The hash brownie, hilarious party favour and folk medicine of many, has attracted the attention of the white coats.
...A trio of non-governmental pharmacologists at the Neurosciences Institute of San Diego recently announced that chocolate prolongs and intensifies the good feelings of THC, something cannabis consumers have known for decades.
The special effects resulting from the combination of marijuana and chocolate are due to the subtle interplay of anandamide,, an organic chemical that by the grace of God is present in the natural human brain, and most curiously, within that of the humble sea urchin as well.
Israeli biochemist Raphael Menchoulam first isolated the premier psychoactive delta-9 THC in 1964. In 1989, US scientist William Devane tracked down the anandamide receptor sites that interact with the THC metabolites that the brain persuades the hands to put into the body.
Anandamides appear to have an almost universal effect.
Tiny amounts of purified anandamides were given to lucky laboratory animals, and a euphoric high was induced.
Anandamide has now been shown to be present in chocolate as well.
"In principle, one could have a synergy between the two, but the effect of the hashish would still be overwhelming" says neurosciences researcher Daniele Pionet.
Sounds like she had a bit too much fun at the staff picnic, but not to worry.
"It occurred to us that many cannabis users experience chocolate cravings. We were intrigued by the correlation, particularly because chocolate is rich in fats and anandamide is itself a fatty substance.
We hypothesized that anandamides might be present in chocolate."
The team analyzed dark chocolate from three different confectionary chocolate manufacturers from three different countries.
They found that the levels of anandamides varied greatly between samples, with the highest level being ten times greater than the lowest.
The researchers declined to say which brand of chocolate melts in your mind to best effect, for fear that their discovery would lead to a run on the market.
The research team also discovered two additional cannabinoids that occur naturally in chocolate. In the lab, these new substances dramatically slowed the breakdown of anandamides. This suggests that these choco-cannabinoids don't create a new high so much as they tend to prolong the old one. Hence, the long smooth buzz after chowing down a good wack of homegrown baking.
Traditional Chinese medicine has known for centuries that certain "magic plants" such as cannabis and ginseng will amplify the physical effects of other plant drugs.
Thus their herbal prescriptions are usually a blend of herbs, unlike Western medicine which tends to use a single substance in concentrated form.
And so we see that modern pharmacology is starting to take notice of the untapped potential of cannabis as a legitimate medicine, even if they are only tickling it with a ten foot pole and dipping it in chocolate to appease the DEA.
If you would like to contribute to the world fund of knowledge and want to try this at home, start with good cannabis and the best chocolate.
Shop for chunks of dark bitter baking chocolate or the darkest and most pungent cocoa powder you can find, avoiding cheap candy bars which are full of wax filler and sugar.
In order of potency, the best chocolates are: Baker's, Fry's, Cadbury, Hershey, Nestle, Rowntree. They will all differ in anandamide intensity because cocoa is sourced from many different parts of the globe.
-By Dr Alexander Sumach-
...A trio of non-governmental pharmacologists at the Neurosciences Institute of San Diego recently announced that chocolate prolongs and intensifies the good feelings of THC, something cannabis consumers have known for decades.
The special effects resulting from the combination of marijuana and chocolate are due to the subtle interplay of anandamide,, an organic chemical that by the grace of God is present in the natural human brain, and most curiously, within that of the humble sea urchin as well.
Israeli biochemist Raphael Menchoulam first isolated the premier psychoactive delta-9 THC in 1964. In 1989, US scientist William Devane tracked down the anandamide receptor sites that interact with the THC metabolites that the brain persuades the hands to put into the body.
Anandamides appear to have an almost universal effect.
Tiny amounts of purified anandamides were given to lucky laboratory animals, and a euphoric high was induced.
Anandamide has now been shown to be present in chocolate as well.
"In principle, one could have a synergy between the two, but the effect of the hashish would still be overwhelming" says neurosciences researcher Daniele Pionet.
Sounds like she had a bit too much fun at the staff picnic, but not to worry.
"It occurred to us that many cannabis users experience chocolate cravings. We were intrigued by the correlation, particularly because chocolate is rich in fats and anandamide is itself a fatty substance.
We hypothesized that anandamides might be present in chocolate."
The team analyzed dark chocolate from three different confectionary chocolate manufacturers from three different countries.
They found that the levels of anandamides varied greatly between samples, with the highest level being ten times greater than the lowest.
The researchers declined to say which brand of chocolate melts in your mind to best effect, for fear that their discovery would lead to a run on the market.
The research team also discovered two additional cannabinoids that occur naturally in chocolate. In the lab, these new substances dramatically slowed the breakdown of anandamides. This suggests that these choco-cannabinoids don't create a new high so much as they tend to prolong the old one. Hence, the long smooth buzz after chowing down a good wack of homegrown baking.
Traditional Chinese medicine has known for centuries that certain "magic plants" such as cannabis and ginseng will amplify the physical effects of other plant drugs.
Thus their herbal prescriptions are usually a blend of herbs, unlike Western medicine which tends to use a single substance in concentrated form.
And so we see that modern pharmacology is starting to take notice of the untapped potential of cannabis as a legitimate medicine, even if they are only tickling it with a ten foot pole and dipping it in chocolate to appease the DEA.
If you would like to contribute to the world fund of knowledge and want to try this at home, start with good cannabis and the best chocolate.
Shop for chunks of dark bitter baking chocolate or the darkest and most pungent cocoa powder you can find, avoiding cheap candy bars which are full of wax filler and sugar.
In order of potency, the best chocolates are: Baker's, Fry's, Cadbury, Hershey, Nestle, Rowntree. They will all differ in anandamide intensity because cocoa is sourced from many different parts of the globe.
-By Dr Alexander Sumach-
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