GROWING MARIJUANA FOR BEGINNERS
Care and Harvest Top-Quality Marijuana that is Safe for Consumption | The Growers Guide for Indoor Cannabis
Tyler Water
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Marijuana, also referred to as cannabis, is an Indian Hemp Plant, which, for a long time, has been taken as a narcotic.
Marijuanas other popular names are weed, bud, and pot. Its leaves and flowers are the consumable parts; they are dried and crushed before consuming. The main ways to consume marijuana are through a pipe, smoked in cigarette form, or vaporized. A majority of marijuana users have almost similar responses: the plant makes them feel high.
The effectiveness (effects) of marijuana on a user is highly dependent on the quality of the marijuana plant. The difference in the quality of marijuana plants emanates from the difference in climatic conditions and growing techniques in the regions where marijuana is grown. In addition to this, each type of marijuana plant has its own unique qualities in terms of taste, potency, and aroma.
The marijuana plant has been present for more than a century. Initially, it was used in central Asia before spreading to several parts of the world. Being a weed, marijuana can easily grow in most parts of the world. It is a versatile plant that can thrive in both indoor and outdoor conditions.
Unfortunately, marijuana has, for a long time, been considered a schedule 1 drug (the most tightly controlled/restricted drug category, which is reserved for drugs, which have no currently accepted medical uses in treatment within the US). However, lobbying to get marijuana removed from the schedule 1 drugs started in 1972 arguing that cannabis does not fulfill the Controlled Substances Acts very strict criteria that would warrant placement in schedule 1. Over the years, petition upon petition has been filed to get the DEA to reclassify marijuana. Fortunately, there has been progressing although marijuana has still not been reclassified from Schedule 1. As of June 2016, up to 25 states, as well as Washington D.C. had legalized the use of medical marijuana!
From the above discussion, there is a suggestion that marijuana has some medical benefits (given that medical marijuana is allowed in 25 states). The question is; which benefits are these? Lets answer that question:
Does Marijuana Have Medicinal Benefits?
According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the term medical marijuana refers to consuming unprocessed marijuana plants or extracts to cure a symptom or disease. FDA is yet to fully recognize this plant as a medicine. However, various scientific research on cannabinoids (chemicals in marijuana) indicated positive outcomes. This led to two medications being approved by FDA - dronabinol, and nabilone. Both of these drugs are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-based medication and are used to relieve nausea and boost appetite.
Marinol and Syndrol, which contain dronabinol as the active ingredient, are prescribed for therapeutic purposes. For this case, it can be used to treat anorexia (a condition associated with weight loss among AIDS patients). They can also be used by cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy to relieve nausea and vomiting.
Cesamet, another FDA-approved drug that has nabilone as an active ingredient, is also a THC-based medication.
I know you might be asking; so what are cannabinoids and what is THC? Lets answer that question:
What Are Cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in marijuana flowers. They provide relief for various medical conditions. Currently, the two main cannabinoids with medical benefits are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Apart from THC and CBD, a marijuana plant contains more than 100 other cannabinoids .
Some of the cannabinoids are powerful in nature but may have a devastating effect on the body if abused.
How do Cannabinoids work? Essentially, cannabinoids work by imitating the cannabinoid chemicals produced by our bodies. When someone consumes marijuana, the cannabinoids bind to receptor sites in our bodies (called CB-2) or the brain (CB-1). Marijuana has various cannabinoids, and each one of them has different effects depending on the receptors they bind to.
The main difference between the two is that THC is psychoactive while CBD is not.
So, how does this difference arise? Basically, anything about psycho-activity and marijuana is mainly linked to cannabinoid 1 (CB-1) receptors, which are mainly found in the brain and the central nervous system.
As stated, above THC binds well with CB-1 receptors. On the other hand, CBD has a low affinity to CB-1 receptors.
To make it clearer, lets look at it this way; the brain is like a wall socket and THC is the plug that perfectly fits into the wall socket while CBD doesnt fit. When they connect, THC will activate the CB-1 receptors, which, in turn, stimulate various aspects in our bodies like appetite, pain, mood, memory, and other blissful feelings.
CBD, not being a good fit for CB1 receptors, doesnt have any impact on the activities related to CB-1 receptors. It, however, acts to reduce the activating qualities of other cannabinoids like THC - it modulates the influence of THC. For clarity, lets take an example of someone who has taken marijuana with 30% THC and 0.3% CBD. In this scenario, the person might feel extremely high with less interference from CBD. Similarly, someone who has taken marijuana with 30% THC and 10% CBD will perhaps feel slightly high but with less impact on the paranoia effect of THC. This is due to the dampening effect of CBD.
To summarize, different cannabinoids have different relief effects basing on the receptors they trigger. This is the main principle that guides the application of marijuana for medical purposes .
Other Medical Benefits of THC & CBD
Apart from the FDA-approved THC-based medications, THC can also be used to treat pain, muscle-control problems, and inflammation. Similarly, CBD may be used to relieve pain, control epileptic seizures, reduce inflammation, and treat mental illness and addictions.
According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are studies that have shown that treatments with pure extract of CBD & THC combined with radiation can increase the killing of cancer cells. Other medical conditions that marijuana can help include Wasting syndrome, Alzheimers, PTSD, Glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, Multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's disease. Several scientists and international health organizations continue to explore other possible medicinal benefits of marijuana.
