Cannabis basics BY: HEATHER DEROSE
The Sunshine State is moving in the right direction and is working to provide regulated and safe access to this remarkably beneficial plant. Read on for an overview of cannabis basics for new patients just like you.
A Brief History
endocrine, and immune tissues, as well as creating and supporting homeostasis of the body’s cells.
Cannabis has been used for thousands of years, dating back to Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. Before Nixon’s war on drugs, cannabis was grown for the use of rope, clothing and fiber in North America. It’s been over 80 years since the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed,which made possession or transfer of marijuana illegal throughout the United States under Federal law. There are now over 30 states with cannabis legalization and a recently passed Farm Bill that allows the growth of hemp for industrial use.
Because the ECS is designed to regulate the body’s functions, it comes as no surprise cannabis helps with so many conditions. Since its discovery, research continues to enlighten us on how and why cannabis has played such a pivotal role in the health and wellbeing of humans for such a long period of time.
In 1992, Raphael Mechoulam discovered the Endocannabinoid System (ECS—a complex receptor system found in humans and animals designed to respond to the active compounds found in the cannabis plant. The ECS has been recently recognized as possibly the most important modulatory system in the body that regulates the functioning of the brain,
Cannabinoids, the Entourage Effect, and Full Spectrum medicine. Though hemp and marijuana have very different properties, both come from the cannabis plant. The terms hemp and marijuana are typically used to describe the difference in THC content. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is one of hundreds of known cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It is most commonly recognized as the psychoactive compound in cannabis that causes the “high” affect.
11
