Cannabis as a Preventive Medicine
For more than 10,000 years, humans have eaten plant foods
that modulate the endocannabinoid system and related signaling networks. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28120902
Cannabis and other food plants contain pharmacologically active substances,
suggesting that the plant’s balance of cannabinoids and terpenes made cannabis
a functional food used to support health. Even before selective breeding
increased its metabolite content over the last century.
The tonic nature of cannabis was first formally recognized
in the use of female cannabis plants as yin tonics in traditional Chinese
medicine. The benefits of traditional exercise, yoga, Tai Chi, meditation
breathing techniques, and more recent osteopathic manipulation appear to modulate
the endocannabinoid system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16118355 Traditional herbal remedies, including echinacea, also interact with the
endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system regulates homeostasis,
maintaining balance in dozens of critical physiological systems. In a
comprehensive review, “Care and Feeding of the Endocannabinoid System: a
systematic review,” John McPartland, Geoffrey Guy, and Vincenzo Di Marzo, three
giants of contemporary cannabis science and therapeutics, examine a range of
interventions for maintaining healthy endocannabinoid function that extends
beyond cannabis to many lifestyle choices. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951193/
This review confirms research into diets high in omega-3 fatty acids that
ensure the proper balance of endocannabinoid precursors to produce and metabolize
endocannabinoids. Vincenzo Di Marzo, memorably said that endocannabinoids help
us relax, eat, rest, forget, and protect ourselves. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9881850
Judicious application of phytocannabinoids may augment this
process in health as well as disease. It has been demonstrated that drugs that
are antagonistic to cannabinoid receptors can cause numerous adverse effects,
so it could be possible that drugs that support the balanced function and
expression of these receptors may support good health.
This balancing act likely extends to cardiac, neurological,
psychiatric, and metabolic health, with potentially protective and even
preventive effects in heart disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, metabolic
disease, and aging.
A 2013 study showed that cannabis users had lower resting
insulin levels and waist measurements than nonusers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23684393
Cell studies and animal models have shown that cannabinoids, such as CBD, may
arrest and even prevent the occurrence of some tumors. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22506672 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16728591
Ethan Russo’s proposed clinical endocannabinoid deficiency
might be treated with small doses of phytocannabinoids as prophylaxis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576607/
Cannabinoids are also multi-target drugs that may be of
interest in preventing complex diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23369066
Clint Werner, in his book Marijuana: Gateway to Health, suggests that the National Football
League may wish to consider using cannabinoids, such as CBD, to protect its players
from the effects of violent collisions that can cause cumulative brain injury. https://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Gateway-Health-Cannabis-Alzheimers-ebook/dp/B00789SLJ8
The protective effects of phytocannabinoids, such as THC,
CBD, and terpene beta-caryophyllene, are increasingly well understood in
preclinical studies. CBD has been shown to be strongly neuroprotective and
cardioprotective. These protective abilities may lead to its use with patients
at risk from stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart attacks. Cannabinoid
supplementation may also help prevent numerous small tumors that develop in the
course of a lifetime from finding the blood supplies needed for their growth
and subsequent proliferation. find article here
Use of cannabis among young adult men living in the states
with medical marijuana laws may be linked to fewer suicides, as the suicide
rate among this population has dropped considerably in these locales. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232164/
There is a defensible argument for the use of small doses of
cannabis medicines to support homeostasis and general tone across the range of
systems regulated by the endocannabinoid. Caution must be observed in order to
avoid effects caused by the use of a single cannabinoid, rather than an
entourage of cannabinoids and terpenes that ameliorate each other’s adverse
effects profile. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3838682/
To
avoid the buildup of cannabis tolerance, dose control becomes important. Taking
a cannabis break once in a while may help to reset cannabis tolerance levels.
This information was taken from the amazing book on cannabis
medicine Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical
Guide to Medical Marijuana by: Michael Backes, Andrew Weil, M.D., and Jack McCue,
M.D.
Find it here
