Cannabis has been used for its medicinal properties since before the beginning of recorded history. For stress, sleeplessness, glaucoma, inflammation, painkilling, and many other ailments Cannabis has always been noted for its positive effect on both the mind and body. In modern times health scientists have been able to take an unbiased look at Cannabis to see what exactly the mechanisms are that make Cannabis such an effective treatment for so many. Through various tests and studies people are now more sure than ever that cannabis is an effective and only recently overlooked treatment for many common issues in the human body.
The first written records of Cannabis use date back into ancient China where the emperor Shen Nung, the father of traditional Chinese medicine, saw the healing properties within the Cannabis plant. Furthermore, even within the Bible in the book of Exodus Cannabis was used in the making of the holy anointing oils. The list goes on and on with famous philosophers and physicians such as Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism, Pliny the Elder and even Jesus promoting and making use of the Cannabis plant in a variety of ways that are still used today. The Cannabis plant was so important historically that it was brought over to Jamestown during the founding of the USA and even placed penalties on those whose land was not producing the much needed hemp fibers. Even the founding fathers such as Washington and Jefferson were major proponents of Cannabis, going so far as to grow high THC content strains themselves.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) are the main mechanisms at work in Cannabis, and unsurprisingly also the chemicals shown to be the most likely candidates for use as medicine. Their effects on the body differ, and help treat different ailments. This means it is important for one to understand the THC to CBD ratio in Cannabis and their effects on the body.
CBD, found in highest quantities within Indica strains, is a chemical of high quantities in Cannabis that actually is non-psychoactive. As in, it alone will not give the feeling of normal Cannabis use. Surprisingly, it works against THC’s effect on the brain easing and slowing the mind altering affects. However, CBD alone does show vast medical promise in an array of illnesses. In patients with Dravet’s syndrome, a form of epilepsy, CBD has shown the ability to greatly reduce and even fully cure their seizures. CBD is also showing promise as a treatment for schizoid patients as a safe alternative to the debilitating pharmaceutical anti-psychotics available today. Beyond this CBD is shown to have anti-anxiety for those with stress disorders, anti-inflammatory if used topically, and has even been shown to reduce tumor growth in certain types of cancers.
The original breeders of modern Cannabis initially put most of their emphasis on increasing THC levels in their plants, as the psychoactive effects were sought after more so than for a medicinal. Today this is changing with the newly gained knowledge of CBDs important pharmacological uses as well as its effect on THC in the body. Growers are working on new strains such as the Charlotte’s Web Sativa that was bred solely for a young girl named Charlotte who suffered over 1,200 seizures a month until given a tincture version of this high CBD strain which brought her seizure count down to about 3. Another new high CBD strain, that has a near 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, is Cannatonic which has been renowned for its ability to melt away both physical and mental pain in users.
THC is the psychoactive ingredient inside the Cannabis plant. It is found in the highest amount in the Sativa strains of the plants, and can be seen as sort of the yang to CBD’s yin. The mind altering affects are present with this chemical, yet it shows much promise like CBD in helping many illnesses. It is proven to have an appetite stimulant and anti-nausea affect that helps those with eating disorders such as anorexia and cancer patients going through chemo-therapy. Pain relief as well is a key effect of THC and is used by those with back injuries, chronic migraines, joint pain, among other injuries commonly by medical Cannabis proponents. Glaucoma sufferers also have their symptoms reduced, though temporarily, by the use of Cannabis as THC is an anti-inflammatory that can relieve eye pressure, acording to American Glaucoma Society. Beyond all this one of the most common uses of THC is its sleep aid effects, not only can THC help one get to sleep quicker and sleep longer it also eases breathing in those with sleep apnea.
If THC content has the effects one is looking for in their Cannabis, then they will not have to look far. There are many high THC content strains available, due partly for many breeder’s desire to make stronger and stronger Cannabis. Girl Scout Cookies is one of these strains, which at a staggering 28% THC level provides a strong dose of anti-nausea and pain relief for those in need. A little goes a long way with strains such as these, so caution may be recommended to inexperienced patients.
Despite these aforementioned strains lying on either extremes of THC and CBD, there exists a vast majority of those that are much more balanced and for most potential users these are what they will be looking at. A number of websites have started to offer cannabis feminised seeds for sale in the UK, and have advertised these for “display purposes”. However of these seeds the most popular of these are generally known for their good balanced between pain relief and stress management, examples of these include Blue Dream, the legendary Sour Diesel, and White Widow which is the parent to many other famous strains such as the White Rhino. Other strains are more popular among insomnias, these are generally the Indica, such as Bubba Kush and Granddaddy Purple.
There are many, many strains to suit the needs of patients and users who are looking for relief in a variety of ways. It’s quite easy to see why Cannabis has been popular for so long if one looks through the many success stories from patients of modern medicinal Cannabis strains.