The term “4/20” started as the police code for Marijuana Smoking in Progress. After locals heard of the police call, they started using the expression 420 when referring to herb. Then the actual date, April 20th, became the day many celebrate all things marijuana.
Cannabinoids are active chemical compounds found naturally in the seeds, stalk and flowers of cannabis plants. The cannabinoid composition of a cannabis plant is wide ranging and varies by strain. Some are higher in CBD and others contain more THC. Hemp is naturally higher in CBD and contains only trace amounts of THC.
The main difference between CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is that CBD does not induce a high whereas THC does. THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, induces sleep or drowsiness (a common effect of most strains of marijuana), whereas CBD keeps you up and increases energy.
With that said, here are ways people are really using CBD and marijuana to heal their bodies, inside and out:
Treats HIV-related Issues:
Marijuana can help treat appetite loss associated with conditions such as HIV/AIDS and certain types of cancers. Because of the many side affects associated with the treatment of HIV/AIDS and certain cancers, many patients often find their appetite curbed greatly. This lack of nutrition can negatively affect the treatments, so with the help of medically-prescribed marijuana, a patient can regain his/her appetite.
Treat Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the eye disease that increases the pressure in the eyeball, injuring the optic nerve and causing loss of vision. According to National Eye Institute, “Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma.” All of this means the drug can be effective in preventing blindness.
Slow and stop cancer cells from spreading
It was found in the study, published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, that Cannabinoids has the ability to stop cancer by turning off a gene called Id-1. [1] In 2007, researchers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, reported that CBD may prevent cancer from spreading. The researchers experimented on breast cancer cells in the lab that had high level of Id-1, and treated them with cannabidiol.
The outcome was rather positive, the cells had decreased Id-1 expression, and were less aggressive spreaders. In fact, the American Association for Cancer Research has found that marijuana actually works to slow down tumor growth in brain, breast, and lungs considerately.
Prevent Alzheimer’s
While many people think that marijuana actually kills your braincells and makes you forget stuff, THC which is the active ingredient present in marijuana, can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. A 2006 study led by Kim Janda of the Scripps Research Institute proved this. THC slows the formation of…