Showing posts with label Cannabis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cannabis. Show all posts

Friday, May 10, 2019

Does CBD Impact Progesterone and Estrogen?

Progesterone along with estrogen are known as female sex hormones, which play a big role in the reproductive system and organs, improving the well-being of the body for women. CBD can modulate the way that these are expressed, but right now, this is still at the early stages. 

How these hormones Work 

The hormones are used as ways to receive messages that are impacted by the endocrine glands, and this triggers the changes.  You have a master gland, which is the pituitary gland.  Men along with women actually have the same hormones, just expressed differently. Progesterone along with estrogen are what’s seen in women, testosterone in men. But men can produce the same, but it’s at lower levels. 



For those who don’t know, progesterone is basically the building block which makes the sex hormones that’s there. the ovaries and testes both create these, but they play a role in the regulating of menstrual cycles, and it can impact how sperm production happens in guys. 

Progesterone also helps with a lo of functions, such as: 

  • Improving blood sugar 

  • Controlling and increasing bone mass 

  • Controlling brain activity 

  • Converting fat stores into energy 

  • Controlling the production of thyroid hormones 

  • Improves libido 

  • Improves mood 

  • Supports sleep 

Estrogen is pretty much what helps with sex drive, erectile function, and sperm production in men.  For women, this s what helps with the egg follicle growth, the thickness of your uterus, uterine health, forming breast tissue.  This is something that is also changed based on the different stages people are in. 



It also helps increase the following: 

  • Bone density 

  • Changing physical features when puberty hits 

  • Maintaining emotions and mood 

  • Skin that’s healthy 

  • Improving your cognitive skills 

  • Boosting muscle mass 

  • Metabolism 

The Science of CBD and these hormones 

Right now, the effects of CBD on these are still in the early stages. Right now, most of the research that’s there looks at the whole plant, on these hormones 

The interaction of both of these offer an increase in the production of hormones, followed by the entourage effect, so it can help with improving this in a person. 

But they can also modulate the way the hormones work within the ECS, and it can help with increasing the hormonal functions. 



In a study done in 1980, it was found that the high levels of CBD didn’t change our estrogen levels, but it wsa found that CBD actually did suppress the production, since it can inhibit aromatase production.  This is important for the production of this. It can also deregulate the decidualization, which is something that plays a part in pregnancies. It wsa found that it can lead to problems with fertility, but it requires more research before the agree to conclude that.

The findings of this on progesterone were done mostly on rat studies. It wsa found hat it can actually inhibit progesterone expression within the rats. Some do theorize that this might’ve bene created due to the metabolic interactions between the enzyme and the cannabinoid which creates this. This is something that it  could possibly be an issue, but we need more studies. 

Right now, ther is nothing that says CBD can ruin pregnancies, or impact the production of this, but as you use it, know that this is a study without too much behind it, due to the fact that most of the studies are done with the whole plant, rather tan just an isolate, so it’s important to look at this, and also note that it may create hormone imbalance. 


Thursday, July 12, 2018

Marijuana and Driving: Actually Safe?

Some people have heard of the scenario where they get too high, get in a car, and then, they end up running into something. While it’s something you shouldn’t do, actually, it was found that the opposite happened.  The illegalization of marijuana didn’t actually change the amount of accidents, and in some cases, it decreased this. There’s some research that validates, which is based on the reports that were found, the performance of drivers, and also the auto insurance information that’s there. You shouldn’t doit, but it also may mean you’re safer on the road, at least when alcohol is involved. 

Marijuana is Safer than Alcohol when Driving 

We always hear about no driving under the influence, and that's true. You also hear in some states that you shouldn’t’ drive under the influence of marijuanaThis is something that's normally not promoted by anyone, but actually, it’s something that is considered a bit less risky than say, driving under the influence of alcohol. 



This may be because some users are able to consume cannabis in place of other materials that are mor intoxicating and dangerous, and most drivers tend to chance their behavior and make sure to drive in safe ways compared to how they may with alcohol of course. There was a study done on this actually, which looked at the driving performances of people after they’ve smoked a marijuana cigarette. They were given dosages that are up to 30 MG THC in some cases, and they went through a series of trials that were on roads that were closed. 

Drivers did begin the test high, and they had larger blood plasma levels. The tests were also conducted after the drivers consumed the alcohol in a simple combination. 



It was found through this that those drivers who used marijuana and were under the influence of this, were able to keep the insight of the performance that they did and were able to compensate in a lo of cases, especially through using more effort, slowing down, and the like, so the effects on this were quite small. 

There were some different summaries which also did highlight the relative risks of those drivers that were impaired as well especially when compared to say alcohol and being under the influence. 

THC and the Levels of Accidents 

Probably the biggest way to look at this, is the amount of crashes that weren’t fatal. The ones that did get into crashes, they looked at the amount of alcohol, marijuana, and some of the other substances which might be there. There was no chance of an increased risk in those who didn’t have larger levels of THC. There was a very small increase in those who have 5 ng/ml in their blood. 



So for what that means is simple, the THC concentrations that are small are usually accepted in both the upper, and the lower benchmarks when law enforcement is trying to understand the operation of a vehicle.As said before, most of the impairment happens after the initial consumption. Within the first two hours, it’s much higher, but then, over time, it definitely decreases, especially after four hours. 

So while it may seem like it’s a lot safer if you’re looking to et on the road after having a marijuana cigarette, it’s important as well that you take your time, and wait about six hours in order to ensure that the HTC leaves your body and isn’t causing impairment. While you should not drive high, this is important information, and it does shed insight on the impacts of THC on the body, mind, and the like as well.


Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Texas Tries to Ruin Cannabis for Everyone, Once Again

If you have been following marijuana legalization and policy throughout the United States for any serious amount of time, then you are probably familiar with some states being very stubborn - particularly, the southern states and most conservative ones. Texas has been notoriously against the use of marijuana for quite some time.




Even medical marijuana patients are limited to marijuana strains and products with a THC cap at 1%, which is absolutely abysmal. How on earth are medical marijuana patients actually going to use cannabis to treat their medical conditions if they can’t even use THC? However, for residents that live in states with very restrictive medical marijuana programs, a new type of THC began to show promising signs for treating serious conditions and also existed as a loophole in the ban on THC products.


Delta-8 THC, which I have talked about many times in my previous posts, is technically legal under the federal government law, since it is considered to be derived from hemp. Consequently, Delta-8 gained serious popularity in places where standard THC products were banned, and it can come in the form of vapes, gummies, and whole flowers.





Yesterday I actually went out and bought a disposable vape cartridge with Delta-8 and Delta-19 THC, since normal THC where I live in Indiana is not legal. Anyways, Delta-8 gained enough popularity to the point that Texas lawmakers caught wind of it. Now, they are proposing to put the same ban on Delta-8 THC that they have on other THC products. For a state that loves to tout their free market and civilian rights, they sure do love to restrict people from using a natural drug like marijuana. It’s hard to believe how many people in Texas are living with serious medical conditions and do not even qualify for using a 1% THC product. In this article, I am going to spend some time talking about my least favorite state and why they are attacking Delta-8 THC products. 


It’s really hard to say exactly how much Delta-8 products were being sold in Texas in the last few months. While we know that smoke shops and vape shops were having a hard time keeping this type of THC in stock, we also know that Delta-8 could also be purchased over mail order and shipped with UPS. This means that it is really hard to know how much Delta-8 was shipped into the state without the lawmakers knowing. Like I said before, Delta-8 is technically considered to be derived from hemp, which makes it legal under federal law.




Basically, Texas wants to change the state’s definition of what is considered to be hemp so that they can ban the use of Delta-8 THC as well. Honestly, I really don’t know why Texas is going so hard in the paint to make all forms of THC illegal. Other states have great examples of well established and profitable medical marijuana programs, and people getting high occasionally is not going to crumble society in America as we know it. I guess my main question to Texas lawmakers is - why is this such a big deal to you? Now, I don’t expect any of them to read my articles, but I hope that what I write about at least gives you some insight into what goes on in Texas regarding cannabis policy and legislation. 


The worst part about all of this is that there has not been enough time to inform residents in Texas about law changes and Delta-8. This means that a lot of people could get caught with illegal forms of marijuana and not even know it.  


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

A THC Measuring Device that’s Opening the Door to cannabis research

When different police officers and workplaces use samples to find for THC, they usually are looking at how impaired a person is, especially for driving. But with the cognalyzer, it’s a neurotechnology that actually does look at whether or not directly if someone else is stoned or not. This is a neurotechnology that measures your brain waves to provide the right level of insight on how stoned a person really is.  



While old measuring devices would use the saliva and blood to test for this, it didn’t really look at the mental state. However, this is definitely helping people look at the true effects that marijuana has on your brain. 

The problems with Current Testing 

THC-infused cannabis creates a euphoric sort of high sensation. While its good for enjoying the evening, if you’re over here getting stoned and then operating machinery, it can impact how much of a risk this is causing.  It’s something that can impact your motor controls, and the ability to have proper reaction time. 



This is why people use blood and saliva testing for this, and if you have that in you, you can be charged with reckless driving. While this is great, assigning numbers to different bodies, the problem is that there isn’t a direct correlation which exists between the molecule concentration and how psychotropic these experiences are as an experience which is happening within your head.  

This of course also come with the problem of how valid the experiences are. Lots of researchers don’t actually believe that they’re very safe, and it’s something that also creates issues because of false flags.  That then creates legal implications.  It’s less about how the person is affected by weed, and more about if there is weed in your body, then you get charged, when you really may not have had it for a long time. 

How to Cognalyzer helps 

The cognalyzer is one that’s pretty much the answer. Why is that? It works with the brain directly and looks at the activity of the brain. 

This is basically a novel kind of EEG machine, and it is something that’s beyond being just an idea, but instead, it’s something that is used to help actually provide real research to a device. This is something that’s used to detect the brain’s activity, and it’s something that’s much more effective for treating people’s conditions. 

In a study on the brain, they mentioned that the current standards used to define the impairment of a person and that cannabis use are something that’s currently still limited, which is why this is objectively the best solution. It’s something that detects the metabolites in your bodily fluid immediately, rather than days after you take this in. 



During the process, they tried this by putting the electrodes on a person’s head, took a baseline reading, and then they used different data on brainwaves to offer real, diagnostic results. It was found that there was an accuracy of at least well over 80% out here, and the research did as well look at sensitivity used to help with this, and it also scored high in a lot of the areas. 

They found that if you did use a gel to test the THC performance, it was better, and it’s a suitable tool that could spell the difference for testing in your workplace. Hopefully, we’ll get to see more of this kind of soon, but for now, there is definitely some hope that this could replace current testing, hopefully sooner rather than later when you’re looking for valid testing methods. 


Sunday, June 11, 2017

Protecting Cannabis Concentrates

The battle to legalize medical marijuana in the United States has been a slow, uphill one. Many people would say that it has not been without its ups and downs. However, if we take a moment to reflect on the progress that has been made in our country regarding cannabis legalization and acceptance, we have come a long way in the course of a decade or so. 


Pretty much every state now, with the exception of a couple that shall remain nameless, have constructed some sort of medical marijuana program that gives patients with certain conditions the option to use legalized marijuana products. Of course, the fight for cannabis never ends. Many states that do have medical marijuana programs are still extremely restrictive with what types of products are allowed to be used, where they can be bought, and so forth. One of the many problems that are beginning to occur in various states is the potency of cannabis concentrates. 





After a state legalizes medical marijuana, the next step is to determine what type of products are allowed to be used, and the potency that they can have. Concentrates, for example, are basically just THC extracts that can be inhaled through a vape pen or such product. As the name suggests, these products are highly concentrated THC and are very potent. This means that marijuana patients only need to take one or two hits before they begin to feel its effects. But can this be a problem if not used properly? Well, that is the question that fuels the fire for banning high potency cannabis. 


You see, research suggests that there are safety concerns with using highly potent cannabis concentrates over a long period of time - and that is true. Concentrates are more potent with THC than any product ever has been before. Some products can even contain up to 65% or 80% THC - that is a lot! So there are some serious concerns among legislatures in several states that are looking to cap the potency allowed for marijuana concentrate products. 



While it is always a good idea to be cautious about how much THC one is ingesting at any given time, concentrates do offer great benefits to medical marijuana users. Firstly, using a vape or pen is more discreet and portable, and overall less complicated than trying to roll and smoke a joint, for example. Plus, for the medical marijuana patients that are dealing with severe chronic pain, high levels of THC in concentrated doses make the most sense in order to manage their symptoms. At any rate, this issue is up for debate in a lot of states. 


Washington, for example, which is renowned for being one of the most cannabis welcoming states, has introduced Bills to cap cannabis concentrates for sale at medical and adult-use dispensaries at 10% THC. People in opposition of this Bill feel that it is too low - 10% THC does not offer medical users the proper treatment that one seeks out marijuana usage for. Arizona has seen similar Bills attempt to cap all medical cannabis, including concentrates, flower, and tinctures, at a maximum of 2% THC. This is almost a slap in the face for anyone that actually uses marijuana. With 2% THC, you might as well not even be using marijuana anymore.



In any case, I think it is important to find a balance when it comes to using cannabis concentrates. I do not recommend using highly potent THC unless you absolutely have to for a medical condition. If you are someone using cannabis concentrate with 80% THC, you may need to rethink some things about your life.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Cannabis and Memory

Some people debate on how effective, safe, and harmful cannabis can be in some cases. There are some people who believe cannabis does cure everything, but some are more apprehensive of the effects medicinally that happen, and some of the side effects which are serious that occur. While there is a discussion that’s ongoing, some studies and research, along with some clinical trials, are definitely happy with the results that marijuana has on this. Many do believe that cannabis, especially when they have it in small amounts can definitely outweigh the risks that are there. 

Some people take too much though, and it can impact memory. There are cases where marijuana results in bad academic performances, addiction, and problems with memory and brain development. 



Cannabis is something that’s good for a lot of people, but it’s best that you don’t consume it until you’ve gotten a recommendation from a doctor, including the prescription, instructions, and the like, and you should not take this before talking to doctors. 

Cannabis and How it Affects Your Memory 

Some are still trying their best to learn about the interactions, but cannabis does instigate your brain, creating a problem with the way that we remember everything. There isn’t any correlation that does show how marijuana is linked to this, but too much THC can cause the brain to be excited, overworking it, and the functionality does start to become a problem. 

It also was found that in a lot of different studies that not every part of marijuana is very psychoactive. THC is great for this, and it is something that can cause the feeling of euphoria that goes with this. THC is of course, more psychoactive, while CBD usually isn’t, and usually, the balance of euphoria along with the CBD within can offer the feeling of being high, without creating the drowsiness and feeling too sedated either. 



Another study highlighted the ways that marijuana can help with memory and retention, and it can help especially those that are diagnosed with various diseases, and this of course has been something that a lot of researchers have looked at, and more research must be done to fully support this. 

Marijuana and Brain Conditions 

For those who have Alzheimer’s, this can actually improve the memory of the brain, and reducing some of the various symptoms that come with this. 



Remember as well that there are certain conditions as well that marijuana is able to improve, especially with impairing the brain functions too. It’s important to talk to a doctor that’s going to help you figure u the best amounts to use. Most of the time, when they’re choosing this, they look at the symptoms, your body, and the family history. They also may look at medical records, and the regime that’s there to offer recommendations, along with progress monitoring to help you with the consumption, and also reduce the intake if they see that it’s not working. It’s good to make sure that you work with a doctor on this, since of course, it can impact how you feel. 

It can of course, also diminish the capacity of the brains too, since if you take too much, you develop a tolerance, and it can deteriorate your ability to think and focus. Some people also take this with other drugs, creating more damage as a result of this. It’s something that most people have to realize, and right now, we’re still trying to understand the full ability that marijuana has. 

Remember, it’s all different, so make sure that if you take this, be mindful of effects.