INDICA VS SATIVA

What kind of high will I get from indica vs sativa?

Indica use creates a “couch-lock”, I-don’t-want-to-move-a-muscle type high. Using indica is a great choice for those nights indoors watching TV, playing video games, or just chilling with close companions. The indica high numbs the body down and induces an overall sense of relaxation, which is ideal for a relaxing night’s sleep.

Sativa use produces more of a mental, cereberal high, which often results in a boost in energy and imagination. Sativa strains are perfect when working creatively in activities such as writing, painting, and brainstorming new ideas. Sativas are also a great choice for enhancing the experience at artistic events like movies and concerts.

Hemp Nutritional Profile


Hemp nut is the most nutritious and easily digestible food on the planet, the only complete source of all the following: protein, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. Hemp is the only food which supplies all man's dietary needs in one source -- the only food which can sustain human life without any other source of nutrition.


The Good Fats

While hemp seed is an excellent source of protein that also contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, its most important feature is that it provides both essential fatty acids (EFAs) needed in the human diet–linoleic (omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3). These fats are "essential" because they cannot be manufactured in the body and so must be consumed as 
food. Hemp has an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 3:1 which is closest to the optimum 4.0 average recommended by the World Health Organization for the human diet.


Hemp For Heart Health


EFAs are essential for the health of the heart. Numerous studies show that substituting healthy polyunsaturated fats such as hemp for saturated fats can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and fatal cardiac arrhythmia, as well as reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease the cellular buildup in arteries associated with atherosclerosis. Hemp also contains phytosterols, which have been shown to reduce total blood cholesterol by an average of 10 percent and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by an average of 13 percent.



Hemp For Brain Health


Because EFAs make up a large portion of the brain, hemp is especially beneficial for brain health, particularly memory function. Membrane loss of EFAs has been found in such disorders as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Research has shown that a diet with a proper balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids–such as in hemp oil–may help delay or reduce the neurological effects of these diseases and improve quality of life.



Hemp For Skin Health


The critical importance of EFAs for healthy skin makes hemp seed oil a highly effective skin care and cosmetic product. Its lipid constituents allow it to permeate through the skin and nourish skin cells directly. For this reason, hemp oil is beneficial for skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. For the health of skin and hair, nourishing and balancing hemp oil is now added to a multitude of soaps, shampoos, skin lotions, lip balms, conditioners and other natural skin-care 



Hemp Compared to Other Foods


• Contains more required amino acids(proteins)than milk, meat or eggs.

• Is a complete protein source--much more balanced & digestible than Soy products.

• Contains about 47% oil, 78% of which is omega 3 & 6--the essential fats.

• Contains all the essential or omega fats required for human health.

• Contains several times more omega 3 essential fat than any fish.

• Provides more energy than energy bars--without their sugar and with less saturated fat.

• Is suitable for those unable to eat gluten, sugar, milk, nuts & meat. Is perfect for those troubled with constipation and for those avoiding carbohydrates.



Benefits of Consuming Hemp


• Lower blood LDL cholesterol levels

• Improve cardiovascular circulation & function

• Improve organ function

• Improve immunity levels

• Increased energy levels & metabolic rate

• Reduce symptoms of PMS & menstrual cramps

• Reduce inflammation and the symptoms of arthritis

• Improve recovery of muscles after exercise

• Reduce & treat dry skin and hair conditions

• Reduction of many degenerative diseases through preventative measures

Cannabis is not picky

For those who do not like the idea of smoking Cannabis there are several other options to choose from. You could vaporize, which would be another form of inhaling, or you enjoy a variety of  Cannabis edibles. Cannabis can also be used to create tinctures and topical solutions (remember that skin is our largest organ). There are so many ways of experiencing the natural medicinal value of this little miracle plant and there are even strains available that provide the medicinal benefits and have a low enough THC content to avoid the “high” feeling.

What are the benefits of medical Cannabis compared to prescription drugs?

There are endless benefits from medical marijuana. In February 2010 investigators at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research publicly announced the finding of a series of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials on the medical utility of inhaled cannabis. The studies, which utilized the so-called ‘gold’ standard (the best, most reliable, or most prestigious standard) FDA clinical trial design, concluded that Cannabis ought to be a "first-line treatment" for patients with neuropathy and other serious illnesses. Among the studies conducted by the Center, four assessed smoked-Cannabis’s ability to alleviate neuropathic pain, a notoriously difficult to treat type of nerve pain associated with cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, spinal-cord injury and many other debilitating conditions. Each of the trials found that cannabis consistently reduced patients’ pain levels to a degree that was as good or better than currently available medications. Another study conducted by the Center's investigators assessed the study and determined that “smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in reducing spasticity and pain in patients with MS, and provided some benefit beyond currently prescribed treatments.”  

Prescription drugs kill over 100,000 people every year. How many people die from Cannabis use yearly? Dr. Grinspoon says, “There are no deaths from Cannabis use anywhere. You can’t find one,” said Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School. Believe it: In 10,000 years of known Cannabis use, there’s never been a single death attributed to Cannabis.

 

“You have to smoke something like 15,000 joints in 20 minutes to get a toxic amount of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol,” said Dr. Paul Hornby, a biochemist and human pathologist who also happens to be one of the leading authorities on Cannabis research.

Like with almost any type of additive to the body, there are some mild side effects that come along with the use of medical Cannabis. These may include dry mouth, drowsiness, giddiness, hunger, and red eyes. However, when compared to the side effects of the FDA-approved prescription medications, these consequences seem quite minimal. Anyone who’s ever heard a commercial for a prescription medication knows how scary that list can be. But to cite just one example, there is currently a psychoactive drug that is growing large breasts on elementary-aged boys.  

How in depth is Cannabis studied?

To date, there are over 20,000 published studies or reviews in scientific literature pertaining to the Cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, nearly one-third of which were published within the last three years. This total includes over 2,700 separate papers published in 2009, 1,950 papers published in 2010, and another 2,100 published to date in 2011. While much of the interest in cannabinoid therapeutics is a result of the discovery of the endocannabinoid regulatory system, some of this increased attention is also due to the growing body of testimonials from medical Cannabis patients and their physicians.

How does our government view Cannabis?

Despite such variety in medical benefits, in the United States, Cannabis is still widely considered taboo. Federal prohibitions outlawing Cannabis for recreational, industrial, and therapeutic use were first imposed by Congress under the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Later, this was reaffirmed by federal lawmakers’ decision to classify Cannabis, as well as all of the plant’s organic compounds — known as cannabinoids — as a SCHEDULE I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This classification, which asserts by statute that Cannabis is as equally dangerous to the public as heroin, defines Cannabis and its dozens of distinct cannabinoids as possessing “a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for the use of the drug under medical supervision.” By contrast, cocaine and methamphetamine, which remain illicit for recreational use but may be consumed under a doctor’s supervision, are classified as SCHEDULE II drugs; examples of SCHEDULE III and IV substances include anabolic steroids and Valium, while codeine-containing analgesics (opiates) are defined by a law as SCHEDULE V drugs, the federal government’s most lenient classification.

In July 2011 the Obama administration reassessed Cannabis’ Schedule I status to see if it should be recategorized. However, this was denied by Federal lawmakers who continue to cite the drug’s ridiculous categorization as the “primary rationale for the government's ongoing criminalization of the plant and those who use it.”  After it was announced in the summer of 2011 that the crackdown on medical marijuana establishments in the Golden State was a collective decision by the four US attorneys in California and not the result of any directive from Washington, spokeswoman Lauren Horwood emphasized that the administration never even green-lighted the ramped-up enforcement actions. The only D.C.-based official with whom California US attorneys coordinated, Horwood said, was Deputy Attorney General James Cole, who was chosen by Attorney General Eric Holder, an Obama appointee.

Medical Cannabis is now legal in several states throughout the country. Unfortunately, patients can still be prosecuted by the feds and possibly even their own state police agencies. Washington State and Colorado are the only two states that have completely legalized marijuana. There are different county laws per state as well. For example, In Illinois’ Cook County it is decriminalized, so if you are caught with up to one ounce it is only a ticket. However, across the street in Lake county, you will go to jail.

 
What makes Cannabis medicinal?

Cannabis contains cannabinoids which are the active chemicals that naturally cause effects throughout the body which mirror those that many take synthetic prescriptions to induce. The main active cannabinoid in cannabis is delta-9 (THC). The other main cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD), which relieves pain without causing a high due to its low THC content. CBD is the main compound used for those who suffer from different ailments such as cancer, epilepsy, and autism. Cannabinoids are used to treat side effects of cancer as well as cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Cannabinoids work by promoting the re-emergence of apoptosis so that tumors will stop dividing. Cannabis can be an effective treatment for a wide range of medical conditions, far too many to list here. A short list would include add/adhd, alcoholism, alzheimer’s, autism, anorexia, arthritis, back pain, bipolar disorder, bulimia, cancer, cerebral palsy, crohn’s disease, depression, dermatitis, diabetes, epilepsy, glaucoma, heart disease, hepatitis, herpes, hiv, irritable bowel syndrome, macular degeneration, migraine, morning sickness, motion sickness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, neuropathic pain, ocd, premenstrual syndrome, pruritis, psoriasis, restless leg syndrome, schizophrenia, seizures, spasticity, tinnitis, tourette’s syndrome, tumor growth and ulcerated colitis. For a more extensive list check out the link. http://www.marijuanadoctors.com/content/ailments/index

Cannabis is good medicine. It is unjust that the Federal government continues to resist legalizing medical Cannabis use in the United States. By denying access to one of the few proven natural medicinal plants the government does nothing more than continue to perpetuate the myth that only regulated pharmaceuticals are acceptable options to treat the myriad of medical conditions that Cannabis treats effectively. Additionally, as a country, we are wasting limited resources prosecuting marijuana-based crimes and jailing citizens over nothing more than possession of a plant which has had no recorded overdoses or deaths in 10,000 years of use.