Novice or not

If you grew up in the 1960s or ’70s, there’s a good chance that you experimented with — or even became a devoted aficionado of — marijuana in your younger years. Now that you’re a fully grown adult, you may find yourself experiencing aches and pains that you didn’t notice before.

Like it or not, physical discomforts are typical of human bodies as they age. This doesn’t mean you have to accept them, however, especially if medical cannabis is legal where you live. Keep in mind, however, that inexperienced cannabis users are cautioned to start slow and increase the dosage only after they understand how cannabis affects them personally. This is doubly true with edibles that take longer to reveal their potent, long-lasting effects.

What the experts say

Dr. Igor Grant heads the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego. A long-time cannabis researcher, Grant told CBS News that marijuana is an affordable, effective alternative to opiates that may be used to treat a variety of ailments, including diabetic neuropathy and nerve-generated pain. Other painful conditions that often respond to medical cannabis include:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Arthritis
• Crohn’s disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscle spasms

Cannabis strains that treat pain

Most seniors who use cannabis medically agree that the best strains for pain relief are high in both THC and CBD. When combined, the two cannabinoids seem to work better to alleviate chronic and acute pain, reports Analytical Cannabis magazine.

Top 5 Marijuana Strains for Pain Relief

1. White Widow

A hybrid of Indica strains from India and Sativa strains from South America, White Widow offers superior pain relief as well as a beautiful buzz that is both euphoric and energetic. Watch out for the munchies, though, as this hybrid is known to increase appetite in a big way.

2. Blue Dream

Another horticultural hybrid, Blue Dream, combines the finest features of Haze Sativa and Blueberry Indica. Rich in THC, Blue Dream also offers a hefty serving of CBD, explain reefer researchers at Marijuana Break magazine.

3. Bubba Kush

Seniors seeking effective pain relief along with a good night’s sleep find a dream come true in Bubba Kush. Heavily Indica, this delightful domestication of Hindu Kush addresses chronic pain with ease.

4. AK-47

Proficient at pain relief, AK-47 is the result of the careful hybridization of at least four cannabis strains from Afghanistan, Thailand, South America, and Mexico. Highly energizing, it’s not the best marijuana to enjoy at bedtime, but AK-47 is sure to cure what ails you in the morning.

5. Jack Herer

Named in honor of esteemed marijuana activist Jack Herer, this remarkable hybrid offers the energizing effects of Sativa while relieving chronic pain and depression. Always rich in THC, Jack Herer should be on every senior’s go-to list of pain-relieving cannabis strains.

You don’t have to have a significant medical condition to reap the myriad benefits offered by cannabis, most notably if you live in a state where medical or recreational marijuana is allowed. Once forbidden by law, recreational marijuana is entirely legal for adult use in numerous U.S. states, including Colorado, California, and Oregon. Medical cannabis is available by prescription in more than 30 states across the nation. Be sure to check your local laws before exploring the benefits of medical cannabis for seniors.

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In the latter half of the 20th century, cannabis research pioneers such as the Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam began to unveil the enigmatic actions of both THC and CBD on the human brain, opening the door to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a comprehensive biocommunication feedback network centered in the vital limbic and paralimbic regions of the brain. These regions regulate critical functions such as sleep, appetite, immune response, emotions, motor control, cognitive thought, memory, and pain tolerance, just to name a few.

As research continues to unravel the intricate network of the ECS which all mammals have, it’s becoming difficult to point to any physiological process in which the ECS doesn’t exert its influence. The mission of the ECS is to maintain a balanced mind and body, the process scientists call “homeostasis.” Athletes, yoga gurus, and fitness experts are all now turning to CBD to manipulate the ECS and achieve maximum results from their rigorous fitness regimens and workout routines.

The Legal CBD Market in 2019

CBD has now emerged as the long sought after “magic ingredient” in cannabis. The benevolent non-psychoactive cannabinoid is responsible for a vast array of therapeutic benefits with an impressive arsenal of pharmacological actions. In 2018, U.S. federal law finally caught up to the science with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized the hemp variety of cannabis with its abundant CBD content and less than .03% trace levels of THC. CBD from hemp (and only hemp) is now legal in all 50 states.

CBD attracts the majority of health consumers from the general public who seek to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and stress, manage pain safely, enhance sleep, relieve chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and joint pain, and improve mood and the overall sense of well being. CBD’s nontoxic, non-addictive nature makes it one of the safest substances in the household medicine cabinet. A wave of intense CBD research in preclinical studies on animals, as well as clinical studies with human subjects, has unveiled the diverse range of cannabidiol’s amazing therapeutic properties including:

• anti-anxiety
• antioxidant
• anti-cortisol
• anti-catabolic
• anti-inflammatory
• analgesic (painkilling)
• anti-depressant
• neuroprotective (encourages healthy nerve and brain cell growth)
• anti-cancer
• antipsychotic
• antiemetic (relieves nausea and vomiting)

Fitness professionals and athletes make up the other significant sector of the CBD market. They’re using the nonaddictive pharmacological potency of CBD not only to boost injury recovery to get back in the game, but to enhance performance in rigorous training and build muscles which allow them to compete at the highest competitive levels.

Professional Athletes and CBD For Training, Pain Management, & Injury Recovery

MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter Nate Diaz shocked the sports world in 2016 when he whipped out a vape pen full of CBD oil and began puffing away during a post-fight press conference. The unapologetic brawler had just finished a punishing championship bout with Conor MacGregor and explained to stunned reporters that CBD helped him throughout training, competition, and recovery. “It’s CBD,” said the bruised and cut Diaz, “It makes your life a better place.” In 2017, the pro-CBD movement among athletes launched by the Diaz interview eventually resulted in CBD’s removal from the forbidden substances lists at the WADA (World AntiDoping Agency) as well as the USADA, opening the door to legitimate CBD use for U.S. Olympic athletes as well.

Diaz has been joined in the swelling ranks of athletes endorsing CBD by Jiu-Jitsu fighter Pascal Pakter who turned to CBD after suffering a debilitating injury to two vertebrae from an intense weight training session. Pakter didn’t pull any punches saying, “I use CBD and CBD saved my life.” Pakter was taking up to 30 opioid pills per day to manage post-surgical recovery pain before turning to CBD for tolerance-free pain management without risking addiction or overdose.

NFL players are also seeking an alternative to addictive opioids and anti-inflammatory drugs to manage pain endured during and after their physically punishing careers. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, former Denver Bronco’s defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said, “I think in due time, the NFL is going to realize that CBD is not a performance-enhancing drug. If anything, it helps with anxiety, helps with concentration, it helps with pain.”

Fitness Enhancement For Natural Performance Enhancement With CBD

Ebenezer Ekuban is referring to traditional PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) which some athletes have relied on to radically change their bodies in an effort to increase athletic performance. Anabolic steroid agents such as testosterone can increase muscle mass and enhance performance but those gains come at a high price. “Roid rage” is one of the most infamous side effects, but anabolic agents can also cause physical changes such as male pattern baldness, abnormal breast growth, and impotence in men. Women can experience a deepening of the voice, abnormal hair growth on the face, stomach and upper back, as well as menstrual disruptions.

CBD & the Cortisol Connection For Building Muscle Mass

CBD enhances workout performance by acting in harmony with the body’s own ECS to optimize fitness naturally. Muscle development and muscle recovery are the key elements to boosting stamina and maximizing the results of a robust fitness regimen. While anabolic hormones such as testosterone build muscle, catabolic hormones, especially cortisol cause a breakdown of muscle tissue. Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, dropping to their lowest levels during sleep which is when muscle recovery occurs. Cortisol levels rise in response to stress, including the physical stress induced by a strenuous workout routine. CBD interferes with cortisol production and its calming anti-anxiety action enhances the deep sleep athletes need to get the most from their workout routines.

Boosting Stamina: CBD and the Runner’s High

For decades we’ve all heard about the legendary “runner’s high,” the ultimate reward for a runner who has the stamina to run long enough to “get the endorphins jumping.” As it turns out, once again CBD is actually responsible. CBD increases levels of the natural mood-elevating endocannabinoid anandamide produced by the ECS, which is the true generator of the calm euphoria attained by running and other intense cardio-focused workouts.

CBD also plays a significant role in the regulation of blood sugar levels. With its potent anti-inflammatory action, CBD improves sugar metabolism, heart function, the immune system, and vigorous cell growth. Well-regulated blood sugar levels result in less insulin production and less fat storage. With less fat, the body is able to function in an “anti-catabolic mode” to produce more muscle.

CBD as a Daily Essential Supplement For Your Fitness Regimen

For athletes at all levels, from Olympic gold medal contenders to the weekend warrior, CBD’s vast array of therapeutic actions can optimize the results of any serious fitness regimen. Its anti-catabolic properties enhance muscle development while increasing endurance. Its anti-anxiety action promotes calm for a rejuvenating night’s sleep, which is critical for muscle recovery.

CBD’s potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics reduce joint and muscle pain. Moreover, its natural mood-elevating influence on the body’s anandamide levels can increase concentration and motivation, so you can stick to a demanding workout routine and take your game to the next level.

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The Incredible Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Homeostasis, the ECS, and the Goldilocks Zone

Benefits of CBD: The CBD Action List

Hemp—The Cinderella of the Sativa L Cannabis Family

Raphael Mechoulam: The Father of Cannabis Research

The term “cannabis therapy” was almost unheard for most of the 20th century. When Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam, known as the “father of cannabis research” first applied for a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effects of cannabinoids on human physiology in the 1960s he was abruptly turned down. At the time, cannabis was associated solely with hashish and marijuana, and the cannabis species had a severe PR problem.

In the U.S. the negative public perception of cannabis generated by the notorious 1936 film Reefer Madness still lingered, as it would for generations, and to some extent remains even today. Marijuana use was believed to occur only in the recreational domain of jazz musicians and beatnik poets. The NIH of the early 1960s advised Raphael Mechoulam that his research would be irrelevant since no one in the U.S. mainstream used marijuana! Uh, OK. Hemp, “the other cannabis plant” had fallen so far from its once revered historical status as an agricultural staple to such virtual obscurity that it wasn’t even mentioned in the cannabis research debate.

Undaunted, the intrepid Bulgarian-born Israeli chemist was able to commence his research with 5 kilos of Moroccan hashish donated by the Israeli police who had recently seized the stash coming across the border. Mechoulam’s research would eventually reverse decades of bias against the cannabis species and it was long overdue.

Despite the fact that cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were among the first of the plant cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids) to be identified in the 1940s, cannabis had to endure a long “research winter” before the pharmacological sector began to take a serious look at the therapeutic potential of the cannabis species. Ironically, today the same NIH which rejected Raphael Mechoulam’s original grant request is now the repository for an amazing archive of cannabis research.

Raphael Mechoulam continues to lead the way in cannabis therapy and research and an understanding of his groundbreaking discoveries is the key to answering the most frequently asked question about CBD, “Why does supplemental CBD work so well for so many different ailments?”

The surprising answer is that your body is already using CBD even if you’ve never taken a single puff of marijuana or imbibed one drop of hemp oil.

The Incredible Endocannabinoid System

Raphael Mechoulam’s preclinical research with rats soon led to the discovery of the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These are the receptors activated by THC and influenced by CBD. Clinical studies with human subjects quickly revealed that these receptors were more numerous than any other type of neurotransmitter receptor, and Mechoulam knew he was on to something. There had to be a valid reason why the brains of humans and in fact, all mammals, had such an enormous number of these specialized receptors.

In 1992 Mechoulam announced the discovery of two “endogenous” cannabinoids, anandamide and 2-AG, that activated the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain and elsewhere throughout the body. Incredibly, our bodies produce their own supplies of cannabinoids internally. This is the origin of the term “endocannabinoid” from the Greek “endo” which translates to “internal” or “within”.

Along with diverse CB2 locations in the immune cells and organs throughout the body, most CB1 and some CB2 receptors are centered largely in the limbic and paralimbic regions of the brain, vital regions which just happen to regulate important functions such as:

• Mood
• Memory
• Immune response and body temperature
• Sleep
• Anxiety and stress reaction (“fight or flight” response)
• Motor control (movement)
• Muscle development and recovery
• Emotion
• Cognitive thought (motivation and drive)
• Appetite and metabolism
• Inflammation response (rashes, swelling, arthritis)
• Pain response and tolerance

The entire complex biocommunication network of various hormones, proteins, amino acids, endocannabinoids, and their associated CB1 and CB2 receptors has come to be known collectively as the endocannabinoid system and its repercussions on the life sciences are not to be underestimated. Dr. David Allen, a former heart surgeon and now a cannabis researcher, describes the significance of the endocannabinoid system as critically important saying in his informative YouTube video :

More people will be saved by manipulation of the endocannabinoid system, than are currently saved by surgery.

That’s quite an impressive statement coming from a heart surgeon, a profession which, let’s face it, isn’t known for its abundance of humility. Dr. Allen isn’t alone in his assessment of the ECS and the astounding therapeutic potential of the cannabis plant. CBD specifically has emerged as the most effective way to “manipulate the endocannabinoid system”. Doctors today are focusing on CBD’s use as an “adjunct therapy”, attracted by its positive side effects profile compared to traditional medications, its drug interaction safety, and CBD’s non-psychoactive nature.

Homeostasis, the ECS, and the Goldilocks Zone

As Dr. David Allen explains in his video, maintaining homeostasis is the mission of the ECS. In his article at Scientific American, Emeritus Professor Kelvin Rodolfo of the University of Illinois defines the term “homeostasis” as “any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival.”

In layman’s terms homeostasis is the regulating process which keeps our bodies and minds in what some in the health and fitness industry call “The Goldilocks Zone”. This is that wonderful state of well-being where everything is “just right”. When the ECS has a sufficient supply of endocannabinoids it hums along quietly, regulating sleep, moderating the appetite, activating the immune response to fight off disease and infection, processing emotions, and directing the healing processes for injury recovery.

Science writer Petar Petrov presents the scenario of how the ECS responds to a simple cut in his article “The Endocannabinoid System Simplified” at Terpenes and Testing Magazine. There, he describes the reaction of the ECS where the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-AG work to decrease the sensitizers in the affected area to moderate pain response in the nerve cells. The endocannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory action keeps the inflammatory response substances released from the immune cells under control to prevent excessive swelling.

With a sufficient supply of naturally generated endocannabinoids, the complex biofeedback network that is the ECS excels at keeping “all systems go” in the variety of environmental conditions which are part of life on planet Earth. Problems arise when homeostasis is disrupted by serious injury, disease, excessive stress, or toxic environments and the ECS is overwhelmed. In these cases of extreme physiological stress, the natural endocannabinoid supply can be insufficient to restore the balanced state of well being and homeostasis is disrupted.

The solution for restoring homeostasis is to supplement the body’s short supply of endocannabinoids with chemically identical phytocannabinoids from the cannabis plants, either hemp or marijuana. This is what Dr. David Allen is referring to when he speaks of “Manipulating the endocannabinoid system.” Since we are already “prewired” to make the best use of available cannabinoids with the ECS, supplemental CBD and THC both have potent effects on the body and mind.

One of the most amazing capabilities of the ECS is to apply the principles of homeostasis to maintain itself for enhanced homeostasis. Sounds complicated? Recent evidence is pointing to the possibility that when a surplus supply of CBD is available the ECS will generate even more CB2 receptors to make the best use of this cannabinoid abundance. More CB2 receptors result in more efficient biofeedback and enhanced ECS communication. CBD also raises the natural levels of the painkilling, mood-enhancing endocannabinoid anandamide. This could explain its potent anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects as well as its analgesic property.

Benefits of CBD: The CBD Action List

Following the discovery of the ECS, cannabis, at last, became the focus of extensive research, with a notably intense expansion of CBD studies commencing in 2011. Over 100 distinct cannabinoids have been identified, and while some lesser known cannabinoids are also showing promising therapeutic potential, CBD and THC are still the two best documented for pharmacological actions. While both cannabinoids have clinically proven therapeutic value, CBD has emerged as the dominant cannabinoid, identified as the safest nonpsychoactive (doesn’t get you high) source for the majority of healing benefits attributed to the cannabis species.

Cannabidiol has a diverse range of “pharmacological actions” which have been well documented in a host of preclinical studies (on animals) and clinical studies (on human subjects). The list is quite impressive and we begin to get an inkling of just how CBD can work so well for such a diverse range of maladies as a supplement for natural endocannabinoids. Below is the list of known CBD actions.

• Antioxidant: We’ve all become familiar with the “free radicals” which are released by oxidative stress, an unavoidable consequence of being a living, breathing organism on planet Earth. Electrons in cells naturally operate in pairs and metabolizing oxygen results in “orphan electrons” which cause damage to healthy cells by “borrowing” electrons to pair up again. The process is progressive and causes many of the debilitating conditions of aging, such as increased cancer risk and heart disease from damaged blood vessels. Anti-oxidants act as “electron donors” to reduce the number of free radicals and enhance cellular health and growth. Vitamins C and E are powerful anti-oxidants, but CBD is more powerful than both.
• Anti-anxiety (anxiolytic): Fear and anxiety are survival mechanisms but when they are excessive they can evolve into serious disabilities such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and the more common social anxiety disorder (SAD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). CBD interacts pharmacologically with receptors known to regulate fear and anxiety response including the CB1, vanilloid TRP, and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors.
• Anti-depressant: CBD’s effect on the serotonin receptors and its ability to raise levels of the natural mood-elevating endocannabinoid anandamide can alleviate symptoms of depression and reduce stress levels. According to the Depression Alliance, CBD “helps to significantly improve depressive symptoms and the individual’s quality of life”.
• Anti-epileptic: Two rare forms of epilepsy, Davets Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, were instrumental in bringing CBD into the spotlight. The FDA recently approved the drug Epidiolex (cannabidiol CBD oral solution) for the treatment of seizures for children suffering from these rare conditions which have been resistant to traditional anti-seizure medications.
• Anti-psychotic- CBD has shown its potential for treating neuropsychiatric disorders in a recent study at the University of Cologne in Germany, involving 39 schizophrenia patients. 20 of the patients received CBD and 19 others received a traditional antipsychotic drug. Daniel Piomelli, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the University of California-Irvine concluded, “Not only was CBD as effective as standard antipsychotics, but it was also essentially free of the typical side effects seen with antipsychotic drugs.” Those very serious side effects include reduced motivation and pleasure, weight gain and diabetes, and permanent movement impairment, which weren’t observed in the lucky 20 patients who received CBD.
• Anti-inflammatory: The inflammation response is the body’s way of protecting itself against infection, disease, and injury. White cells, immune cells, and infection-fighting cytokines all increase. Phytocannabinoids, especially CBD, regulate cytokine production. One form of inflammation is arthritis which affects over 50 million Americans. CBD offers a safe alternative without the risk of building up tolerance or addiction. Other inflammatory conditions for which CBD is indicated include Crohn’s Disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
• Analgesic (pain killing): CBD’s anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects play a large part in its potential for pain management. Both marijuana and hemp have been used from the dawn of civilization to manage pain. George Washington, an avid hemp cultivator himself, allegedly used hemp to alleviate pain from gout and dental problems. Queen Victoria used hemp oil to manage menstrual cramps. Cannabis was used as a medicine by the ancient Chinese as far back as 2700 BC. Today, many professional athletes are turning to CBD and medical marijuana as alternatives to the addictive opioids they’ve been prescribed to manage pain and enhance injury recovery.
• Anti-cancer-Antiemetic- (alleviates nausea and vomiting): There is still much work to be done to home in on CBD’s anti-cancer effects. Preclinical studies have shown that CBD has an apoptosis action, the medical term for inducing cell death. CBD interferes with the blood flow cancer cells need to grow and keeps them from reproducing and spreading (metastasizing). Preclinical studies with mice are showing that CBD can target and induce death in cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells around them. CBD’s antiemetic action helps cancer patients endure the side effects of strong chemotherapy.
• Neuroprotective: CBD’s powerful antioxidant effects give it a potent neuroprotective action. CBD encourages robust growth and health in nerve and brain cells which makes it perfect for recovering from concussive head injuries caused by trauma, oxidative stress caused by autoimmune disorders, and genetic conditions which trigger neuron damage. This makes it beneficial for managing symptoms and slowing the progress of serious neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease), epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s disease. The neuroprotective action can also aid recovery from stroke.

Legal Hemp—The Cinderella of the Sativa L Cannabis Family

While all marijuana is cannabis, not all cannabis is marijuana. Hemp is the long forgotten stepsister of the Sativa L. cannabis family but CBD research is finally putting hemp into the cannabis therapy spotlight. To this day marijuana continues to hold its spot as America’s favorite cannabis plant, both medicinally and recreationally, but a paradigm shift is underway. The ugly stepsister is about to have her day at the ball as the CBD liquid gold rush intensifies.

If you’ve checked out some of the linked sources in this paper, you may have noticed how often CBD is referred to as “a compound found in the marijuana plant”. Hemp is hardly mentioned, which is a bit strange since hemp is naturally rich in cannabidiol content. All of that is about to change with the recent passing of the 2018 Farm Bill. That’s good news for health consumers who use CBD from hemp oil as a part of their self-administered health regimen. For marijuana users? Not so much.

It is important to note that CBD derived from marijuana is still illegal in many states. Section 11013 of the 2018 Farm Bill requires that CBD must be derived from industrial hemp only, and for a cannabis strain to qualify as industrial hemp it must contain no more than .03% THC content. That means that CBD derived from marijuana is not protected by the new legislation. After years of manipulative breeding for high THC content for recreational and “spiritual” purposes, today’s marijuana’s THC content is through the roof.

Ironically the CBD content in marijuana counteracts the psychoactive effects of the THC content. While CBD may enhance mood in the long term by its positive influence on the ECS, it’s literally the “buzzkiller” in marijuana. Scientists were tipped off to this fact in 1982 when it was discovered that a rash of patients experiencing psychotic episodes at a psychiatric hospital in South Africa had been smoking a strain of cannabis which was “virtually devoid of CBD content”. Since the advent of the ECS medical marijuana growers are turning their attention to developing higher CBD strains, but as long as they contain more than .03% THC they’ll still be considered as “non-hemp cannabis” and still be subject to federal and state restrictions.

Medical marijuana users frequently need to experiment with various strains in an effort to find the most suitable CBD/THC ratio to achieve the results they seek for the symptoms they are treating. Since hemp was bred selectively over the centuries as a source of fiber and oil its THC content is now at minuscule trace levels. Fortunately, hemp is rich in CBD content.

While THC and many of the other recently identified cannabinoids exhibit some of the same therapeutic actions, THC is contraindicated for many of the disorders that drive people to seek a cannabis therapy solution such as anxiety, stress, and insomnia. THC’s unpredictable psychoactive effects can actually increase anxiety and stress by triggering adrenaline rushes.

While CBD naturally enhances the actions of the CB1 and CB2 receptors indirectly by affecting the way they interact with other substances such as serotonin and vanilloid, THC aggressively binds with the CB1 receptors which are in place to receive anandamide better than the anandamide endocannabinoid itself. This produces the intense short-term high for which marijuana is so popular, but it may also disrupt levels of mood-elevating anandamide production which in turn disrupts the ECS’ ability to regulate sleep, mood, and cognitive thought processes.

Conclusion

With CBD from hemp, there is no risk of getting high. This is an important consideration for those who strive to stay at the top of their games both mentally and physically, not to mention compliance with zero tolerance drug policies which are so prevalent in today’s business world. CBD can enhance an active lifestyle by enabling the ECS to maintain the “Goldilocks Zone” of homeostasis while avoiding the pitfalls of addiction, tolerance, fatal overdose, and residual side effects which can occur with traditional long term use of OTC NSAIDs, opioids, and antidepressants.

Incredibly, CBD has risen to the top of the cannabis therapy ladder without the benefit of any organized mass media marketing campaign. It owes its worldwide popularity to word-of-mouth anecdotal evidence from satisfied CBD users who are only too eager to spread the good news about cannabidiol. Many who try CBD to address symptoms such as pain or inflammation are surprised to find that they are now sleeping more soundly, thinking more clearly, and enjoying an unanticipated sense of wellbeing which is the result of an optimized CBD enhanced endocannabinoid system.

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If you’re wondering how cannabis and insomnia work together, here are five things you should know:

1. Not all strains are created equal.

If you are new to the world of cannabis, you may be surprised to learn that there is a broad spectrum of highs, ranging from energetic, creative and slightly giddy, to deeply relaxed and sleepy.

In general, indica is considered the best strain for insomnia because it promotes a deeply calm and relaxed mental and physical state. Sativa tends to be much more energizing, which makes it better for daytime use. Hybrids combine the stimulating effects of sativa with the relaxation benefits of indica to varying degrees.

2. Marijuana can help reduce anxiety.

For many people, insomnia and anxiety go hand in hand. You may feel physically tired at the end of the day, but once you get ready for bed your anxiety kicks in, your thoughts begin racing, you become consumed with worry, and sleep eludes you.

If that sounds like you, a relaxing strain of marijuana may be especially beneficial for your insomnia. Smoking or inhaling a bit of indica before bed can quiet your anxious thoughts and help you feel calm and relaxed so that you fall asleep much more easily. In general, it’s best to avoid strains that are very high in THC as these can cause anxiety in some people. Instead, stick with a low-THC indica and you may find your anxiety-induced insomnia becomes a thing of the past.

3. Cannabis complements other natural sleep aids.

Unlike prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids, marijuana can typically be used in conjunction with natural insomnia remedies without negative effects. Melatonin or valerian root can usually be used along with marijuana to deepen the sleep-inducing effects of both remedies.

Cannabis also nicely complements relaxing activities like gentle yoga, deep breathing, or getting a relaxing massage. In fact, marijuana may help you get into a relaxed state so that you can more easily enjoy these activities.

4. Don’t overlook edibles.

Smoking and vaping aren’t your only options for using cannabis as an insomnia sleep aid. Edibles like cookies or gummy candy often lead to a deeper, more potent, and longer-lasting high, which can be great for getting a full night’s sleep.

Keep in mind that edibles do take much longer to kick in than traditional smoking, and plan accordingly. You may have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you, but most people find that ingesting edibles 1-2 hours before bed works best.

5. Marijuana helps with sleep apnea.

If your insomnia is linked to sleep apnea, you may find cannabis especially helpful. Sleep apnea is a very frustrating and sometimes difficult-to-treat condition that causes breathing to start and stop suddenly while sleeping, leading to frequent sleep interruptions throughout the night and next-day sleepiness.

Scientists and doctors are still determining the best way to harness medical marijuana as a treatment for sleep apnea, but so far studies have been promising. It’s best to discuss your sleep apnea symptoms with your doctor and determine if medical marijuana makes sense as a natural part of your individual treatment plan.

As you can see, cannabis shows a lot of promise as a natural sleep aid for insomnia sufferers. If you’d like to explore the many relaxing cannabis blends and cannabis-related products we have available, make an appointment with one of our dispensary guides.

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