Earlier this month the DEA issued an update to its cannabis policy, establishing a drug code for extracts of all forms of cannabis, including those derived from hemp. The change has provoked heated Internet discussions, but this is a misunderstood issue – the reality is, the DEA did NOT create a new law, they are instead restating what has always been true. More importantly, it’s distracting from the real issue and from what is of paramount importance: CBD from hemp is inferior to CBD from cannabis, as it relates to medicinal uses. Hemp is an amazing plant and I believe it should be part of all 50 states. The plant has a practical uses ranging from clothing to paper to building supplies to fuel and more. My position is distinct around the use of hemp-based… Read more.

7 reasons why whole plant extracts are better than CBD or THC alone The dominant stance of the medical research community and pharmaceutical industry has been that whole plant extracts are “crude” and less effective than isolated and purified cannabinoids. However, a growing body of research is proving just the opposite. 1. The Proven Effectiveness of Whole Plant CBD over Synthetic CBD A 2015 study by Israeli researchers showed that whole plant CBD-rich cannabis “is superior over [synthetic] CBD for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.”A review of past research into the anti-inflammatory effects of CBD (one of the two most active cannabinoids or special compounds in cannabis) revealed that administration of pure CBD in these pre-clinical studies resulted in a bell-shaped dose-response curve, meaning that CBD stopped having any therapeutic effect beyond a certain amount.… Read more.

According to Dustin Sulak, osteopathic doctor and Diplomat of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, the endogenous (internal) cannabinoid system or The Endocannabinoid System is “perhaps the most important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining human health.” Dr. Sulak lectures nationally on the endocannabinoid system and medical marijuana. In a recent article, he explains why this system is so important and what it has to do with cannabis. It so happens that the endocannabinoid system has everything to do with cannabis. It was scientists studying the effects of cannabis that led to the discovery of this physiologic system in the late 1980s, arguably one of the greatest achievements of medical science in recent history. It is no accident that it bears the name of the plant that led to its discovery. So what makes… Read more.

Hemp and the CBD Craze In Part 1 of this article, we explored the differences between hemp and medical cannabis. Also, in our article “CBD Fact and Fiction,” we reported on how CBD—another cannabis compound—has become wildly popular in the past few years as its medical benefits have become known and the fact that, unlike THC, it does not cause a high. Marijuana entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on the new demand for CBD and circumvent the federal marijuana ban have increasingly turned to industrial hemp grown in other countries as an alternative source for CBD since importing hemp products is legal.  However, while it’s true that hemp contains trace amounts of CBD, these quantities pale in comparison to the high-CBD strains of cannabis. Unfortunately, rather than being a viable source of CBD for medical… Read more.

There is a lot of confusion about hemp and what we popularly know as “marijuana.” Most people assume that hemp and marijuana is the same thing. Historically, the government has lumped them together as banned substances. It doesn’t help that some medical cannabis proponents refer to it as “hemp oil.” What is hemp and how is it different from medical cannabis? Although hemp is technically a cannabis plant, it is a very different variety from the cannabis that is used recreationally and medicinally. The website, HempEthics, defines hemp in this way: The term ‘Hemp’ commonly refers to the industrial/commercial use of the cannabis stalk and seed for textiles, foods, papers, body care products, detergents, plastics and building materials. Hemp is an amazingly versatile and useful plant, not unlike its medical cannabis cousin in this regard.… Read more.

THC Is Good for More than the High Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC, has suffered from an image problem since its discovery in 1964.  Famous for the high it causes, the public has a hard time looking beyond its psychotropic effects. Novices to cannabis therapeutics are often astonished to find that THC has more than recreational value.  In fact, it is responsible for helping an overwhelming majority of medical cannabis users with a wide range of conditions, in addition to having contributed to a wealth of medical knowledge[1] for the past several decades. By the last count, THC is one of over 100 identified cannabinoids, special chemical compounds, in the cannabis plant.  However, it is the most active, matched so far in medical and research significance only by CBD, the other well-known cannabinoid.  Although… Read more.

Everybody Wants CBD When It’s THC that They Need Because Constance Pure Botanical Extracts was among the first in the world to grow CBD-rich cannabis, as well as the first in northern California and perhaps the world to make CBD oil, most of our inquiries come from people looking for CBD for their medical cannabis needs. However, the reality is, once we learn about the nature of their condition, we usually discuss with their physician an extract that is primarily THC with some CBD. There is quite a bit of misunderstanding about CBD’s place in cannabis therapeutics. Heightened media coverage and state legislators responding to demand with CBD-only laws have given rise to a few pervasive myths, including one that equates the sole medical value of cannabis with CBD. You can read more about what is… Read more.

Introducing the unique roles and properties of cannabis terpenes It is widely understood that the primary active ingredients in botanical remedies can be enhanced through interaction with secondary compounds. Some secondary compounds create a synergy that elevates the overall effectiveness of the remedy, while others aid in mitigating potentially negative side effects. This is called an entourage effect. Scientific research has shown that this principle can also apply to cannabis. Certain secondary compounds already naturally occurring in cannabis, such as terpenes, can enhance the beneficial effects of the ingredients tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), those which are primarily prescribed for treating illnesses. Studies have proven that terpenes display unique therapeutic effects that may contribute meaningfully to the entourage effects of cannabis-based medicinal extracts. What are Terpenes and Terpenoids? Terpenes are a class of organic compounds… Read more.

Medical Marijuana may be a popular term, but learn why we prefer to say Medical Cannabis We prefer to use the scientific name, cannabis, rather than the common name, marijuana, because we are aligned with evidence-based medical research and practices that further an understanding of the medical potential of the cannabis plant. Moreover, marijuana has pejorative associations, a term that carries a devastating legacy of public misperception, racial discrimination, and injustice. In the early half of the 20th century, marijuana came to be used as the name for the plant that immigrants from Mexico introduced into Texas border towns where it was smoked and sold. It is well documented that the name played off of racial prejudice and anti-immigrant fears and was adopted in order to create a highly sensationalized image of a narcotic capable of… Read more.