CANNABIS EDUCATION
Cannabis spp. has been used ritually, spiritually, economically, and medicinally by many cultures throughout history like ancient China, Greece, Egypt, and India (Ott, 1996; Rätsch, 2005). It is an herbaceous plant, one of four major genera of the Cannabaceae family, distinguished by its leaves and flower buds. The palmate leaves are iconic, so to say, and the aroma of the buds are very distinct and non-comparable. Cannabis is a polytypic genus, thought to have three species, although, some botanists think that there is only one genus species with subspecies (Ott, 1996; Rätsch, 2005).
The plant has many economic values including fibers for clothing, paper, ropes, sacks, or sails for boats, and it’s importance has been documented throughout history (Rätsch, 2005; Richardson, Cannabaceae - The Hemp or Hackberry Family, 2016). Cannabis is special because it is the only genera of plant to contain the chemical compound of tetrahydrocannabinol (a subgroup of cannabinoids).
The primary active tetrahydrocannabinol is known as Δ9-THC corresponding to (–)-Δ6-3,4-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ1-THC)(Ott, 1996). Δ1-THC has three variants, two of those result when resin is stored and are responsible for the psychoactive effects of the plant, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) (Rätsch, 2005). The parts of the plant that contain tetrahydrocannabinols are the female flowers, leaves, seeds, and resins (Rätsch, 2005; Richardson, Cannabaceae - The Hemp or Hackberry Family, 2016). The plant can be smoked, ingested (through food, capsules, oils), applied topically as an oil or some form (lotions, etc.), and drank as a tea.
Fossil records have found hemp seeds in layers of Neolithic pottery in Germany, Romania, Switzerland, and Austria dating back to 5500 BCE (Richardson, Cannabaceae - The Hemp or Hackberry Family, 2016). Some of the pottery illustrated hallucinatory motifs possibly depicting the powers of the plant (Rätsch, 2005). Based on carbon-14 dating, the history of the economical, medicinal and psychoactive qualities of the plant,date back to 4000 BC in China where cannabis was used for fibers, and during the time of Emperor Shen-Nong (~2700 BC) it was found in the Pen Ts’ao Ching herbal noting its psychotropic properites and ways in which it could treat constipation, joint pain, menstrual pains, and more (Ott, 1996; Richardson, Cannabaceae - The Hemp or Hackberry Family, 2016).
During the 1500’s Queen Elizabeth I of England ordered all landowners throughout the kingdom with more than 60 acres, to grow hemp or face a fine (Richardson, Cannabaceae - The Hemp or Hackberry Family, 2016). During the mid-1800s, a French psychiatrist named Moreau de Tours, was the first to publish a scientific cannabis study from a medicinal and cultural perspective, learning that cannabis was not only valuable as medicine, but artists, poets, and creatives were also experiencing an elevated sense of creativity (Ott, 1996; Rätsch, 2005). Cannabis arrived in Europe during the 19thcentury when an illustration book was published in France signifying Hindu customs surrounding its use, and was implemented as a medicine thereafter (Rätsch, 2005).
The medicinal use of cannabis has been documented throughout history. Modern science now shows the potential benefits for a variety of ailments and conditions. Cannabis has been known to treat cancer symptoms, glaucoma, PTSD, AIDS, sleep disorders, PMS, migraines, and pain relief, but the list continues. Δ1-THC was first isolated in 1964 and since then studies have continued, where scientists have come to discover more and more about this one-of-a-kind plant (Ott, 1996). In the early 1990’s, the isolation of anandamide was discovered while studying the THC receptor in the brain. It is important to note that anandamide stems from Ananda, the Sanskrit word for “bliss” (Ott, 1996). This discovery led to a new class of neurotransmitters that mediate relaxation in mammalian brains (Ott, 1996).
Cannabis chemically affects the brain through the endocannabinoid system which is present within the brain naturally and is also, like yoga, associated with the ANS. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is held responsible for specific biochemical processes in mammalian bodies like energy metabolism, nervous system function, immune function, and a number of pathophysiological conditions (cardiovascular, inflammation, obesity, and mental) (Hauer, et al., 2013). The ECS is comprised of naturally occurring endocannabinoid ligands, anandamide (ANA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors, CB-1 and CB-2. Both the endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors are found in the limbic system of the brain, triggering synaptic neurotransmissions which signal basic survival instincts like flight or fight, sleeping, eating, and relaxing (Betthauser, et al., 2015; Patel & Hillard, 2009; Temple, 2016). But what makes cannabis important to the ECS are the naturally occurring phytocannabinoids found in the flowers of the plant. According to a study from 2009, there are 109 (update 2018: now 113) phytocannabinoids in Cannabis sativa (Chandra, et al., 2010). Specifically, the two phytocannabinoids THC and CBD mimic the endocannabinoids ANA and 2-AG, binding to CB-1 and CB-2 receptors when inhaled or taken internally (Velasco, et al., 2015).
A study from 2013 explains, “…the CB-1 receptor connects to endocannabinoids signaling an increase in the levels of ANA in the amygdala, which results in decrease of fear (Neumeister et al., 2013). Potentially this means when a patient uses cannabis medicinally, the phytocannabinoid (THC) compounds bind to CB-1 receptors increasing the levels of the endocannabinoid, ANA, helping to lower anxiety and fear.
Science has provided us with the evidence that cannabis is beneficial for several recognized conditions including:
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Pain
Anxiety
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS symptoms
Crohn’s Disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson’s Disease
Cancer symptoms
Sleep problems
Aids in the withdrawal from opioids
References:
Betthauser, K., Pilz, J., & Vollmer, L. (2015, August 1). Use and effects of cannabinoids in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 72(15), 1279-1284.
Jugl S, Okpeku A, Costales B, et al. A mapping literature review of medical cannabis clinical outcomes and quality of evidence in approved conditions in the USA from 2016 to 2019. Med Cannabis Cannabinoids. 2021;4(1):21-42. Published 2021 Feb 25. doi:10.1159/000515069
Kramer, J. (2015, March/April). Medical marijuana for cancer. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 65(2), 109-122.
Ott, J. (1996). Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic drugs, their plant sources and history.Kennewick: Natural Products Co.
Payer PhD., D. (2016). Discovering More about Cannabis as a Potential Treatment for PTSD. Retrieved from Beckley Foundation: http://beckleyfoundation.org/2016/04/21/exploring-cannabis-as-a-treatment-for-ptsd/
Rätsch, C. (2005). The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and it's applications.Rochester: Park Street Press.
Richardson, S. (2016, December 1). Cannabaceae - The Hemp or Hackberry Family.