January 2017

HEALTH
by Marcy Albin
CBD and
THC:
The Questionable
Green Stuff
Globally, people from the Americas to the shores
of Europe are in heated debate regarding the
medicinal effects and the therapeutic benefits
of cannabis. This is, of course, due to the fact that
there is clinical evidence that shows cannabis and
its components have the ability to treat a number of
neurological and cancer-related disorders, as well as
other pain related issues.
Florida voters on the
recent Election Eve,
overwhelmingly
approved a
constitutional amendment guaranteeing
seriously ill patients the right to medical marijuana.
This was a victory for decriminalization supporters
who narrowly lost a similar ballot fight two years ago.
According to
unofficial results,
Amendment 2
had more than
71 percent of
the vote.
The newly approved Amendment 2 allows patients with
illnesses of the “same kind or class, as or comparable to”
cancer, HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s
disease, and epilepsy to obtain marijuana through stateapproved
doctors and state-approved dispensaries.
According to The Deparment of Health in Tallahassee,
about 450,000 Floridians would qualify to use the drug
under these rules. Florida law already permits patients
with certain conditions, such as uncontrollable
seizures, to use non-euphoric types of cannabis. Another law
adopted in 2016 allows terminally ill patients to use full-strength
marijuana.
Currently, with the majority of the American population,
Canada, Brazil, Australia, and other countries in the European
Union, having easy access to some form of legal cannabis,
we now face a need to sit down and educate ourselves and
to be knowledgeable consumers and improved health care
professionals
Cannabis based medications have
been used for centuries. Here is a brief
breakdown of the cannabinoids.
The endocannabinoid system is a group of neuromodulatory
lipids and their receptors in the brain and throughout the
central and peripheral nervous systems. They are involved in
a variety of physiological processes including appetite, painsensation,
mood, and memory, and mediate the psychoactive
effects of cannabis.
The best known part of the cannabinoid is THC, or
tetrahydrocannabinol. THC has been shown to bind the CB1
receptors, and induce an intoxicating effect, called a “high.”
Since then, THC has been tested and has shown to effectively
treat pain associated with cancer successfully. THC, however,
is only one of the 70 or more cannabinoids found in the THC
plant.
The second most important cannabinoid is
CBD, or cannabidiol; it is non-intoxicating,
and shows signs of controlling
seizures, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and
other dysfunctions.
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JANUARY 2017