August 2013
Story on page 6
Also in this issue | Grower’s Corner - Dealing with the Heat | Recreational Marijuana Still Unavailable Statewide | The Hash Man | Marijuana Can Help Fight Diabetes | Bud-O-Scopes | Edible Review & Recipe | News of the Weird
2 The Town of Garden City
Monthly Savings
story on page 6
Check out the Ganja Gazette each month for savings on your medication.
4
Bud of the Day
$ 00 /Gram
Not valid with any other specials - Limit 3 coupons per patient, per month. Cannot be combined with Daily Deals on same product. Expires 8/31/13
Scissor Hash
FREE
Buy One Gram Get One.....
Not valid with any other specials - Limit 3 coupons per patient, per month. Cannot be combined with Daily Deals on same product. Expires 8/31/13
5 Pre Rolleds $1500 Not valid with any other specials - Limit 3 coupons per patient, per month. Cannot be combined with Daily Deals on same product. Expires 8/31/13
$20$2 Off Any Edible Not valid with any other specials - Limit 3 coupons per patient, per month. Cannot be combined with Daily Deals on same product. Expires 8/31/13
20 Off
Top or Premium $ Cap Ounce
Not valid with any other specials - Limit 3 coupons per patient, per month. Cannot be combined with Daily Deals on same product. Expires8/31/13
Must be a licensed Colorado medical marijuana patient to purchase medicine.
Altitude Wellness Center
3435 S. Yosemite St. Denver, CO 80231
303.751.7888
altitudewellnesscenter.com
Natures Herbs & Wellness Center
522 27th St., Garden City, CO 80631 970-353-1170
naturesherbsandwellness.com
IN This Issue Cooking With Cannabis Page 4 Sudoku Page 4 Elsewhere on Marijuana
Page 5
Cover Story
Page 6
The Town of Garden City
The Hash Man
Edibles in Review
Page 7 Page 10
Bud-O-Scopes Page 11 WonderWord Page 11 Grower’s Corner
Page 12
What’s it Good For?
Page 14
News of The Weird
Page 14
Dealing with the Heat
Marijuana Helps Fight Diabetes
Early Bird Specials from 9-10 am Donuts and Juice Available
MEDICATION
at a higher level
Shelf
Gram 1/8 1/4 1/2
Top Shelf
$12
DAILY SPECIALS
$35
$70
Oz.
$120 $200
Premium $10 $30 $60 $110 $180 Bud of The Day
$5 $1750 $35 $70 $140
Kickin’ It Sunday:
$7 Grams on Premium
Medicate Me Monday: 2 Pre-Rolled Joints for $7
Tokin’ Tuesday:
15% Off Bubble Hash
Wheelin’ Wednesday:
Spin The Prize Wheel After Any $20 Purchase For Your Chance To Win Sick Prizes!
Sassy Grass Thursday:
Altitude Wellness Center 3435 S. Yosemite St. 303.751.7888 altitudewellnesscenter.com Open 9am-7pm Daily
Buy One Get One 1/2 Off On The Edible Of The Week
Twisted Friday:
Buy A Top Shelf 1/8th And Get A Pre-Rolled For A Penny. Buy A Premium Cap1/8 And Get a Pre-Rolled For $1.00
Pick Your Special Saturday: Pick Any One Of Our Daily Specials
4
8/2013
How to make:
Cannabis Candy Provided by: Tucker Eldridge
Ingredients Needed: 2 cups sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup water 1-2 oz. cannabis tincture Candy or Lollipop molds Your choice of food coloring and flavoring
Directions:
1. Add sugar, syrup, and water to a pot on the stove over medium-heat. Stir until all ingredients have dissolved and bring to a boil. 2. Bring to 300ËšF and slowly stir in color and flavorings. 3. Turn off heat and as quickly as possible stir in marijuana tincture*. 4. Pour into candy or lollipop molds. * The liquid will very quickly turn into solid form so you must move very quickly!
We have added a new delight for you to savor...
Ambrosia Station
$15 for 1/2 Gram $30/Gram
The Ambrosia or Cannabis Caviar is created by taking the strain of your choice from our case, then its drizzled with hash oil testing at 88-90%THC and is topped off with a sprinkling of Keef (Sativa, Indicia or Mix) creating a a very strong and potent high. If you are wanting a stronger, longer lasting high, The Ambrosia Station will suit your needs.
Natures Herbs and Wellness Center 522 27th St., Garden City, CO 80631
970.353.1170
5
Elsewhere on Marijuana
Recreational Marijuana Still Unavailable Statewide Alvin Dy Foreign Correspondent
Supporters of marijuana legalization might be looking at Colorado for hope after it made the use and sales of marijuana legal even for recreational purposes. But don’t look now, because it seems that some municipalities in the state are getting cold feet about legal pot in their area. At least until the state finally makes up its mind on how to go about the sale of both recreational pot and medical marijuana later this year. State legislators are scrambling to come up with laws on how to regulate legal marijuana and the drug market in general. They have come up with a temporary set of regulations, which are largely described as “emergency rules.” These emergency rules have been effective starting July 1. These initial regulations include licensing laws and other regulatory laws until a more permanent framework can be drafted and ratified. Licenses, however, will not be issued un-
til 2014. In the meantime, municipalities and towns will have to make up their minds regarding whether they will be part of the legal marijuana trade or not. Surprisingly, not all communities are in favor of having a marijuana dispensary in their neighborhood. In Denver, where medical marijuana dispensaries are already found on main streets, recreational marijuana is largely welcome. A majority of the voters here backed the ballot measure to make marijuana legal for any purpose in the state. The city council, understandably, has no qualms about starting the selling as soon as possible. Denver’s enthusiasm is not shared by smaller communities, however. Some areas, such as Montrose and Greeley, have already started to prohibit the sale of marijuana. Others, meanwhile, have chosen to postpone the date when their residents could apply for licenses to run a marijuana dispensary. This is what
happened in Aurora, where they wanted their local legislators to have enough time to come up with their own set of rules. At the moment, there are 36 communities that have passed ordinances that in some way limit or prohibit the recreational use of marijuana. Only 13 communities have signified interest in complying with Amendment 64. The communities that opted for the delay in giving out marijuana-related business licenses include: • Aurora • Bayfield • Carbondale • Centennial • Craig • Crestone • Dillon • Erie • Federal Heights • Fort Morgan • Frisco • Fruita • Glenwood Springs • Lafayette • Lakewood • Littleton • Log Lane Village • Lyons • Norwood • Steamboat Springs • Vail The communities that are gunning for
prohibition are: • Blanca • Broomfield • Buena vista • Burlington • Calhan • Cherry Hills • Crawford • Crested Butte • Dacono • Del Norte • Englewood • Fairplay • Foxfield • Frederick • Greeley • Greenwood Village • Gunnison • Hudson • Johnstown • Limon • Lone Tree • Longmont • Montrose • Monument • Palisade • Parker • Superior • Thornton • Westminster • Windsor • Woodland Park
cons and are carefully examining the different issues associated with it. Even if they have preliminarily asked to prohibit or ban marijuana in their jurisdiction, they will have the chance to examine these regulations and see if they would like to continue with the ban or not. The state’s emergency rules, which took effect on July 1, 2013, come in a guidebook with more than 60 pages.
Some of the more salient points in the new rules include:
1. The state’s revenue department will be overseeing the sale of marijuana for recreational use. 2. All marijuana products must have warnings such as: • “There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product.” • “This product is intended for use by adults 21 years and older. Keep out of the reach of children.” • “This product is unlawful outside the State of Colorado.” • “This product is infused with Retail Marijuana.”
This might look like a blow to marijuana legalization, but it actually isn’t. This just proves that marijuana legalization is being taken seriously in Colorado and nobody is moving forward hastily. It shows that the city councils and residents are weighing out the pros and Continued on page 15
6
Cover Story
The Town of Garden City Small Town... Big Fun Lacewing Ganja Gazette
Garden City owes its existence to the end of prohibition in 1933. When the nationwide ban on alcohol sales ended, towns in Colorado had the option of remaining ‘dry’ by a majority vote of the residents. When citizens of Greeley voted to prohibit liquor within the town limits, the Sheriff showed up the next morning to shut down the town’s two liquor stores. One of the liquor store owners, I. P. Norton, then moved his operation just outside of Greeley limits and Greeley officials responded by passing a law that liquor could not be sold within a specific number of feet outside the town limits. To get around this law, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Ray, who owned most of the land directly south of Greeley, attempted to form a new town on their property. However, State law required that 30 land owners had to petition to incorporate a town. To fulfill this requirement, Mrs. Id Ray began selling
small parcels of land for $100, with a $10 down payment. Once the Rays had the required number of land owners, they tried once again to incorporate. Their first two attempts were thrown out by the court, but a third effort was successful and Garden City was incorporated in 1938. Rosedale, another small community adjacent to Garden City, incorporated in 1939 under the same circumstances. The two small towns merged in 1987. Before the merger, when bars in the two towns were competing for customers, bar owners in Rosedale would cross the street to persuade customers in Garden City bars to visit their establishments. Garden City bar owners, in turn, would try to coax the customers back. It’s reported that some of the bar owners carried guns on their hips to help with their persuasion. With a total land area of less than one square mile, Garden City’s population is only about 350 people. However, 62
businesses operate in Garden City and each one is vital to the sustainability of the Town. Sales tax revenue generated by these businesses supports the services that the Town is able to provide to its citizens.
Welcome to Garden City We hope you take the time to enjoy and explore our little town. Garden City is built on a tradition of thinking differently and the ideal of personal freedom. We proudly continue with these values today. Garden City was founded at a time when communities around us hung on to the failed idea of Prohibition. Since 1938, our town has stood up for our beliefs and provided a safe and fun community to visit and enjoy a libation. Today this tradition is alive and well - stop in and wet your lips and share a story at one of our watering holes. Experience the BIG fun our small town has to
offer in person. But the Town of Garden City has much more to offer than just getting a drink. We invite you to visit our diverse selection of locally owned small businesses. Whether your car needs a tune-up,
your stomach is in need of good eats or you have the shopping bug, your support of Garden City helps keep our community vibrant and successful. We welcome you and appreciate your business.
7 Hashish Practicality
Hashish and Your Health Trey Gochenour The Hash Man Hello fellow hash lovers! Congratulations to our winners in last month’s contest! Hope you enjoyed your hash! Now get ready to have your senses challenged, as we are starting a new contest this month. I will put together a Mystery Hash. You buy a gram and then tell me what strands I used. You will win a free gram of your choice of Bubble Hash and I will reimburse you for the gram of Mystery Hash you purchased. Don’t worry, in the beginning I will make it easy, but as the contest progresses, it will be harder and harder to guess! Now, on to this month’s lesson in hash! In its many forms, cannabis has a long history of wide-spread use for relief from the symptoms associated with a variety of medical complaints. The primary value of Cannabis medicine lies in its analgesic ability to relieve symptoms of disease, rather than its ability to prevent or cure them. However, there have been reports of people being cured of certain things by using cannabis instead of pharmaceutical drugs. We are just scratching the surface of the many potential uses it holds. Cannabis, throughout history, has been
used to relieve depression, pain, drowsiness, insomnia, muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, hypertension, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. However, these are just symptoms of underlying discomforts, disorders, or diseases. So far, history told us that Cannabis only relieved the accompanying symptoms. For instance, cannabis can relieve menstrual cramps very effectively, but they return when the high is over. However, recent research has shown that Cannabis has made enormous strides in curing some diseases. Both hashish and marijuana have been eaten and smoked for medicinal relief. The big difference between
the two is the higher concentrations of the medically active cannabinoids in hashish, compared to the marijuana of an equal weight. Therefore, this makes the hashish a more concentrated medically appropriate source of the active cannabinoid compounds. Recently, people have started juicing it and are having remarkable results. Well known pharmaceutical companies were manufacturing cannabis fluid extracts from as early as 1885 up to 1937, when the Marijuana Tax Act effectively made cannabis illegal in the US. Many studies have shown that the recreational use of cannabis does not pose any serious threat to the
health or moral character of its users, according to the Indian Hemp Commission Report. In 1977, Tippo concluded that the stereo-typical connections between cannabis use and deviant behavior were completely false. In 1993, a study done by the US Army in Panama showed there is no evidence that marijuana is a habit forming drug in the sense of cocaine, opium or alcohol. It does not cause increased criminal behavior, sexual over-stimulation, or addiction, in the medical sense of the word, and does not lead to the cocaine, heroin, or morphine kinds of addictions. Researchers have found that both recreational and medicinal use of Cannabis is
perfectly safe and can be very beneficial! We should have listened to those guys back in 1885! Well, that is all for today. Don’t forget to enter the mystery hash contest, known as “Name That Hash!,” at both our locations and good luck! Until next time, keep your stash full of hash!
And Wellness
Natures Herbs 970-353-1170
OPEN DAILY 8:00 am to 7:00 pm NaturesHerbsAnd Wellness.com
522 27th Street Garden City, CO 80631
Daily Specials Kickin’ It SUNDAY
$7 Grams on all Premium Caps
Medicate Me MONDAY Two Pre-Rolleds for $7
Tokin’ TUESDAY
10% OFF Bubble Hash
Wheeling WEDNESDAY Spin the Prize Wheel with a $20 Purchase for a Chance to Win Awesome Prizes!
Sassy Grass THURSDAY Edible of the Week Buy One Get One1/2 OFF
Twisted FRIDAY
Buy any Top Shelf 1/8 & get a Pre-Rolled for 1¢ Buy any Premium Cap 1/8 & get a Pre-Rolled for $1
Pick Your Special SATURDAY Choose from any Special of the Week
EARLY BIRD SPECIALS from 8-9am -Juice & Donuts Available!
Everyday Low Prices
Gram 1/8
Top Shelf
$12 $35 $70 $120 $200
Premium
$10 $30 $60 $110 $180
Bud of the Day
1/4
1/2
Oz.
$5 $1750 $35 $70 $140
Jenny,Brenda & Gabby’s
Birthday EXTRAVAGANZA Tuesday, August 20th Bud of the Day
$4
Grams
Pre-Rolleds
2 for $5 Top Shelf 1/8th Buy One Get One
1/2 OFF
Natures Herbs & Wellness Center 522 27th St., Garden City, CO 970.353.1170 naturesherbsandwellness.com
Altitude Wellness Center 3435 S. Yosemite St., Denver, CO 303.751.7888 altitudewellnesscenter.com
10
Edibles in Review:
Have a Vaped Day! Fu-Qua Johnson Ganja Gazette
Greeting and salutations! Can you believe it is August already? This summer is going by way too fast for me. I just got back from an amazing—and much needed—time with family. I’ll admit I’m sort of a momma’s boy, so I go see her whenever I can. She has always supported me without question and I love her for that. I really hope you guys got to see some fireworks over the fourth and spend time with the folks you love. As many of you may have guessed, I am a very frequent customer over at Nature’s Herbs and Wellness Center in Garden City. The folks that work there are constantly assisting me in my quest to expand my MMJ horizons— they are always helpful and knowledgeable. It is thanks to them that I’ve branched out from my regular edibles into new territories, like this month’s product! On my most recent visit to Nature’s, I was introduced to the “Vaped” glass globe attachment for the RemPen. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love their hash oil cartridges, and I love them even more since they went down in price. (OMG, have you seen the 750mg cartridge?!? Wow, the 250mg is awesome, the 500mg is amazing, but I have not yet tried the 750mg.) But this attachment is really cool because you can use your own medicine to medicate. I still use cartridges for the discreet way to medicate in public, but this attachment
is perfect for when you are home, sitting down. The attachment screws on the RemPen like the cartridges do, but the glass globe can be removed once it has been securely attached to the RemPen. Once the glass globe is removed, a small white cup with the heating element is exposed. Small pieces of hash will do just fine when gently placed in the white cup on top of the heating element. Place the glass globe back on and get ready for a “Brain Grenade”. For the best results, press the button and allow the heating element to start doing its thing. You will see smoke slowly fill the glass globe and then inhale slowly using the mouth piece. Do not inhale too hard; you might risk sucking the hash off the heating element, so easy does it. I really don’t need much to feel better but for some of you, a few pieces of hash will do the trick. I really like this product because I feel like I am not wasting any hash at all, unlike the times when I usually top it on a bowl. You know what I’m talking about, right? Take a look at it next time you are up at Nature’s or their Denver location. This could become my new favorite tool when I go snowboarding or just spending a day in the mountains. No lighter required, so don’t you worry about running into that situation. Just remember to have it charged up, because when you get this attachment, you will use the RemPen a lot more. Many patients buy two RemPen’s
like I did, so I always have one charged up and ready to go, but that’s just me. Check out this new attachment and ask the girls at Nature’s about it; they have a lot of knowledge about the different products they sell. I know I promised an article about the Incredible’s edible company, and their amazing kitchen, which is located in Denver. I promise it will appear soon, and all you readers will get to see pictures of their awesome kitchen, and the chocolate fountains they had on display at the 4/20 convention. The owners of the company
really understand what the patients want and their level of consistency is second to none. Keep an eye out for this article, coming soon to a Ganja Gazette near you. Before I say goodbye for this month, I would also like to thank the editors of the Ganja Gazette. Thanks for allowing me to do these articles. You have been a big help and a positive support from the very beginning, so THANK YOU!!! Like always readers, medicate with care and have a wonderful rest of the summer. See you in on the flip side.
11
Bud-o-Scopes
Horoscopes at Virgo a higher level Aug. 23 - Sep.
Aries
Mar. 21 - Apr. 19
Escape the institution, break away from the man! Big Brother doesn’t have a hold on you, you are free!!
Taurus
Apr. 20-May 20
This Friday, the universe is suggesting that you have a horror movie marathon, starting with the bloodiest movie of all time. Feel free to ignore universe this time, though.
Gemini
May 21- June 20
If you haven’t been to Madrid yet, you should go. You have no idea what kind of adventures await you there.
Cancer
June 21-July 22
It’s time to let go of all the hate. Yes, Justin Bieber is heinous, but he’s just a boy. Doesn’t he deserve to be cut a little slack?
Leo
July 23 - Aug. 22
Have you been a hero to anyone lately? You should try doing something small for a stranger, like paying for their lunch or giving someone random a flower.
22
Houseplants are good for you. They give you someone to talk to, they produce extra oxygen, and they look pretty!
Libra
Sep. 23 - Oct. 22
You need a new pair of sunglasses, something with some flair, perhaps even sparkles.
Scorpio
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 Want to hear a knock-knock joke? No?
Sagittarius Nov.22 -Dec.21
You might be having a bad day, but at least you’re not the lady who has the same phone number as CenturyLink, sans the 1-800.
Capricorn Dec. 22 -Jan. 19
You really ought to exercise more often.
Aquarius
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Have you ever taken a moment to appreciate the fact that Netflix automatically skips over a show’s intro when you’re in the midst of binge watching?
Pisces
Feb.19 - Mar. 20 Never forget that you really are a very attractive person.
8/2013
12
GROWER’S CORNER
Dealing with the Heat Tucker Eldridge Ganja Gazette
When first starting out with a garden of your own, one of the biggest problems a budding grower must learn to overcome is maintaining consistent temperatures. This problem is especially severe in Colorado from July to September, when temperatures consistently sit at or above ninety degrees outside. The obvious, and most expensive, option for fixing this problem is to purchase and install enough additional AC to accommodate the large amount of heat that is put off by your lights. As a general rule o f thumb, each watt of light
will put off 3.41 BT units of heat. This means you are seeing an almost 3,500 BT unit increase for each 1,000 watt light you have in use. Couple this with the knowledge that each ton of AC will effectively combat 12,000 BT units of heat, and you can effectively cool three lights with each ton of AC available. But seeing as how this is a particularly expensive option, and it takes a good amount of additional electricity to add additional AC, it may be wise to look into a few easier, less expensive options to help beat the summer heat. One option available to the financially minded grower is to purchase reflector covers. Reflector covers are thermally insulated and prevent any heat from rising out of and escaping your reflectors. This
hot air can then be effectively ducted out and removed without any temperature exchange with the ambient air in the room. You have to account for the fact that due to the natural ability for aluminum to conduct heat, it is not necessary for the hot air in your reflectors to come in contact with the air in your room for it to change the temperature; and as a rule of thumb, it will take less energy to maintain your cooler temps than it will to reduce ones that are already high. Another step the average home grower can take when looking to cool down their ladies is to think about the lights they are using. 600 watt lights are the most efficient light on the market and make the most effective conversion of watts to useable light, and keep your room temps much lower than their 1,000 watt counterparts. The issue with this is that 600 watts doesn’t offer the same output as 1,000 does, even if it is more efficient. Our solution to take advantage of the best of both worlds is to run 3 600 watt lights for every two 1,000 watt lights we were running before. This only generates 1800
watts of electrical use, compared to our previous 2,000, and due to the better spread of the light, as well as the increased efficiency of our electrical usage, we can not only lower our heat generated, we can do so while also lowering our electrical costs and increasing the growth output of our lights. Another solution to our daily heat battle lies in the use of CO2. CO2 is an ambient presence in the air from 350-500 ppm. When we increase the availability of CO2 outside of the leaves, the high molar concentration of CO2 molecules outside of the leaves cause the plant stoma to be forced open, allowing for uptake when before it was impossible, or even increased uptake and availability of CO2 compared to the ambient environment. This increase in uptake can even translate into an increase in yield, assuming all other growth factors are adequately accounted for. The last option available to the home grower is to just turn off a light! All other factors constant, a grower will generate higher yields of better quality product running 2,000 watts at
75 degrees than they will generate running 3,000 watts at 90 degrees. This is due to the fact that Cannabis plants fit under the classification of a C3 plant in regards to the opening and closing of the plants’ stoma. This means that once a temperature of about 85 degrees is reached, the plant will close up its pores and stop sweating to allow it to retain extra moisture to combat the heat. This effectively stops the uptake of water, slows down metabolic functions, and ceases plant growth. And plants that stop growing stop producing. When growing cannabis indoors, accounting for environment is crucial. We as indoor gardeners are accountable for every environmental factor possible. This includes being ready to battle the effects of consecutive 90 degree days. The blazing Colorado summer heat can wreak havoc on the unsuspecting gardener’s indoor haven, but starting with these steps can really help turn down temps and turn up yields. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at Naturesherbsgrower@gmail.com!
Beyond Amazing! Beyond Mars Gummies 100mg
499 $ 999
Ariel, Jessie & Ron’s Gr Any
$
200mg
Top Shelf Gram $
Birthday Bash!
owing Kitchen Edible
3 00
$
Off
Monday, August 12th
00
8
Natures Herbs & Wellness Center 522 27th St., Garden City, CO 970.353.1170 naturesherbsandwellness.com
Premium Shelf 1/8
20
$
00
Altitude Wellness Center 3435 S. Yosemite St. Denver, CO 303.751.7888 altitudewellnesscenter.com
14
What’s It Good For News of the Weird Chuck Shepard’s
Huh, that’s weird... Least competent criminals Lee Wildman, 35, and Adrian Stanton, 32, pleaded guilty in connection with a burglary at Durham (England) University’s Oriental Museum, in which they heisted artwork worth the equivalent of about $2.7 million and hid it in a field in April 2012. However, they have been unable to help authori-
ties locate the bounty (even with the reward of sentence-reduction) -- because they have forgotten exactly where they stashed it. Eventually, hikers unconnected with the case discovered it and notified police. Said Judge Christopher Prince, “This is not an offense that can be described as sophisticated.”
Questionable Judgments In 2011, Julian Pellegrino pleaded guilty to DUI involving serious bodily injury to Mark Costa in Chicopee, Mass., and was sentenced to serve 18 months in jail, but that did not deter Pellegrino from filing a lawsuit in December, demanding $1.1 million for Costa’s somehow “caus(ing)”
his car to collide with Pellegrino’s. Pellegrino (with a broken neck) was actually more seriously injured than Costa, who sued back, asking nearly $200,000. (In 2010, while Pellegrino was awaiting disposition of the case with Costa, he pleaded guilty to another DUI.)
Celebrate with a bang
Two brothers, celebrating a winning lottery ticket in Wichita, Kan., in February, bought a stash of marijuana, but then, attempting to light a bong using butane lighter fluid, one
accidentally blew up the family home. That brother was hospitalized with second-degree burns, and the other was arrested for marijuana possession.
Marijuana Can Help Fight Diabetes Alvin Dy Foreign Correspondent When it comes to the medical benefits of marijuana, we are firm believers. We have seen a lot of patients being able to lead normal lives despite their conditions because of marijuana. This is the reason why we totally support its legalization. Marijuana has been seen to be beneficial in pain management, stress management and even in curing some conditions. But a new study suggests that medical marijuana might just prove to be a valuable ally in fighting diabetes. The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, was conducted by Harvard School of Public Health’s Elizabeth A. Penner, BS, Hannah Buettner, BA and Murray A. Mittleman, MD, DrPH from the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Department of Medicine. The study involved more than 4,600 respondents who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2005 and 2010. Around 40% of the respondents indicated that they have used marijuana in the past and 12% said that they were current marijuana users. What Penner, Buettner and Mittleman
found is astonishing: those who are currently using marijuana had lower fasting insulin levels than those who are not currently using marijuana. Marijuana users are also less resistant to insulin. What this means is that marijuana users are more likely to avoid Type II diabetes. The findings support and give more insight to earlier studies that found that marijuana users are less predisposed to get diabetes. ited to diabetes. The current study also shows that those who use marijuana have higher levels of good cholesterol. This actually helps your body guard against heart disease. Marijuana can also help you keep fit. The researchers found that on the average, marijuana users have a 1.5 inch slimmer waistline than non-users. Again, these findings are consistent with earlier studies that have found marijuana users
having lower body mass index, therefore they are less likely to become obese. You know how sometimes, when you smoke marijuana, you tend to eat a lot or get the Continued on page 15
15
Marijuana Can Recreational Marijuana still unavailable Help Fight Diabetes Continued from page 14
munchies, so to speak? This is because the cannabinoids in marijuana affect that part of the brain that controls metabolism and appetites. However, we could not find any study that could pinpoint the exact mechanism that affects insulin and helps you to lose weight. In short, nobody knows just what exactly is going on. But there are clues. A lot of people think that THC is the only chemical substance found in marijuana. It is not. A very likely chemical found in marijuana that may affect appetite is cannabidiol. Cannabidiol affects the appetite and metabolism part of your brain. It makes you want to eat more. However, as you continue to use marijuana, you will develop a tolerance for it. So much so that cannabidiol will not have any effect on that receptor anymore, making it inactive. As it becomes more and more inactive, you have less appetite. So you tend to eat less. But does it really matter? We agree that more studies are needed to find out for sure if marijuana could help you avoid being obese or keep you
from getting diabetes, but for sure the effect is there. As more and more people get access to legal marijuana, it would be helpful for them to know its benefits on their bodies. At the same time, health care professionals would be able to know how marijuana affects certain diseases and factor these effects in the care of their patients. The problem with research involving marijuana and health is that it is always overshadowed by politics. We might see states legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana one by one, but there will always be political pressure to keep it in the shadows. As such, research into marijuana and its effects on the brain and on certain diseases tend to meet resistance. The bigger crime is not these politicians and conservatives making it hard for patients who rely on medical marijuana to manage their diseases, but anti-legalization factions that muddy up the issue. If we continue to keep marijuana in the shadows, we will never know for sure if it really is a great way to fight obesity or diabetes. Instead we will only see it as the weed that should be banned.
• “This product was produced without regulatory oversight for health, safety, or efficacy.” • “The intoxicating effects of this product may be delayed by two or more hours. 3. All marijuana products must come with a complete set of instructions on how to use them. It must also list down the active ingredients and their potency. 4. All herbicides, pesticides and fungicides used in cultivating the marijuana should also be listed. 5. Buyers must show a valid Colorado ID that indicates their age. They should be 21 years old or older in order to purchase marijuana. 6. Residents could grow up to six marijuana plants, but not with more than three of these flowering at the same time. 7. For non-Colorado residents, they can only buy up to a quarter of an ounce of marijuana. Remember that these rules are only temporary until a better framework is in place. Until that time, Colorado is taking the slow and steady steps necessary to keeping marijuana legal and available to those who need it.
7/2013
Continued from page 5