Casa Luna CBD Edibles

Casa Luna Edibles

There is nothing better than nourishing your body while indulging in delight! Casa Luna handcrafts their chocolate bars with quality ingredients, infusing their treats with anti-oxidants to boost your health. They are also unique as they add cannabidiol (CBD) so patients can doubly enjoy their medicine.

Casa Luna controls every aspect of production, from the cocoa bean seed to the final product. The chocolate is 100% organic and made with kosher certified ingredients. Grown on family-owned small farms, the cocoa bean goes through a process of fermenting, drying, and roasting to release the chocolate’s flavors.

A wide assortment of Casa Luna chocolate bars are available at Outliers Collective. Super foods (such as Goji Berries, Maca, and Pomegranate) are infused in the chocolate for an added health boost. Vegan and sugar free chocolate is also available.

Cannabis Capsules

Cannabis Capsules

Cannabis capsules or “Canna Caps” are a great way to ingest cannabis in a controlled dosage. Cannabis medicine effects can last much longer as an edible than when smoked.(Source) Patients choose an edible form to help treat pain, multiple sclerosis, depression, digestive problems, and addiction of other substances.(Source)

Dr. Hornby has researched the benefits of capsules for treatments. A study with Multiple Sclerosis researched the use of capsules along with smoking. The patients were able to achieve a continuous plateau of pain relief.(Source) Another study Dr. Hornby conducted was on the reduction of addiction to methadone. One third of all drug overdoses in America are from methadone. The study found that taking cannabis capsules resulted in a 50% reduction in methadone use.(Source)

Dr. Paul Hornby has been a leader in advocating the use of capsules for cannabis. He has set guidelines for capsules to have a standard dose and be free of pesticides and harmful contaminants.

Source:

http://www.leafly.com/news/medical/scratching-the-surface-dr-paul-hornby-and-adolfo-gonzalez-discuss

http://cannabisdigest.ca/cbc-of-c-product-testing/

Edibles vs. Smoking

How cannabis is ingested to receive the medicine is subject to each patients preferably. Whether it is smoked or taken orally in an edible has some differences like the time it takes effect, the ability to dose effectively, the duration it lasts, the way it is metabolized, and the difficulty regulating the amount of THC in an edibles ingredients.(Source)

Smoking shows a faster effect than edibles for relief. A study in 2013 looked at the differences of marijuana that was smoked versus the THC pill dronabinol. Smoking showed a relief in symptoms and feeling of it working in 15 minutes, where donabinol showed effect after 60-90 minutes.(Source) Patients suffering from pain tend to prefer faster relief than a prolonged wait period.(Source)

For the extended length of time it takes edibles to take an effect, dosage could be administered too low or too high. A faster effect from smoking could allow patients to give the correct amount from feeling the effects quickly. Patients during a study reported that while smoking gave fast effects, the psycho-active high usually lasted longer than the relief of pain. The study also showed most patients felt more high when smoking rather than using the edible.(Source) On the flip side with a delayed effect on edibles, an overdose can occur and make patients uncomfortable. The effects of the overdose can be agitation, anxiety or hallucinations.(Source)

The duration of smoked cannabis can last a couple hours where edibles once they take effect can last 3-4 hours. With pain sufferers a faster effect is desired, however a longer duration is desired as well. For some patients finding a time and a place to smoke every couple of hours can be unfeasible, making it more convenient for a longer lasting effect to be preferable. (Source) 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent weighed in on the subject and said that he would argue that vaporizers are the best way to deliver marijuana by activating it without burning it. Edibles, Dr. Gupta went further to say, can lead to uneven absorption which can lead to undesired effects. (source)

The way edibles are metabolized can effect the way THC is absorbed unevenly. Kari Franson, PharmD, PhD, Clinical Pharmacologist and Associate Dean for Professional Education, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, at University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy studied the metabolism of THC. “The THC will compete for metabolism in the liver with other drugs. Things that are inhaled can go directly to the brain and not have these interactions. So even confident users can get surprised with an edible.”

Kari Franson also warns about the unregulated standardization of edibles. The package may say in contains a certain amount of THC, but not be correct. Laboratory tests of the products can register the THC higher or lower in concentration, not making for a consistent way to administer the medicine properly.(Source)

Source:

http://www.leafscience.com/2014/03/13/dr-sanjay-gupta-talks-marijuana-vaporizers-vs-edibles/

http://www.leafscience.com/2014/01/19/marijuana-pill-patients-might-better-smoking/

http://www.ppcswfl.com/articles/Dr.%20Auld%20-%20Medical%20Marijuana%2012-31-13.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20130422/using-marijuana-to-treat-pain-a-pill-may-outlast-a-puff?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/06/04/is-eating-marijuana-really-riskier-than-smoking-it/

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/denver-emergency-room-doctor-seeing-more-patients-marijuana-edibles

Different Ways of Consuming Cannabis

Depending on your lifestyle, medical need and preference there are many ways to consume cannabis. Patients may find for their specific need that a certain way is better than another. OUTCO in San Diego has a knowledgeable staff that can help you choose the method based on other patients experience.

Smoking Cannabis

Smoking is the oldest form of consuming marijuana by using the dried flowers, hash and kief ( compressed resin glands, more potent than flowers ). Smoking by joint, pipe, water pipe or bong are the methods of smoking cannabis. Depending on the amount and potency the effects last form 2-4 hours.

A study from study sponsored by California NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) smoking an unfiltered joint or a pipe was more healthy than a water pipe. The reasoning was that more of the psycho active drug was filtered out than other tars, making one have to smoke more to reach the desired high.

The water pipe resulted in 30% more tar than an unfiltered joint. A filtered cigarette performed 30% less effective at delivering the medicine. Researchers suggest that the cannabinoids being sticky do not get through the filter. A pipe with an electric mixer performed the worst.

High potency can allow the patients to get the desired amount of medicine with less smoking. Choosing a strain that has a higher THC content can reduce the tars inhaled. (Source)

Vaporizers

Vape Pens is the new way of consuming marijuana and the popularity has good reason. Vaporizers are devices that give the medicine at a lower temperature to allow inhaling a vapor rather than a smoke. The method patients describe as working twice as fast without feeling the results of a burning sensation in the throat like smoking, so it is warned to go at slow at first. (Source)

Vaporizers using an electric hotplate method seemed to be the most effective, performing 25% more effective than an unfiltered joint. However the hot air gun vaporizer has a hot water filter which diminished the effective only performing as well as an unfiltered joint.(Source)

Topicals

Topicals come in many forms that are applied to the skin and are non psycho active. They can be in the form of lotions, salves, balms, sprays, oils and creams. Patients prefer topicals to treat rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, restless leg syndrome, muscle spasms, stress and soreness giving an anti-inflammatory effect. Cannabis is lipophilic, meaning it can be dissolved in a fat-soluble that can absorb into cell membranes. Ingesting marijuana takes the medicine goes through stomach acids and digestive enzymes before entering the blood stream losing some of it's effectiveness and making you drowsy. Topically cannabis can enter the bloodstream quicker and more effectively and avoiding side effects.(Source) Rick Simpson was one of the pioneers of marijuana in the topical form, known for making Rick Simpson Oil.

Tinctures

Tinctures are a highly concentrated form on cannabis in alcohol. They can be just the THC form, the CBD form or a mixture. Applied under the tongue or mixed in a beverage it is another delivery method of consumption.

Edibles

Edibles are commonly known as cannabis that is infused into butter or oil and cooked into food. Edibles take longer to take effect, so users need to be aware to not consume too much. It can take 20 minutes to an hour  to take effect and last up to four hours or longer. Most describe it as a overall body relaxation rather than a cerebral head high. (Source)

The THC component only gives the psychoactive high when heated, ingesting it raw is a way to receive many of the benefits without the high. Blending it with other vegetables and fruits to make a smoothie takes out the bitterness and more palatable to eat raw.(Source)

Source:

http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/smokestudy.html

http://www.harborsidehealthcenter.com/methods-of-cannabis-consumption.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/034425_marijuana_cannabinoids_medicine.html