Hemp for Health

by Chris Conrad

  There is no direct reference to smoked cannabis in ancient Ayurveda. Only bhanga and ganja were consumed internally. Bhanga, the weakest form, is consumed in most of the medicines and religious ceremonies. Ganja is consumed exclusively by some sects of mendicants. The use of charas resin arose after the medieval era. With religious and social approval, cannabis has been used at a responsible level which is not harmful to the human body or mind. Respectful use of cannabis within a framework of religion, philosophy, and science survives to this day in India and thus has never been considered an antisocial act. That’s a lesson that America is just starting to learn.

  INTEGRATING CANNABIS INTO TOTAL HEALTH CARE

  Centuries of battling disease have left some researchers and allopaths with an antagonistic attitude toward other approaches to healing. Perhaps this rift is beginning to mend. It is common in practice for allopaths to use a variety of techniques simultaneously. Physical therapy regimens are known to enhance the benefits of other orthodox medical treatments. Exercise increases vigor and energy levels, tones various body systems, and stimulates both physical and neurological responses. The Chinese have long advocated using a combination of healing systems to increase the overall benefit of treatment. They call this practice “walking on two legs.” Experimentation with a variety of therapeutic combinations is always wise.

  Cannabis works as allopathic medicine, at the same time allowing patients and doctors to step away from the modern commercial focus and return to the principles of the Hippocratic oath. In this venerable affirmation of the healing profession, physicians pledge to work for the good of their patients; to do them no harm; to prescribe no deadly drugs; to give no advice that could cause death; and to keep all patients’ medical information confidential. Cannabis is a discrete and gentle remedy that meets all these criteria.

  Chapter 4

  The Cannabinoids

  The medical efficacy of THC is unquestionable, and THC pills are available internationally, yet the natural herb is a far superior medicine. The herb’s resin contains at least sixty compounds. Many of them, such as cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabigerol (CBG), have potential therapeutic value and can be isolated from both industrial hemp and resinous cannabis. These organic chemicals and their related analogs have been shown to have antimicrobial action.1 Nonpsychoactive, they are generally not restricted by international regulations that prohibit cannabis and THC, nor are they being marketed commercially on any sizable economic scale.2 The best available source is still natural cannabis.

  Unfortunately, it’s not easy to establish the cannabinoid profile of a given sample of herb. The process generally requires the use of gas chromatography, an accurate but expensive analysis procedure. Nonetheless, a patient can get a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t and, given a range of cannabis over time, will begin to intuitively select and prepare cannabis with the organic profile that offers the most relief.

  The apparent biochemical pathway of the major cannabinoids flows from olivetol to CBG, then to either CBC or CBD, and from there into THC. When a hydroxyl group (hydrogen plus oxygen) attaches to the molecule’s terpene carbon, it signals the beginning of the molecule’s transformation into CBN. Only the THC form is psychoactive; however, the hydroxyl stage, which also results when the liver metabolizes THC in digestion, is perhaps its most potent form.3 This may explain why eating too much herb is more likely to cause unpleasant, but harmless, overdose effects.

  Industrial hemp has been bred to maximize its fiber and minimize its THC content. International agreements recommend a level in the fiber strains of less than 0.3 percent THC.4 Most varieties are even lower than this. Although soil, stress, plant density, and other environmental conditions also play a role in determining the ultimate THC level reached, cannabinoid levels achieved in the mature female buds are primarily caused by genetic factors. While selective breeding for high THC content was being conducted by many U.S. and Dutch marijuana growers, Europe’s industrial hemp researchers bred for lower THC content. The Le Mans Institute in France has developed a CBG-dominant strain with 0.001 percent THC.5 Recent evidence suggests that the French research team may have reached its long-standing objective of completely eliminating THC from this cultivar. Wild hemp growing in Riley County, Kansas, measured very low in THC content, below the European community’s threshold for nonpsychoactive fiber hemp. The leaves and flowering tops ranged from 0.01–0.49 percent THC with a mean average of 0.14 percent. The unintended results were strains with high CBD content—as much as 1.7 percent.6

  At the same time, in order to rationalize its acceptance of synthetic THC pills as a legal prescription drug while banning natural cannabis, the U.S. government claims that THC is the only medically active drug in cannabis. Many drug companies have tried unsuccessfully in their research to separate the medical from the psychoactive effects of THC.7 Much research and development into the medical use of cannabis therefore concludes with its offhand dismissal, due to its “unacceptable” (i.e., illegal) psychoactive effects.

  Perhaps the most important nonpsychoactive compound in cannabis is CBD, which occurs in greater concentrations in industrial hemp.8 A British study suggested that this could be an unexpected windfall for industrial hemp farmers: “Our results would suggest that cultivation of hemp plants rich in CBD and other phenolic substances would be useful not only as fiber producing plants but also for medicinal purposes in the treatment of certain inflammatory disorders.”9 Important research in Czechoslovakia and Brazil supports that contention.

  Cannabidiol is a precursor compound in the organic pathway of the cannabinoids. It tends to maintain an inverse relationship with THC. Hence, industrial hemp is extremely low in THC, but high in CBD. In marijuana, THC is high, but CBD is low. In a third, intermediate type of cannabis, both THC and CBD levels are fairly high, which has a moderating influence on the psychoactive effect. A rodent study in Brazil found that CBD blocked some effects of THC in mice but potentiated others.10 In a followup study on humans, CBD was found to block or suppress most of the demonstrated effects of THC, such as increased pulse rate, time distortion, and certain subjective reactions—particularly the anxiety response.11 In 1982 researchers again verified that “the combination of the two cannabinoids significantly attenuated the anxiety and psychotomimetic effects” of THC.12 In essence, CBD acts as a chemical buffer produced by the hemp plant to moderate the psychoactive cannabinoids.

  The two major cannabinoids might be characterized as loving but competitive sisters. THC and CBD each try to outdo the other. Both are good-hearted nurses for sick and suffering humanity. Each have their own medicinal expertise and specialties. But, whereas THC likes to crack jokes and keep her patient smiling, CBD is quite serious and stops her sister’s sense of humor in its tracks. That sibling rivalry makes the relationship between the two nurses as important to the patient’s recovery as are the attentions of either one alone.

  Aside from moderating the effects of THC, CBD is a potent allopathic medicine in its own right. Cannabidiol appears to be helpful for many medical conditions, with no adverse side effects. Among these are its activities as an anticonvulsant for epileptics, in easing dystonic movement disorders and symptoms of Huntington’s disease, as an anti-inflammatory,as an aid to chronic insomnia, and as an antipsychotic.13 Many of these conditions have long been known to respond well to natural cannabis, but are less successful when treated with THC alone. Furthermore, whereas the traditional use of cannabis as an analgesic, anti-asthmatic, and antirheumatic drug is well established, the role of CBD in soothing such conditions has only recently come to light. Cannabidiol was found to be a more effective anti-inflammatory agent than aspirin, as measured in the treatment of certain inflammatory disorders.14 For research purposes, CBD is usually extracted from cannabis and orally ingested. As a means for self-medication, low-grade marijuana leaf can be smoked or eaten to ingest the CBD; even nonpsychoactive industrial hemp can be used—it just wo
n’t make you high.

  Let’s now review some direct applications of CBD that have been studied.

  Dystonia is a painful condition marked by abnormal muscle rigidity, causing muscle spasms, unusually fixed postures, or strange movement patterns. It may affect a localized area of the body or it may be more generalized. The most common types of localized dystonia are painful neck spasm and an abnormal curvature of the spine caused by back injury. More generalized cases occur as a result of various neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and stroke. This problem can occur as a feature of schizophrenia or as a side effect of antipsychotic drugs. Cannabidiol was given to five patients who exhibited serious dystonic disorders. All five patients experienced a 20–50 percent improvement.15

  Chorea is a neurological condition characterized by irregular, rapid, jerky movements or fidgets, usually affecting the face, limbs, and trunk. These involuntary movements occur at random intervals while awake, but not at all during sleep. This condition arises from disturbance of structures deep within the brain, especially the paired nerve-cell groups of the basal ganglia, or it can be a side effect of certain prescription drugs. Choreic movement is a consequence of diseases such as cerebral palsy, Sydenham’s chorea, and Huntington’s disease. Three patients with Huntington’s disease, who had not been responsive to conventional therapy with neuroleptics, were given CBD.16 After the second week, the frequency and intensity of choreic movement had declined in each of them by 20 to 40 percent. Except for transient, mild hypotension, no side effects were recorded.

  Epilepsy is a convulsive condition that results from abnormal electrical activities in the brain and can be caused by a number of diseases and injuries, particularly head trauma. Episodic seizures occur spontaneously or may be triggered by external stimuli, such as flashing lights. Use of cannabis has proven helpful in many cases, but in a few cases it has also been suspected of triggering episodes. These rare incidents seem to have involved high-THC varieties. In an effort to identify its role in the seizure-suppression mechanism, eight epileptic patients in Brazil were given CBD.17 Only one remained unchanged. Four of them remained free of convulsions for the entire duration of the treatment, and three had significant reductions in the frequency and intensity of seizures. No serious side effects were found, and the potential of CBD as an anti-epileptic drug was discussed in a published report. Another significant finding was the compound’s possible role in potentiating the effects of other drugs. This synergy is important, because complex partial seizures involving secondary generalization patterns are difficult to treat with currently allowed drugs.

  Sleep is the mechanism that allows the human constitution to rest, recuperate, and revive itself. The psyche dreams its sublime dreams and the body mends its cellular tissues. Insomnia is a physically exhausting condition that renders patients unable to sleep either soundly enough or long enough to fully rest or adequately replenish their energy. It can result from nervous conditions, disease, or metabolism, or as a side effect of various pharmaceutical drugs. Certain kinds of marijuana, especially leaf, have a reputation for making the consumer feel tired. Its use as a hypnotic sedative to treat insomnia has been documented for centuries. In a controlled study, fifteen insomniacs in Brazil were given 160 mg each of extracted CBD over a five-week period in the 1980s. Two-thirds of them slept for seven hours or more per night during the study after taking CBD. “Most subjects had few interruptions and reported having a good night’s sleep.”18

  Since CBD reduces the psychological effects of THC, researchers are also looking into using it to help with a variety of psychological disorders. Another Brazilian study investigated the compound’s possible antipsychotic activity on animal models being used to research potential antipsychotic drugs.19 Cannabidiol compared favorably with haloperidol as an antipsychotic. This raises interesting possibilities for human research.

  Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is a lifelong neurological condition that usually begins in childhood with repetitive grimaces and facial tics, and occasionally tics in the limbs and trunk. At first, these dyskinetic movements are often interpreted as misbehavior on the part of the child. As the disease progresses, involuntary barks, grunts or other noises may appear. In about half the cases, the sufferer has episodes of coprolalia, involuntary outbursts of foul language. Once diagnosed, it is usually treated with antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol. However, three TS patients who had been only partially helped by conventional drugs noted a significant improvement of symptoms after smoking cannabis.20 This benefit may be related to CBD’s anxiety-reducing properties, although a more specific anti-dyskinetic effect cannot be excluded.

  Don’t expect to keep marijuana illegal and just use industrial hemp as a medicine, however. For all the benefits we find ascribed to CBD, remember that THC is so much more powerful a medicine that the federal government claims it is the only medicinal compound in the plant. The truth is that the various cannabinoids potentiate and moderate one another’s effects and work best in their natural combinations.

  Chapter 5

  Marijuana Classification

  The vast amount of pharmaceutical information that is now available can be managed only if drugs are put into classes or categories. The same properties that make a therapeutic agent useful may also make for an enticing social drug, and it is not surprising that most social drugs fit into known categories. We need to establish where cannabis stands in the overall scheme of pharmacology to better understand its potential.

  The law lists marijuana as a hallucinogen, and any number of groups and individuals seek to confuse the discussion by referring to cannabis as a “mild hallucinogen.” This label was merely a matter of convenience for the federal DEA when it implemented the Controlled Substance Act so it would not have to create a separate category for cannabis.1

  In extremely large doses, cannabis extracts and analogs bear many similarities to the psychedelics (though the same could be said of nutmeg and many other common substances). Marked distortion of auditory and visual perception, hallucinations, and depersonalization have been described by researchers. The peculiar wave-like experience of effects is also similar for both types of drugs but, as a psychotomimetic, LSD is 160 times more potent than THC.2

  There are numerous other important differences between cannabis and the strong hallucinogens. The subjective effects of the two drugs are readily distinguished by consumers. The psychoactive effects of even large doses of marijuana are milder and more easily controlled than those of LSD. Increased pulse rate and conjunctival reddening are common for cannabis but not for LSD or mescaline,3 while THC, even at high doses (70 mg), appears to lack the major effects of biochemical and clinical measures of stress found with the psychotomimetics.4 Tolerance is not appreciable for cannabis at the usual doses, but it occurs very rapidly with psychotomimetics; moreover, there is no cross-tolerance in man between THC and LSD.5 Acute changes in brain wave patterns characteristic of LSD are absent with marijuana.6 Cannabis resination ends in sedation and sleep while restlessness is characteristic of true hallucinogens.

  CANNABIS COMPARED TO ALCOHOL

  Alcoholic beverages are the preferred social drug of Americans, with cannabis a distant second in total user population. In low doses, the effects of marijuana and ethyl alcohol are similar, though the margin of safety for THC is far greater than that for alcohol.7 Both produce an initial excited phase, followed by a later sedated one. Both are commonly used as euphoriants, relaxants, and intoxicants. At low doses, subjects have difficulty differentiating the effects of alcohol or marijuana from a smoked placebo that looks, smells, and tastes like marijuana. This respose diminishes, however, as the dosage increases.8 In large doses, alcohol acts as a general anesthetic by producing a primary and continuous depression of the central nervous system. Experiments have shown that alcohol slows brain wave rhythms and decreases mental and physical performance, but does not alter sensory perceptions.9 Cannabis, on the other hand, affects the consumer’s perception
but has negligible effect on brain waves.

  A study compared the effects of marijuana extract (27–37 mg THC) with 95 percent ethyl alcohol (50–60 gm dose), in terms of mood and mental function. Neither changed blood sugar level but alcohol decreased free fatty acid level. Both produced euphoria, sleepiness, and decreased activity and performance on psychometric tests. Marijuana led to moderate overestimation of time while alcohol produced grossly exaggerated underestimation. Hunger and food consumption were increased by marijuana and decreased by alcohol.10 Another study compared the effect of smoked marijuana (5–10 mg THC) with a sub-intoxicating level of alcohol (equivalent to three bottles of beer for a 150-pound man). This was the threshold level that resulted in diminished performance in a previous study with these tests, about 0.08 percent blood alcohol content. Performance of motor and mental function tests was undertaken while the subject was distracted by delayed auditory feedback. The study concluded that some performance decrease was produced by marijuana and that the combination of alcohol and marijuana generally led to a poorer performance than either drug alone.11