Today, we take a look at the most reviled medicinal plant ever. In fact, we need to modify its name in this article or risk having it blocked by nanny filters.
We’re t*lking c*nnabis, of course.
C*nnabis was the victim of its own success. It worked for so many conditions that it threatened Big Pharma’s profits. The usual Big Pharma playbook swung into motion: make it illegal and stigmatise it. When the US Senate approved the M*rijuana Tax Act in 1937, few of the legislators knew that “m*rijuana” was the same as “c*nnabis”. They thought it was some nefarious Mexican plant, not the medicine being sold at their local pharmacy.
Strains commonly available at that stage were low in THC, the psycho-active substance in c*nnabis, so the initial objective was not to curb any dangers to society. However, after the first legal victory, the media began its work of stigmatising c*nnabis as an “entry drug”, a soft drug that introduced children to harder, more dangerous drugs.
Thus, in 1970, the US Senate voted to classify c*nnabis as a Schedule I drug, making it illegal to possess c*nnabis across all 50 states. The rest of the world followed suit.
South Africa had outlawed c*nnabis as early as 1928. In 1971, it was further criminalised. This enabled the apartheid government to arrest political opponents for possession of c*nnabis, while a thriving underground trade in c*nnabis began.
In 1996, several states in the USA began legalising c*nnabis for medicinal use. As of 2012, many states also began legalising it for recreational use. All this despite the fact that it still remains illegal at the federal level. Many countries in the world followed the American lead again, South Africa included (although the local legal position is very confusing, even to legal experts). The reason for this legal relaxation was mainly due to the undeniable health benefits of c*nnabis, especially in cancer.
You can’t keep a good plant down.
Let’s be clear: if it is a bad idea to smoke tobacco, it is an even worse idea to smoke c*nnabis. There are dozens of documented health impacts when c*nnabis is smoked on a regular basis. Other than the usual dangers of smoking, such as lung or mouth cancers, there are the psychiatric effects (panic attacks, drop in IQ and higher risk of schizophrenia by up to 5 times). In men, it drops testosterone levels and heavy use may cause infertility. And then there are the indirect effects. Currently, driving under the influence of c*nnabis is a noteworthy cause of accidents and road deaths in the USA.
Right now, no one knows if c*nnabis is legal or not in South Africa.
Yes, you are allowed to own some or grow some for personal use but, no, you are not allowed to sell it or buy it. Yes, you may use it for medicine but, no, your doctor may not prescribe it (but a paramedic or sangoma may).
Confused? We sympathise.
What we do know for sure is that it is legal to own c*nnabis for medicinal purposes in South Africa. We also know that it is very effective for many medical conditions, if used in the right way. For many years, DocFrank has been developing a range of c*nnabis products that are safe, non-addictive, highly effective, consistent in quality and affordable in price. What more could you ask for?
Beware Of Heavy Weed
Few people know that the c*nnabis plant concentrates a number of heavy metals. One of these is arsenic. Plants grown in soils rich in arsenic (such as in some parts of the Eastern Cape) can thus carry a heavy little surprise with them. One solution is to grow plants hydroponically, which is what our suppliers are doing. It also goes without saying that plants must be grown free from pesticides.
Low And Slow Is The Way To Go
OK, so smoking weed is not a bright idea. How then are the medicinal benefits of c*nnabis unlocked?
In times past, c*nnabis tinctures were most often used by pharmacists. This delivers the actives in a readily absorbed format, but the concentration of actives was often unpredictable. With modern high-yielding strains, this is even more problematic.
Extracts are the way to go for predictable results. At Integrow Health, we buy extracts from specific strains grown by specialists in the field. All extracts are tested by an accredited lab to ensure quality standards are being met.
The best format to administer c*nnabis extracts is below the tongue. Swallowing or ingesting it is not such a good idea, since the liver chows up about three quarters before it ever reaches the body. The blood flow in the tongue and oral cavity side-step the liver, allowing almost 100% of administered oil to reach the bloodstream. No money goes to waste.
How Can Weed Help You?
Pain
Four out of five visits to the doctor start with someone wanting the same thing: for pain to stop, preferably yesterday. Big Pharma has been happy to oblige for decades, offering up the usual suspects — something mildly useless but “safe,” something that works until it damages your stomach or liver, or the “nuke ’em” option that works brilliantly until it turns you into a statistic. The opioid crisis didn’t arrive by accident; it is the culmination of decades of Big Pharma strategy. We already knew the opiate dangers a century ago, but they’re still being sold to this day.
C*nnabis oil sprays are the awkward guest who wasn’t invited to that particular party. They don’t play by the usual rules. Absorbed under the tongue, they sidestep much of the liver’s enthusiasm for breaking things down, giving you steadier levels and a faster kick than most swallowed oils. No dramatic comedown, no prescription required in South Africa’s current grey zone, and (perhaps most annoyingly for the pill pushers) they show remarkably little interest in turning users into dependents.
The beauty of using a spray for pain is how boringly practical it is. One or two squirts, hold for a few seconds and done! You can adjust the dose without breaking out a set of scales or waiting for a tablet to dissolve in your gut. Relief within minutes, not hours. Night-time pain relief actually lets you sleep instead of just making you drowsy.
The following products may be useful for pain:
Green Pain (10%) x 9 ml (60 servings)
This oil is newly in stock. It is balanced for moderate to severe pain, or chronic pain. It can be used by day or night.
Charlotte’s Angel (8%) x 9 ml (60 servings)
Our Charlotte’s Angel 8% spray leans heavily on the CBD side (roughly 90% CBD to 10% THC), which makes it the sensible daytime choice for pain, stiffness and the kind of low-grade tension that makes everything feel slightly louder than it should. It also works well for migraine headaches, both when taken below the tongue or on the skin (rubbed on the temples and the skin overlying the carotid arteries).
Zee Bee Dee (20%) x 9 ml (60 servings)
Zee Bee Dee 20%, by contrast, is a FECO (Full Extract C*nnabis Oil) blend. It brings a full bouquet of cannabinoids to the table. It is intended for heavy pain, such as in late-stage cancer or while recovering from a burn wound.
Sleep
C*nnabis extracts have also been extensively studied for their effects on sleep. The sleep benefits of c*nnabis are linked to many separate actives in a delicate balance. When you take c*nnabis for sleep, you do not want to wake up groggy, but neither do you want to wake up too early. Hitting the sweet spot is often a matter of personal testing, but we tried to make it as easy as possible.
Note: C*nnabis extracts will not help with extreme insomnia. Their main sleep benefits are to hasten sleep onset, deepen sleep and to extend sleep duration.
Green Sleep (10%) x 9 ml (60 servings)
With a THC:CBD balance of 2:1, our Green Sleep 10% combines both relaxation and deep sleep in one product. It also contains the terpenes known to help with falling asleep faster. One spray below the tongue shortly before bedtime should be enough for most. Some might need two sprays, though.
Inflammation and Immune Support
Another therapeutic benefit of c*nnabis oils that has been extensively studied is its impact on the immune system. THC, the psycho-active ingredient, is well known to modulate white blood cell activity. This means it can reduce inflammation by calming overactive white blood cells, without suppressing immune function. This makes it useful in auto-immune disorders as well as allergies. It is also often used during cancer chemotherapy (which suppresses white blood cell activity), helping the immune system to bounce back quicker.
Green Immune (4%) x 9 ml (60 servings)
Our Green Immune is the workhorse that covers all bases. It is light-weight and affordable, yet helps with many different health challenges, including pain and sleep. It is well suited for daytime use. On the immune front, one spray a day, typically taken at night, helps reduce inflammation (such as in arthritis) and allergies. It may also help calm the immune storm of a disease like SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus).
Cancer
One of the main reasons people use c*nnabis is in the treatment of various cancers. Benefit in certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, has been proven scientifically, but most evidence is anecdotal. Where c*nnabis provides significant relief in cancer is by boosting the immune system during chemotherapy and by improving appetite.
About a third of cancer patients die due to muscle wasting (cachexia). This is due to loss of appetite, chemotherapy nausea, and the cancer itself. A product like Green Immune stimulates appetite (in those who are underweight), in part by removing nausea and in part by central action on the brain. This helps improve both quality and quantity of life in cancer.
Drug Withdrawal
Far from being a gateway drug, c*nnabis extracts are very useful for drug withdrawal. This is true for “recreational” drugs like cigarettes or alcohol (or even harder drugs) as well as for brain-active prescription medications (all of which have some degree of addictive potential). Green Immune or Charlotte’s Angel can provide relief from withdrawal symptoms without being addictive in their own right. A spray in the morning and a spray at night may be enough cover to let go of an unhealthy habit.
In Conclusion
C*nnabis products, properly derived and properly used, can help with many common health challenges — in many cases without side effects or with only minimal side effects. It has no addictive potential if used sublingually in extracted form.
To your (green) health!
