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acespicoli

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As bhang is prepared from the seeds and the leaves of the Cannabis plant, it is not banned under the NDPS Act of 1985. However, some states do regulate and ban the sale and consumption of bhang. Bhang can also be used in the form of medicine if the patient has a prescription from an Ayurvedic practitioner.[25]
 

acespicoli

Well-known member

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WHAT IS CANNABIS ?​


Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae with fragrant buds. Broadly there are three species or strains within the genus, Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica. Both of them have similar characteristics with specific and distinct differences. Cannabis rudralis is a sub-species of Cannabis sativa.
Historical evidence suggests that Indica has more sedating, relaxing, pain-relieving & calming properties, while Sativa has more uplifting, energizing, and neuroprotective traits. Some of the recent research has shown that at present, finding a pure Sativa or Indica species is very difficult due to hybridization, so the cannabinoids such as CBD & THC serve as good indicators to know the effects and properties of the various strains. The Indica traits are evidenced more in the CBD dominant varieties, whereas the Sativa traits are exhibited in the THC dominant varieties.

Medical Cannabis​


HOLISTIC AYURVEDIC MEDICINE Medical cannabis, a potential panacea for holistic healing, is now backed by innumerable studies and research, reinforcing its therapeutic benefits. Therefore, the acceptance and consumption of medicinal cannabis in India are also progressing rapidly.

Cannabis In Ayurveda​


Cannabis is known as “Bhanga” in ayurveda. Atharva Veda mentions cannabis as one of the five most sacred plants on Earth and refers to it as a “Freedom for Distress” or a “joy-giver”. Therapeutic value of this plant is mentioned in many of the Ayurvedic texts like the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Shargandhara Samhita.
Anandakand has a whole chapter dedicated to the herb, which describes various purification methods, formulations and antidotal therapy to counter the side effects of overdose of cannabis.
There are around 209 formulations mentioned in Ayurveda using Cannabis as single ingredient. These formulations are used in 29 disease conditions such as:
  • Grahani (Malabsorption syndrome)
  • Jvara (Fever)
  • Atisara (Diarrhoea)
  • Agnimandya (Loss of Appetite)
  • Ajirna (Dyspepsia)
  • Prameha (Urinary disorders)
  • Prameha (Urinary disorders)
  • Sangrahani (IBS)
  • hiroroga (Disease of head)
  • Kastharvata (Menstrual pain)
  • Kasa (Cough)
  • Kushtha (Diseases of skin)
  • Pandu (Anemia)
  • Jvaratisra (Diarrhoea due to fever)
  • Shotha ( Inflammation)
  • Shoola (Pain)
  • Abhinyasa Jvara (Meningitis)
  • Hikka (Hiccup)
  • Shvasa (Dyspnoea /Asthma)
  • Medoroga (Obesity)
  • Sheetapitta (Urticaria)
  • Apasmara (Epilepsy)
  • Vata vyadhi (Nerve disease)

ENDO-CANNABINOIDS & PHYTO-CANNABINOIDS?​


Endocannabinoids are produced inside our bodies, whereas Phytocannabinoids are plant-derived. The prefix “Phyto” signifies that they are plant-derived, while “Endo” reveals the endogenous nature of the latter.

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ENDO CANNABINOIDS​


Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring endogenous lipids or fatty acids produced in our bodies that interact with cannabinoid receptors. These fatty compounds are produced in neurons of central nervous system in response to a stimulus that binds to specific membrane receptors in the brain and body. These receptors are called cannabinoid receptors. Types of endocannabinoids produced in our body are: Anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) and 2AG (2-Arachidonoyl glycerol), Noladine ether & Virodhamine. Anandamide is endogenous analog of phytocannabinoid THC.
When endocannabinoids bind with the cannabinoid receptors, they regulate almost all physiological and cognitive processes such as appetite, mood, memory, muscle movement, thermoregulation, and brain reward systems.

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Phytocannabinoids​


Phytocannabinoids are produced through secondary metabolite by glandular hairs of cannabis plant. These are basically a group of C21 terpenophelic compounds. There are more than 150 cannabinoids reported to be found naturally in the Cannabis plant. Yes, over 150! Some important cannabinoids are Delta 9 –tetrahydrocannabinols (Δ-9-THC), Δ8-trans-tetrahydrocannabinols (Δ8-THC), Cannabidiols (CBD), Cannabinols (CBN), Cannabigerols (CBGs), Cannabichromenes (CBCs), Cannabicyclols (CBLs), Cannabielsoins (CBEs), Cannabinodiols (CBNDs), Cannabitriols (CBTs) and many more. These compounds are other than phyto-cannabinoids, other medicinally important phytochemicals are terpenes and flavonoids. If your body is producing enough endocannabinoids, then it is in balance and under an ideal state. But sometimes, the body doesn’t function the way it is supposed to, due to various internal and external factors and suffers from cannabinoid deficiency. It then requires supplementation of phytocannabinoids from an external source.

Endo-cannabinoid System (ecs) And It's Working​


“The endocannabinoid system is very important. Almost all illnesses we have are linked to it in some way or another. And that is very strange.” – Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, known as “the father of cannabis research.”
The ECS is identified in early 1900s and is a collection of neuromodulators (endocannabinoids), their receptors and signaling pathways in our body. It is a self-regulating biological system in the human body.
Endocannabinoids are endogenously produced compounds that bind with specific receptors throughout our bodies, including the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and immune system. Our bodies consist of receptors that have an affinity to bind with cannabinoids like CBD (Cannabidiol), THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), CBN, CBC, CBG, etc.
When a patient takes exogenous cannabinoids, they interact with our already existing ECS. The fact is that these compounds are already a part of us, and although these cannabinoids are supplemented by plants, they are quite similar to the ones that exist in our bodies.
Cannabis works in two ways, one by maintaining the ECS tone and secondly by complementing if there is a deficiency. Low Cannabinoid tone indicates an imbalance. It is believed by Dr Ethan Russo that the root cause of most of all modern ailments, there is a clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CEBD).

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ROLE OF ENDO-CANNABINOIDS​


Endocannabinoid, specially anandamide (AEA) is synthesized in the brain, where levels are controlled by tightly regulated degradation pathways. It is also called as stress-induced neurotransmitter.
Anandamiide is synthesized and released on-demand in neuron cell membranes in the brain in response to a rise in intracellular calcium because of stimuli. It is needed to maintain homeostasis in the body. Anandamide has very short half-life and is degraded by the action of FAAH enzyme. Both the regulation of synthesis and degradation is important to regulate the brain functions. Anandamide plays a significant role in regulating emotions and pleasure. So it is offer called “bliss molecule”.
On binding with receptors (specifically cannabinoid receptors such as CB1 and CB2), it regulates cellular functions, appetite, reward, memory, mood and pain.

Cannabinoid Receptors​


Cannabinoid receptors are the most abundant GPCRs distributed throughout the body. Other than cannabinoid receptors there are some no-cannabinoid receptors are also functioning in endocannabinoid system. CB1, CB2, TRVP1, TRVP2, GPR18, GPR55 and GPR119 are considered as endocannabinoid receptors. CB1 and CB2 are the cannabinoid receptors. CB1 is known to be psychoactive, neuromodulatory, and a pain receptor found in the brain, fat, liver, skeletal, and muscular tissues. Whereas, CB2 is responsible for the anti-inflammatory functions located in cells that are responsible for immune function and may also be found in the CNS.

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WHAT ARE CBD AND THC​


Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two main phyto cannabinoid compounds which are largely explored by researchers.
THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the high sensation in human. According to studies1, THC, the highly potent and abundant cannabinoid, exerts a wide variety of biological effects by mimicking endogenous cannabinoid, Anandamide – that bind to and activate receptors CB1 and CB2.
Onlike THC, it doesnot bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors. It binds to other non-cannabinoid receptor TRPV1 and on prolonged activation of TRPV1 desensitizes the receptor, and reduces pain. Also activation of receptors by CBD, regulates temperature, acidity, anadamide production.

Therapeutic Benefits​


Cannabis in India is gaining popularity with its huge medicinal potential as ingrained in the Indian Ayurveda system. Cannabis has been known to promote overall well-being, by treating several diseases and symptoms.
Cannabis impacts all physiological and biochemical systems, including the immune, renal, endocrine, cardiopulmonary/ respiratory, reproductive, and central nervous systems, as well as genetics and general health.
Here is a list of diseases/ disorders with proven benefits from cannabis medicines –

DiseaseActive compoundReceptorsMechanism of Action
Parkinson’sTHC, CBDNon-Cannabinoid receptorsAntioxidant activity
CB2Decreases proinflammatory cytokines and NFkb pathway activity
THCVCB2Decreases proinflammatory cytokines & ROS. Increases anti-inflammatory cytokines
Huntington DiseaseTHC, CBDNon-Cannabinoid receptorsDecreases oxidative stress and edema
THCCB1Neuroprotective activity
CBGCannabinoid & Non-cannabinoid receptorsReduces mutant Htt protein aggregation. Counteract superregulation of proinflammatory markers
Alzheimer’s diseaseTHCCB1Inhibits AChE neurotransmitter
CBDCB2Inhibits amyloid-β plaque formation. Modulates iNOS expression
CBDPPAR-yDecreases amyloid-β production and reduces apoptosis
Multiple SclerosisTHCCB1Reduces neuroinflammation. Prevents excitotoxicity by reducing glutamate release
Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisTHCCB2Reduces excitotoxicity by reducing glutamate release. Reduces oxidative cell damage.
Hypoxia-IschemiaCBDCB2, 5HT1AModulation of oxidative stress and inflammation. Modulation of glutamate and cytokine release. Modulation of COX-3 induction
EpilepsyCBDGPR55, TPRV-1, 5HT1AReduction of Ca2+ in synaptic complex of neurons
THCCB1Modulates GABA release
PainTHC, CBDCB1, CB2Inhibits the release of neurotransmitters from presynaptic nerve. Activates the descending inhibitory pain pathways.
CBDTRPV-1Desensitizes TRPV-1 receptor and inhibits activation of other intermediary molecules of signaling pathway.
ApptetiteTHC, CBDCB1, CB2Upregulates ghrelin and downregulates leptin hormone
Respiratory DisorderTHCCB1, CB2Prevents fibrosis in lung, liver, heart, kidney, and skin cells. Reduces inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress.

A. Pain (shoola)​


There is substantial evidence2 that cannabinoid acts as adjuvant analgesic in management of all type of pain including chronic pain. The analgesic effect of cannabinoids especially THC mediate by induction of antinociception via supraspinal mechanisms and peripheral CB2 receptors3. The consequent events are inhibition of the release of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides from presynaptic nerve endings, modulation of postsynaptic neuron excitability, activation of descending inhibitory pain pathways, and reduction of neural inflammation.
Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain resulting from peripheral nerve injury, toxic insults, and disease states such as diabetes, cancer, HIV, nerve disorder, MS and herpes infection. More recently, CBD is shown to be effective in well-established experimental models of neuropathic pain. It is believed that the analgesic effect of CBD is mediated, at least in part, by TRPV1 receptor4. CBD binds to non-cannabinoid receptor TRPV1 receptor and prolonged activation of TRPV1 receptor desensitize and inhibits activation of other intermediary molecules of signaling pathway and thus alleviates pain.

B. Fibromyalgia (fm)​


FM is a pain syndrome with multiple etiologies, central sensitization, altered stress response, pro-inflammatory state, abnormal activity of neurotransmitters, small-fiber peripheral neuropathy, and genetic predisposition. Research5 suggests that cannabis can reduce these symptoms in different ways with its anti-epileptic, analgesic, anxiolytic, and sedative effects.

C. Neurodegenerative Disorder (vatavyadhi)​


Cerebral Ischemia and Hypoxia​

Cerebral ischemia is the clinical mechanism of acute brain injury that results from impaired blood flow to the brain. This causes a sequence of events such as excitotoxicity, release of neurotransmitters, inflammation, breakdown of blood-brain barrier, cytokine storm and oxidative stress etc.
Studies have shown that, CBD can exert a neuroprotective effect toward brain ischemia, by activating non-cannabinoid receptors (TRPV-1) and 5-HT1A receptor mediated pathway, causing an increase in cerebral blood flow6.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)​

MS is an autoimmune inflammatory neurodegenerative disease characterized by nerves demyelination in CNS. Cannabis reduces muscle stiffness, spasm, and pain in MS patients. Real-life data7 confirm cannabis as an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for resistant MSS in clinical practice. There is strong evidence that cannabinoid can cause reductions in tremor and spasticity, and benefit in treatment of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)​

MS is an autoimmune inflammatory neurodegenerative disease characterized by nerves demyelination in CNS. Cannabis reduces muscle stiffness, spasm, and pain in MS patients. Real-life data7 confirm cannabis as an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for resistant MSS in clinical practice. There is strong evidence that cannabinoid can cause reductions in tremor and spasticity, and benefit in treatment of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis.

Anxiety & Depression​

Cannabis has the potential as an adjunct to therapies for anxiety disorders and can help treat a range of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
The amygdala is the emotion-producing part of the brain, which lights up in situation like fear, trauma & anxiety and generates the psychological experience of fear. In same time the nerve cells in brainstem activates. Activation of brainstem causes blood pressure to rise, palpitation, skin to prickle etc. Endocannabinoid receptor such as CB1 is more distributed in these regions denoting that it has a significant role in managing the anxiety, mood and emotion. Glutamate and GABA are two excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain, which controls the psychological functions of brain. In anxiety disorder, it is found less concentration of GABA and over expression of glutamate in brain region. At low dose of THC, the dimeric form of CB1 & 5-HT2a receptor activates and binding with THC inhibits the expression of glutamate through a signaling cascade in glutamatergic neuron and helps in reducing anxiety. In higher dose it shows the reverse effect and increases the anxiety. In a recent study in which participants were exposed to a well-validated psychosocial stress task, a low dose of THC (7.5 mg) reduced the duration of negative emotional responses to the task and post task appraisals of how threatening and challenging the stressor was. In contrast, a higher dose of THC (12.5 mg) produced small but significant increases in anxiety, negative mood and subjective distress at baseline before and during the psychosocial stress task8. CBD appears to decrease anxiety at all doses that have been tested. CBD, on the other hand, appears to have robust anxiolytic effects without anxiogenic effects at higher doses.

Parkinson's Disease​

Parkinson's disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and consequent reduction in dopamine content in striatum.
Several clinical studies have demonstrated that endocannabinoid system undergo neurochemical and neurophysiological alterations after dopamine depletion. On reduction in dopaminergic signaling, endocannabinoids levels and CB1 receptor expression up-regulate in basal ganglia, which suggest that cannabis has a therapeutic role in the treatment of movement disorders associated with Parkinson's.
In short, Parkinson's is the results of a dis-inhibition of the striatal neurons and therefore a relative glutamatergic overactivity. Antiglutamatergic therapies with Cannabis, mostly via CB1 receptor, results through reduction of glutamate release, decreasing calcium influx, as well as of local inflammatory events.

Alzheimer's Disease​

Alzheimer’s disease is the most frequently form of dementia, with an incidence of about 34 million people worldwide. It is characterized by lesions in CNS due to the formation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and cortical atrophy. In such patients it is found that CB1 and CB2 receptor expression is significantly increased, while in basal ganglia and hippocampus neuronal CB1 receptor expression is decreased. Recent days, drugs containing acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitors are used for Alzheimer’s treatment. A study9 from Israel in 2015 shows Cannabis extract (containing Δ9-THC) is an excellent alternate option for management of such disease. THC competitively inhibits enzyme AChE and prevents Aβ peptide aggregation in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Epilepsy​

Epilepsy patients using medicinal marijuana reported that the drug is very effective for their seizure control and mood disorders. According to the studies10, patients said that Cannabidiol/ CBD improved their seizure frequency and severity while fixing their mood disorders.

Huntington's Disease​

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor, cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. A systemic review conducted by Akinyemi et.al., 202011 clearly indicates that medical cannabis is highly effecting in alleviating the associated symptoms of HD such as motor symptoms, quality of sleep, depression, anxiety, cognitive loss etc.

D. Appetite & Gastrointestinal Disorder​


The ability of Cannabis to promote eating has been already documented in ayurveda. Cannabis has potent anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, appetite-stimulating, and antidiarrheal effects.
The ECS regulates energy intake and appetite through central and peripheral metabolic pathways. ECS affects homeostatic pathways in the hypothalamus and brainstem through supression of leptin hormone and release of ghrelin hormone. The CNS also affects energy intake occurs through behavior–reward pathways. Cannabinoids through the ECS inhibit GABAergic neurons, leading to disinhibition of dopamine and activation of the hedonic drive toward further food consumption. Researchers12 have also found that cannabis intake can stimulate appetite.
In additional tot that ECS is also took a major role in maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis, thus helps manage liver and pancreatic disorders, insulin secretion etc.
Cannabis has also been used to treat abdominal pain, anorexia, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, emesis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, intestinal inflammation, and diabetic gastroparesis. A recent survey13 supports the traditional view that cannabis provides benefits in disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract.

E. Sleep Disorder​


Cannabis affects the release of cortisol and acts as a sedative. Patients treated with CBD had a prompt and substantial reduction in the frequency of RBD-related events without side effects, as suggested by research14.

F. Cardiovascular Disorder​


Studies15 suggest that cannabis exerts a tissue-sparing effect during chronic myocardial ischemia and acute reperfusion (I/R).
Myocardial ischemia occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium) is obstructed by a partial or complete blockage of coronary arteries by the build-up of plaques (atherosclerosis). CBD acts as a cardioprotective drug.

G. Muscle Spasm​


Cannabis has been demonstrated to be effective in alleviating impaired bladder control, muscle spasms, and spasticity. Studies16 found that cannabinoids such as THC bind with cannabinoid receptors of the human body to reduce the levels of inflammatory proteins and suppress the spasm response. Different THC/CBD combination therapies decrease muscle spasticity and suppress neuroinflammation.

H. Respiratory Disorder​


Most common respiratory disorders are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, acute lower respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. It has been found that cannabinoid receptors, specifically CB1 receptors are abundantly found in bronchi, pulmonary artery, lung tissues such as alveolar type II cells, respiratory epithelium, fibroblast, dendritic cell and pulmonary macrophages. Overstimulation of peripheral CB1 receptors is linked to several pathological processes such as fibrosis (lung, liver, heart, kidney, and skin), inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress. Likewise, activation of peripheral CB2 receptors produces anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and anti-fibrotic effects.

I. Diabetes​


Cannabidiol (CBD) and D9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) are non-intoxicating phyto-cannabinoids affecting lipid and glucose metabolism. Studies17 suggest that THCV and CBD decreased blood glucose levels and increased insulin production in people with type 2 diabetes.

J. Covid​


Coronavirus impacts the respiratory system much deeper and causes coagulation. Cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties and can act as a vasorelaxant. Clinical trials18suggest that whole-plant cannabis extracts high in CBD can reduce blood coagulation and can be used to counter SARS-CoV-2 infections by quelling the cytokine storm. In addition to the above-mentioned diseases, cannabis medicines have also been proven effective for diseases like seizures, wasting syndrome (cachexia), mood disorders, such as ADD or ADHD, allergies, immunity, psoriasis, autism, Tourette’s, PTSD disorders, and migraine.

K. Cancer​


Since 1970, cannabis has been known to exert palliative effects in cancer patients. Along with its palliative effects, it has antiproliferative, antitumoral, and pro-apoptotic effects that inhibit cancer cell migration, adhesion, and invasion. Studies suggest19 that cannabinoids inhibit tumor progression at multiple levels. Their most prevalent antitumor effect is the induction of cancer cell death by apoptosis and the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Additionally, Cannabinoids has been shown to impair tumor angiogenesis and block invasion and metastasis.
Studies20 also found the co-administration of cannabis medicines with chemotherapy drugs improved the potency of its antitumor effects. These synergistic effects can prove beneficial, especially in cancers that are refractory to chemotherapy. However, these effects depend on the cancer type, dosage of medicine, and abundance of receptor targets.
Growing evidence21 demonstrates cannabinoids are effective inhibitors of multiple types of cancer.

L. Cinv​


Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains significant cause of morbidity in oncology patients. The mechanism of delayed nausea and vomiting is incompletely understood, but may involve non-serotonergic receptors including the cannabinoid CB1 receptor, with a potential role for cannabis products in its amelioration.
Cannabinoids exert their anti-emetic properties through interactions with the centrally located CB1 receptors and 5-HT3 receptors in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC), which mediates emesis. The activation of the 5-HT1A receptor ultimately reduces the amount of serotonin released, and thus a lower potential to trigger emesis. CBD is also thought to activate the CB1 receptors in the gastrointestinal tract through their GPCR (G-protein-coupled receptor) inhibitory effect, leading to decreased gastrointestinal motility. Phyto-cannabinoids such as THC and CBD also inhibit fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), leading to an increased concentration of anandamide that could exert its anti-emetic properties at a higher intensity.

M. Glaucoma​


Cannabis has the potential of becoming a useful treatment for glaucoma, as they seem to have neuroprotective properties and effectively reduce intraocular pressure. Cannabinoid receptors are found in the trabecular meshwork, non-pigmented ciliary epithelium, and ciliary muscle of human eyes.
Research22 suggests that Cannabis with THC can lower IOP in 60% to 65% of both normal individuals and patients with glaucoma. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the fluid pressure inside the eye, which is an important aspect in the evaluation of patients at risk of glaucoma.

Best Practices For Taking Medical Cannabis​


Medical cannabis products available in India are in capsule, oil and gummy dose form. So it can be consumed orally. Best practice of taking oil is to keep for sometimes under the tongue for a better absorption.

Dosage​


Dosage is the vital factor to reap maximum benefits with minimal side effects of cannabis medicines. HempCann Solutions, the parent company of brand Vedi, invests a lot in researching cannabis and improving awareness around it to make it a more safe, versatile, and effective drug.
It is advisable to start with a low dose, as body’s tolerance to dose varies with person to person, and there are other factors involved too, such as the state of disease, age, etc. It is best to follow a physician’s advice to find the correct dose and treatment protocol.

Side Effects​


Cannabis medicines are likely to be safe in low doses. Some reported side effects of cannabis when used for a long duration or in higher doses include:
  • Dry mouth
  • Decrease in blood pressure
  • Increased heartbeat
  • Decreased concentration levels
  • Drowsiness

Drug Interactions​


Cannabis medicines are likely safe and can be taken with most drugs. However, it is best to consult your doctor before starting and sharing the list of all medications to learn more about drug interactions.
Cannabis can accelerate or inhibit the effects of other drugs, especially the ones that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, antihistamines, sedatives, seizure medicines, pain relievers, anxiety medicines, muscle relaxants, and alcohol.

Who Should Avoid Using It?​


The risk/benefit ratio of cannabis should be carefully and individually evaluated, especially for people who:
  • Are under 18
  • Have hypersensitivity to any cannabinoid
  • Have severe cardio-pulmonary disease with hypotension/ hypertension/ syncope or tachycardia
  • Have a family history of schizophrenia
  • Have severe respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Women who are planning pregnancy, or are pregnant, or breastfeeding.

How And Where To Buy In India?​


Cannabis medicines are available in India. HempCann Solutions is the leading research and manufacturing company of cannabis in India. It opened the first medical cannabis clinic in India in Koramangala, Bengaluru. Vedi Wellness Centre provides Ayurvedic doctor consultation, nutritional counseling, ayurvedic medicines, herbal supplements, and natural body care products. They are operational online, too, @www.vediherbals.com.
We use the best quality ayurvedic herbs, including cannabis leaves to make its 100% vegetarian Ayurvedic medicines. Our range of Cannabis-Infused capsules and oils are made using full-spectrum Cannabis extract infused in coldpressed virgin coconut oil (for capsules) and high grade MCT oil (for oils), the Medium Chain Triglyceride extracted from Coconut. They are 100% natural and free from chemicals, artificial flavors or sweeteners, sugar, salt, gluten, soy, pesticides, and heavy metals.
VEDI’s cannabis brands for India includes-
  • Cannaflam is a natural Cannabis medicine for chronic inflammation. Available in the form of capsules and oil. This CBD dominant formulation is efficacious in-
    • bringing joint pain relief
    • preventing and treating bone loss
    • strengthening bones
    • managing cardiovascular conditions
    • alleviating bowel inflammation
    • fortifying the immune system
    • It also serves as an excellent alternative medicine for managing IBS, psoriasis, and osteoporesis.
  • Cannapain is a wholesome cannabis leaf extract medicine that is great for pain management and improving sleep. This balanced cannabinoid formulation is idea for –
    • alleviating pain that affects mobility, like neck and backache.
    • palliative care in cancer patients as it helps mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy, including cancer-induced nausea and vomiting.
    • relieving a variety of pain, from chronic to neuropathic and from muscular spasms to sciatica pain.
    • reducing anxiety
    • improving the quality of sleep, controls seizures, and improves appetite.
  • Cannaron is a promising therapeutic medicine for all neurodegenerative diseases. It helps manage age-related ailments of the brain and the nervous system. This full spectrum cannabis medicine is having a higher THC and is helpful for -
    • bring relief from a wide spectrum of neuropathic conditions,
    • nourish the neural network.
    • treat depressions, stress, anxiety and fatigue with its uplifting effects
    • treat depressions, stress, anxiety and fatigue with its uplifting effects
    • stimulate, energize and uplift mood.
All the above 3 medicines are prescription based medicines and are available in both capsule and oil dose form. Other than that VEDI has also some classical formulation based on cannabis:
  • Kameswar Modaka: Available in 5g sachet, helpful for increasing sexual desire, enhancing vitality and vigor.
  • Jatiphaladi Churna: Available in 3g sachet, efficacious for chronic diarrhea, cold, cough and nasal congestion.
  • Bilvadi Churna: Available in 3g sachet, an excellent remedy for IBS, abdominal discomfort, gut infection.
  • Sarpagandha ghanvati: Available in 500mg tablet dose form, useful for hypertension, and insomnia.
  • Vijayadi Vati: Available in 250mg tablet dose form, an proven medicine for menstrual pain & cramp, lower back pain.

Understanding Important Terms​


  • Medical Marijuana or Medical Cannabis: Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis prescribed by physicians for their patients to treat certain conditions or disorders. It is a plant-based medicine obtained from the Cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica species. It comes in various forms, such as flowers, tinctures, extracts, capsules, etc.
  • Hash Oil: Hashish, often known as "hash", is a cannabis product composed of compressed or purified preparations of stalked resin glands called trichomes. It is said to be the most potent form of cannabis due to higher THC.
  • Hempseed Oil: The oil is extracted from seeds of the hemp plant through cold-pressing. The seeds have a rich profile of nutrients, fatty acids, and useful bioactive compounds such as omega-6 that can also have health benefits. Hemp oil is an important ingredient in many nutritional and skincare products.
  • CBD Oil: CBD oil available in the market may be full-spectrum or may be made just with CBD isolates. CBD oils contain a higher concentration of CBD and a very low percentage of THC. You might find many CBD oils in the market which contain just the isolated CBD in them, and do not contain any other cannabinoid or terpene, hence lacking the ‘entourage effect’.
  • Cannabis Oil: Derived from cannabis leaves and/ or flowers, these oils contain a full spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and pigments, thereby providing an ‘entourage effect’. Many manufacturers and marketers label their products CBD oil instead of "cannabis oil" to attract more customers. Therefore, there is a need to ask if they are using CBD isolates or full-spectrum oil in their products and choose reliable brand like VEDI as per an individual need.

References​


  • Mouhamed Y, Vishnyakov A, Qorri B, Sambi M, Frank SMS, Nowierski C, et al. . Therapeutic potential of medicinal marijuana: an educational primer for health care professionals. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. (2018) 10:45–66. 10.2147/DHPS.S158592 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6001746/
  • Poli P, Crestani F, Salvadori C, Valenti I, Sannino C. Medical Cannabis in Patients with Chronic Pain: Effect on Pain Relief, Pain Disability, and Psychological aspects. A Prospective Non randomized Single Arm Clinical Trial. Clin Ter. 2018 May-Jun;169(3):e102-e107. doi: 10.7417/T.2018.2062. PMID: 29938740. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29938740/
  • Calignano, A.; la Rana, G.; Giuffrida, A.; Piomelli, D. Control of pain initiation by endogenous cannabinoids. Nature 1998, 394, 277–281
  • Costa, B.; Trovato, A.E.; Comelli, F.; Giagnoni, G.; Colleoni, M. The non-psychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an orally effective therapeutic agent in rat chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2007, 556, 75–83.
  • Carolina Chaves, MD, Paulo Cesar T Bittencourt, MD, MSc, Andreia Pelegrini, PhD, Ingestion of a THC-Rich Cannabis Oil in People with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial, Pain Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 10, October 2020, Pages 2212–2218, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnaa303
  • Mishima, K.; Hayakawa, K.; Abe, K.; Ikeda, T.; Egashira, N.; Iwasaki, K.; Fujiwara, M. Cannabidiol prevents cerebral infarction via a serotonergic 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptor-dependent mechanism. Stroke 2005, 36, 1077–1082
  • Flachenecker P, Henze T, Zettl UK. Nabiximols (THC/CBD oromucosal spray, Sativex®) in clinical practice--results of a multicenter, non-interventional study (MOVE 2) in patients with multiple sclerosis spasticity. Eur Neurol. 2014;71(5-6):271-9. doi: 10.1159/000357427. Epub 2014 Feb 12. PMID: 24525548. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24525548/
  • Childs E, Lutz JA, de Wit H. Dose-related effects of delta-9-THC on emotional responses to acute psychosocial stress. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2017;177:136-44
  • Shelef, Assaf et al. ‘Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis Oil for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: An-Open Label, Add-On, Pilot Study’. 1 Jan. 2016 : 15 – 19. https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad150915
  • Elliott, J, DeJean, D, Clifford, T, et al. Cannabis-based products for pediatric epilepsy: A systematic review. Epilepsia. 2019; 60: 6– 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.14608
  • Akinyemi E. et al., Medical Marijuana Effects in Movement Disorders, Focus on Huntington Disease; A Literature Review. J Pharm Pharm Sci., 23, 389 - 395, 2020.
  • Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior. (2018, July 17). How cannabis affects appetite: Brain changes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 13, 2021 from sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180717094747.htm
  • Ravikoff Allegretti J, Courtwright A, Lucci M, Korzenik JR, Levine J. Marijuana use patterns among patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013;19(13):2809-2814. doi:10.1097/01.MIB.0000435851.94391.37. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126607/
  • Chagas MH, Eckeli AL, Zuardi AW, Pena-Pereira MA, Sobreira-Neto MA, Sobreira ET, Camilo MR, Bergamaschi MM, Schenck CH, Hallak JE, Tumas V, Crippa JA. Cannabidiol can improve complex sleep-related behaviours associated with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in Parkinson's disease patients: a case series. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2014 Oct;39(5):564-6. doi: 10.1111/jcpt.12179. Epub 2014 May 21. PMID: 24845114. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24845114/
  • Walsh SK, Hepburn CY, Kane KA, Wainwright CL. Acute administration of cannabidiol in vivo suppresses ischaemia-induced cardiac arrhythmias and reduces infarct size when given at reperfusion. Br J Pharmacol. 2010 Jul;160(5):1234-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00755.x. PMID: 20590615; PMCID: PMC2936031. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20590615/
  • Collin, C., Davies, P., Mutiboko, I.K., Ratcliffe, S. and (2007), Randomized controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis. European Journal of Neurology, 14: 290-296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01639.x
  • Jadoon, K.A., Ratcliffe, S.H., Barrett, D.A., Thomas, E.L., Stott, C., Bell, J.D., O’Sullivan S.E. and Tan, G.D. 2016. Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Pilot Study. Diabetes Care. 39 (10), pp. 1777-1786. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc16-0650
  • Wang B, Kovalchuk A, Li D, et al. In search of preventive strategies: novel high-CBD Cannabis sativa extracts modulate ACE2 expression in COVID-19 gateway tissues. Aging (Albany NY). 2020;12(22):22425-22444. doi:10.18632/aging.202225. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7746344/
  • Velasco, G., Sánchez, C., & Guzmán, M. (2016). Anticancer mechanisms of cannabinoids. Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 23(2), S23–S32. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.23.3080
  • Nagina Mangal, Simon Erridge, Nagy Habib, Anguraj Sadanandam, Vikash Reebye & Mikael Hans Sodergren: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology (2021). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8310855/
  • Nagina Mangal, Simon Erridge, Nagy Habib, Anguraj Sadanandam, Vikash Reebye & Mikael Hans Sodergren: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology (2021). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8310855/
  • Poli P, Crestani F, Salvadori C, Valenti I, Sannino C. Medical Cannabis in Patients with Chronic Pain: Effect on Pain Relief, Pain Disability, and Psychological aspects. A Prospective Non randomized Single Arm Clinical Trial. Clin Ter. 2018 May-Jun;169(3):e102-e107. doi: 10.7417/T.2018.2062. PMID: 29938740. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29938740/
 

pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Love that recent article. What is going on in society? Why is cannabis not widely accepted as a useful medicine to maintain health?
 

pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
1 gram decarbed Hash
5 ml coconut oil (1 teaspoon)
2ml lecithin (1/4 teaspoon)
Heat 220 F for 10 minutes
Freeze
Reheat.

Fills about 10 capsules. Same general strength as the 5 gram version.
Going to start with this rate to make cannabis capsules. Need to work up to a comfortable dose using this variety.

If kief is 50% THC, 1 gram would have 500 mg THC. Divided out over 10 capsules, it would be 50 mg per capsule. That sounds like a good place to start. So a quarter capsule would be 12.5 mg THC.
 

acespicoli

Well-known member
What is the general THC content of kief per gram?
:thinking: Depends on the starting material cbd/thc etc, so without a tester or lab work 🤷‍♂️
Best to start with small samples. Good question!!! Im more of a sampler than a scientific measure type until its evaluated.
Effects can vary imo, once you ran a strain as clones you can get close repeatable dosage.

Would be good to catalog details led hps strain yield dosage!!! Quality of medical effects for treating pain restlessness etc
 
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pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Got the F14 sativa Candy chunk, its prety true breeding now. Using the early harvest, September 23 flower, but its still pretty good and potent. If I like these, may switch to taking these and supplimenting with smoking since I rarely have time to smoke to medicate anyway.
 

acespicoli

Well-known member

Lots of great methods of making concentrates on here and also a number of great cannabis infused recipes.
This is something I intend to persue in earnest with cbd rich ... well also balanced thc/cbd strains to use as feed material for these medications. Also the potency and tolerance needs to be monitored closely.

With the proper strains that treat the illness and symptoms these capsules were a great addition to the thread and to the people in need of effective alt medication :huggg: Thx to everyone working on this and sharing your experiences
 

pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Started taking the capsules yesterday. I made a 50% more dilute mix and it works but I have to take more. Going with 4 capsules a day, so going to go ahead and use the original BadKat capsule mix ratio because its a good dose.

But like you said, have to test each plant you do. Some plants have more potent resin than others. I think the rate is safe though taking an entire Size O capsule containing about 25 drops or 0.5 mL.
 

acespicoli

Well-known member

Liposomal Encapsulation Process For:
FECO, RSO, BHO, and Other Concentrates​


Keeping in mind that FECO, RSO and even BHO can often already be extensively heat processed, we are providing the bare minimum process required to produce the least additional degradation while taking full advantage of heated liposomal encapsulation tech.

Please source organically extracted cannabis, processed using only food grade solvents, whenever possible.

Measure and prepare individual ingredients in this ratio:

1 Part FECO
2 Parts Lecithin Granules ( @ 23%+/- phosphatidyl choline)
2 Parts Coconut Oil

This will produce for every 1 gram of FECO, 5 x 00 caps, each containing 0.20g FECO; cannabinoid content and composition are reliant on original feco composition.

See below for directions.

Directions:

1.) Preheat coconut oil and lecithin to 160 F.


2.) Add FECO, and manually agitate until blended sufficiently to the naked eye.
With small quantities, this can easily be done with a spoon. With larger
amounts you can make good use of a chocolate tempering machine, or
even a more expensive conching machine (if electric/heated- some are not).


3.) Heat solution to at least 215 - 220 F and hold for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
The vessel you heat in should ideally be sealed well, but with a material
that allows for expansion with heat, effectively containing and trapping,
rather than releasnig terpenes.


4.) Freeze overnight, warm to room temp.


5.) Repeat step 3.) by heating once more, then extinguish heat source, and
allow to cool gradually avoiding sudden drops in temperature, ideally
leaving container in place and heating aparatus sealed, until solution
temperature drops to 150 F in no less than 30 minutes. (Once the oil is
cool, avoid reheating to temperatures that exceed 200 F. If for whatever
reason this occurs, repeat step 5. once again. Keep in mind most baked
goods will not reach or exceed internal temperatures of 150 F - 200 F,
by the time they have finished baking, even when your oven temperature
is set much higher.)


Your oil is now complete and may be diluted if necessary for low-tolerance dosing, inserted into capsules using a common pipette, or you may even choose to use your finished medicine prepared in a food, for patients who need assistance and/or relief during digestion. The steps must be performed exactly as described for liposomal encapsulation of cannabinoids to occur effectively. For reasoning behind steps and additional details, read the basic content found here, and google "BadKittySmiles bioavailability".
First Time Oil & Initial
Low-Dose Tolerance Building

Complete infusion, using the above mentioned ratio, by adding and blending in an additional A) 15ml coconut oil (previous cannabis users)
up to to an additional B) 35ml coconut oil (brand new patients), to the existing solution as described above, for every gram of feco the solution contains. This may be done separately with a portion of finished liposomal oil using gentle heat, so as not to dilute your entire batch, or during the second heating of the process.


A) Adding 15ml coconut oil per each gram of FECO used in the existing solution, will produce 20 x 00 size capsules from each gram of FECO, instead of 5 x 00 caps. Each individual capsule will have a total feco content of 0.05g or 50mg.

If you used 2 grams of FECO, you would need to add 30ml coconut oil to the existing 10ml solution. If you used 4 grams of FECO, you would need to add 60ml oil to the existing 20ml solution.

B) Adding 35ml coconut oil per gram of FECO in the solution, will produce 40 x 00 size capsules from each gram of FECO, instead of 5 x 00 caps. Each individual capsule will have a total feco content of 0.025g or 25mg.

If you used 2 grams of FECO, you would need to add 70ml coconut oil to the existing 10ml solution. *

* We do not suggest diluting any more than 2g FECO at the rate suggested in part B), unless this is simply the desired dose for long-term treatment of a non-serious/non-life threatening condition; for serious conditions where time is of the essence, you should increase your tolerance adequately, almost daily, prior to finishing a batch of this size, rendering such a rate of dilution much less useful for your condition.



In terms of cancer, the rate of dilution suggested in B) is for the purposes of rapidly increasing tolerance only.

Even prevention and maintenance doses upon succesful remission, should remain as high as 0.25g/concentrate each day.


Tolerance Building Program

The tolerance building program below should begin with the DILUTED formula, found on the Liposomal Encapsulation page, that is best suited to the patient's recent history with cannabis use.

1.) The first dose or capsule should be taken within an hour before the patient's normal bedtime.

Should there be any uncomfortable sensations from an initial dose, or a dose that is too large, the patient will still be able to benefit from the medicine, while sleeping through any unwanted side effects.

Avoiding tolerance scares is crucial to increasing the dose, and building a tolerance rapidly; a single eposide of discomfort during early treatment, can dramatically decrease the patient's desire (consciously or otherwise) to continue with the treatment, and memories of the discomfort can resurface causing unwanted stress upon subsequent or following doses, hindering your progress and the ultimate goal, of taking more oil at a rapid pace. As the body detoxifies, heals and purges unwanted elements, the processing of healing can be uncomfortable enough as it is.

If you are a caregiver, please prepare your patient for this inevitability: the treatment itself can potentially cause discomfort when it is overdone, but healing serious illnesses and imbalances, and regenerating healthy tissue somewhat like "growing pains", can also almost certainly cause strange and unwanted sensations.



2.) When the patient awakens that first morning, if they do not feel any overly strong sensations beyond a slight sense of lethargy, have them go about their normal business during most of the day, then have them dose again, but this time three to four hours before bed. This time, have them document how they feel just before getting into bed.

2a.) If the patient awakens and feels noticeable medicated, have them continue their day as normal, and repeat the same dosing procedure until morning sensations diminish - eg. normally 4 - 6 days. Then, have the patient beging taking their evening dose 3 to 4 hours before bed. Have the patient chart their feelings and any sensations as the medicine begins to take effect.


3.) If the patient was relatively comfortable before going to bed, and felt that the dose left them reasonably functional, the following day they may begin a secondary dose in the early afternoon IN ADDITION to their night time dose.

4.) If the patient is still comfortable 24hrs after adding a second daily dose, then as soon as possible, have them add a second capsule to their night time dose, bringing them to 3 a day.


At this point, the patient should begin feeling confidant in increasing the dose. Always remind them that, in spite of how hard many scientists and recreational cannabis users have tried, no one has ever achieved a toxic dose of concentrated cannabis in their system. Sensations may be uncomfortable, but with calm presence of mind, you will get through and interally, your body will almost certainly be better for it in the long run.

From this point onward, with the remainder of your starter caps, continue to increase by adding capsules in this order, two in the evening, one in the afternoon, every day that you feel comfortable doing so, until they run out.

With your future capsules, you

-------------------------------------


Other Areas Of Interest : Calculating Contents,


The original concentrated base blend, will produce capsules 0.20g,
or 200mg FECO in strength.


This is NOT indicative of the total cannabinoid content, only the RSO/FECO/BHO content.

In order to calculate cannabinoid content accurately in the final solution, you must have had prior knowledge of the actual cannabinoid content of the starting material.
If that is the case, then by taking into consideration the ratios used, a little simple math can help you to determine the contents of each ml of the solution, with a good degree of accuracy.


For instance:

1) Using the original formula strength, if your starting FECO/RSO had a THC content of 67% and CBD content of 4.5%, then the 5 (five) finished 00 size capsules created from one gram of FECO, will contain 13.4% THC and 0.9%CBD.

In mg's this translates to 134mg THC and 9mg CBD.

2) Using the Low-Dose formula 'A' strength, if your starting FECO/RSO had a THC content of 67% and CBD content of 4.5%, then the 20 (twenty) finished 00 size capsules, created from one gram of FECO, will contain 3.35% THC and 0.23%CBD.

In mg's this translates to 33.5mg THC and 2.3mg CBD.

3) Using the Low-Dose formula 'B' strength, if your starting FECO/RSO had a THC content of 67% and CBD content of 4.5%, then the 40 (forty) finished 00 size capsules, created from one gram of FECO, will contain 1.68% THC and 0.113%CBD.

In mg's this translates to 16.8mg THC and 1.13mg CBD.


We suggest that patients use a smaller capsule size than 00 for their first four days, or simply fill the caps no more than half way to begin.

Keep in mind 00 capsules are considered to hold .95ml, not 1ml, meaning that "in reality" your 1 gram of FECO, diluted to 20 Caps according to the directions, will technically be dispersed between 21 capsules; this is because each cap leaves behind 0.05ml, that multiplied by 20 capsules, leaves enough oil to fill one capsule with a remainder of .05ml. When divided according to 40 x 00 caps, the total number of capsules containing a single gram, will be closer to 42.

--------------------------------

The calculations in the three examples above for volume/ml alone are accurate, however the rate suggested in the paragraph immediately above, would be the most appropriate to use when calculating contents of capsules for patients. The few fractions of a ml either way may be termed in similar fashion used by both the food and pharmacetucial industry, as "acceptable deviation"
or an "allowable variance".

This term refers to the legally acceptable amount of variation in actual contents that can still often occurr, when a recipe is recreated to the best of the maker's ability.

This is used by our food and drug industry when calculating the nutritional contents in a food item, and when calculating the contents of therapeutic agents or drugs in a pill or other standardized dose. The margin for error allowed is greater for the food industry, than it is for pharmaceuticals however, because with animal and plant life especially, fat contents can fluctuate, the protein, carbohydrates, sodium content, it can all fluctuate naturally from one batch of starting ingredients to the next, and rather than ruin the finished food product by testing, then magically removing everything in excess, and supplementing the subdued components after the fact with the appropriate ratios to meet the facts on their box, which in some regions of the world with strict rules on natural food production, is not even legal, and to avoid the alternative of printing new nutrition labels with every batch cooked, they are allowed an "acceptable deviation".
If you were to screen your food and send it in for lab analysis, you'd find that in the cannabis community, while the average patient may not quite reach a pharmaceutical level of accuracy, even the newest of oil makers can be capable of doing a much better job when it comes to determining the contents of their medibles accurately, even from home, just given a little information on the contents of their starting material, than our food industry is expected to do!


There are many reasons that virtually undetectable, but potentially testable variation can occur from one batch of oil to the next; some include humidity and temperature of the workspace which can slightly effect the volume of the solution that can be closed in a capsule and alter its nature to cling to surfaces. Using silicone scraping spatulas can help you to collact all your precious oil into one "corner" of your vessel for easy siphoning with your pipette or syringe.


" But I heard more is better, doesn’t a concentrated pill have more medicine in it? "

This is true in the obvious way, in that, by adding agents like medium chain triglycerides and lecithin to a chemical to increase the oral and topical or transfdermal availability of that chemical, by nature, you are reducing the overall contents or percentage of the components. This much is true.

However, if you are increasing your absorption five or tenfold, you are effectively multiplying and creating that many more doses from the same material.

That's a ton of resources saved for the growing caregiver, and an even greater deal of money saved by the paying patient.

When more of the active components of your medicine can reach your bloodstream, instead of your toilet, and where encapsulated cannabinoids bind with much greater efficiency to target areas and receptors within the body, you not only require a smaller intake to provide much greater relief, you really NEED to take a smaller dose especially to begin with, in order to avoid any potentially uncomfortable sensations brought on by a low tolerance, and the response of your unsuspectng bodily system.

Resulting oil may be taken throughout day as needed; suggested dosage instructions – 1 – 2 caps in AM depending on needed morning symptom control, 1 – 2 caps taken in the mid afternoon, 2 – 3 caps taken in the evening, reduce or take additional caps as needed, with cancers working towards heavier evening or late afternoon dosing as comfort level and tolerance, increases.



This course seems to have the most effect with cancer patients, encouraging lots of late night rest and promoting healthy circadian rhythms, along with the right diet and phyto-endocannabinoid support.



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Lots of great methods of making concentrates on here and also a number of great cannabis infused recipes.
THE CARBON COPY OF THE SITE IS HERE FOR REFERENCE
Didnt copy perfectly but the basics are there
Never know when we will lose a online resource :huggg:
Thx for linking that!
 

acespicoli

Well-known member
BadKat's Medical Grade Carboxyl-Intact
Cold Oil & Tincture

THCA, CBDA, CBNA, CBGA, CBCA, CBDVA, Terpenes'and more'
A tutorial for bioavailability, with none of those
dratted 'recreational side-effects'!

Carboxylic acid intact cannabinoids are sometimes referred to as 'inactive' by both the medical and mainly the recreational communities, but don't be misled by that title; when taken correctly, carboxyl intact cannabinoids can be INCREDIBLY medicinally powerful and therapeutic. You'll also notice that you can increase your dose dramatically, without feeling so much: drowsiness, anxiety, or the 'high' and 'stoned' sensations.

The process relies on reducing or eliminating as much heat as possible during the extracting, purging and liposomal encapsulation phases, in order to prevent unwanted decarboxylation.

The process also benefits from the 'solvent transfer' technique; ie. the cannabis alcohol wash is added to a pre-measured quantity of oil, giving the cannabis the opportunity to cling to and begin the bonding phase as evaporation occurs. The solvent transfer process is MUCH easier than dissolving a finished concentrate into MCT oil, glycerin, or even into more alcohol, especially when you're making a quite concentrated finished product nearing the point of saturation. In that case, transferring before the purge especially saves time and effort. Considering that the actual cannabinoid contents of concentrates do vary quite a lot, using the flowers as your dosing guide rather than finished concentrate is generally not an issue. But if you feel strongly that you require a precise amount of concenrate with each dose, regardless of the variation in its cannabinoid and overall medicinal content, then you may feel free to purge and weigh out your resulting concentrate, before moving on with the MCT oil.

You will need:

- Alcohol, 90+%; enough to cover your starting material well

- Flowers, hash, trim or even roots; @ '30 doses'.. desired dosage varies!

- 20ml-22ml MCT oil; utilize a 1:2 - 2:3 "predicted concentrate" to oil-lecithin ratio
(1oz flowers will generally make 4g - 6g concentrate)
- 4g - 6g lecithin; granules

- Small pyrex or ceramic dish, or double boiler (for preparing the oil/lecithin)

- Lidded Jar

- Fan

- Cheesecloth (for straining & evaporation.... we use a firm screen with a cheesecloth cover)

- Spatula Scraper

- Optional Coffee Filter (good for removing smaller debris and trichome cutucles or 'husks')



On Dosing:

As an example, if your needs are equivalent to one third of a gram of concentrate per day, you will want to begin with 9.9 (roughly 10) grams of concentrate, in the form of 1.75ozs - 2ozs of flowers depending on what you can determine of their quality. Early on, your guesses on the concentrate contents of your herb may not be very accurate, meaning your tincture may come out a ml over or under your projections. But as you progress you'll get a good sense of how many grams you'll get from X-amount of Y-quality cannabis.

After the initial extraction, add the 15ml MCT + 5g lecithin to the alcohol wash now containing 10g cannabis concentrate and continue processing according to the directions below. With a dose this size or smaller it's easy to make a total of 30ml bioavailable oil or MCT 'tincture', good for one full month with a 1ml dose.
Once your needs surpass a third of a gram each day, the number of total mls required (for the most effective absorption) per dose will also begin to increase. However, if your needs are lower than one third of a gram per day, you do not need the 'excess' carrier oil and your daily dose may be smaller than 1ml!

______________________________________


Again, keep in mind every patient requires a slightly different dose size, and that each patient has slightly different expectations and needs. For instance a gram-plus per day adult cancer patient may need a much larger starting dose than a small child suffering with seizures.
The method is important, while the ratios may be personalized for best effect. When the patients needs vary, it means the amount of initial solvent will vary, as will the required amount of starting material, the amount of lecithin and oil, and the potency of the finished product.

By keeping your needs in mind, the simple notes in the above list should help you determine how best to start and how much of each ingredient you will need to begin.


Beyond the guidelines mentioned above, the quantity of oil, and even the ratio of lecithin to oil, does not 'need' to be exact! Making oral plant based medicine works best if you remember that digestion and absorption are unique and individual processes.

" But what if I wind up with a weird amount of finished bioavailable oil, how do I dose it out?"

If you mess up while measuring, or when you use plant matter that has a varying glandular content, your only concern is a little math. Just use a little simple division at the end, using the final volume of oil, and the number of doses you added to it!

If you end up with less volume than required to fill 30 capsules, then simply measure and cut in or add the required amount of additional oil and blend well, before capping!


These are tried and tested guidelines that can give virtually 'anyone' a high quality end product and good medicine; but with tweaking you can produce meds that are geared specifically to your needs!



----




Directions:


(The numbered paragraphs are directions, so if the below seems overwhelming, just skip any paragraphs without numbers, and only continue reading the unnumbered paragraphs if you need something clarified!)

Part I -Alcohol extraction & glandular breakdown


1 - Pre heat the MCT oil and lecithin granules at roughly 200 f, for 15 - 20 minutes. It takes between ten and fifteen minutes to dissolve. Set aside. This oil-lecithin blend will be COOL once you begin working with your cannabis.


2 - Freeze plant matter or hash, and alcohol, separately, for minimum 6 hours. ( As a guide, one cup loosely ground plant matter whether leaf or flowers, works well with one to one and 1/4 cups of alcohol.



The better the starting material, the more you will extract per cup, and the greater your final yield. Rest assured that even with a much lower ratio of alcohol, you would not be able to over-saturate the solution with glandular material with plant matter in those forms, but rather you would risk being unable to strain the majority of the liquid and as such what it contains, reducing your final yield, due to the amount of stronger solution (smaller amount of alcohol = more-potent) left behind after straining. With hash and concentrates, however, always use a volume of 2 : 3 / hash : alcohol for the best results to avoid over saturation, using more or less if needed with a sifted hash versus a concentrate.


3a - Mince/grind & combine plant matter, soak and shake for one minute, then place in the freezer for 20 minutes.*


3b -* Alternately, rather than a single 20 minute soak, you may perform several fast 'runs' using fresh alcohol each time, similar to an alcohol hash extraction, for a cleaner end product.


The final run/s will be a bit dirtier, in other words they will contain more inert and unecessary properties that can negatively affect the taste of edibles. These final runs may be set aside to make oil for less delicately flavored edibles, or it can be used in capsules so that the 'clean' oil may be used in delicate or lightly flavored food products or edibles. If capsules are the ultimate goal, the impurities are a non-issue.
Glandular oils are easily and very readily extracted by alcohol within a matter of minutes and even seconds.Chlorophyll, and alkaloids and certain plant salts in cannabis are all good for the skin, for neurological health and for digestion among other things, and with an extended soak you pull in more of these elements... but they can negatively effect the flavor of your finished oil or tincture. It's up to you to decide, based on your needs. (In my mind, particularly if it's going into capsules... you may as well pull all the benefits you can!


4 - Strain and, if making an ALCOHOL ONLY tincture, place in the freezer for AT LEAST one week, or the refrigerator for six to eight weeks*. Allow to stand at room temp for one month. Then, you're done!

Remember, alcohol tinctures also benefit from the addition of lecithin; if making an alcohol tincture rather than an MCT oil, try heating and dissolving lecithin into your solvent; sonication is required to cause encapsulation, but the presence of cell-priming lecithin will still aid in absorption, albeit to a far lesser extent, without that action.


* While technically you can sample your medicine sooner to some effect, clumps of cannabinoids too small for the eye to detect, but still plenty large enough to interfere with absorption, are present for quite some time after extraction. They will slowly divide and separate from one another during this sitting time, improving bioavailability! This improves the rate of delivery, as well as the total amount of absorption!


_____________________


Intermission...


By now, your material should begin to become relatively bioavailable within the alcohol solution for many people... if their digestion can handle alcohol delivery. Which, oddly enough (or not so much), many patients can not! Some people can not take alcohol period, and others simply do not absorb the therapeutic components it contains, their cell walls act as a sort of 'filter' leaving behind active components, straining them from the alcohol as it's absorbed into the tissues.

If you have previous experience indicating that 'active' oil hits you faster, and harder, than an 'active' alcohol tincture.... That's a good sign your body is in a way fractionating the solution on contact, and removing, or straining out a lot of the good stuff, during the faster absorption rate of the alcohol. This is ultimately sending much of that good stuff down the remainder of your tract, where much of it only may or, more likely, may not even be absorbed in time before 'evacuation'. And the same will happen with an inactive alcohol based tincture!

In other words, if your body has even a subtly difficult time absorbing cannabis glandular material, your cell walls will almost certainly absorb the alcohol too rapidly, while straining out, and leaving the larger and more resistant cannabinoid molecules behind.

And if that is the case, or if you simply do not care for alcohol, then a more medicinally sound method is to transfer your glandular material to an oil-lecithin solution, which for more people is a much better vehicle for absorption.


Oils and phospholipids are used in everything from pharmaceuticals, to supplements and vitamins, to enhance the bioavailability of their ingredients...


_______________________________________________

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Part II - OPTIMAL BIOAVAILABILITY of Cannabinoids
Transferring to MCT Oil Without Heat


*** 1a - An ultrasonic jewelry cleanser will save you a LOT of time, and is required for true liposomal encapsulation without the use of heat: simply combine the alcohol extract and lecithin oil blend, then run your oil in the cleanser after the alcohol has evaporated off (+ as decribed below), in three to four separate 40 - 60 minute sessions, and allow to rest for one day; if you notice layers of the oil settling out of place, anything beyond obvious inert sediment, repeat.
It's as simple as that, which is fortunate knowing that this is already a lot of information for many of you to absorb (pun intended) and knowing that most of you will not have access to lab grade sonication equipment; these are simply average run times for several cleansers, although modern and pricier digital units and of course lab grade sonication units will let you select specific run times and strengths.

A water bath in the unit with cloth base, to cushion the glass, and lab or wide mouth canning jar may be used to contain the oil. Ideally however a unit of the size you will work with most frequently should be purchased, some are rated for direct contact with solvents and oils, others may be lined with an oven bag for most directa nd ideal penetration of sonic waves.

+ You may evaporate the alcohol off by using a fan near an open window directly in the jewelry cleanser, just cover the top with a screen and/or cheesecloth as you would any other container, but don't begin timing the sessions until after you are faily certain it's gone in order to begin and complete the process properly. It's a good idea to give your machine a break in between sessions, giving you the opportunity to add one or more freeze cycles. If yours has a 'high' setting and it is a decent machine, you will be done in as little as four hours, not counting any rests in between sessions. If you have an older or weaker unit, expect a minimum of 6 hours or longer to make the same progress.


*** 1b - However, the process may be performed WITHOUT a cleanser, but you'll need to follow the steps below with a little patience....

1 - Combine your strained alcohol solution with the oil/lecithin in a large bowl or a wide and shallow dish (increased surface space increases evaporation speed).

2 - Place a screen on top, and cheese cloth or a clean and lint free t-shirt on top of that, to prevent dust, hair and debris from entering your mixture. Allow to evaporate near a vent/window.

3 - Aim a fan at your covered dish.

4 - Check periodically, and blend & stir thoroughly each time it 'halves' in volume... If you had a cup of solution to begin with, blend well at half a cup, then a quarter of a cup, then an eighth and so on until the alcohol has fully evaporated, and you have a (to the naked eye) well-blended oil, without many (or with a 'fast wash' before the strain, without any) visible solids. Remember to scrape down the sides.

The rate of evaporation relies entirely on: the starting quantity of solution; the amount of air that can pass through your screen; the humidity and temperature of the room. It's not unusual for the total evaporation of the same volume of liquid to occur in only a day, or in as long as several days or even a week, depending on the conditions it is kept in! The important thing, is not to fret much over the speed. A few cups in a wide dish will usually evaporate at room temp in under a day.

5 - Once you are satisfied that all the alcohol has evaporated, freeze the final blend overnight. (If producing in volume, add a 24hr period in the freezer for every cup of finished oil if the cups are not stored individually... storing portions individually allows for faster freezing).

6 - Allow to sit for AT LEAST two to three weeks at room temp; why the difference? If you keep your home warm, bioavailability will improve more quickly. But if it's cool, and especially if it's quite cold in your house where you plan on storing your oil during this time, wait at least three weeks or longer before sampling!

During the last few days of sitting, you may choose to pour your oil into a common kitchen blender for making smoothies and crushing ice, then give your oil a 10 minute blend on the highest setting... if your blender is prone to overheating, as most non-industrial units are with such use, this may require pausing to allow the unit to cool. For smaller amounts under a few liquid ounces, this is not recommended as retrival is difficult. Instead get creative during the last week of sitting; to give it some good motion, try keeping the jar in a padded pack while you exercise or mow the lawn for instance. Before you know it your jar has experience hours of jostling vibration which will aide in blending and loosening up any last resistant cannabinoid clusters.


Once finished, store in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent/slow further activation from occurring, and use as-needed.Kept under the correct conditions, it should take virtually years for an inactive oil, to become noticeably active.

Enjoy and be healthy!

:thinking: added this one too have not tried it, also interested in cbd salves for joint pain topical treatments
and the reductions of "psycho active effects would make it suitable for all" something to look into for children with seizures etc
 
Last edited:

acespicoli

Well-known member
Disclaimer this has not been evaluated by myself

Conclusions​

This study has developed a green leaching process to recover cannabinoids from plant sources using organic solvent-free pH-controlled aqueous solution. The leaching study on high THCA and high CBDA cannabis materials showed that all major cannabinoids in fresh cannabis, predominantly acidic cannabinoids, are leached into aqueous solution at pH ≥ 12. Alkaline leaching method is highly competitive with methanol leaching and has the potential to replace this flammable solvent in recovering cannabinoids from fresh or dried cannabis material. Direct leaching of fresh cannabis using alkaline solution would also enable cannabis manufacturers to shorten their cannabinoid manufacturing process by skipping the cannabis drying stage, which is typically 4–6 d.

For high THC decarboxylated cannabis, alkaline leaching at pH 13.5 only achieved 11–50 % of the amount obtained from methanol leaching at the same S/L ratios. The COSMO predicted pKa of acidic cannabinoids (i.e., 2.90–4.75) and neutral cannabinoids (i.e., 11.24–12.92) showed that neutral cannabinoids have very weak acidity which makes them more difficult to dissociate within alkaline solution than acidic cannabinoids. The leaching efficiency of alkaline solutions can be enhanced by reducing the S/L ratio but high temperature treatment of cannabis prior the leaching stage should be avoided.

The study on the stability of cannabinoids within leached solution showed that THCA and THC were stable in both alcohol and pH 12.5 leached solutions with only a slight concentration decrease observed after aging the solutions in the dark at room temperature for up to 15 d. CBDA was stable in alcohol solution but degraded at a rate of 61 μg/mL/d within pH 12.5 leached solution. The stability of CBDA in alkaline solution can be enhanced by reducing storage temperature, fast processing the leached solution to other LLE stages or reducing the pH of leached solution to neutral or acidic. Therefore, the alkaline leaching process can be applied for both high THC and high CBD cannabis materials.

Development of a full LLE process to enrich and recover high purity cannabinoids from aqueous leached solution is critical for this approach to be a viable option for the cannabis industry. Cannabinoids can be precipitated from leached solution by acidification; however, precipitation conditions need optimization to maximize efficiency and minimize losses. In addition, identification of impurities in cannabinoid-containing solutions and precipitates require further investigation to understand in more detail what compounds are co-extracted and whether other valuable bioactives are contained in these fractions.


https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2023.124754

Green method for recovery of cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa flowers: pH-controlled aqueous leaching​


That said methanol is a nasty poison if left in finished product
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will be looking into this more later, for safety

Separation and Purification Technology

Volume 326, 1 December 2023, 124754
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Although CBDA was unstable in caustic leached solution, alkaline leaching can still be applied in high CBDA cannabis materials by either reducing the storage temperature (e.g., only 1.7 % deviation in CBDA concentration after storing pH 12.5 leached solution at 5 °C in dark for 40 h), or fast processing the leached solutions to the subsequent production stages (e.g., extraction, stripping and precipitation) or acidifying the leached solutions to pH 4–6 [57].
 
Last edited:

pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Definitely recommend trying the canna capsules. If you like to smoke. They are great. You take one toke while using the capsules, it has much better effects!
[9:29 PM]
Gave them to a couple friends for medical conditons/stress relief

full


Before baking

full


full
 

pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
What is the best method of making a tincture? Some say to shake with alcohol for 10 seconds then strain, some recommend steeping for a couple days in the refrigerator. I guess it depends on the concentration of the starting material, whether its trim from harvest or fully matured flowers. Must be ground up I would assume.

Does mint increase activity or just hide the smell?

How do you determine how to dilute it? I guess take 1 drop at a time and increase calculate the dilution needed.
 

acespicoli

Well-known member

CannaKeys: Unlocking The Science​

Medical Condition​

The CannaKeys 360° Medical Condition Search is the landing page where you can access those conditions for which there are degrees of scientific evidence that inform us if cannabis is posited to work for a particular disease.
Each condition listed is a live link to its corresponding dashboards. So once the page opens, you’ll have at your fingertips the state of the science and its broader context for you to make more informed and discerning decisions to optimize patient outcomes.
Cannabis Research Dashboard for Medical Condition

Dashboard & Filter​

  • Research dashboard presents the total number of studies with study types, the clinical/preclinical breakdown, a strength of science for the condition and cannabis chemotypes, and charts with overview information such as countries where the studies were done and the phyto-cannabinoid chemotypes the research examined.
  • Summary of the cannabis research that provides the current status of the efficacy of cannabinoid therapies for the condition searched.
  • Dashboard filter allows users to filter the search results by seven different data categories including study type, cannabinoid, and therapeutic result of the study’s findings.
Primary Cannabis Study for Medical Condition

The Studies​

  • Comprehensive and curated list of studies for the medical condition searched.
  • Primary studies that directly examine the condition in question.
  • Related studies that explore related symptoms or conditions.
  • Filter studies by Type of Study, Therapeutic Effect, and various data points and study components.
Cannabis Medical Condition Overview

Condition Summary​

  • Summary for the condition including: overview description, symptoms, synonyms for the condition
  • Associated ICD-10 codes and ranges based on the databank’s approach to categorizing the health conditions.
Drug Interactions for THC & CBD

Drug Interactions & Dosing​

  • Drug interactions information for cannabis in general
  • Dosing considerations provide a framework for understanding dosing definitions and ranges
 

acespicoli

Well-known member
What is the best method of making a tincture? Some say to shake with alcohol for 10 seconds then strain, some recommend steeping for a couple days in the refrigerator. I guess it depends on the concentration of the starting material, whether its trim from harvest or fully matured flowers. Must be ground up I would assume.

Does mint increase activity or just hide the smell?

How do you determine how to dilute it? I guess take 1 drop at a time and increase calculate the dilution needed.
Didnt see this but the above post may be of helpful


Some information from the USP United States Pharmacopoeia

A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.[1] In chemistry, a tincture is a solution that has ethanol as its solvent. In herbal medicine, alcoholic tinctures are made with various ethanol concentrations, which should be at least 20% alcohol for preservation purposes.[1][2]


(My future intended starting material is first dry sift glandular trichomes)

Optimization of the Decarboxylation of Cannabis for Commercial Applications​

Cite this: Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2022, 61, 23, 7823–7832
Publication Date:June 1, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.2c00826
 
Last edited:

pipeline

Cannabotanist
ICMag Donor
Veteran

CannaKeys: Unlocking The Science​

Medical Condition​

The CannaKeys 360° Medical Condition Search is the landing page where you can access those conditions for which there are degrees of scientific evidence that inform us if cannabis is posited to work for a particular disease.
Each condition listed is a live link to its corresponding dashboards. So once the page opens, you’ll have at your fingertips the state of the science and its broader context for you to make more informed and discerning decisions to optimize patient outcomes.
Cannabis Research Dashboard for Medical Condition

Dashboard & Filter​

  • Research dashboard presents the total number of studies with study types, the clinical/preclinical breakdown, a strength of science for the condition and cannabis chemotypes, and charts with overview information such as countries where the studies were done and the phyto-cannabinoid chemotypes the research examined.
  • Summary of the cannabis research that provides the current status of the efficacy of cannabinoid therapies for the condition searched.
  • Dashboard filter allows users to filter the search results by seven different data categories including study type, cannabinoid, and therapeutic result of the study’s findings.
Primary Cannabis Study for Medical Condition

The Studies​

  • Comprehensive and curated list of studies for the medical condition searched.
  • Primary studies that directly examine the condition in question.
  • Related studies that explore related symptoms or conditions.
  • Filter studies by Type of Study, Therapeutic Effect, and various data points and study components.
Cannabis Medical Condition Overview

Condition Summary​

  • Summary for the condition including: overview description, symptoms, synonyms for the condition
  • Associated ICD-10 codes and ranges based on the databank’s approach to categorizing the health conditions.
Drug Interactions for THC & CBD

Drug Interactions & Dosing​

  • Drug interactions information for cannabis in general
  • Dosing considerations provide a framework for understanding dosing definitions and ranges
Thanks or the info my brother has multiple sclerosis.

Starting with the trichomes is a good way to standardize dosage batch to batch.
 

acespicoli

Well-known member
Thanks or the info my brother has multiple sclerosis.

Starting with the trichomes is a good way to standardize dosage batch to batch.
🙏 Hope you find some strains help
4.5 Multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury and disease ............................................................... 64

Next post down may be of some value :huggg:






 ICRS -
http://www.icrs.co/index.html

 IACM -
http://www.cannabis-med.org


 University of California's Center for Medicinal
Cannabis Research -

 The Canadian Consortium for the
Investigation of Cannabinoids -

RESOURCES
 
Last edited:

acespicoli

Well-known member
screenshot-www.canada.ca-2024.07.19-22_16_58.png

PDF LINK ABOVE 266pg ebook

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
List of figures and tables .................................................................................................................................................................. 1
List of abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Authorship and acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Overview of summary statements .................................................................................................................................................. 11
1.0 The Endocannabinoid System ............................................................................................................................................... 18
1.1 Cannabis ............................................................................................................................................................................ 22
1.1.1 Chemistry and composition ....................................................................................................................................... 22
1.1.2 Other constituents ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
1.1.3 Stability and storage .................................................................................................................................................. 22
2.0 Clinical Pharmacology........................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.1 Pharmacodynamics ............................................................................................................................................................ 24
2.2 Pharmacokinetics ............................................................................................................................................................... 29
2.2.1 Absorption ................................................................................................................................................................ 30
2.2.1.1 Smoked cannabis ........................................................................................................................................... 30
2.2.1.2 Vapourized cannabis ..................................................................................................................................... 30
2.2.1.3 Oral ............................................................................................................................................................... 31
2.2.1.4 Oro-mucosal and intranasal ........................................................................................................................... 33
2.2.1.5 Rectal ............................................................................................................................................................ 33
2.2.1.6 Topical .......................................................................................................................................................... 33
2.2.2 Distribution ............................................................................................................................................................... 34
2.2.3 Metabolism ............................................................................................................................................................... 34
2.2.3.1 Inhalation ...................................................................................................................................................... 35
2.2.3.2 Oral ............................................................................................................................................................... 35
2.2.4 Excretion ................................................................................................................................................................... 36
2.3 Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships ............................................................................................................. 36
2.4 Tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms ........................................................................................................... 39
2.5 Special populations ............................................................................................................................................................ 43
3.0 Dosing ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
3.1 Smoking ............................................................................................................................................................................. 48
3.2 Oral .................................................................................................................................................................................... 51
3.3 Oro-mucosal ...................................................................................................................................................................... 52
3.4 Vapourization..................................................................................................................................................................... 52
4.0 Potential Therapeutic Uses .................................................................................................................................................... 54
4.1 Palliative care ..................................................................................................................................................................... 56
4.2 Quality of life ..................................................................................................................................................................... 57
4.3 Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting .................................................................................................................... 59
4.4 Wasting syndrome (cachexia, e.g., from tissue injury by infection or tumour) and loss of appetite (anorexia) in
AIDS and cancer patients, and anorexia nervosa ..................................................................................................................... 62
4.4.1 To stimulate appetite and produce weight gain in AIDS patients ............................................................................. 62
4.4.2 To stimulate appetite and produce weight gain in cancer patients ............................................................................ 63
4.4.3 Anorexia nervosa ...................................................................................................................................................... 64
4.5 Multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury and disease ............................................................... 64
4.5.1 Multiple sclerosis ..................................................................................................................................................... 65
4.5.2 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis .................................................................................................................................... 70
4.5.3 Spinal cord injury (or spinal cord disease) ................................................................................................................ 71
4.6 Epilepsy ............................................................................................................................................................................. 72
4.7 Pain .................................................................................................................................................................................... 78
4.7.1 Acute pain ................................................................................................................................................................. 80
4.7.1.1 Experimentally-induced acute pain ............................................................................................................... 81
4.7.1.2 Post-operative pain ........................................................................................................................................ 82
4.7.2 Chronic pain .............................................................................................................................................................. 82

vi

4.7.2.1 Experimentally-induced inflammatory and chronic neuropathic pain ........................................................... 82
4.7.2.2 Neuropathic pain and chronic non-cancer pain in humans ............................................................................ 82
4.7.2.3 Cancer pain ................................................................................................................................................... 91
4.7.2.4 “Opioid-sparing” effects and cannabinoid-opioid synergy ........................................................................... 93
4.7.2.5 Headache and migraine ................................................................................................................................ 98
4.8 Arthritides and musculoskeletal disorders ......................................................................................................................... 99
4.8.1 Osteoarthritis ............................................................................................................................................................. 99
4.8.2 Rheumatoid arthritis ................................................................................................................................................ 101
4.8.3 Fibromyalgia ........................................................................................................................................................... 102
4.8.4 Muscular pain ......................................................................................................................................................... 104
4.8.5 Osteoporosis ............................................................................................................................................................ 104
4.9 Other diseases and symptoms .......................................................................................................................................... 105
4.9.1 Movement disorders ............................................................................................................................................... 105
4.9.1.1 Dystonia ...................................................................................................................................................... 105
4.9.1.2 Huntington’s disease ................................................................................................................................... 107
4.9.1.3 Parkinson’s disease ..................................................................................................................................... 108
4.9.1.4 Tourette’s syndrome ................................................................................................................................... 109
4.9.1.5 Spinocerebellar ataxias .............................................................................................................................. 110
4.9.2 Glaucoma ............................................................................................................................................................... 110
4.9.3 Asthma ................................................................................................................................................................... 111
4.9.4 Hypertension .......................................................................................................................................................... 111
4.9.5 Stress and psychiatric disorders .............................................................................................................................. 111
4.9.5.1 Anxiety and depression .............................................................................................................................. 112
4.9.5.2 Sleep disorders ........................................................................................................................................... 114
4.9.5.3 Post-traumatic stress disorder ..................................................................................................................... 116
4.9.5.4 Alcohol and opioid withdrawal symptoms (drug withdrawal symptoms/drug substitution) ...................... 119
4.9.5.5 Schizophrenia and psychosis ...................................................................................................................... 121
4.9.6 Alzheimer’s disease and dementia .......................................................................................................................... 126
4.9.7 Inflammation .......................................................................................................................................................... 127
4.9.7.1 Inflammatory skin diseases (dermatitis, psoriasis, pruritus) ....................................................................... 128
4.9.8 Gastrointestinal system disorders (irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease,
hepatitis, pancreatitis, metabolic syndrome/obesity) .............................................................................................. 129
4.9.8.1 Irritable bowel syndrome ........................................................................................................................... 129
4.9.8.2 Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis) ............................................................ 131
4.9.8.3 Diseases of the liver (hepatitis, fibrosis, steatosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, hepatic
encephalopathy) ..................................................................................................................................................... 135
4.9.8.4 Metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes ...................................................................................................... 137
4.9.8.5 Diseases of the pancreas (diabetes, pancreatitis) ........................................................................................ 141
4.9.9 Anti-neoplastic properties....................................................................................................................................... 142
4.9.10 Emerging potential therapeutic uses ..................................................................................................................... 146
5.0 Precautions ........................................................................................................................................................................... 147
6.0 Warnings .............................................................................................................................................................................. 148
6.1 Tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms ......................................................................................................... 149
6.2 Drug interactions ............................................................................................................................................................. 149
6.3 Drug screening tests ......................................................................................................................................................... 151
7.0 Adverse effects ..................................................................................................................................................................... 152
7.1 Carcinogenesis and mutagenesis ..................................................................................................................................... 153
7.2 Respiratory tract .............................................................................................................................................................. 154
7.3 Immune system ................................................................................................................................................................ 156
7.4 Reproductive and endocrine systems ............................................................................................................................... 158
7.5 Cardiovascular system ..................................................................................................................................................... 162
7.6 Gastrointestinal system and liver ..................................................................................................................................... 163
7.6.1 Hyperemesis ........................................................................................................................................................... 163
7.6.2 Liver ....................................................................................................................................................................... 164
7.7 Central nervous system .................................................................................................................................................... 164
 
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