasca Roots and Brew" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Ayahuasca is a South American vine that is commonly brewed into a tea that is then ingested. It is a psychedelic and an entheogen. There is a chemically similar preparation known as pharmahuasca, that can be prepared using DMT and MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) . There are two active ingredients: a source of DMT (N,N-DMT) and and a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). The DMT is what causes the trip and the monoamine oxidase inhibitor is what prevents the DMT from destroying the body. One cup of ayahuasca can produce effects leading to ego death, encounters with “other beings” and self reflection. In the native culture and language, Ayahuasca is seen as a way to cleanse the soul.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Salvia</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/salvia_480x480.jpg?v=1651120644" alt="Salvia Leaves" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Salvia is an herb that belongs to the mint family and is indigenous to southern Mexico, as well as Central America and parts of South America. The leaves, stems and seeds can be smoked or infused into drinks and swelled to produce hallucinogenic effects. Some of the hallucinogenic effects include altered perceptions, distorted reality, visual and auditory hallucinations, a loss of body control, anxiety and fear. Salvia interacts with some opioid receptors in the brain, but it does so more than other drugs and has the potential to be addictive. Salvia is legal and the most naturally powerful psychedelic in the world. However, the effects only last about 30 minutes to a few hours. Overall, people use salvia to escape for a short amount of time and potentially see some aliens.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>MDMA</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/mdma_480x480.jpg?v=1651120817" alt="MDMA Pills" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>3,4-Methylenediozy methamphetamine (MDMA) is commonly known as ecstasy or Molly and is a synthetic drug initially developed by Merck. It was used for psychotherapy and become popular as a street drug in the 1980s. MDMA is common at raves and dance parties because of its euphoric effects and synergistic effects. MDMA acts by increasing the activity or the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain. As a result, stimulant and hallucinogenic effects occur: increased self confidence, sociability, perception, increased empathy, feelings of closeness with others, dilated pupils, relaxation, reduced anxiety, a sense of inner peace, and altered sense of time. As with all other psychedelics, effects depend on set, setting and dose. Following use, people most often feel tired and/or depressed due to the interaction with the happiness chemicals in the brain. It is illegal in most countries, including the United States, but it is being evaluated for medical use by the FDA.  MDMA assisted therapy is utilized for those suffering from depression, PTSD, anxiety and addiction.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Ketamine</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/ketamine_480x480.jpg?v=1651121141" alt="Ketamine Bottle" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Ketamine was developed in the 1960s as an alternative to PCP. It induces dissociative anesthesia; a trance-like state in which the effects are pain relief, sedation and amnesia. At lower doses, ketamine is promising treatment for pain, suicidal ideation and depression. At higher doses, it produces intense psychedelic effects. It’s an abrupt high that lasts for about an hour, and starts 2 -5 minutes after the dose has been either smoked or swallowed. Users report feeling floating, hallucinations and feeling completely detached from their bodies. People who have had a near death experience describe similar feelings. If the users is in a bad place mentally, the side effects usually include disorientation, drowsiness, increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. Large doses of the drug can even result in what’s known as a “K-hole”, where hallucinations are incredibly intense and the user is frightenedly detached from reality. Ketamine can also be highly addictive and users can die using it so like always use an abundant amount of caution.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Ibogaine</strong></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/ibogaine_480x480.jpg?v=1651121243" alt="Ibogaine Shrub" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid produced by a West-African rainforest shrub. The roots and bark of the iboga tree were used as a traditional medicine and for spiritual healing. Ibogaine is used for its powerful anti-addictive effects, in a brew or tea. Ibogaine targets the kappa-opioid receptors rather than serotonin or dopamine receptors like a lot of other psychedelics. However, Ibogaine is quite dangerous and there have been several deaths among users of the drug. Even more caution than usual is required for anyone interested in this substance.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>DMT</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0627/3178/0317/files/DMT_480x480.jpg?v=1651121633" alt="DMT Powder" style="margin: 10px auto; float: none; display: block;"></div>
<p>There are two main types of dimethyltryptamine; 5-MeO-DMT, which is found in various plant and animal sources (commonly secreted in the venom of toads)  and N,N-DMT, which is the primary form of DMT found in humans and plant sources. It’s a naturally occurring alkaloid, and the human brain manufactures its own DMT in the pineal gland. DMT is closely related to serotonin, one of the primary neurotransmitters that is responsible for regulating emotion and conscious thought. This is the DMT produced by our bodies is thought to induce dream states while we sleep. However, this is entirely theoretical because the science behind dream states and consciousness is incredibly difficult to study.<br><br>The most common form is a crystalline powder that can be smoked or vaped.  The duration is actually relatively short, about 15-20 minutes. The effects of 5-MeO DMT (which is about 6 times as potent as N,N-DMT) are living through several lifetimes, “beings from other realms” and ego death. N,N-DMT is the most abundant form of DMT in the natural world, including the human brain. It is the type of DMT you take when you drink ayahuasca. Effects include a strong visual component and dissociation from reality. The most common side effects include anxiety, paranoia and nausea.<br><br>In summary, psychedelics are making a comeback and it’s important to understand what the structure and function of them in order to understand what they can be useful for and how not to use them. After encouraging returns in clinical trials, it’s important to understand that psychedelics have the potential to be used as medicine and not stigmatize them. After all, cannabis was stigmatized for almost a century and now we are seeing the incredible effects they are having on people since legalization has begun. As always, we encourage people to do their own research and consult their health professional to see what treatment can be right for them.  </p>

Psychadelics

<p>We'd like to give you a brief 10,000 foot overview of the cannabis supply chain just so our consumers can have a better idea of how we get product to their door. Although this is nowhere near a comprehensive list, we would just like to give a brief description of how the products you enjoy get made and distributed. </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Cultivation</h4>
<p>The first step of the supply chain begins with the seed, where the growers who specialize in breeding will cultivate the seeds according to which purpose it is needed for. This growing can take place indoors or outdoors. Cannabis can be broadly be grown for three purposes:</p>
<ol>
<li>Hemp variations with low THC for harvesting the cannabis stalks, which is used for rope, textiles, clothing, insulation, and other industrial products.</li>
<li>Seeds, which are grabbed from female low THC hemp plants for oil and protein contents. These are used for medicinal purposes, which is the part of the cultivation that we are interested in.</li>
<li>To be psychoactive, which is where high THC strains are bred to get the end user high.</li>
</ol>
<p>Once the plant has been germinated, seeded, vegetated, pre-flowered, and flowered it is harvested. Once the plants are taken out of the ground, they are dried, cured and trimmed to be placed into jars to be shipped for extraction. This can be done by either the growers themselves or a wholesaler.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Production and Extraction</h4>
<p>Once the cultivated cannabis arrives at the extraction point, the goal is to collect the compounds that are necessary while taking out undesirable compounds like fats and chlorophyll. The main compounds extractors are looking for are cannabinoids (such as CBD and THC) and terpenes (where you can find aroma and flavor of the plant).</p>
<p><br>There are a few main methods of extraction: solvent, non-solvent, light, and infusing. Solvents are used to make extracts like wax/ budder, cannabis oils and Butane Hash Oil (BHO). Some solvents that are used are alcohol, hydrocarbons, CO2, water and ethanol. Non solvents are extracting without the use of chemicals, used to make kief, hash or rosin. Light extraction is packaging flowers into jars, turning the flower into pre-rolls, and breaking the buds into smalls, tops, mids and kief.</p>
<p><br>Distributors are able to carry out light manufacturing; however, a special Type P licensing is required in California to package or repackage cannabis under a label. Infusing is adding cannabis to chocolate, baked goods, or any other type of edible or beverage. Usually, non solvents are used to be safer prior to baking or adding the extract to the edible/beverage, but solvents are sometimes used to guarantee a high purity.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Lab Testing</h4>
<p>Lab Testing is a key, and sometimes overlooked from the consumer perspective, step in the cannabis industry. States vary on the regulations, but in order for products to be sold legally they must comply with many regulations in order for the products to be considered safe. Also, we’re not even allowed to sell products online if they contain over 0.3% THC so this step is critical to us as a company!</p>
<p><br>Cannabis products are tested in a lab using analytical chromatography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. The initial testing is for compliance to look for contamination, pesticides, mold and mildew. Then products can get additional tests to look at their cannabinoid and terpene profile if they need to comply with a certain level of THC or they want to be accurate in their labeling.</p>
<p><br>Cannabis is tested in two times in the supply chain: before selling the harvest; the batches are assigned IDs and sent for testing, then products that have been altered from the flower must be tested again. States need a sample of the product on behalf of a batch, then the results from that batch are posted.  </p>
<p><br>The last step in testing is quality assurance, where distributors check that packaging, labeling and everything is correct and compliant according to that state’s guidelines. These guidelines vary from state to state, but the most relevant information is cannabinoid profile (THC, CBD etc), terpenes, weight, serial number, and dates of the processes (harvest, testing, expiration etc). </p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Distribution</h4>
<p>Once the products are all tested, distributors must ensure that the products are stored properly to ensure freshness. Industrial freezers and refrigerators are common to ensure that edibles and beverages are kept as fresh as possible for as long as possible. Once they’re approved for transportation, they are eligible for sale to retailers. In order to be transported, certain licenses are required. For example, in California Distributors with a type 13 license are able to deliver cannabis products between licensees but not to retailers. Distributors with a type 11 license are allowed to transport cannabis to retailers, where they take excise tax upon delivery. They are then responsible to remitting tax payment to the government in the required amount of time.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br>Retail</h4>
<p>The final step in the supply chain is the retailers, where consumers of high THC products (over 0.3%) can only buy from licensed dispensaries and CBD consumers can buy from e-commerce sellers as long as the THC content is under 0.3%. Common challenges for retailers include limited supplier availability (if only buying from in state suppliers), licensing and lab testing. Cannabis can be considered one of the most regulated industries overall due to the amount of licensing and taxing, as well as the lack of banking and infrastructure for cannabis business owners. While this does help hold business accountable for selling quality, safe products it can cause price increases and overall headaches for retailers and consumers alike. Going forward, we hope that the process becomes more efficient so that our consumers can get the highest possible value for their money.</p>
<p><br>In summary, there are 5 broad stages involved in the supply chain, and we hope that we gave you a valuable quick overview of what goes into creating and selling a cannabis product. There are tons of growing pains as the industry becomes more legitimate, so we hope that your experience is positive when it comes to the cannabis products that you consume. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!</p>

Cannabis Supply Chain

<p>Recent <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8489583/" target="_blank" title="Scientific Study on Cannabis &amp; COVID-19" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientific studies</a></strong></span> indicate that the cannabis compounds CBDA and CBGA (the raw forms of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://herbsandpotions.myshopify.com/blogs/news/list-of-all-phytocannabinoids" target="_blank" title="List of All Phytocannabinoids" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBD and CBG</a></strong></span>) may inhibit the reproduction and spread of the COVID-19. So only taking products that have the raw forms of them prior to heating them like up, like smoking or vaping (which turns those raw products into CBD and CBG).</p>
<p><br>Researchers found that these cannabinoids discouraged the COVID-19 protein from penetrating human cells. The way that this could work is that CBD binds to more than a 1000 different receptors in the human body. The scientists responsible for this study were screening compounds for cancer research, and tried to trigger an immune response in cells called the “host stress response.” The host stress response is part of an innate immune response. It’s not targeted at a pathogen in particular, but when the cell senses an invading virus, it triggers the release the protective chemicals to prevent virus replication.</p>
<p><br>High levels of CBD dosage seem to be surprisingly good at triggering the host stress response, which is an aid to cells fighting against viruses. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35007072/" target="_blank" title="Test of High CBD Dosage against COVID-19" rel="noopener noreferrer">When tested against the SARS-CoV-2 virus</a></strong></span>  (the one that causes COVID-19) they found that the CBD dosed cells were better at fighting off infection. So high levels of potency were able to reduce viral infections in half. When we mean high potency, we mean the medical grade FDA approved grade CBD that is used to treat seizure disorders, not the CBD that is commercially available.</p>
<p><br>We should be clear that all of these studies were done in a petri dish with human lung cells and monkey kidney cells for the alpha, beta and gamma variants of coronavirus (delta and omicron were not available during the study). We’ve seen many, many studies that have shown promise prior to a clinical study that fell apart after testing. We should hold off on making claims regarding cannabis and COVID-19 until we get rigorously tested scientific studies. We should tread lightly here because the cannabis industry’s reputation lies in the balance; we will only make claims that the science supports, and won’t promote quack science just to move products in the short term. We must be firm against the hype about CBD as a panacea miracle cure against everything and only point to solutions that CBD can actually provide so that the people get what they need.</p>
<p><br>So, disclaimer: this DOES NOT mean cannabis cures COVID-19, and has yet to be tested in humans. The headlines surrounding this release of this study were sensationalist and turned cannabis into the next Ivermectin. This why scientific literacy and context surrounding studies is necessary, so people don’t make decisions based on half-truths presented by media companies trying to make a quick buck telling people falsehoods. But we digress; this promising news should bring some interest to researching this in more depth. The existing scientific literature points to a few solutions that we’ve already heard: mainly the vaccines, also masking up in areas with many people, boosting our immune systems with sunlight, exercise, healthy diet, and multivitamins. So CBD/ cannabis could potentially be another tool in our arsenal; and not just against COVID-19, against <a href="https://www.livescience.com/53272-what-is-a-virus.html" title="Scientific study on viruses"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>other viruses</strong></span></a> potentially. We must always strive towards getting our health as optimal as we can. Also, we need all the tools we can get in our fight against COVID-19.</p>

CBD and COVID-19

<h1>Using CBD for Pain</h1>
<p>Due to the ongoing pandemic, many people are finding themselves in extreme amounts of pain that their regular medication just isn't doing the trick. With few exceptions, health care providers have had to stop prescribing people pain medication, and people are turning to a better solution: CBD.</p>
<h2>What Is CBD?</h2>
<p>CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the hundreds of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Unlike most other cannabinoids, CBD does not produce the "high" that comes with using cannabis. However, CBD is very effective in treating various types of pain, and since the substance is obtained from the hemp plant (which is regulated by the U.S. government as a part of the Agricultural Act of 2014), many people are now trying to find a way to use it for pain relief.</p>
<h2>How Does It Work?</h2>
<p>CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory and has been shown to be more effective than traditional pain relievers in studies conducted by health care providers and scientists. It has also been proven to be helpful in treating anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In 2017, the World Health Organization declared that CBD could be a potential treatment for several diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis.</p>
<p>CBD interacts with the same receptors in the brain that opioids, codeine, and other drugs of abuse do. This means that it can produce similar effects as those medications, but without the problematic addictive qualities. Its non-habit forming properties also make it ideal for long-term use, which could potentially help people who are trying to stop or reduce their addiction to other substances (e.g., opioids, tobacco, or alcohol).</p>
<h2>Why Should You Try CBD For Pain?</h2>
<p>There are several good reasons why you might want to try CBD for pain relief. First, the substance does seem to be helpful for most types of pain, including joint pain, stiffness, and muscle aches. Since CBD is not an opioid, it does not produce the same euphoric effects as many other pain relieving medications. This means that (with some exceptions) you will not feel "high" when taking it. This also makes it safer to use than some other pain relieving medications, which have been known to produce dependency and addiction problems in some users.</p>
<p>If you're trying to find a way to relieve your discomfort during these trying times, CBD seems like a pretty good option. Its effects are usually very fast acting, and it can be taken orally or applied directly to the skin for a local reaction that provides instantaneous relief. It also does not need to be refrigerated, so it is easy to transport and store.</p>
<h2>How Can I Try CBD For Pain?</h2>
<p>You can try CBD for pain relief in a couple of different ways. First, you can take it orally, either in the form of a capsule or a tablet. Second, you can apply it topically, either by taking a drop on the tongue or by using a good quality balm or cream. An alternative method is to mix the substance with food or drink, the same way you would with an edible. This is a great way to use CBD since it is not only absorbed through the gut but also through the skin. Lastly, you can inhale the vapor produced by taking CBD in the form of dry puff or a joint. While there is no evidence that indicates the therapeutic effects of this method, many people feel that inhalation of CBD is a quick and easy way to get the benefits of the substance.</p>
<p>At this point, given the widespread testing that has been conducted and the growing body of evidence that supports the use of CBD for pain relief, it is highly unlikely that your healthcare provider will reject a prescription for CBD. However, until then, it is still a good idea to err on the side of caution.</p>

CBD for Pain

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