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How Marijuana Helped Me Overcome My Addiction To Pain Pills

Bas Rutten
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How Marijuana Helped Me Overcome My Addiction To Pain Pills

As fight fans know, I used to be a professional Mixed Martial Artist. After seven years of not competing professionally, they asked me if I wanted to fight for a lot of money. Sure, why not? I wanted to have a pool in my yard, so I took the fight. I had no injuries, so I thought everything would be okay.

For about six weeks I was good, then every single injury that stopped my career in the first place—all of them and then some—came back with a vengeance. To deal with the pain, I started taking Norco, just one before a workout. The day of the fight I took one in the morning. I didn’t want to have my head in a cloud when I was fighting that day, so I took it at like 10 am.

I won the fight by TKO in the first round. After the fight, I popped a pill, drank some beers, and started imagining my new swimming pool!

Pain Killers Kicked My Butt

Quickly, one pill became two, but at this point it was twice a day. It progressed to five, then seven pills a day. I remember drawing a “9” on the mirror with my wife’s eyeliner—I’M NOT going to take more than nine a day!

Well, I did, and eventually those Norco became Oxycontin. I made the switch to “Oxy” because my doctor told me that there was some acetaminophen in Norco and they would hurt my liver since I took so many. In the end, I was taking 8-10, 80 mg of  Oxy a day.

A long time ago, a friend of mine gave me an 80 mg Oxycontin. He thought I knew not to take the whole thing, I didn’t know, I took the whole thing. He freaked out saying, “Oh man, I am going to have to stay with you now, you’re gonna feel weird.” Boy, was he right. I was so looped up, couldn’t eat, sweating, dizzy, it was crazy for hours. I thought I could never do anything on those pills. Well, at the end of my addiction I took 8-10 of those a day. It’s crazy how the body adapts and breaks things down—super bad for you, though!

I Became An Addict

I realized I was an addict, so I started to clean up using Suboxone—it’s like methadone they use for heroin. I asked the doctor for it. At first, he didn’t want to give it to me. I became very angry at him and told him he turned me into an addict and I needed those pills NOW. I got them right away.

Now, normally when you start with Suboxone, you should wind that stuff down after a week or 10 days and not stay on it for longer, but nobody told me to do that. Unlike pain medication, it’s stuff that you can decrease—still the side effects are nuts.

But I was on that crap for three and a half years until I heard Dr. Drew on the radio in my car saying, “Suboxone is the new methadone.” Well, that got my attention! I went home and started to research it.

I was an idiot because I never researched it before. Ah well, at least I now knew I had to quit that stuff.

The first time you take Suboxone, they say you should wait at least 12 hours after your last pain pill. I added 4 hours extra just to make sure, so 16 hours.

Well that was still too soon…

People, if somebody here is addicted to pain pills and wants to use Suboxone to get off it—pay close attention now.

If you take it too soon, you will be thrown into a full-on detox in less than 10 minutes. So you go from 0-100 in less than 10 minutes.

Do You Want To Experience Evil?

Now, I experienced a LOT of crazy stuff in my life, but you want to experience evil? Take my word, this was it! My skin looked like a lizard’s—goosebumps like you have never seen them before. All the hairs on my arms were standing up straight, and I mean EVERY hair. And it felt like something was in my stomach moving around, and it didn’t feel like a good thing—very scary.

I was on the phone with 911 in my car (because of course this all happened when I was driving), but I couldn’t verbalize where I was because I was in a state I have never been in before. Horrible and intense feeling, sweating like a maniac, screaming, hitting the steering wheel, people looking at me from other cars. Were they thinking I was a psychopath?

Just Google “Took Suboxone too soon” and read the horror stories from people who had the same thing happen to them—it’s quite crazy.

Thankfully, I found out a friend was close by who told me he had 12 Norco with him and he was at a place I have been many times before, so I knew how to drive there.

Tears coming out of my eyes without crying, ever had that? Like the floodgates have opened on the outside corners of both my eyes, it was the weirdest thing. I found my buddy and asked him for the pills. He gave them to me. I took all 12 pills, I bought cigarettes (I don’t smoke) thinking the nicotine would calm me down—I was really desperate.

By the way, my buddy freaked out because he takes half a Norco when he has pain, I just took all 12 in front of him. That’s why I tell people who start with pain pills that you will NOT win, you are only going to need more and it will ALWAYS end badly.

Enough Is Enough

When I calmed down, I drove to a place my wife called for me to check in, and a person was waiting for me. I remember they wanted to give me the Suboxone within 20 hours of me taking those 12 pills. I told them NO (while shaking and sweating like crazy from the detox). Four more hours I waited—I never wanted to experience that whole episode again.

OK, so now I was on Suboxone.

Let’s name some side effects: Sweating, high blood pressure, double vision, falling asleep behind the wheel, falling asleep while watching TV/movie theater, peeing took a long time, my heart rate was over 80 every morning in bed, crushed my testosterone level to 5, not 500 or 50, no, 1,2,3,4, 5! The doctor never even heard of that number and asked me how on earth I could come out of bed since even women have a higher level than I have. Well, I said, “happy thoughts and just get out, I don’t want to get out of bed, but I have to”—it was really hard.

So, I wanted to stop that crap, first I tried to do it “cold turkey,” but after five days my daughter had a pool party at our home and my wife needed help. There was no way I could help, I was so sick. I was in bed the whole day, shivering, sweating, not able to eat, just feeling horrible, so I restarted the Suboxone, thinking at least this way I could help her out with the party.

Knocking Out The Pills 

I came up with a better approach. Slowly, I started to decrease the dosage, went from 1.5 pills to 1, to ¾, to a half and from that to ¼, half of that quarter, then half of that, then that once every other day and then I stopped. I was done!

I kicked it in 10 days after I completely stopped with the last little tiny piece. Apparently, a record for my doctor, he could not believe how I did it. But I just drank a lot of water, loads of amino acids, good food (you don’t wanna eat but you HAVE to do it) and training every day on a treadmill. I walked on an incline for 30 minutes, which was SUPER hard because you feel like gravity pulls you into the floor, there is no other way to describe this, you feel 800 pounds and you really don’t want to do anything but stay in bed. I just pushed through it because I had my sight set on the end goal.

Man, in those 10 days I needed to wear shades everywhere because I became very sensitive to light. After those 10 days, my smell became much better. No more sweating. No more 5 minutes peeing. My heart rate returned to 55. Blood pressure was going down. NEVER falling asleep or even feeling tired during the day again. No more double vision.

I mean everything bad I had, disappeared in weeks, it was amazing.

Now since then I have still taken some pain pills. I had three neck surgeries after I stopped (4 in total). You get them after the surgery, but I wind down within a week. Sometimes when my back kills me and I have to travel, I take two with me. But only a few times a year.

Pure CBD Oil Changed My Life

Last year when I got my Receptra Pro for the first time, I had a trip to San Diego which is a 2.5-hour drive, my back was hurting so I asked my wife to give me a Vicodin (I still let her hide them, just to be sure, haha). She gave me one, I wanted to take it immediately but I thought, “You know what? I’ll try this Receptra first and see what it does and if it doesn’t help—then I will take the Vicodin.”

So I took a full dropper and was on my way. I eat something about 10 minutes after I take a pill or liquid, because that throws it into my system much faster. Otherwise you might be waiting for 2 hours, especially when you ate 30 minutes before you took the medication, it will take a long time.

But I ate something in the car and boom! Within 20 minutes I called my wife saying I couldn’t believe it, it’s like almost the same feeling, I am warm, I feel good and the pain is gone. And you know what’s even better? It’s NON-addictive!

Workouts With Receptra CBD

So now I started to use it before training. I wanted to see if it keeps the lactic acid away, and boy it does! You can train harder than normal, so I won’t advise you to use this when you haven’t trained for a while. It will make your workout much easier, so you don’t feel where you normally would have stopped. So, if this is your first workout in a while, you are going to be in pain the next day, so do it only when you already went through your muscle aches from prior workouts.

My daughters use the cream, gets rid of zits overnight, they love it, all their friends love it. Your skin gets better, also from the oil you take orally. It’s good for your nervous system, it calms you down, another great thing, haha! If you have to drive in traffic a lot, trust me, take some CBD. Your reflexes will be totally fine, you won’t be high, but you’ll feel relaxed, it helps a lot.

I love everything about it, the more I hear the more I love it. Research shows it is already curing certain people. The list of research showing the positive effects of Pure CBD Oil on health is too long to mention here. But I encourage you to do some research of your own. If there is something that is bothering you, and you think CBD might help, just search for it on the web and chances are you’ll find some info.

Receptra Naturals Pure CBD Oil has really changed my life for the better. I defeated the pain pills with the support of my family and friends. Receptra has helped me to stay focused on health and a life without those pills. But like I said, it isn’t only for pain. CBD is natural, and healthy for everyone!

In other words, you would be weird NOT to take it!

Godspeed!

Veterans With PTSD Sue After Being Discharged For Using Medical Marijuana

Terry Hacienda
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Veterans With PTSD Sue After Being Discharged For Using Medical Marijuana

Tens of thousands of American military veterans with mental health issues were unfairly given less-than-honorable discharges, barring them from accessing Veterans Affairs benefits, according to a lawsuit filed last week.

“The American public needs to know that hundreds of thousands of military veterans with service-connected PTSD … are being denied support and VA resources because of an unfair discharge status,” said ex-Marine Tyson Manker, who filed the suit.

According to a news report from the Stars & Stripes:

By the age of 21, Marine Corps Cpl. Tyson Manker led infantrymen into battle in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His actions as a Marine garnered him the Presidential Unit Citation and other awards, yet the military doesn’t consider his service as honorable.

Manker endured intense combat, saw civilians killed and witnessed the death of a close friend – experiences that caused nightmares and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder that only worsened when he returned home.

Later that year while on leave, Manker was caught with marijuana, which he used to self-medicate. He was kicked out of the Marine Corps for misconduct with an other-than-honorable discharge.

Manker, now a 36-year-old lawyer in Illinois, filed the class-action suit in federal court in Connecticut.  The veterans are represented by students with Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic, which filed a similar lawsuit against the Army last year, according to the Associated Press.

Since September 11, 2001, more than two million Americans have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Nearly a third of these service members suffer from PTSD and related mental health conditions, but the military continues to issue less-than-honorable (“bad paper”) discharges at historically high rates, often for minor infractions that are attributable to undiagnosed mental health issues, according to the lawsuit.

When these veterans apply for a change in their discharge characterization to the Naval Discharge Review Board (NDRB) — which handles applications from former sailors and Marines — these veterans are unlawfully denied without the benefit of Department of Defense policies meant to ease this process, according to the lawsuit.

Nearly a third of the more than 2 million Americans who have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD and related mental-health conditions. The less-than-honorable discharges received are often attributable to those mental health issues.

“We’re in a system of punishing those who serve on the frontlines,” said Manker, who has been haunted by his other-than-honorable status for years. “My hope with this is that the discharge review board will start following the law, plain and simple,” Manker said. “It’s about principle. It’s about restoring honor.”

The suit has the potential to include tens of thousands of veterans.

Made-Up ‘Simpsons’ Word Was Just Added To Very Real Dictionary

Brendan Bures
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Made-Up ‘Simpsons’ Word Was Just Added To Very Real Dictionary

As the internet continues to reshape how we live, new words are necessary to explain current predicaments and actions. But where do these words come from?

Some answers are easier than others. Take for example the word “subtweet.”  It’s among the 850 words the Merriam-Webster dictionary added this week to its lexicographical tome. It is a portmanteau of the words “subliminal” and “tweet,” which basically sums up what the word means.

Another word joining the Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, started like so many other contemporary pop culture phenomenon—The Simpsons. In the Season 9 episode “Lisa the Iconoclast,” Lisa investigates the history of Springfield’s founding father, Jebediah Springfield, and discovers he was a murderous pirate that once clashed with George Washington.

At the beginning of the episode, we’re treated to a propaganda film explaining the city’s origins that includes the immortal phrase, “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.”

Now “embiggens” has officially entered the dictionary as a legitimate word. As a Simpsons nod, Merriam-Webster states that 1996 was its first known usage, which is the year “Lisa the Iconoclast” aired. Here is what the word’s definition looks like.

Via Merriam-Webster:

Definition of embiggen

embiggened; embiggening

transitive verb

informal + humorous

: to make bigger or more expansive : enlarge, expand

  • This incredible chart was the final product. (Click to embiggen.) —Erik Malinowski
  • There are many painters who rely on computers as a tool or arbitrary gimmick, but the recent striated abstract paintings of Linda Day translate digital structures into painting language in a seamless way that embiggens both. —Doug Harvey

Can’t wait until the dictionary embiggens next year to see what words get added!

Sanctuary Cities: Why They Are Important For Medical Cannabis Communities

Terry Hacienda
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Sanctuary Cities: Why They Are Important For Medical Cannabis Communities

Berkeley, one of California’s most progressively pro-cannabis cities, did it first. Now the entire state may follow suit. Alaska and Massachusetts may also join in on the movement.

Last month, the Berkeley City Council passed a resolution declaring official sanctuary status for recreational marijuana, hoping to fend off a federal challenge from the Jeff Sessions-led Department of Justice. Under the Berkeley resolution, “no department, agency, commission, officer or employee of the City of Berkeley shall use any City funds to assist in the enforcement of Federal drug laws related to cannabis.”

The vote was a direct response to Sessions’ decision in January to roll back Obama-era protections for the cannabis industry. Sessions announced the DEA would be free to go after state-legal marijuana growers and stores because they are in violation of federal law.

“We knew we had to do something,” Berkeley City Councilman Ben Bartlett told the Associated Press. “This is a new engine of a healthy economy.” Berkeley became a sanctuary city for medical cannabis in 2008.

Less than a month after Berkeley’s vote, similar bills are pending in the state capitals of Alaska, California and Massachusetts.

Alaska state Rep. Adam Wool introduced his bill to protect the nascent industry. “If the federal government wants to prosecute someone for breaking federal law, I guess they have every right to do that,” said Wool, a Democrat from one of the state’s largest marijuana-growing areas. “I’m just saying, we will have no obligation to assist them.”

Last week, Mass. state Reps. Dave Rogers and Mike Connolly filed a bill called the “Refusal of Compliance Act.” The law would prevent local and state authorities from handing over people who follow state cannabis laws to federal agents unless those agents have a warrant.

“Massachusetts voters have gone to the polls and expressed their support for what I’d call a sensible drug policy and an end to marijuana prohibition,” said Connolly. “I can appreciate the parallel between this and more typical sanctuary-state-type stuff. I think the comparison is pretty clear, to the extent that we are a state government responding to the will of our own voters and people in our community.”

Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML, said the federal government is focused more on larger markets such a California. “I don’t think the feds care too much about marijuana in Alaska, to tell you the truth,” he told AP. “But marijuana has been a big industry in this state, so we’re sort of on the front lines.”

Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, doubts federal agents would hassle companies complying with state law. “But you can’t put it past them,” he said, adding that new U.S. attorneys have been appointed by President Donald Trump in many states. “I wouldn’t put it past at least a few of them to want to gain points with their boss. But I think, politically, it would be a disaster for them.”

Toddler Enters Wrong Password And Locks iPhone For 48 Years

Maria Loreto
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Toddler Enters Wrong Password And Locks iPhone For 48 Years

A two-year-old boy in Shanghai locked his mother’s phone by repeatedly entering the wrong password. He did this so many times that the phone was locked out for 25 million minutes, which equals 48 years. Wow.

According to Metro, this is not uncommon. A technician from China said that he’d seen phones that were locked for over 80 years.

Why does this random thing happen? It’s due to Apple’s security system, which locks the phone in increasing increments of time the more a wrong password is entered. To break it down even further: Every time someone enters the wrong password, a phone gets progressively locked out for longer periods of time, which some might argue is a dumb and useless security measure.

Via South China Morning Post:

I couldn’t really wait for 48 years and tell my grandchild it was your father’s mistake.

If you phone gets locked out for over 40 years due to a little kid, it’s not the end of the world. To be able to access the device, if you’re still alive, you have to completely erase the data and do a factory reset, which really sucks. The wisest thing to do here is to keep your phone out of a toddler’s reach. Buy them a kids tablet or something.

Why A Big Win For The LGBT Community Matters To Marijuana Companies

Megan Vaniman
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Why A Big Win For The LGBT Community Matters To Marijuana Companies

The Trump administration is known for its hostility toward marijuana. It’s also known for its hostility toward the LGBT community. In a huge blow to the Trump administration, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Monday that employers cannot discriminate against employees based on sexual orientation.

Many states, including Oregon, Washington, and California have statutes explicitly prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation. The Federal Civil Rights Act (“the Act”) does not explicitly protect employees based on sexual orientation. Instead, it only protects employees based on sex. Circuit courts across the country are taking up the issue of whether employees should be protected based on sexual orientation, and reaching different conclusions.

In 2010, Donald Zarda sued his employer, Altitude Express, Inc. alleging they had terminated him because he was gay. The federal district court ruled in favor of the employer, holding the Act did not protect employees based on sexual orientation. The case pitted the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the federal department of justice. The EEOC submitted a brief in support of Mr. Zarda, arguing the Act protects employees based on sexual orientation. The Federal Department of Justice (headed by our good friend, Mr. Sessions) submitted a brief supporting the employer, and arguing the Act did not extend to sexual orientation.

The Second Circuit overruled the lower court. Siding with Mr. Zarda in a lengthy, 69-page opinion, with multiple concurrences and 80 pages of dissents, it ultimately held that “sexual orientation is doubly delineated by sex because it is a function of both a person’s sex and the sex of those to whom he or she is attracted. Logically because sexual orientation is a function of sex and sex is a protected characteristic under [the Act] it follows that sexual orientation is also protected.” Makes sense to us.

Two other federal appeals courts recently have heard similar cases. The Seventh circuit determined discrimination based on sexual orientation was discrimination based on sex under the Act, while the Eleventh Circuit held the Act’s reference to sex did not encompass discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Supreme Court declined to hear the Seventh Circuit’s case, but now, with multiple circuits offering opinions on the issue, the Supreme Court may be persuaded to hear the Second Circuit’s case. If they do, let’s hope they get it right.

So why does this matter to cannabis businesses? Cannabis businesses are subject to both state and federal employment laws. If a cannabis business discriminates against an employee because of sexual orientation, the business could be in violation of both state and federal law.

As we all know, Attorney General Sessions ripped up the Cole memorandum earlier this year. Without the memorandum, there is little guidance about when and where federal district attorneys will choose to enforce the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) against cannabis companies. Thus, compliance with state and federal regulations is more important than ever during this time. It is best to stay under the radar rather than draw federal attention to your business by arguably violating federal laws—other than the CSA that is.

If you ever have questions about terminating an employee it is always best to consult an employment law expert first to ensure all basis are covered and no violations arise from the termination. If your company is not terminating an employee on the basis of sexual orientation, but you believe that the employee could make such a claim, it is crucial to consider and attempt to mitigate possible claims. Both state and federal laws tend to be very detailed when it comes to protection of employees. In unsettled areas of law, such as the employees and sexual orientation, prudence is advised.

Megan Vaniman is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog. 

Warner Bros. Is Building An Extreme Theme Park In Abu Dhabi

Maria Loreto
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Warner Bros. Is Building An Extreme Theme Park In Abu Dhabi

Warner Bros. will be opening their Abu Dhabi theme park this summer, and it’ll include extreme rides and attractions that feature the company’s most famous and lucrative films, so obviously it’ll be filled with superheroes.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi confirmed that’ll be split into different areas, each one covering different fictional cities from the DC Cinematic Universe, including the most famous ones, Gotham City and Metropolis.

Each city will have several rides, food courts, places to shop, and all you can possibly imagine. According to Gizmodo Gotham’s main ride will be called “Batman: Knight Flight,” where visitors will take a tour through the Batcave as they test Batman’s ultimate urban patrol vehicle. Something might happen mid-ride. Batman will show up, then you’ll be scared for a little bit, until he saves the day.

Gotham City will also have other rides such as something called Riddler Revolution, the Scarecrow Scare Raid, a flight ride, and a spinner roller coaster.

It looks like Warner Bros. is trying to give Disney and Universal a lot of competition, which is great! The world needs someone to step up to Disney. Hopefully, Warner Bros will also open a theme park somewhere that’s a little closer to us in the US.

What You Need To Know About NJ’s Legal Marijuana Controversy

Mary Schumacher
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What You Need To Know About NJ’s Legal Marijuana Controversy

The Statehouse in Trenton, NJ was a theater in which about 150 people gathered to debate cannabis legalization in the Garden State. Lobbyists and citizens alike voiced their arguments for and against marijuana legalization. The conclusion was that legalizing marijuana would have a giant impact on the state.

First thing to know is that this is a big deal to people across the nation. People drove from as far as Las Vegas and Colorado to testify. And why? Especially when the hearing wasn’t revolving around an active piece of legislation? It mostly comes down to wealth, not to mention phenomenal transportation and densely populated areas. In other words, Jersey would be a prime piece of cannabis real estate if it is legalized.

Drugged driving remains an issue. A proponent from Colorado said that in his state he wished that they’d done data collection long prior to their 2014 legalization win. He suggested Jersey start collecting data “tomorrow.” As it stands, gauging how many people on the road are lifted is difficult to say the least and even more difficult to say if they had been imbibing right before driving or a week before driving.

It all comes back to the money though, and in Jersey, there’s plenty of money to be made off of recreational cannabis. Experts say that the state could pull in $1 billion or more per year. Despite what you may have heard about the dirty jerz, affluence abounds and even those on a lower income level know how to budget for weed.

The police officer who drove from Las Vegas was a bit of a buzzkill, stating that back market activities have increased in his state since legalization, that the legal possession of an ounce gives cover to dealers on the Las Vegas strip. He also said cocaine seizures are up. Though the coke seizures going up doesn’t make much sense to correlate with legal cannabis, Las Vegas has special circumstances, such as having a highly tourist trafficked strip, that could lead to quick, easy street purchases.

The thing to remember is that the debate has just begun. There are three more hearing to be had in Northern, Central and South Jersey. Two are already scheduled, one on April 21 at Rowan University and another on May 12 at Bergen County Community College, the central location has yet to be determined.

Here’s Why Prince Harry May Not Wear A Wedding Ring Even After He Puts One On Meghan

Amy Hansen
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Here’s Why Prince Harry May Not Wear A Wedding Ring Even After He Puts One On Meghan

It may seem super curious to have your man skip out on sporting a wedding ring after he marries you, but it’s not suspect within the walls of the Royal Family. No Prince in recent history has worn a wedding band, which will make it not all all surprising if Prince Harry decides to ditch the custom.

As The Mirror reports, two prominent male members of the Royal Family have opted out of the band-wearing brigade: Prince Philip, who has been married to Queen Elizabeth for more than 70 years, and  Prince William, who decided he just didn’t want to, when he married Kate Middleton in 2011.

Prince Charles, on the other hand, has worn wedding rings during both of his marriages (to Princess Diana and Camilla).

A spokesman tells The Mirror that to ring or not to ring is “simply down to personal preference.”

Now, about the female members of the Royal Family. It’s customary for them to wear rings and it’s likely Meghan Markle will follow Suits (pun intended!).

Kate Middleton wears a gold band next to her engagement ring, which once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

But if neither Harry nor Meghan decide to sport a wedding ring, it should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody; the two have thwarted royal protocol since day one.

10 Glorious Cannabinoids In Marijuana And What They Can Do For You

Mike Adams
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10 Glorious Cannabinoids In Marijuana And What They Can Do For You

Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds of the cannabis plant that create the magic behind its effects. There are about 100 different cannabinoids found in marijuana.

There was once a time when the biggest problem a cannabis enthusiast experienced is where to score a sack of marijuana. It didn’t matter if the baggie contained Mexican ditch weed or a homegrown headache blend – weed was weed. But now that the herb has been made legal in a number of states, even the bright-eyed pot novice understands there are now a variety of strains to choose from. Some of these buds are packed with super-stoned effects, while others are mild and relaxing. It is the science behind the cannabis plant that dictates the difference between the various strains. The difference is largely due to a unique combination of cannabinoids.

What Are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds of the cannabis plant that create the magic behind its effects. These little boogers infiltrate the human endocannabinoid system and settle in to caress and distort the neurotransmitters in the brain. There are somewhere around 100 different cannabinoids found in marijuana. Most have a medicinal function. Some of them are only present in low levels, but there are some main components that stand out. Here are the most common cannabinoids and their effects.

Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC): This cannabinoid is most commonly referred to as THC. It is the king of cannabinoids in a lot of respects, as it creates the stoned effects that so many of us have grown to enjoy. This is the culprit that brings on those giggle fits and bouts of the munchies. Out of a laundry list of cannabinoids THC is the fun one. But it also has proven therapeutic potential. It is known to ease pain, alleviate nausea and help induce sleep. Cancer patients have leaned on this particular cannabinoid to help stimulate the appetite lost to chemotherapy. THC also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Cannabidiol (CBD): Within the past several years, CBD has become the other rockstar cannabinoid. Unlike THC, this component does not produce high effects. But some of the latest research — both anecdotal stories and clinical trials — have shown that CBD is a powerhouse medicine. It has been known to reduce seizure frequency in epilepsy patients, bring relief to those with neuropathy, and act as a pain reliever.

Cannabichromene (CBC): Although most have never heard of CBC, it is the third most common cannabinoid. This component of the cannabis plant also does not get the user stoned. It comes with antidepressant properties, as well as the ability to renew brain cells.

Cannabinol (CBN): This non-psychoactive cannabinoid presents itself when marijuana is introduced to a heat source. It is believed to have antibacterial and pain reducing effects. There is some evidence that suggests that CBN is one of the primary cannabinoids responsible for bringing relief to glaucoma patients.

Cannabigerol (CBG): While this particular cannabinoid is not common in most strains, it comes with some unique magic. CBG is the building block for other cannabinoids. There is research that indicates that this non-psychoactive component can reduce the size of tumors.

Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV): This cannabinoid is a bit enigmatic. While similar to THC, it remains unclear whether THCV should be listed as a psychoactive component. Some studies show that this cannabinoid can act as an appetite suppressant, ease anxiety and even stimulate bone growth.

Cannabidivarin (CBDV): Found in strains with higher levels of CBD, this cannabinoid is believed to reduce seizures and help with nausea.

Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC): This cannabinoid is a close cousin to THC, but the psychoactive effects are not as strong. Scientists believe Δ8-THC could slow down brain deterioration commonly displayed in Alzheimer’s patients.

Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA): This cannabinoid is only CBDA in raw marijuana. Once it is exposed to heat, it loses the “A” in its structure. Some research shows this component can reduce cancer risk.

Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA): Also only present in raw marijuana, THCA pioneers THC. THCA turns to THC during the drying process. Research is limited, but some believe it contains the power to reduce the risk of cancer.

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