Health – natural budz

What Is THCA and What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid?

April 10, 2018

THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is a cannabis compound that is beginning to demonstrate immense therapeutic potential despite the infancy of its research. You’ve heard of THC, and while they may sound similar, THCA actually has very different properties. Unlike THC, THCA is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in raw and live cannabis. As the plant dries, THCA slowly converts to THC. Heat expedites this conversion in a process known as decarboxylation, a fancy word that describes what happens when you smoke or vaporize flower. If you’ve purchased lab-tested cannabis, you may notice that the most abundant cannabinoid is either THC or THCA, either of which can stretch between 10-20% on average. While THCA is the more accurate label for flower that hasn’t been decarboxylated, they essentially mean the same thing if you assume the consumer intends on...

Medical Cannabis: Providing Spasticity Relief

April 3, 2018

Health

A boy with Cerebral Palsy is helped through physical therapy. People with certain neurological disorders or trauma often suffer from spasticity, which causes painful muscle spasms. Medical marijuana has been shown to help alleviate symptoms in patients with this debilitating condition. What is Spasticity? Spasticity is a complication of many neurological illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke and neurological trauma like spinal cord injuries. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) says spasticity is caused by damage to the portion of the brain or spinal cord that's in charge of voluntary movement, leading to painful symptoms, including: Involuntary muscle spasms and movements Increased muscle tone Hyperactive reflexes Stiff or tight muscles Inhibited movement and speech The AANS estimates that 12 million people worldwide suffer from spasticity. For many, the symptoms may be...

Cannabis vs Tylenol for Pain Relief

January 17, 2018

Health

Medical marijuana is touted for its ability to suppress and eliminate pain, with the vast majority of medical patients using cannabis for this very reason. We wanted to pit cannabis against one of the world’s most widely used pain relievers, acetaminophen. Marijuana vs Acetaminophen Tylenol is one of the most recognizable brand names for acetaminophen, but it is sold under a variety of names across the globe. Available at virtually any drug store or convenience store, anyone can buy a bottle of acetaminophen, but this might be the problem. Scenario #1: A child walks into a drug store and purchases a bottle of acetaminophen. This is totally legal and not very odd, most people wouldn’t think twice about it. But that child could go and take a small handful of...

Can Cannabis Help Addicts Recover from Drug Use?

December 5, 2017

Health

Could weed really help you kick a meth habit, or is it just a matter of replacing one vice with another? Photo via Flickr user pransa420 Weed is having something of a moment. It seems all of my friends who used to spend their weekends drowning themselves at the bar have given up the bottle for the kush. And although the renaissance may have started out west, it's rapidly spreading to the east coast. Jersey already has a medical marijuana program, and New York just released regulations for its own slated to start next year. With pot's rising popularity, many people are wondering if we will see a corresponding decline in binge drinking and hard drug use. A study published last fall in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that states with legal medical marijuana...

Powerful benefits of CBD

November 13, 2017

Health

More people in the wellness world are turning to CBD for its powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety effects, but just as many are confused about the nature of the compound. The basics are simple enough: CBD is derived from hemp and marijuana plants, but unlike THC, it's completely non-psychoactive (meaning it won't make you high). Years ago, the therapeutic properties of CBD were brought to light when a little girl, Charlotte, went from having hundreds of seizures a week to virtually none after dosing with the substance. It's since gained a cult following, with thousands of parents taking medical tourism trips to Colorado to experiment with the plant's healing powers. Recently, though, CBD has exploded onto the scene, transcending the world of the seriously ill to the...