Since the dawn of time, humans have scoured our plant brethren for ways to heal ourselves, and one of the oldest ways is with the cannabis plant. Cannabis, or perhaps better known and vilified as marijuana, is one of the most versatile and healing* plants on the planet. Not only due to the fact that a portion of the female flowers can have a psychoactive effect, but because it’s been proven that it is indeed useful in a medicinal setting, and for a myriad of applications.
For starters, the plant matter, also known as hemp, can be made into a industrial materials, fabrics, clothing, and has plenty of other uses as medicines and food. Cannabis has been cultivated and used by humans for at least 5,000 years, as far as historical references show, and probably a lot longer. Even the founding fathers of the USA grew hemp: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin. There’s a reason why we have receptors inside our bodies that allow the many cannabinoids to have such an effect on us, because we’ve evolved with the use of this plant.
The vilification of cannabis started with the drug war, which has now been shown to have been done for the wrong reasons, and has since warped many people’s views on the plant. But the truth is that cannabis is among the most dynamic of plants. Let me further explain…
Cannabis grows in male and female genders, and while the male plants produce seeds, it is the female plant that produces trace chemicals that have been shown to have therapeutic effects for many. The female plant produces flowers that contain THC, the psychotropic chemical that ‘gets you high,’ as they say. Another important cannabinoid is that of CBD, the non-psychoactive compound that has powerful healing effects, and is the main subject of this article.
CBD, or Cannabidiol, has inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, as well as sedating, hypnotic, anti-epileptic and anti-dystonic effects, among other healing attributes. CBD does not effect the brain like THC does, but it will relax you, soothe pain, help regulate sleep patterns, control certain cancers, stimulates bone growth, and stops the growth of bacteria, as well as it suppresses muscle spasms and convulsions, slows inflammation, reduces blood sugar levels, reduces the risk of artery obstructions, decreases pressure in the blood vessel walls, helps control epileptic seizures, reduces risk of nerve damage, and eases nausea.
The older I get, the more my curiosity grows for how life was like prior to our modern era, and one of the most interesting subjects is that of plant medicine. Herbalists were there for thousands of years before doctors became prevalent, and now that the pharmaceutical industry has tainted many lives with some rather experimental medicines, some of which that have worse side effects than the original ailment, it’s now more important than ever to consider what you’re putting in your body. When I’m going through something that effects the quality of my life, I look into the herbal remedies and make a salve, or tea, or tincture. One of my goto’s is in fact cannabis, because in an herbal-infused salve, CBD has tremendous benefits for aches and pains, which is why I recently reached out to Extract Labs in Boulder, Colorado.
I worked with their 30ml 1000mg CBD hemp tincture, their Gelato terpene-infused CBD crumble, and their Gorilla Glue CBD crumble. I trialled the tincture, using a few drops everyday, and found my anxiety ease. I also vaped the crumble for pain relief, stress and tension relief, as well as use as a sleep aid. Then, I used some of the tincture and crumble in a homemade salve that has icy-hot properties, which I found to be perfect for easing muscle aches, back and shoulder pain, and helping me ease back to sleep when insomnia reared its ugly head again and again.
I found that Extract Labs’ CBD tincture is indeed powerful, and a perfect size for allowing me to zero in on what dosage works best for me (typically 25mg/day), and since it’s in a concentrated liquid form, it was easy to administer exact dosages on my tongue and in my salve. A more innovative way to enjoy CBD is with their terpene-infused CBD crumbles, which are essentially full-spectrum crumbles of wax (hence the name) that have CBG, CBN, and other cannabinoids that provide a strong ‘entourage effect’ and tend to carry much of the taste and aromatic qualities of a specific strain. These wax crumbles are fun to use in a vaporizer, on top of a pipe, or can be melted into salves. The Gelato strain is a blend of Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie strains, which offers a relaxing and euphoric effect. Toward the indica side of the spectrum, Gorilla Glue is another strain that has a powerful sedative and euphoric effect with a heavy physical relaxation, making it a perfect choice for insomniacs.
If you would like to learn more about Extract Labs, click here.
*This article is for entertainment use, and should not replace the diagnoses of any disease or the subscribing of any medication. Always consult with your doctor or a medical professional for any and all health-related advice.
The vilification of cannabis started with the drug war, which has now been shown to have been done for the wrong reasons, and has since warped many people’s views on the plant. But the truth is that cannabis is among the most dynamic of plants. Let me further explain…
Cannabis grows in male and female genders, and while the male plants produce seeds, it is the female plant that produces trace chemicals that have been shown to have therapeutic effects for many. The female plant produces flowers that contain THC, the psychotropic chemical that ‘gets you high,’ as they say. Another important cannabinoid is that of CBD, the non-psychoactive compound that has powerful healing effects, and is the main subject of this article.
CBD, or Cannabidiol, has inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, as well as sedating, hypnotic, anti-epileptic and anti-dystonic effects, among other healing attributes. CBD does not effect the brain like THC does, but it will relax you, soothe pain, help regulate sleep patterns, control certain cancers, stimulates bone growth, and stops the growth of bacteria, as well as it suppresses muscle spasms and convulsions, slows inflammation, reduces blood sugar levels, reduces the risk of artery obstructions, decreases pressure in the blood vessel walls, helps control epileptic seizures, reduces risk of nerve damage, and eases nausea.
The older I get, the more my curiosity grows for how life was like prior to our modern era, and one of the most interesting subjects is that of plant medicine. Herbalists were there for thousands of years before doctors became prevalent, and now that the pharmaceutical industry has tainted many lives with some rather experimental medicines, some of which that have worse side effects than the original ailment, it’s now more important than ever to consider what you’re putting in your body. When I’m going through something that effects the quality of my life, I look into the herbal remedies and make a salve, or tea, or tincture. One of my goto’s is in fact cannabis, because in an herbal-infused salve, CBD has tremendous benefits for aches and pains, which is why I recently reached out to Extract Labs in Boulder, Colorado.
I worked with their 30ml 1000mg CBD hemp tincture, their Gelato terpene-infused CBD crumble, and their Gorilla Glue CBD crumble. I trialled the tincture, using a few drops everyday, and found my anxiety ease. I also vaped the crumble for pain relief, stress and tension relief, as well as use as a sleep aid. Then, I used some of the tincture and crumble in a homemade salve that has icy-hot properties, which I found to be perfect for easing muscle aches, back and shoulder pain, and helping me ease back to sleep when insomnia reared its ugly head again and again.
I found that Extract Labs’ CBD tincture is indeed powerful, and a perfect size for allowing me to zero in on what dosage works best for me (typically 25mg/day), and since it’s in a concentrated liquid form, it was easy to administer exact dosages on my tongue and in my salve. A more innovative way to enjoy CBD is with their terpene-infused CBD crumbles, which are essentially full-spectrum crumbles of wax (hence the name) that have CBG, CBN, and other cannabinoids that provide a strong ‘entourage effect’ and tend to carry much of the taste and aromatic qualities of a specific strain. These wax crumbles are fun to use in a vaporizer, on top of a pipe, or can be melted into salves. The Gelato strain is a blend of Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie strains, which offers a relaxing and euphoric effect. Toward the indica side of the spectrum, Gorilla Glue is another strain that has a powerful sedative and euphoric effect with a heavy physical relaxation, making it a perfect choice for insomniacs.
If you would like to learn more about Extract Labs, click here.
*This article is for entertainment use, and should not replace the diagnoses of any disease or the subscribing of any medication. Always consult with your doctor or a medical professional for any and all health-related advice.
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