Uncovering the Therapeutic Potential of the Cannabis Plant

How can cannabis be used to foster a healthier lifestyle? Alongside a growing body of scientific research on the effects of cannabis comes an array of specialty cannabis products and strains. The opportunity is greater than ever to explore the potential for personal wellness with cannabis. So, let’s get started. 

One of the first questions to ask yourself is why cannabis? How can it help you? You may have heard about cannabis being used to help people get to sleep on time, decrease their anxiety, or help relieve minor aches and pains. While cannabis isn’t officially approved to cure or treat any conditions, several million people are reporting relief from a myriad of symptoms after using it correctly. The most important step in your journey is deciding what results you’d like to see by incorporating cannabis into your routine. Your desired outcome will shape your approach. 

Based on your answer to the previous question, do some personal research and find how others have used cannabis for a similar condition. For example, CBD is believed to help relieve social anxiety in some people. For those who are prone to sudden anxiety, a tincture or capsule may not onset early enough to work properly, whereas vaporization takes effect in roughly two minutes. If you’re trying to curb sudden-onset anxiety, a vape pen may be more ideal than if you’re attempting to curb generalized anxiety by taking oral doses of CBD two or three times throughout the day. 

It’s perfectly normal to undergo a period of healthy exploration. THC is the primary intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis, so if you’re concerned about getting too high, look for the THC content in everything you take. Other cannabinoids, like CBD, or trace cannabinoids like CBN, CBC, or THCV, have a much milder effect with minimal (or no) psychoactivity. 

Homeostasis

One of the most interesting discoveries about the pharmacology of cannabis is its function on the human endocannabinoid system. The part of our bodies that processes and utilizes cannabinoids is responsible for regulating nearly all of our physiological processes. The endocannabinoid system regulates appetite, sleep, body temperature, and much, much more! It’s believed that the vast medicinal properties of cannabis and its usefulness for such a wide myriad of conditions is not because cannabis itself is treating a condition, but rather it’s influencing the endocannabinoid system to regulate the body appropriately, thereby alleviating the condition. “Homeostasis” is the term used to describe a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, with the congruent functioning of physiological processes being one example. 

How do you achieve homeostasis with the use of cannabis? 

This is a challenging question that researchers and medical cannabis enthusiasts are trying to answer. And, in reality, it depends on your unique circumstances. Some people may not benefit from cannabinoid therapy at all, while others may find it tremendously helpful. The effects of THC and CBD are the most well understood. Both cannabinoids have wide-reaching physiological effects that can often be biphasic. Biphasic effects of a drug, like cannabis, refer to the drug's ability to have opposite effects at different doses. For example, the psychoactivity of THC often relieves anxiety and stress at lower doses, but can lead to paranoia and heart rate elevation at higher doses. These effects are opposite from one another, yet can be induced by the same drug at different doses. Thus, knowing which cannabinoids are useful for your specific condition, knowing which method of consumption is most suitable for your condition, and knowing what dose to consume can all be incredibly challenging questions, even for advanced medical professionals, especially given the relative modernity of cannabis science. 

Hence, it can be tremendously helpful to speak with an experienced cannabis coach who can offer advice and techniques for streamlining your use of cannabis to achieve optimal efficacy. A cannabis coach can: 

• Offer innate knowledge of the constituents and effects of various cannabis applications

• Direct you to research on the effects of various cannabinoids, terpenes, and other properties of cannabis

• Assist with navigating the cannabis marketplace, helping you to find the products you need and where you can find them cheapest

• Offer practical tips and skills to maximize the therapeutic value of cannabis, like effective cannabis journaling techniques

• And much more!