There has been much debate and many internet memes or posts in recent times on the benefits of cannabis for your health as well as for the environment. I'd like to look at some of the facts...
The natural hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) (which is NOT psychoactive and not the same as the highly hybridised plant variety used as a recreational or medicinal drug) is a fast-growing and renewable resource, which can be farmed and used for making foods, clothes, material, toilet paper, plastic substitutes (and non-petroleum based as plastics are), bio-fuel, oil, and many other products. Hemp can produce 2-4 times the amount of paper per acre as trees, in a few weeks and without the huge amount of pesticides and herbicides used for cotton. It's obvious for many reasons that this plant should be used as a sustainable and very useful crop!
There are 2 key compounds found in cannabis:
1) THC - the psychoactive component which causes the "high" or hallucinogenic effects in the recreational drug, but which can lead to psychosis and mental health conditions
2) CBD - "cannabindiol" is just one of 60+ non-psychoactive medicinal components which can help with many health issues such as epilepsy, autism, cancer, chronic pain, and more. CBD can actually reduce the euphoric effects of THC.
Industrial hemp is very low in THC but higher in CBD. Marijuana for drug use is much higher in THC but very low in CBD. Yet the government and police see hemp, marijuana and medicinal cannabis as all the same thing and you can be charged, fined or jailed for possession...
The recent debate over using cannabis or cannabis oil for health conditions has caused a lot of confusion. Victoria has recently approved the use of medicinal cannabis for patients in "exceptional circumstances" from early 2017. Queensland is undertaking clinical trials at present for medicinal cannabis. NSW has approved the use of medicinal cannabis for "compassionate use" to adults with a terminal illness, although this may change to non-terminal patients. Hence it appears that the states are not talking to each other and all developing different schemes...
There are a couple of issues with cannabis:
1) for the medicinal benefits, you need the specific medicinal cannabis, such as the cannabis oil, NOT the typical marijuana or pot you may know of
2) smoking marijuana does not give the medicinal benefits safely - it's still smoking and harming your lungs and getting more of the euphoric THC and less of the beneficial CBD components
3) here's the kicker - while the governments appear to be doing the right thing for the public on this issue, they aren't telling you that the medicinal cannabis being trialled or approved for use is the SYNTHETIC version...
Synthetic cannabis, just like all synthetic prescription drugs, will never be as beneficial as the real thing, and can (and has) been shown to actually make your health worse... Research has shown synthetic CBD can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks, higher levels of psychosis (ie, schizophrenia) and mental health conditions than even THC causes, anxiety and panic attacks, seizures, reduced memory and cognition, and many other adverse effects.
Unfortunately, the government and medical authorities will appear to be doing the right thing, but actually making the situation and your health worse if you choose to use the legal medicinal cannabis. Why can't they just do the right things and it would be so much easier and better for everyone who needs this to improve their health?!
At present, there are no legally available medicinal cannabis products available in Australia. But there are many available, but this needs to be the medicinal grade, not your average marijuana! And don't ask me where to get it from...
I guess that's the lesson for today - look into the details of everything, and don't trust the government or medical authorities when it comes to your health and wellbeing.
I wish you the best in health.
The natural hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) (which is NOT psychoactive and not the same as the highly hybridised plant variety used as a recreational or medicinal drug) is a fast-growing and renewable resource, which can be farmed and used for making foods, clothes, material, toilet paper, plastic substitutes (and non-petroleum based as plastics are), bio-fuel, oil, and many other products. Hemp can produce 2-4 times the amount of paper per acre as trees, in a few weeks and without the huge amount of pesticides and herbicides used for cotton. It's obvious for many reasons that this plant should be used as a sustainable and very useful crop!
There are 2 key compounds found in cannabis:
1) THC - the psychoactive component which causes the "high" or hallucinogenic effects in the recreational drug, but which can lead to psychosis and mental health conditions
2) CBD - "cannabindiol" is just one of 60+ non-psychoactive medicinal components which can help with many health issues such as epilepsy, autism, cancer, chronic pain, and more. CBD can actually reduce the euphoric effects of THC.
Industrial hemp is very low in THC but higher in CBD. Marijuana for drug use is much higher in THC but very low in CBD. Yet the government and police see hemp, marijuana and medicinal cannabis as all the same thing and you can be charged, fined or jailed for possession...
The recent debate over using cannabis or cannabis oil for health conditions has caused a lot of confusion. Victoria has recently approved the use of medicinal cannabis for patients in "exceptional circumstances" from early 2017. Queensland is undertaking clinical trials at present for medicinal cannabis. NSW has approved the use of medicinal cannabis for "compassionate use" to adults with a terminal illness, although this may change to non-terminal patients. Hence it appears that the states are not talking to each other and all developing different schemes...
There are a couple of issues with cannabis:
1) for the medicinal benefits, you need the specific medicinal cannabis, such as the cannabis oil, NOT the typical marijuana or pot you may know of
2) smoking marijuana does not give the medicinal benefits safely - it's still smoking and harming your lungs and getting more of the euphoric THC and less of the beneficial CBD components
3) here's the kicker - while the governments appear to be doing the right thing for the public on this issue, they aren't telling you that the medicinal cannabis being trialled or approved for use is the SYNTHETIC version...
Synthetic cannabis, just like all synthetic prescription drugs, will never be as beneficial as the real thing, and can (and has) been shown to actually make your health worse... Research has shown synthetic CBD can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks, higher levels of psychosis (ie, schizophrenia) and mental health conditions than even THC causes, anxiety and panic attacks, seizures, reduced memory and cognition, and many other adverse effects.
Unfortunately, the government and medical authorities will appear to be doing the right thing, but actually making the situation and your health worse if you choose to use the legal medicinal cannabis. Why can't they just do the right things and it would be so much easier and better for everyone who needs this to improve their health?!
At present, there are no legally available medicinal cannabis products available in Australia. But there are many available, but this needs to be the medicinal grade, not your average marijuana! And don't ask me where to get it from...
I guess that's the lesson for today - look into the details of everything, and don't trust the government or medical authorities when it comes to your health and wellbeing.
I wish you the best in health.
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