Synthetic Marijuana is NOT the Real Deal

The inaccessibility to cannabis has led to synthetic marijuana. These man-made drugs try to mimic THC. Synthetic marijuana is also known K2, Spice or Synthetic cannabinoids. This new recreational drug is increasingly becoming a public health problem for its side effects and unpredictable nature.

Demand for the high that marijuana gives has led to a demand for synthetic marijuana. Cannabis can be inaccessible due to the price and regulation of the medicine. Synthetic marijuana can be made far cheaper than growing the cannabis plant. The product is disguised as “herbal incense” or “potpourri” with labels that read “Not for Human Consumption” to evade regulation by the FDA.

Synthetic marijuana has harmful side effects. It can cause anxiety, elevated blood pressure, agitation, vomiting, racing heart, hallucinations, tremors, seizures, and suicidal thoughts. It is usually sprayed on plants to make it look like marijuana. Though it binds to the CB1 receptor like cannabis, it can be 100 or more times more potent leading to a dangerous outcome. An example is like drinking a glass of water vs. drinking 10 gallons. A glass is healthy, where as too much can be deadly.(Source)

In 2010 there were 11,000 emergency room visits due to synthetic marijuana.(Source) Two years later the ER visits jumped to 17,000 and continue rising exponentially. Marijuana in the natural form has caused no deaths.(Source) Synthetic marijuana has caused heart attacks, suicide and aggressive behavior.(Source) The legalization for marijuana in it's natural form can give a safe alternative to dangerous synthetic designer drugs.

Source:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ondcp-fact-sheets/synthetic-drugs-k2-spice-bath-salts

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/08/28/6-reasons-synthetic-marijuana-spice-k2-is-so-toxic-to-the-brain/

http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/SR-1378/SR-1378.pdf

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/11/18/what-is-synthetic-pot-and-whys-it-causing-heart-attacks-in-teenagers/#.VTPIRpODCM8

Outliers Collective Customer Appreciation Day

On April 20^th, 2015 Outliers Collective is having a Customer Appreciation Day in El Cajon, California. Medical marijuana patients are welcome to come enjoy the event at one of the only legal dispensaries in San Diego. A raffle for prizes including free medicine for a year will be offered only on this day. A food truck, massages and special donation prices will be available to all members.

OUTCO has been open since July 1^st, 2014 with a fully legal license for medical marijuana in San Diego County. Patients say the quality, accessibility, safe, legal and clean environment make Outliers Collective their choice in dispensaries. A knowledgeable staff allows members to receive medicine that is specific to their needs.

420 Customer Appreciation Day

The Benefits of the Terpene Linalool

The terpene Linalool is a primary scent in many cleaning and hygene products. Linalool is naturally found in cannabis, lavender, coriander, and other fragrant herbs and citrus. The scent gives a sweet floral and spicy scent.

Studies have shown that inhaling the linalool fragrance can reduce stress, pain, convulsions and treat skin burns. The effects are from the ability of Linalool to moderate glutamate and the GABA neurotransmitters in the body. This results in the bodies ability to bring itself back to a pre-stress stability.(Source)

Linalool breaks down with oxidation. When the terpene breaks down the oxidation can sometimes cause an allergic skin reaction to about 5% of people. It is also a chemical intermediate that can create Vitamin E. Cannabis strains that are high in Linalool are Lavender, L.A. Confidential and Grand Daddy Purple.

Source:

http://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/terpenes-the-flavors-of-cannabis-aromatherapy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linalool

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19456160

http://www.demeter.org.es/pdf/investi_a/Taming_THC-_potential_cannabis_synergy_and_phytocannabinoid-terpenoid_entourage_effects.pdf

Why the New York Times Editorial Board Agrees to Stop the Prohibition of Marijuana

NY Times Editors Endorse Legalizing Marijuana

The NY Times wrote an opinion piece on why marijuana should be legalized. The culture of America is leading to be in favor of cannabis. Solid reasons for why the editorial board of the NY Times are in favor are the following:

1. Alcohol and tobacco's health effects, impact to society and law and order are no different than the concerns of Marijuana.
2. Legalizing at a Federal level allows for citizens to not be vulnerable to policy shifts when there is a new president.
3. There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana in 2012. The arrests show a racist tendency for incarceration. The costs of litigation and ruining careers of the incarcerated would be alleviated.
4. Health and addiction seems to be not a concern like it is with alcohol and tobacco for adults.

The editors did acknowledge the reports that marijuana can effect the development of adolescent brains. Just like alcohol and tobacco they saw a reason to prohibit sales to people under the age of 21.

The 6 part series had 15,000 comments published within 2 weeks which 12,658 were in favor of marijuana legalization. The comments ranged from being in favor because of having a right to choose what you put into your body to seeing the perils of how the criminal cost of it is ruining our society. Health care workers also commented on how they do not see the same adverse effects in the ER for marijuana like they do for alcohol.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/27/opinion/sunday/high-time-marijuana-legalization.html?smid=fb-share&_r=2&smid=tw-share

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/opinion/high-time-times-readers-online-make-their-own-cases-for-legalizing-marijuana.html

The Benefits of Cannabis with Tuberculosis

For thousands of years cannabis has been used as a folk medicine to treat tuberculosis.

Cannabis is a powerful medicine for its anti-microbial properties. Marijuana can treat infections that have shown drug resistance such as TB, pneumonia and MRSA.(Source)

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious bacterial infection that is transmitted through airborne particles. TB needs oxygen and therefore proliferates in the lungs. It causes a chronic cough, weakness, fever, weight loss and sometimes death. It is common to become a carrier of the disease without showing symptoms. A weak immune system increases susceptibility to the disease.

TB is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide. In 2013, there were 9 million new cases of tuberculosis worldwide with only 9,582 cases of TB in the US. This same year 1.5 million died from the disease.(Source)

Cannabis has been used as a folk medicine for TB worldwide. In India, cannabis is grown in the location where a cobra snake was killed. They believe this gives the plant stronger medicinal properties.(Source) The Zulu's of South Africa use cannabis with hot water infusions as medicine to treat TB and other respiratory ailments. It is still commonplace in Mexico to smoke cannabis to treat TB.

Dating back to pre-WWII in Czechoslovakia, it is often produced as a recipe of ground hemp seed steeped in warm milk. A 30-year study for this remedy shows significant improvement in symptoms and cures for TB. It is believed that the high protein content of edestin in hemp seed helps in the treatment as well as immunity. The high content of linoleic acid in cannabis has shown to destroy TB bacteria.(Source)

Source:

http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/statistics/tbtrends.htm

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/tuberculosis/en/

http://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/cannabis-treatment-tuberculosis/

Explaining the “Entourage Effect” in Cannabis

The Whole Cannabis Plant works Synergisticly to Provide Medicine

In 1998 Shimon Ben-Shabatt and Raphael Mechoulam coined the term the “Entourage Effect”. This term explains how cannabis medicinally works with terpenes and cannabinoids. They show the importance of all active ingredients of cannabis for maximum effectivness.

The Entourage Effect is directing a new thinking in cannabis medicine. In 1985 Marinol singled out THC as the only active ingredient. Better results have been shown by adding CBD with THC in the medicine Sativex. GW Pharmeceuticals has incorporated the Entourage Effect in their further research to make new cannabis medicine.

The cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis work together to maximize treatments. Raphael Mechoulam said while introducing the Entourage Effect, “Very seldom is the biological activity of the active constituent assayed together with inactive 'entourage' compounds.” The variety of terpene and cannabinoids profiles create the distinctive effects and strains of the cannabis plant.

Source:

http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/EntourageEffect.pdf

http://www.leafscience.com/2014/09/11/medical-marijuana-entourage-effect/

http://www.hightimes.com/read/understanding-effects-indica-vs-sativa

The Terpene β-Caryophyllene in Cannabis

The Terpene β-Caryophyllene is the Only Approved Cannabinoid

The terpene caryophyllene gives a spicy peppery scent to some cannabis strains. It is also found in black pepper, cloves, cotton, hops, oregano and rosemary. β-Caryophyllene is a unique terpene categorized as a cannabinoid (BCP). This classification is from the way it effects the CB2 receptor. The relation with the receptor helps with anxiety, perception of pain and depression.(Source) Studies have also shown it to act as a neuroprotectant and reduce alcohol consumption.(Source)

Caryophyllene has been shown to help anxiety, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, inflammation, multiple sclerosis symptoms and gastrointestinal problems. Studies with β-Caryophyllene are promising for how it works as a cannabinoid without any psychotic effects. This is due to how it effects the CB2 receptors without effecting the CB1 receptors which give the marijuana high.(Source)

Strains that are high in caryophyllene include Super Silver Haze, Nevilles Haze and Hash Plant. Marijuana sniffing dogs are trained to look for the smell of Caryophyllene.(Source) Β-Caryophyllene is the first FDA approved cannabinoid.

Source:

http://www.leafscience.com/2014/07/08/b-caryophyllene-terpene-anxiety-depression/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938414003400

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryophyllene

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305714001956