This year Grammy’s were great despite COVID-19 limitations. Here are the best memes and tweets of the night.
After many COVID-19 related postponements and reworkings, the Grammys aired last night and went off without a hitch. In fact, it was one of the smoothest awards shows to be produced in the COVID era, one that worked especially hard to prevent us from feeling like we were watching a video conference.
Pandemic limitations resulted in a show that was tighter and more intimate, with no live audience to perform for. instead, this year’s awards show had performers share the stage and cheer each other on. Among the night’s highlights, it’s important to note that all major awards were won by women and that the Academy tried to highlight the injustices present in the music industry and the weight of the past year.
Other highlights include: the spotlight of musical venues across the country that have taken a hard blow due to COVID-19; references to Black Lives Matter protests; Megan Thee Stallion being a clear winner in everything; Beyoncé breaking Grammy records; Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s performance of a censored version of WAP; and lots of memes. (If you missed the show, here’s a complete list of winners and nominees.)
If Republicans hope to win majorities in the House and/or Senate, they need to realize that the majority of American voters are overwhelmingly in favor of legalization.
Disclaimer:The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.
There are a number of reasons for legalizing marijuana, but in the current American debate, the most prominent argument is based on the fact that African Americans are disproportionately impacted by law enforcement. That is entirely understandable in the era of Black Lives Matter.
However, in his Senate confirmation hearing, Judge Merrick Garland, who was officially sworn in as Attorney General on March 11, also pointed out that interfering with state marijuana laws is “not a useful use of limited resources.”
It is astonishing that even today we are still arresting half a million Americans annually for simple possession of marijuana. That is more than for all violent crimes combined. Is that the best use of finite criminal justice resources? Is that a Conservative value?
It creates major opportunities for graft and corruption and also undermines the respect for the law generally. Historically, the arguments for “states’ rights” have just been used to limit the rights of minorities, especially African Americans, but the medical marijuana movement and the marijuana reform movement generally have been overwhelmingly white, until very recently. “White privilege” only goes so far.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Under Trump’s Attorneys Generals, Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, the Department of Justice seemed intent on harassing the various businesses that were operating legally under state laws. Barr supposedly ordered DoJ attorneys to pursue antitrust enforcement against any mergers by marijuana companies. Antitrust laws are supposed to protect the consumer, which is not exactly what one might expect in this context.
In the meantime, the two main forces driving federal reform are still racial disparities and the States’ drive for badly needed tax revenues. Both have powerful constituencies. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) knows that New York, and especially New York City, badly need new tax revenues and many new jobs. He has promised that the Federal government will get out of the way. And, of course, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is from California.
Ironically, if Conservatives would show more support for legalization based on support for limited government, they might prevent high state sales taxes and overly complex regulations, and help end the black market, which everyone supposedly wants.
The Conservative movement is badly split between pro- and anti-Trump factions. If the Republicans hope to win majorities in the House and/or Senate, they need to stop and look at where the majority of the American people are: overwhelmingly in favor of legalization.
It is time that we stop treating cannabis like a street drug and start treating it like any other medicine or commodity in society.
Colorado has long been a shining beacon on how to legalize cannabis. Since they have officially gone green in 2012, they have been pioneering cannabis legislation and showing the world that if you legalize drugs — the apocalypse won’t come.
With some of the most inclusive and relaxed cannabis laws on the books, it’s no surprise that a new bill in Colorado would require schools to store cannabis-based medicines for students. Currently students may consume cannabis for medical purposes on school grounds as long as a legal Guardian provides them with the doses.
However, for working parents this is definitely a difficult thing to achieve. Especially when we’re talking about kids that require multiple doses during the day in order to manage their symptoms. For example, a child suffering from a seizure disorder requires multiple doses throughout the day in order to pacify any potential episodes.
This would completely inhibit any Guardian the ability to sustain any type of occupation other than that as the caregiver of the patient. In the instance of a parent that is working, it would be simply detrimental to the overall health and Wellness of the child. Especially if it’s inhibits the caretaker to earn a living.
This new bill aims to make life easier for kids who require multiple doses and would require schools and school districts to have a policy allowing their employees, like a teacher or a school nurse who is willing to administer cannabis is medicine to the students, to be able to do so without any legal repercussions.
While this seems like a no brainer for most people, this bill had to be drafted since there were some opposition in certain school boards who opposed the idea of giving children medicine- if it was cannabis derived. Now, lawmakers aim to rectify this by making it law.
This should be standard within all marijuana legalization initiatives
As more States and countries are legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational purposes, giving children access through the medical benefits should be considered standard practice. How can anyone oppose the idea of providing a child whose life depends on a particular medicine?
These same people would not inhibit a child from taking ADHD medication, or benzodiazepine in order to control symptoms of psychological disorders. Yet when it comes to cannabis, we continue to see a double standard.
Photo by Nguyen Khanh Ly via Unsplash
In 2021 there is more support for cannabis than there has been since it was first made illegal back in 1937. The international momentum that is built around did legality of cannabis, and the decriminalization of all drugs in general, shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, one could say that there is a sense of acceleration occurring all over the world.
Yet irrespective of this global shift in paradigm, we’re still finding people in key areas of society that oppose this change. For example, Joe Biden is one of these individuals who could very easily put his support behind federal legalization, yet still plays by the rules of the drug war.
The same rings true for local authorities as well. Nonetheless the majority of society remains constant with their support of cannabis. The Colorado bill that would require schools to store cannabis based medicines for students is a testament to the fact.
Photo by JJ Thompson via Unsplash
When what about the children is used in favor of cannabis
For many decades proponents of prohibition have used the “what about the children” argument in order to sustain the status quo. The argument always followed the same rhetoric in that if we were to legalize cannabis, children would have more access to it which would be detrimental to their health.
However, in the case of prohibiting children access to lifesaving medicine, the policy isn’t theoretically detrimental to their health; it is factually detrimental to their health and life. I bet you that no drug warrior saw that one coming.
Time to remove the stigma
It is time that we stop treating cannabis like a street drug and start treating it like any other medicine or commodity in society. The science is clear about the fact that cannabis has a positive effect on the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining homeostasis throughout the entire body.
Whether you consume cannabis recreationally or medicinally, you are engaging with this master system at a fundamental level. In essence all consumption is medicinal. When it comes to children there is no law that permits then to smoke cannabis or even have the medicine on hand while on school grounds. The medication given to children typically comes in the form of oils, or sprays, or even gummies, which makes the idea of banning medicinal cannabis on school grounds ludicrous and, frankly, quite evil.
It is time that we remove the stigma of cannabis. You cannot benefit from the earnings of the legal market and continue to treat it like some scourge on society.
The public needs high-quality information about cannabis, which can help counterbalance the proliferation of rumor and false claims about the health effects of cannabis products.
While some studies have linked the chemicals of cannabis to a risk for heart attack, much remains unknown about THC’s effects on the cardiovascular system. Here are the truths of what is known and what research has provided in an updated analysis of cannabis and the risk for cardiovascular effects.
Truth: We still need more research, but hands are tied
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease stated that due to the rise of the recreational use of THC, researchers might be underestimating cannabis’ risk factors on the human body as well as the benefits.
Since cannabis continues to be listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, many organizations like the American Heart Association (AHA) have encouraged the Drug Enforcement Administration to review its designation and how it might hinder research. In August 2020, they explained in the journal Circulation:
“Because of the rapidly changing landscape of cannabis laws and marijuana use, there is a pressing need for refined policy, education of clinicians and the public, and new research. Laws should be harmonized in ways that limit confusion and better reflect the existing science behind cannabis, starting in the United States at the federal level with removal of cannabis from Schedule 1 of the US Controlled Substances Act, followed by a proactive approach to labeling that standardizes concentrations of THC and CBD content.”
The AHA also noted that multiple studies showcased different risk factors for heart complications, depending on the cannabis delivery device. They stressed the importance that individuals and care teams needed high-quality advice and studies about cannabis to understand its effects on the cardiovascular system better, saying, “The public needs high-quality information about cannabis, which can help counterbalance the proliferation of rumor and false claims about the health effects of cannabis products.”
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Truth: We are closer to answers on heart health and THC than ever before
“The MORE Act provides a key starting point for companies participating in or watching the growing cannabis market and context for understanding the dynamics and nature of the future federal legal framework. We will continue to monitor legislative developments in this area and encourage readers to contact the authors of this Advisory or their usual Arnold & Porter contact for more information.”
As the United States continues to discuss cannabis research and declassifying THC as a Title 1 drug, studies are bound to show conflicting analyses. A 2017 study showed that “among patients with heart failure, those who used marijuana were less likely to experience a complication called atrial fibrillation, or “A-fib,” a type of irregular heartbeat that can worsen heart failure symptoms.”Talk about confusing!
Truth: The risk appears to depend on the delivery of cannabis
Cannabis is known to raise the heart rate and create a temporary rise in how fast the heart pumps. For individuals with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs,) some studies have found a risk of stroke, while others showcased that CBD actually reduces blood pressure. In a piece for Healthline, Brigham and Women’s Hospital cardiologist Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan shared that the delivery of cannabis depends on its impact on the heart. An April 2019 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM) cited that edibles appeared to have a higher risk than vaping, though more research was needed.
Truth: The studies aren’t all created equal
In 2018, a systematic review of over two dozen studies featured in AIM found the following:
13 and 11 studies looked at marijuana use and cardiovascular risk factors
Six studies suggested a “metabolic benefit from marijuana use.”
Some studies’ evidence was insufficient and limited by recall bias, inadequate exposure assessment, minimal exposure, and more.
With new studies being added, scientists and associations alike are feeling hindered by the drug’s Schedule 1 status. With removal in the works, individuals and care teams can become better informed about the role cannabis plays in the human body and the heart.
Sugar appears in a lot of foods, for better or worse. Here’s how you can easily reduce it from your diet.
Sugar makes a lot of our favorite foods taste better, but it’s one of those components that sneaks up on you, present in just about everything, from cakes and pastries to seemingly healthy juices and yogurts. While there’s nothing wrong with consuming a healthy amount of sugar, it’s important to keep an eye on the amount you consume. What would be helpful is how to realistically reduce sugar from your diet.
While sugar isn’t as evil as the media makes it out to be, it does have an effect on our body and how it feels; consuming too much sugar spikes our blood sugar and can result in feeling sluggish (aka a sugar “crash”).
Learn the difference between natural and added sugar
Photo by Daria-Yakovleva via Pixabay
Not all sugar is bad and not all sugar is made the same. Naturally occurring sugar, like the one that comes from fruit (fructose), is processed differently than the one that is added in (sucrose). Added white sugars tend to hit the bloodstream quickly, leading to crashes while not sating your hunger or giving you the energy you need.
Sugar is added to almost every type of processed food, so it’s important to keep an eye on the amount of sugar you consume. While you may not be eating a doughnut on a daily basis, you may be drinking juice and soda, which contains tons of sugar. The easiest way to cut this off is to try your best to drink more water and little by little, cutting back on your juice or soda intake.
Sugar is very addictive; the more we eat it, the more our bodies crave it. In order to avoid those sugary cravings it’s important to eat regularly, especially if you consume meals that are whole and balanced. Think of fruit options that can replace sugar or herbs that can make meals tastier without increasing the sugar you’re consuming.
Of course, this is going to affect the vape market big time. The bill does so much more than just banning the shipment of vapes; it actually gives shipping businesses involved in sending out vaping and cannabis products no choice but to comply with the PACT, which has strict regulations for online merchants.
“Effective April 5, 2021, UPS will not transport vaping products to, from or within the United States due to the increased complexity to ship those products,” said UPS spokesperson Matthew O’Connor in a statement.
PACT was actually set in motion last 2010, and it was the same year that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) got control of tobacco products thanks to the Tobacco Control Act (TCA). Unfortunately in 2016, the FDA began regulating vape products such as vape pens, water pipes, pipes, e-cigarettes, and other similar goods. Since then, they all fell under the definition of “tobacco products.”
“Covered tobacco product means any tobacco product deemed to be subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, but excludes any component or part that is not made or derived from tobacco,” says the FDA.
In a nutshell, PACT doesn’t just ban the USPS from shipping smokable goods, but the merchants should also comply with the act requirements no matter how they distribute their goods. We won’t be surprised if this leads to the opposite – people actually reverting back to cigarettes because government policies such as these make it so much harder to purchase safer options, such as vapes.
Implications For Cannabis Vape Manufacturers
Though PACT was designed to curb shipment of nicotine products, the law is structured in such a way that it casts a wide net, and thus includes cannabis vapes. They make use of legal language such as “electronic nicotine delivery system,” which refers to any product that “delivers nicotine, flavor or any other substance to the user inhaling from the device,” and the usage of “any other substance” is vague enough that it can be used against cannabis businesses.
Online merchants will have to register with the US Attorney General, make sure that customers’ age is verified using a database which is commercially available, utilize private shipping and collect adult signatures once the products are delivered, collect all applicable taxes and affix the tax stamps to each product sold, and many more. Any seller that doesn’t register nor comply with these regulations can face stringent penalties, and even 3 years in jail.
The demands for additional record-keeping plus shipping restrictions only put salt on an already open wound, making it so much more expensive to do business. It will also be the consumers who will have to shoulder these costs, again, causing them to revert back to smoking cigarettes. These difficulties are going to be harder on consumers who live in rural locations because the increase in cost will be enough for most people to vape, so they will have to give it up completely unless there are any shops nearby that offer the devices they want, if they even have the ability to travel or are willing to make the trip on regular intervals.
Photo via pxhere
“If the increase in shipping costs wasn’t enough, the bill also imposes huge paperwork burdens on small retailers, and backs it up with threats of imprisonment for even innocent mistakes,” said Gregory Conley, President of the American Vaping Association. “This is not a law designed to regulate the mail-order sale of vaping products to adults; it’s an attempt to eliminate it.”
“It should be possible to modernize the tax infrastructure so that you don’t have small businesses suddenly having to get licenses and deal with 20 to 50 different state tax authorities – not to mention native tribes and local governments,” adds Conley. He also explained that the American Vaping Association tried to lobby Congress in order to seek out alternative ways of shipping vaping products using the USPS, though they were only “met with total resistance to that idea.”
“The best that we can hope for is there’s going to be an opportunity to comment with the USPS — as well as engage with different state tax authorities — to determine what compliance is going to be necessary,” he explains. “You need to be prepared to raise your shipping prices considerably.”
He’s right.
Judging by the name of the law: Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act, it implicitly says that it is meant to discourage kids below the age of 21 from buying tobacco. However, these current policies are extreme at best, affecting the cannabis and vape industry for no good reason. If they really wanted to prevent kids from buying tobacco products, why not simply ask for identification at the point of delivery? A majority of mail carriers already practice this anyway, including the USPS.
So we’re left to think that these measures were put in place deliberately to shut down the vape industry. People will go back to cigarettes, boost illegal sales of vapes online, and as a result, likely make it so much simpler for minors to buy cigarettes in brick and mortar shops that are unregulated. Dealers on social media will thrive because they have mastered the art of selling to minors completely undetected by law without even verifying their customers’ age.
So it seems yet again that the government has failed to effectively put a system in place while hurting the cannabis industry. We hope to be proven wrong.
Unfortunately, marijuana use can still disqualify you from getting hired, even in states with fully legal weed.
The embrace of marijuana reform and using CBD in wellness spaces could cause someone to think the stigma surrounding cannabis has disappeared. While it may be true from a cultural perspective—more than two out of every three Americans support cannabis legalization—you may want to reconsider if you’re looking for a job.
According to data from Simply Hired, more than 40% of hiring managers at mid-size companies and more than 51% at large companies say they still test for marijuana in the job application process. The anonymous survey, which included hiring managers at more than 700 companies, gives valuable insight into how companies truly view employees using cannabis. The majority of hiring managers said a job applicant would be immediately disqualify after testing positive for marijuana.
Legality of marijuana in the state also has little impact in determining cannabis policies at companies. Even in fully legal states, the majority of business maintain a marijuana policy for employees. According to the survey, this appears as an act of companies covering their own tail. While 75.4% of hiring managers say an employee would be fired for smoking weed at work, 68.4% also felt employee marijuana use was fine so long as companies didn’t know about it. Think of it as a don’t ask, don’t smoke on company property policy of sorts.
Photo by Matthew Henry via Burst
Working at a smaller company appears to allow more of an open mind to cannabis. Among businesses with less than 100 employees, 43.5% of hiring managers say they never test for marijuana use. Smaller companies are also less likely to automatically disqualify a job applicant after a positive marijuana test, the survey found.
Job seekers in California don’t have it any easier, at least when it comes to state government positions. In 2015, a year prior to legalization, 503 applicants for state correctional officer jobs were disqualified due to positive marijuana tests. In 2018, the figure doubled to 1,053 disqualified candidates, according to The Los Angeles Times.
“I do not think [a ban on cannabis use] is fair, or necessary to have a safe workplace,” Ellen Komp of California NORML told the Times. “Our position is people can legally and responsibly use marijuana off the job, as long as they don’t show up to work impaired or use it on the job.”
But hiring managers can’t agree if marijuana users will or won’t show up to their jobs high. According to Simply Hired’s survey, 42% of hiring managers agree marijuana users are more likely to come to work under the influence. The majority of managers, however, disagreed cannabis users can’t be trusted to do their jobs.
The pandemic has affected the way we shop, especially when it comes to stocking up on non-perishable items.
When the pandemic hit, the majority of us took to panic buying. There were shortages of packaged goods and canned foods, not to mention toilet paper and hand sanitizer. One interesting trend is the boost in cereal sales, a market that had been experiencing a steady drop since 2018.
In 2020, cereals experienced a 9% increase in sales. It makes sense then that when people were stuck at home, they’d pay special attention to products that would be able to survive for long periods of time on their shelves, preferring these over fresh products that could be eaten on the go.
Photo by Binyamin Mellish via Pexels
CNN spoke with people who worked in the cereal industry and reported that nostalgia-inducing cereals were a favorite throughout the pandemic. Healthy cereals, which appeared to be struggling before the pandemic, also experienced an unexpected boost.
“Up until the pandemic hit, the kids brands had been still doing relatively well,” said Tom Dixon, chief growth officer for Post Consumer Brands. “The more adult-focused brands were kind of just hanging on by a thread. And the fact that they dramatically jumped during the pandemic, that was a little bit surprising. We weren’t expecting that.”
Experts believe these sales of healthier kinds of cereals might be due to the fact that millennials are now spending more time at home, and might be trying these brands and types of cereals for the first time. While it’s expected to indulge in you favorite childhood cereals during the first months of the pandemic, after a full year of sameness, it helps to pay some attention to your health.
Now that there’s a vaccine in circulation, many cereal businesses are wondering how to keep these sales up once the pandemic is over. While cereals are convenient, they’re not the most practical of products to eat on the go. To address this, there have been talks of packaging cereal like bite size snacks that can be eaten straight from the package.
Neurobehavioral problems and overall changes vary from person to person, and are likely to arise at the acute stage of a brain injury.
Have you ever thought your friend’s or partner’s outfit was unflattering, but rather than expressing your opinion, you kept it to yourself? If so, your inhibition did its job by preventing you from sharing your real thoughts due to an important filter. Unfortunately, when it comes to brain injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries (TBI), individuals with disinhibition (the loss of inhibition) caused by this type of injury wouldn’t have that type of filter.
Following a TBI, stroke, or other brain injury, neurological damage can occur, and it can result in various cognitive, physical, and neurobehavioral changes, which vary based on a patient’s specific brain injury and state of neurological health. Oftentimes, personality and behavioral changes occur following brain trauma, and it’s not uncommon for one’s inhibition to no longer exist.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes neurobehavioral disinhibition as “a singular multiproblem dimension involving lack of behavior control and poor emotional modulation that has features of disruptive behavior disorders, affective and anxiety disorders, cognitive impairment, and poor self-control.”
In addition, neurobehavioral problems and overall changes vary from person to person, and are likely to arise at the acute stage of a brain injury. The most prevalent neurobehavioral problems include extreme moods and mood swings, anger and rage, agitation and irritability, frustration, and even inappropriate vocalizations such as swearing or yelling.
For years, behavior analysts have studied, analyzed, and directly observed different interactions and neurobehavioral changes following brain injuries. Studies like this one HERE are providing more educational content about neurobehavioral disinhibition and why it can impact a person’s ability to function and carry out everyday tasks.
Neurobehavioral Disinhibition & Substance Use Disorders
Due to the common occurrence of neurobehavioral disinhibition following brain trauma, a 2003 study findings published in The American Journal of Psychiatry states that neurobehavioral disinhibition might be an indicator of developing substance use disorders. This study’s results and other evidence suggests that neurobehavioral disinhibition is a component of the liability of the early age onset of substance use disorders (SUD).
On a similar note, researchers behind a 2004 study exploring neurobehavioral disinhibition and the development of substance use among adolescents found that:
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“Inaccurate social cognition, significantly predicted by childhood neurobehavioral disinhibition, biases development toward marijuana use prodromal to SUD. These results indicate that cognitive processes, in conjunction with psychological self-regulation, comprise important components of the individual liability to SUD (substance use disorder).”
A major goal for researchers and medical institutions is learning more about neurobehavioral changes and the loss of inhibition as a result of different brain injuries. Clinical trials like this one HERE are being conducted by numerous specialists and researchers to further understand the role neurobehavioral problems and disinhibition plays in substance use, abuse, and addiction in conjunction with existing research.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.87 million cases of TBI occurred in the U.S. in 2014, and roughly 13.5 million Americans struggle with a disability as a result of a brain injury. If you or someone you know experiences a brain injury followed by neurobehavioral changes and/or the loss of inhibition, it’s recommended to schedule a doctor’s appointment to discuss different treatment options and appropriate care.
As the 2018 Farm Bill made it legal for hemp production, the use of hemp in medicine, food, and other sectors will only continue to grow.
Did you know that hemp is considered one of the most nutritionally balanced superfoods in the world? To a skeptic mind, it might sound like a marketing gimmick for hemp products, but this doesn’t change the fact. Hemp seed has rich nutritional content with iron, amino acids, the right balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and vitamins that provide holistic health benefits. It is truly an amazing plant, here are 8 things you must know about hemp.
You might be wondering if hemp is so rich in nutrients and good for health, why is there so much controversy surrounding it? If its use is legal, why does it still gets a raised eyebrow even from medical professionals every time they come across hemp products?
The Anatomy of Hemp
Hemp is a plant that belongs to the cannabis species. While this fast-growing deciduous plant has various uses, it is mostly used for medicinal reasons.
The fats, protein, and other nutrients of the plant promote various health benefits. For instance, omega fatty acids found in the plant help to reduce pain and inflammation. Hemp is also antioxidant-rich, making it useful in various neurological conditions.
What’s It’s Association With Marijuana?
Hemp has always been confused with marijuana. While hemp, marijuana, and cannabis all have the same origin, they are still different.
Cannabis has two different variations, one gets us high, and the other doesn’t. The key difference between marijuana and hemp is the ratio of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), if you know about CBD Facts you should be familiar with the chemical and its effect. It is a substance that can have psychedelic effects on our minds and consciousness.
The cannabis containing zero to less than 0.3% of THC in their structure is considered hemp. While Hemp is mostly produced for various medicinal and industrial use, marijuana is produced for recreational purposes.
In the USA, the use of recreational marijuana was banned, hemp was also banned, because of their shared similarity and origin. For years, hemp has received the same notoriety as marijuana regarding its use.
Photo by BATCH by Wisconsin Hemp Scientific via Unsplash
What Are the Health Benefits of Hemp?
The nutritional profile of hemp contributes to its various health benefits. While studies related to health benefits are still in progress there are some known health benefits of hemp plants, these benefits are
Hemp Can Boost Heart Health
The healthy fatty acid omega 3 and 6 in hemp, helps lower cholesterol, blood pressure and boosts heart health. The amino acids in hemp can help in dilating arteries and other blood vessels connected to the heart. This ultimately lowers the risk of heart attack and many other heart conditions.
It Can Improve Your Brain Health
The CBD compound in hemp helps in neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in our brain. These properties are known to help with the symptoms of different neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, seizure, multiple sclerosis, and neuropathic pain.
It Can Help With Inflammation
The hemp plant is rich in omega fatty acids and antioxidants that contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Reduced inflammation may help with type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, metabolic disorder, and liver disease.
Photo by KarpenkovDenis/Getty Images
What Is It Used For?
Each part of the hemp plant is multifaceted. From the textile to food industry, every sector can reap from its versatile uses.
Fiber
Hemp is considered the strongest organic fiber in the world. Besides, hemp fiber has been the oldest known fiber in human civilization. This fiber is traditionally used in both the textile and paper industry. Sturdy ropes, denim, shoes, carpeting, canvas, diaper, and even fine clothing can be produced by using hemp fiber.
Food
As you know hemp seeds are highly nutritious and the food industry ensured their optimum use. The nutty hemp seeds can be used as ground-up powder and can be eaten raw. The oil produced from hemp seeds also has nutritional value. Even the leaves can be used in the salad to provide some much-needed protein, vitamins, and nutrients.
Medicinal use of CBD
CBD or cannabidiol is probably the most widely used variation of hemp products. It can be used by vaping, as oil, or even as honey sticks. It has many medicinal properties like pain reliever or anxiety suppressant.
Construction Material
Hemp fiber is one of the strongest fibers in the world and that makes it a suitable building material. Hemp-made composite hempcrete is such a construction material that is quickly gaining recognition.
While hempcrete can not be used as a load-bearing material as its load-bearing capacity is only one-twentieth of the concrete, it still has a special use in construction. The elasticity of hemp makes it perfect for lateral load-bearing, a hempcrete-made wall won’t crack even after an earthquake.
Photo by David Trood/Getty Images
Does Hemp Get You High?
While you can get some calming effect from hemp, it can’t get you high as the THC content in hemp is less than .3%, which is not enough to create a psychedelic effect. Even if you smoke tons of hemp and try to create some euphoric high, you won’t get it; chances are, you will only end up with a migraine.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Hemp taken as food has little to no side effects. However, you might still be allergic to hemp seeds just like any other seeds and that can give you some unpleasant reaction. Besides, hemp proteins are known for lowering blood pressure and in some cases, it might reduce the blood pressure to a point causing health complications.
How Should You Use It?
To make the best of hemp, use it as food or oil. It can also be used as a topical massaging element. But smoking hemp is not recommended as it might alter its potential.
The Bottom Line
As the 2018 Farm Bill made it legal for hemp production, the use of hemp in medicine, food, and other sectors will only continue to grow in the future. While the myriad health potentials might spark your interested in hemp, the scientific studies regarding those potentials are still in their early stage. However, if you are intrigued to try any type of hemp product, make sure you get it from a trusted source and use it per the recommended dose.
