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5 Discoveries About Marijuana That You Won't Hear in the Corporate Media
Paul Armentano of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports via AlterNet
Scientific discoveries are published almost daily in regard to the healing properties of the cannabis. But most of these findings appear solely in subscription-only peer-reviewed journals and, therefore, go largely unnoticed by the mainstream media and by the public. Here are five just-published cannabis-centric studies that warrant attention.
- Men Who Smoke Pot Possess a Reduced Risk of Bladder Cancer
- Long-Term Pot Exposure Isn't Damaging to Lung Health
- Alcohol, Not Pot, Alters the Brain
- Marijuana Use Doesn't Lead to Depression
- Marijuana Possesses a Unique Margin of Safety Compared to Other legal and Illegal Drugs
Cannabis is Bad for You, Cannabis is Good for You - Confused?
The BBC's Radio 4 has been running a series this week regarding the use and abuse of cannabis in the UK, and they offer this report of part of the discussions that have been aired. From the report:
Cannabis is bad for you, cannabis is good for you - confused? That's not surprising. Complicated and controversial, cannabis is revealed by recent science to have a dual personality, with a dark side and a more positive one. Radio 4's PM programme is this week running a whole series on cannabis, and the debate surrounding it.
Key to understanding this strange plant are two of the ingredients that make it up, known by their initials as THC and CBD. I asked Professor Val Curran of University College London to describe how they work and she came up a memorable answer:
"In a way, THC and CBD are a bit like yin and yang. The THC makes you stoned, but it can also make you anxious. It can also make you feel a bit psychotic, and it will seriously impair your memory.
"The other side of the yin/yang is CBD, which has almost the opposite effects. CBD calms you down, it has anti-psychotic properties and it also offsets the effects on memory, so that on CBD-containing cannabis you're less likely to forget what's going on."
So the first step to understanding cannabis is to realise how it can vary, how different types contain very different quantities of these polar opposites, with dramatically different outcomes.
One of the problems highlighted is that the cannabis available today (particularly 'skunk') is often much stronger than was available 20 - 30 years ago, and the balance of THC to CBD has changed, with potentially serious consequences. For example: "If you smoke high-potency skunk at all, then you are three times more likely to be psychotic. If you smoke high-potency cannabis every day, you are five times more likely to be psychotic." There is much more in the article, so give it a look.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Pax on Saturday February 21 2015, @06:46PM
it's really quite simple to do so.
For example buy yourself a quarter ounce(7 grams) , put in onto some baking paper and then into a baking tray and seal the top with some tin foil.
Written instructions will follow:
1: Pre heat a fan oven to 100C or 220F
2: Grind herbs until medium to fine
3: Place herbs in ceramic dish and cover with foil.
4: Place the dish into the oven for 30-40 minutes.(converts the THC-a to THC)
5: Prepare the solution use a ratio of 8ml liquid to 1g herb for a low strength, 5ml of liquid for a medium strength
6: Use 7 parts Vegetable Glycerine to 3 parts Propylene glycol
7: Remove herbs from the oven and allow to cool before removing foil
8: Place herbs into mason jar containing solution and mix well.
9: Place jar into hot water bath and shake/swirl every 15-20 minutes.
10: Continue this for 2-3 hours.
11: Keep lid on for the entire process.
12: Once the time is done, remove from the heat and allow the jar to cool until you can handle it safely.
13: Place contents of the jar into material, and then proceed to squeeze out the liquid. You can use a potato/rice press, fine sieve, cheese cloth or NUT MILK BAG to help with this process.
14: Collect liquid with syringes and place into the dropper bottles.
15: Add any flavourings your might want to add (optional)
16: Enjoy end product, store in a cool - dark place and use in any e-cigarette you wish. Product will last up to 12 months.
I tend to use 3ml per gram and that helps with the pain in my back and knees(arthritis) much better than tramadol even could and without the addictive qualities of tramadol either.
I use Aspire batteries and Aspire Nautilus tanks. these have a ceramic wick which is much better and also has a variable voltage. I have found that 3.8volts for normal vape liquid and 4.2 volts for cannabis vape liquid.
Hope that helps bud
(Score: 1) by Pax on Saturday February 21 2015, @07:11PM
Also you can use the zero nicotine flavoured vape liquid to mask the smell.
OR you can save a bit more money by using the very same flavourings that the vape companies use.. FOOD FLAVOURINGS.. like vanilla essence.
but i imagine there'll be some experimentation to get the correct amount of it.
I just mix a 10ml bottle of blueberry flavoured vape liquid( 0% nicotine version) and that works a treat