Our bodies all have a network of cannabinoid receptors that is vital to the health of all mammals: the endocannabinoid system. The ECS is a vast network of chemical compounds and receptors (namely CB1 and CB2) that regulate our most basic functions – sleep, appetite, mood, the immune system, inflammatory response, aging and memory. Endocannabinoids even produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria similar to those which come from ingesting cannabis.

Aside from regulating essential everyday functions, the ECS maintains the body’s homeostasis down to the cell level by reversing damage in whatever way necessary. In cancer patients, for instance, cancer cells can be programmed to kill themselves when endocannabinoid levels increase.

But as with most things, balance within this system is key. An overly inhibited CB1 receptor may lead to moodiness, depression and a suppressed immune system. On the other hand, an over-activated CB1 can increase risk of psychoactivity, inflammation, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems. One study found that a highly sensitive endocannabinoid system is linked to almost all chronic diseases. So, a balanced ECS is fundamental to good health.

Consuming cannabis is one fun and easy way to optimize the ECS. But not everyone has the freedom to enjoy this medicinal plant. Here are our top five simple ways to boost the endocannabinoid system without the aid of marijuana.

Drink Less Alcohol

Martin Lee, director of Project CBD and author of “Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific,” explained the problem with drinking:

“Alcohol is a poison that causes an acute stress response upon occasional consumption, which, in turn, provokes a temporary uptick of endocannabinoid activity as a protective response against stress,” Lee said. He added that while occasional drinking probably wouldn’t harm the ECS, “chronic alcoholism has the opposite effect, resulting in a depletion of endocannabinoid tone due to the wear and tear of too much stress. A low endocannabinoid baseline level makes a person more vulnerable to disease.”

Get Bodywork Treatments

A study by Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology showed that levels of anandamide —  a cannabinoid responsible for feelings of bliss and joy — more than doubled after patients received osteopathic manipulative medicine treatments. This therapy can take various forms, including chiropractic, physical therapy and massage. Even acupuncture has a positive effect on the endocannabinoid system, so there’s never been a better excuse to take a spa day.

Eat Leafy Greens

If smoking frosty greens is not an option, then eating leafy greens will suffice. Along with oregano and black pepper, leafy greens contain beta-caryophyllene, a terpene that activates the CB2 receptor and is believed to have high potential for combatting inflammatory conditions and autoimmune disorders.

Eat More Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for a well functioning ECS. Some scientists say that without them, CB1 receptors may not form correctly, which could lead to “impaired emotional behavior.” While fish oils are widely considered one of the best sources of omega-3s, hemp is an excellent alternative. Whether in seed, oil or protein form, hemp’s omega-3s can help keep your ECS functioning properly.

Exercise

German researchers have shown that “runner’s high” is not actually caused by an endorphin rush, but instead is a result of an increase in endocannabinoid production. And running isn’t the only activity that produces this effect. Any exercise can lead to an increase in endocannabinoids, so long as the activity doesn’t feel forced. The body interprets forced exercise as a stressor, which can actually produce the opposite effect and decrease endocannabinoid receptor signaling. So, dust off the yoga mat, jump up and down on a trampoline or even go out dancing to maintain a healthy endocannabinoid system.

Originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE

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If you resolved to look and feel your very fittest in 2017 definitely hit the gym… but first consider consuming cannabis.

Experts say getting stoned pre-workout helps:

You Get in the Zone

Seibo Shen, co-founder and CEO at VapeXhale brings intention to his workouts and is eager to share that using cannabis accentuates this mindset.

“Cannabis promotes homeostasis. When I’m amped up it calms me down, when I’m drowsy it gives me energy. No matter what strain I consume getting high will bring me to the perfect baseline.”

A pre-workout combination of breathing exercises and cannabis leaves Shen feeling physically loose with a sharp state of mind allowing him to perform at a higher level.

Jim McAlpine, president and founder of The 420 Games also attributes improved performance to cannabis. When he goes for a long swim without cannabis he frequently gets too bored to finish.

“THC allows for me to push myself harder because without it I lose my motivation.”

Prevent Injury

Ask any fitness geek, body awareness improves performance. Shen has found that cannabis helps him to better feel specific muscle groups. This attention to detail improves Shen’s exercise form which both prevents injury and increases effectiveness. Shen also finds that consuming CBD pre-workout reduces joint inflammation.

“After I consume cannabis I feel like the Tin Man and I just oiled my joints.”

According to the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology there are there are anti-inflammatory benefits to CBD proving Shen isn’t just so stoned he thinks he’s in Oz.

Burn Calories More Efficiently

A 2013 study performed by The American Journal of Medicine found cannabis lowers insulin resistance, improves fasting insulin levels and facilitates metabolic function. In layman’s terms your body will actually burn those extra holiday calories more efficiently than those friends who voted no on Prop 64 — especially if you are working out! Bonus? They also found cannabis users have significantly smaller average waist circumferences than those who abstain.

Stay Motivated

McAlpine loves the feeling he gets after a workout.

“When I get out of the pool I feel better than after any bong rip. My heart is beating hard and I just feel amazing, regardless of whether or not I’ve smoked.”

Turns out, this sensation, commonly termed “runner’s high,” actually is akin to getting stoned. A 2003 study from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that as we reach the peak of our workouts our body releases its own natural cannabinoids.

The natural activation of the body’s endocannabinoid system late in a workout, promoting athletes to push through explains why toking up pre-workout helps Shen and McAlpine get in the right headspace for fitness and maintain their motivational peak throughout.

Originally published in Issue 24 of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE

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Cannabis topicals are having a moment. From A-list celebrities using Lord Jones balms to soothe aching feet at the Golden Globes to professional athletes debuting their own line of muscle rub, transdermal products infused with cannabinoids seem to be everywhere.

But it isn’t just millennials and the Hollywood elite jumping on the bandwagon. An increasing number of senior citizens are also turning to topicals, often desperate to alleviate a painful and often debilitating condition that affects nearly 54 million American adults: arthritis.

The disease, which causes aches, swelling and stiffness in the joints and muscles, is typically treated with a combination of medications including steroids and opiates, which may have dramatic side effects. However, cannabis is becoming a popular and viable alternative. Infused creams and lotions work when the products’ cannabinoids bind to the network of cannabinoid receptors called CB2 receptors on the skin, without needing to enter the bloodstream. This means people using topicals infused with psychoactive cannabinoids such as THC will not feel a cerebral effect — only localized relief. Transdermal patches, however, do allow the cannabinoids to enter the bloodstream and travel to receptors in the brain, but because the release is so slow, it’s also unlikely to impart a high feeling.

While research on the efficacy of topicals is limited, there have been some promising results. A 2015 study published in the European Journal of Pain found that, when applied transdermally to rats with arthritic joints, the cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) offered relief. Another study conducted in 2017 on rats with osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis, wherein bone cartilage breaks down over time) concluded CBD prevents pain and nerve damage. In fact, scientists are also exploring evidence that concludes CB2 receptors themselves may be responsible for regulating inflammation — one of the main issues arthritis causes.

The science is still early, but according to Radicle Health founder and nurse Eloise Theisen, CBD topicals appear to help with inflammation and itchiness, but people should try a THC topical — or a combination of THC and CBD — if they’re not finding relief from a CBD-only product.

Since the average senior citizen in the United States takes around five prescription medications daily, concerns about interactions between drugs, side effects and potentials for abuse have many seeking another way.

And since those who might be averse to getting high from smoking or eating cannabis are often not intimidated by using a non-psychoactive cannabis balm, topicals offer a way to discover the healing properties of cannabis while eliminating the fear of Grandma and Grandpa getting too buzzed.

‘Once He Went Off the Pharmaceuticals….’

Karen Rumics Averill is a 63-year-old business owner from Oregon who began making her own cannabis-infused topicals a few years ago to help her husband. He was suffering from a severe type of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, also known as “curved back syndrome.”

“He was initially put on Enbrel, which is an injection, and he was actually receiving twice the dose that is normally required,” Averill said. “Then, [the doctors] put him on Oxycontin and Vicodin and then all of a sudden one day, at two in the morning, we’re rushing him to the emergency room for a bleeding ulcer and they had to remove him from all of those drugs.”

She believes the drugs her husband had been prescribed were actually making his condition worse.

“Once he went off of [pharmaceuticals], he became more mobile, more active. He wasn’t comatose on the couch because he was over-medicated.”

Averill began experimenting, utilizing byproducts from top-shelf indica strains to infuse in coconut oil, creating a THC-infused topical.

“Actually, my 94-year-old aunt is now using it for her arthritis. She called me yesterday and said it works great!” Averill said.

Bringing Seniors to Cannabis

For many within the cannabis industry, one of the biggest challenges is getting accurate information to the general public — without being overwhelming or unconvincing. After getting phone call after phone call from seniors asking about their transdermal product, the team at NanoSphere Health Sciences decided they needed to focus not on getting their products to seniors, but on bringing the seniors to them.

“A lot of times, the way that a senior gets our product is because a niece or nephew, granddaughter, son or daughter has gone in, bought them the product and then told them that they need to use it, versus them actually going into the dispensary and purchasing the product themselves,” said Crystal Colwell, marketing director for NanoSphere.

So the company decided to partner with several dispensaries in their home state of Colorado, offering residents of nearby assisted living facilities and 55-plus communities round-trip bus rides to their locations in order to educate them on the many useful applications of cannabis. They also work with the non-profit group Realm of Caring in order to further their outreach towards the senior citizen demographic. Colwell says the feedback has been remarkable.

“We had one woman who had such severe arthritis in her hands that she was unable to open her hands all the way,” Colwell said. “One of her most favorite things to do is to write letters and handwritten notes. She started using NanoSerum on her hands and she was using it once a day for a month and after the first month she was able to open her hand and hold a pen or a pencil in her hand again. Within a two-month time span, she was actually able to write handwritten notes again.”

Colwell adds that while it will take time to dismantle all the misinformation about marijuana and the ways it can be consumed, topicals offer a non-threatening introduction to a medicine that could make all the difference.

“A lot of misconceptions that senior citizens have is that the only time you can get relief from cannabis is if you smoke it or you ingest as an edible,” she said. “Once they learn that there are alternative applications, that’s when they become intrigued and it gets their mind going.”

Originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now.

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Nobody hates talking frankly to children more than their parents — and nobody but their parents have more incentive to tell a convenient lie. You may deny it, but let’s be real: one of the “secrets” of effective parenting is the Platonic lie, the noble sacrifice of honesty for harmony. Maybe you don’t really know the right answers, maybe you’d prefer not to say, maybe it’s already 9 p.m. on a weeknight, the kitchen is still messy, and your four-year-old wants an existential treatise before bed. So you take the easy way out and make something up. These are hollow victories, won with cheap shortcuts, that ring only in the near term.

All the above applies when talking to children about cannabis. In an age when tens of millions of American adults have access to recreational marijuana — and may even keep it in their home, a home they share with children — and when there is growing acceptance (and factual data supporting it) for providing medical cannabis to children suffering from specific ailments treated with cannabis, it behooves everyone to be honest, immediately.

Remember to Educate Yourself First on Cannabis Science

If you are over 30, you should also be honest with yourself, being the victim of years of anti-cannabis propaganda told to you by parents, teachers, and other authority figures you let you down. This simple maxim — tell the truth — is Elizabeth D’Amico’s strategy for talking to children about cannabis. But we’d add one more bullet point, one for which D’Amico provides an object lesson: Find out what the truth about cannabis is for yourself before you do.

D’Amico is a clinical psychologist and a researcher at the RAND Corporation. She is also the lead author of “Planting the Seeds of Marijuana Use,” a recent study that examined the effect of medical marijuana advertising on impressionable youth. She and other researchers and found that constant bombardment with billboards and print ads gives kids the idea that cannabis is mostly safe and good.

And this is mostly true! Cannabis does appear to be a safer choice than alcohol or tobacco, according to a 2015 study published in Science Reports that included research from decades of related studies.

“If you say something is bad, that’s not giving them the full facts,” D’Amico told Westword. D’Amico is also the mother of two teens and lives in the Los Angeles area, which is both heavily populated and saturated with cannabis advertisements.

At all times, D’Amico told the newspaper, the mission of a parent around marijuana is to encourage teens to “make a healthy choice by really talking to them about all sides so they can ask questions — and when they do, be honest about it. Because if you just tell somebody, ‘Don’t do it,’ we know that doesn’t work.”

Telling the Truth Requires Discussing Cannabis’s Apparent Medical Benefits for Some Children

D’Amico demonstrates a pervasive problem that encounters both adults and teens alike when discussing cannabis use: It’s not as simple as being able to tell your children that adults can responsibly use cannabis, but children never can.

For example, D’Amico told Westword: “Yes, there are medical benefits, but they’re benefits for adults. No medical benefits have been shown for adolescents.”

This is a surprising and troubling claim for a researcher to make, unchallenged, and it is one contradicted by some scholarly evidence, as well as heaps of anecdotes.

Cannabis-derived medicines are helping many kids with seizures and with autism, just as they are helping adults — because that’s the thing. Adults and kids are both humans, with human brains and bodies. To posit that a child of 17 lacks an endocannabinoid system that then mysteriously appears when they become of voting age isn’t grounded in fact. It also contradicts what pharmaceutical companies know — but it may be what you, the parent, “know” based on your own indoctrination and conditioning.

The point is this: You may not know the answer to what your teen asks about marijuana. Be honest and admit your ignorance when it arises — and then correct it. This will require some rigorous self-examination, but it will be worth it. If you repeat an old lie, the kids always seem to find out eventually.

TELL US, have you talked with your children about cannabis?

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