Resource Articles - Acannability

Little Known Facts About Hemp

Zev Paiss

abrahampaiss.com

Hemp and its many uses have been around for hundreds of years, yet many people still aren’t familiar with the plant. Here are some little known fun facts that offer insight into why there is such a buzz in the industry about Cannabis Ruderalis, also known as Hemp.

Did you know that:

The word hemp has been used in the past in Europe to describe other fiber plants, including sisal and jute.

According to the documentary “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High” (YouTube), the first marijuana law in the United States was enacted in 1619, in Jamestown Colony, Virginia, and actually required farmers to grow hemp. Benjamin Franklin used hemp in his paper mill – one of the country’s first – and the first two copies of the Declaration of Independence were supposedly written on hemp paper.

Hemp was not always treated the same as marijuana by the U.S. government. In fact, hemp was once considered legal tender and could be used to pay taxes in early America.

Hemp paper is naturally acid-free and does not yellow as quickly as tree pulp-based paper. Which is why Hemp paper hundreds of years old (found in museums) has not yellowed, and is thus a high quality paper of archival quality. It is also stronger than wood-based paper, and can withstand more folding.

In general, Hemp has the strongest (and longest) plant fiber in the world, resistant to rot and abrasion, and was in long use before DuPont patented nylon in 1937. It was used for ship rigging, military uniforms, parachute webbing, baggage and more. Also, because of its strength, hemp fiber can be used for composite materials that could be used to make anything from skateboard decks to car and stealth fighter bodies.

Hemp can grow nearly anywhere in the world, in many types of soil — even in short growing seasons or in dry regions — and helps purify soil as well as kills some types of weeds.

Levi jeans were originally made from hemp sailcloth (and rivets), for gold miners in California, who would fill their pockets with gold.

Despite the DEA’s claim that hemp had no medicinal value, the U.S. Government applied for and received a patent for CBD - US6630507B1 – stating that CBD was proven to have antioxidant properties, which makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Now that you know more about hemp, What uses do you think you’ll find for it?

Little Known Facts About Hemp

Zev Paiss

abrahampaiss.com

Hemp and its many uses have been around for hundreds of years, yet many people still aren’t familiar with the plant. Here are some little known fun facts that offer insight into why there is such a buzz in the industry about Cannabis Ruderalis, also known as Hemp.

Did you know that:

The word hemp has been used in the past in Europe to describe other fiber plants, including sisal and jute.

According to the documentary “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High” (YouTube), the first marijuana law in the United States was enacted in 1619, in Jamestown Colony, Virginia, and actually required farmers to grow hemp. Benjamin Franklin used hemp in his paper mill – one of the country’s first – and the first two copies of the Declaration of Independence were supposedly written on hemp paper.

Hemp was not always treated the same as marijuana by the U.S. government. In fact, hemp was once considered legal tender and could be used to pay taxes in early America.

Hemp paper is naturally acid-free and does not yellow as quickly as tree pulp-based paper. Which is why Hemp paper hundreds of years old (found in museums) has not yellowed, and is thus a high quality paper of archival quality. It is also stronger than wood-based paper, and can withstand more folding.

In general, Hemp has the strongest (and longest) plant fiber in the world, resistant to rot and abrasion, and was in long use before DuPont patented nylon in 1937. It was used for ship rigging, military uniforms, parachute webbing, baggage and more. Also, because of its strength, hemp fiber can be used for composite materials that could be used to make anything from skateboard decks to car and stealth fighter bodies.

Hemp can grow nearly anywhere in the world, in many types of soil — even in short growing seasons or in dry regions — and helps purify soil as well as kills some types of weeds.

Levi jeans were originally made from hemp sailcloth (and rivets), for gold miners in California, who would fill their pockets with gold.

Despite the DEA’s claim that hemp had no medicinal value, the U.S. Government applied for and received a patent for CBD – US6630507B1 – stating that CBD was proven to have antioxidant properties, which makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Now that you know more about hemp, What uses do you think you’ll find for it?

The History of Industrial Hemp

Zev Paiss

abrahampaiss.com

Industrial Hemp is arbitrarily defined as the plant Cannabis Sativa - L with a THC Delta9 concentration of .3% by dry weight. This is the definition currently used in the 2018 Farm Bill that made the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and transportation of hemp federally legal. Over the past four years, the oil sector of the industrial hemp industry has experienced a massive boom and bust for a number of reasons. As a result, the fiber, hurd, and grain product sectors are growing rapidly as the complex supply chains are created.

Below are some “hemp facts” that offer historical context on the industrialization of hemp:

Hemp is thought to be the first domestically-cultivated plant, with evidence of hemp fabric dating back 8,000 years ago, found in Turkey (former-day Mesopotamia). Other evidence suggests cultivation further back by two or more thousand of years.

By the 1800s, the state of Kentucky produced about half of the industrial hemp in the U.S. The first hemp crop there was planted in Boyle County in 1775.

Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, created a plastic car in 1941 which ran on hemp and other plant-based fuels, and whose fenders were made of hemp and other materials. This was part of Ford's plan to “grow automobiles from the soil.” (Note: a company in France is experimenting with a similar vehicle in the current day.)

Despite the active Marijuana Tax Act and the official federal government stance on hemp and marijuana, the U.S. Army and the Dept of Agriculture jointly produced a 1942 film, “Hemp for Victory,” encouraging farmers to grow hemp for the country’s effort in World War II — particularly for textiles and rope, imports of which had been cut off by war. Over 100,000 acres of hemp was growing in the U.S., but all related permits were canceled when WWII ended.

Marijuana plants cannot be hidden amongst hemp plants. The former grows wide and less tall (5-10 feet), whereas the latter is grown more densely and taller (10-15 feet), to produce maximum stalk fiber lengths.

Hemp can grow without pesticides. The crop also kills some weeds, purifies soil, and is suitable for rotation use, due to its short harvest cycle (120 days).

Hemp is a high-yield crop. One acre of hemp produces twice as much oil as one acre of peanuts, and nearly four times as much fiber pulp (for paper) as an acre of trees.

A hemp composite material (with limestone and water) forms a type of concrete (hempcrete) that can be used for home building, at 1/9th the weight. It also acts as insulation and repels some vermin.

Now that you know more about hemp, What uses do you think you’ll find for it?

The History of Industrial Hemp

Zev Paiss

abrahampaiss.com

Industrial Hemp is arbitrarily defined as the plant Cannabis Sativa – L with a THC Delta9 concentration of .3% by dry weight. This is the definition currently used in the 2018 Farm Bill that made the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and transportation of hemp federally legal. Over the past four years, the oil sector of the industrial hemp industry has experienced a massive boom and bust for a number of reasons. As a result, the fiber, hurd, and grain product sectors are growing rapidly as the complex supply chains are created.

Below are some “hemp facts” that offer historical context on the industrialization of hemp:

Hemp is thought to be the first domestically-cultivated plant, with evidence of hemp fabric dating back 8,000 years ago, found in Turkey (former-day Mesopotamia). Other evidence suggests cultivation further back by two or more thousand of years.

By the 1800s, the state of Kentucky produced about half of the industrial hemp in the U.S. The first hemp crop there was planted in Boyle County in 1775.

Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, created a plastic car in 1941 which ran on hemp and other plant-based fuels, and whose fenders were made of hemp and other materials. This was part of Ford’s plan to “grow automobiles from the soil.” (Note: a company in France is experimenting with a similar vehicle in the current day.)

Despite the active Marijuana Tax Act and the official federal government stance on hemp and marijuana, the U.S. Army and the Dept of Agriculture jointly produced a 1942 film, “Hemp for Victory,” encouraging farmers to grow hemp for the country’s effort in World War II — particularly for textiles and rope, imports of which had been cut off by war. Over 100,000 acres of hemp was growing in the U.S., but all related permits were canceled when WWII ended.

Marijuana plants cannot be hidden amongst hemp plants. The former grows wide and less tall (5-10 feet), whereas the latter is grown more densely and taller (10-15 feet), to produce maximum stalk fiber lengths.

Hemp can grow without pesticides. The crop also kills some weeds, purifies soil, and is suitable for rotation use, due to its short harvest cycle (120 days).

Hemp is a high-yield crop. One acre of hemp produces twice as much oil as one acre of peanuts, and nearly four times as much fiber pulp (for paper) as an acre of trees.

A hemp composite material (with limestone and water) forms a type of concrete (hempcrete) that can be used for home building, at 1/9th the weight. It also acts as insulation and repels some vermin.

Now that you know more about hemp, What uses do you think you’ll find for it?

What You Should Know About Cannabis and Alcohol Consumption

Amanda Reiman, PhD MSW

Personal Plants , Founder

With legalization sweeping the nation, cannabis consumption may soon receive equal time to alcohol consumption. And while the best way to avoid a negative outcome is to use one or the other, people do not always choose the best option. For this reason, using them together should be done carefully and mindfully. Furthermore, the changing laws and attitudes may encourage new consumers to take advantage of more consumption opportunities. Here are 5 tips for approaching the dual availability of cannabis and alcohol at social events you may attend.

Choose one or the other
The reality is, if you want to be sure that using both cannabis and alcohol won’t yield unwanted results, choose one. If you are really set on knocking back a few, save the cannabis for another time, and if you are excited about the presence of cannabis at the party, maybe choose a non-alcoholic refresher. Note that cannabis and alcohol have a synergistic relationship and can enhance the effects of each other.

Method of Consumption
Inhaling cannabis is not the same as eating it. Eating or drinking cannabis has a delayed onset. While some cannabis beverages are formulated to bring on an effect in 10 min or less, many act similarly to an edible and may take up to 2 hours to feel the full effect, so the effects may not be felt for quite some time. Many people assume that an edible is not affecting them and eat more, or start to drink alcohol while they wait for it to take effect. This can result in the alcohol and edible hitting at the same time which may be too much. If you are drinking or eating your cannabis, it is recommended to wait 2 hours before consuming any more cannabis or consuming alcohol.

Setting Matters
If you are newer to cannabis, pay attention to how your environment is making you feel before making the decision to consume. If you are anxious or nervous about where you are, cannabis may very well enhance those feelings, especially for newer consumers. If you are feeling that way, consider skipping the cannabis, choose the alcohol (or neither), and wait for an environment where you feel safe and relaxed.

Dosing and Order of Consumption:
For both cannabis and alcohol, pay attention to the dose in the product you are consuming and the order you are consuming it. Many are taught that 12 oz of beer equals 4-6 oz of wine equals 1 oz of liquor; but cannabis dosing is different. THC is important, but so is the level of CBD (which can balance THC intoxication), and the form in which you are consuming. Anecdotally, people report that using cannabis first allows them to use less alcohol and still feel the effect, but consuming cannabis when you are already intoxicated on alcohol can have a very negative effect, also known as “crossfading” or “greening out”.

Overall, cannabis can be a great alternative to alcohol, but nothing is without risk. Cannabis makes some people more social and for others it makes them clam up. Knowing how cannabis and alcohol consumption affects you and how consuming them might impact you are all part of the steps people can take to ensure that their evening ends with a smile.

What You Should Know About Cannabis and Alcohol Consumption

Amanda Reiman, PhD MSW

Personal Plants , Founder

With legalization sweeping the nation, cannabis consumption may soon receive equal time to alcohol consumption. And while the best way to avoid a negative outcome is to use one or the other, people do not always choose the best option. For this reason, using them together should be done carefully and mindfully. Furthermore, the changing laws and attitudes may encourage new consumers to take advantage of more consumption opportunities. Here are 5 tips for approaching the dual availability of cannabis and alcohol at social events you may attend.

Choose one or the other
The reality is, if you want to be sure that using both cannabis and alcohol won’t yield unwanted results, choose one. If you are really set on knocking back a few, save the cannabis for another time, and if you are excited about the presence of cannabis at the party, maybe choose a non-alcoholic refresher. Note that cannabis and alcohol have a synergistic relationship and can enhance the effects of each other.

Method of Consumption
Inhaling cannabis is not the same as eating it. Eating or drinking cannabis has a delayed onset. While some cannabis beverages are formulated to bring on an effect in 10 min or less, many act similarly to an edible and may take up to 2 hours to feel the full effect, so the effects may not be felt for quite some time. Many people assume that an edible is not affecting them and eat more, or start to drink alcohol while they wait for it to take effect. This can result in the alcohol and edible hitting at the same time which may be too much. If you are drinking or eating your cannabis, it is recommended to wait 2 hours before consuming any more cannabis or consuming alcohol.

Setting Matters
If you are newer to cannabis, pay attention to how your environment is making you feel before making the decision to consume. If you are anxious or nervous about where you are, cannabis may very well enhance those feelings, especially for newer consumers. If you are feeling that way, consider skipping the cannabis, choose the alcohol (or neither), and wait for an environment where you feel safe and relaxed.

Dosing and Order of Consumption:
For both cannabis and alcohol, pay attention to the dose in the product you are consuming and the order you are consuming it. Many are taught that 12 oz of beer equals 4-6 oz of wine equals 1 oz of liquor; but cannabis dosing is different. THC is important, but so is the level of CBD (which can balance THC intoxication), and the form in which you are consuming. Anecdotally, people report that using cannabis first allows them to use less alcohol and still feel the effect, but consuming cannabis when you are already intoxicated on alcohol can have a very negative effect, also known as “crossfading” or “greening out”.

Overall, cannabis can be a great alternative to alcohol, but nothing is without risk. Cannabis makes some people more social and for others it makes them clam up. Knowing how cannabis and alcohol consumption affects you and how consuming them might impact you are all part of the steps people can take to ensure that their evening ends with a smile.

Why Try Cannabis for Anxiety Instead of Benzos?

Holly Hager

House of Puff , Principal & COO

Author’s note: For 20+ years, benzos were my best friend. But I’m finally ditching them in favor of cannabis for anxiety. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Here’s why.

Cannabis for Anxiety and Autoimmune Diseases
Full disclosure, using cannabis for anxiety is just the tip of the iceberg for me. I have a doozy of an autoimmune disease called sarcoidosis. It’s a multi-systemic inflammatory disease. Sarcoid typically manifests as swelling that scars your lungs. And not just a little. It can lower your lung capacity to disabling levels. But it also significantly affects the rest of my body, especially my joints, skin, and glands. The worst is when the whites of my eyes swell up. That means that every day has the potential to be an odyssey of pain.

What Do Benzos Have to Do with Physical Illness
Benzos (benzodiazepines) are generally prescribed for anxiety. They include drugs like Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Valium. You’re probably wondering how anxiety drugs are connected to chronic pain. Well, the effects of anxiety aren’t compartmentalized. When I’m anxious, I can’t sleep. And when I’m run down from lack of sleep, I’m much more susceptible to a sarcoid flare-up. In a matter of days, the disease can manifest for me as mobility-destroying skin lesions and massively swollen joints. Rather than waiting to treat these symptoms after they erupt, it’s much better to prevent them from flaring up in the first place. Before I had access to legal cannabis for anxiety, I relied on benzos daily to relax into a good night’s sleep. So they played a critical role in staving off my sarcoid flare-ups. Without those little yellow pills, I couldn’t maintain a reasonable quality of life.

Benzos Were Only a Part of My Routine
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t just relied on benzos or cannabis for anxiety. I’m a lifelong meditator. And I don’t just do yoga, I taught it for 10 years. I exercise regularly. Plus, I stick to a very strict anti-inflammatory diet. All those things help me tremendously. But until legal cannabis, not even all that could keep me asleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time.

How Do Benzos Work?
My benzo of choice is Klonopin (aka clonazepam). Like many people who struggle with anxiety, it works like a charm for me. It shuts off the worry loop that plays inside my head and keeps me from falling asleep. Benzos calm you by enhancing the action of GABA, the most common neurotransmitter, which slows down the central nervous system. But, as with so many Big Pharma fixes, it comes with big risks. The effectiveness of benzos means they’re highly addictive. In the US, Klonopin is a Schedule IV drug. As far as controlled substances go, that means it’s not supposed to be that addictive. But that wasn’t my experience. And a psychopharmacologist I know who works at a rehab center recently told me that it’s harder for her patients to break their addiction to benzos than anything else—including opioids.

Why Try Cannabis for Anxiety Instead of Benzos?
Because of benzos’ side effects, my doctor counseled me to get off them for years. I didn’t mind the noticeable ones. Drowsiness was a plus for me, and their addictive nature didn’t bother me…as long as I kept taking them. For tolerance breaks, I stepped down the drug to ¼ pill before stopping completely. Regardless of that careful weaning, withdrawal symptoms were inevitable. They included the shakes, the sweats, the jitters, and lack of focus for more than a week. And, of course, my anxiety and insomnia came back immediately. But the noticeable side effects aren’t the truly dangerous ones. It’s the ones you don’t feel until it’s too late. What finally got me off benzos was their potential to damage my brain over the long term. Amnesia is a common side effect—not kidding. Unsurprisingly considering that, new research shows that long-term use might significantly increase the risk of dementia.

CBD for Anxiety
I was initially afraid that using cannabis for sleep would interfere with my work. I’m one of those fast-paced stereotypical New Yorkers who always has a million balls in the air. I didn’t want to take anything that would slow me down. Before benzos, I had tried every imaginable sleep aid, including melatonin, Benadryll, and Ambien. They either did nothing for me, gave me sleep-disturbing dreams, or left me really groggy in the morning. So I started with just CBD. CBD helps me a ton. Unfortunately, though, alone it only gets me to sleep. It won’t keep me asleep all night.

THC for Anxiety
Once I got more comfortable with consuming cannabis, I added in THC. That worked a lot better for me than CBD alone. But I’m a lightweight. I quickly discovered that 5-6 mg of THC is all I can handle without getting sloppy that night or still being high the next morning. That meant I had to find form factors that I could microdose. I started with a vape pen. That was great for getting to sleep. Inhalation makes cannabis hit your bloodstream almost instantly. But it wasn’t great for staying asleep—the effects dissipate too quickly to last all night long. Also, with my propensity for lung problems, inhalation is scary for me.

Cannabis Edibles for Anxiety
The next step on my “cannabis for anxiety” journey was edibles. The onset of cannabis edibles takes longer than inhalation, but it also lasts longer. So it’s better at keeping me asleep. I like gummies, but they aren’t legal in my state. At this point, I’ve found that full-spectrum oils and concentrates offer the best relief for me. I look for products that reliably start working in about an hour. If I take 4-5mg sometime before 9pm, they keep me asleep for at least 5-6 hours and wear off before my alarm rings between 5-6am. If I wake up before then and can’t get back to sleep, I dose myself with more CBD or CBN.

Best Cannabis for Anxiety
It’s tricky for me to opine specifically on cannabis strains for anxiety because I also rely on them to relieve chronic pain. I’m always looking for strains that have a heavy bodily effect like my current fave, Animal Face, or my perennial fallback, Blue Dream. If you’re only using cannabis for anxiety, you might not like those strains. If you want a more energizing strain, you may want to try one with limonene. I like terpene profiles with lots of myrcene and/or linalool for their calming potential. I also look for formulations that have a high CBD to THC ratio. A 3:1 CBD to THC ratio usually works best for me. CBN is also getting lots of ink lately for its potential to calm and aid sleep. But I’ve just started to experiment with it.

Cannabis for Anxiety is More Complicated than Benzos, but Much Safer
For some, taking benzos is a lot easier than cannabis. You just pop the pill that your doctor prescribes. There’s no need to figure out the right strains, formulations, and dosing. But the downsides of benzos can be enormous for some. I’m still experimenting to find the Goldilocks combos. But overall, I’ve found that using cannabis for anxiety is a much healthier option for me.

Editor’s note: Cannabis is not a one-size fits all medicine. People can respond differently to the same products; even the same person may respond differently to the same product and same dose on different days depending on what they have eaten, the amount of sleep they had, their level of stress, hormone levels, the setting, etc. This is why the “start low, stay slow” moniker is an important one.

Why Try Cannabis for Anxiety Instead of Benzos?

Holly Hager

House of Puff , Principal & COO

Author’s note: For 20+ years, benzos were my best friend. But I’m finally ditching them in favor of cannabis for anxiety. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Here’s why.

Cannabis for Anxiety and Autoimmune Diseases
Full disclosure, using cannabis for anxiety is just the tip of the iceberg for me. I have a doozy of an autoimmune disease called sarcoidosis. It’s a multi-systemic inflammatory disease. Sarcoid typically manifests as swelling that scars your lungs. And not just a little. It can lower your lung capacity to disabling levels. But it also significantly affects the rest of my body, especially my joints, skin, and glands. The worst is when the whites of my eyes swell up. That means that every day has the potential to be an odyssey of pain.

What Do Benzos Have to Do with Physical Illness
Benzos (benzodiazepines) are generally prescribed for anxiety. They include drugs like Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Valium. You’re probably wondering how anxiety drugs are connected to chronic pain. Well, the effects of anxiety aren’t compartmentalized. When I’m anxious, I can’t sleep. And when I’m run down from lack of sleep, I’m much more susceptible to a sarcoid flare-up. In a matter of days, the disease can manifest for me as mobility-destroying skin lesions and massively swollen joints. Rather than waiting to treat these symptoms after they erupt, it’s much better to prevent them from flaring up in the first place. Before I had access to legal cannabis for anxiety, I relied on benzos daily to relax into a good night’s sleep. So they played a critical role in staving off my sarcoid flare-ups. Without those little yellow pills, I couldn’t maintain a reasonable quality of life.

Benzos Were Only a Part of My Routine
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t just relied on benzos or cannabis for anxiety. I’m a lifelong meditator. And I don’t just do yoga, I taught it for 10 years. I exercise regularly. Plus, I stick to a very strict anti-inflammatory diet. All those things help me tremendously. But until legal cannabis, not even all that could keep me asleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time.

How Do Benzos Work?
My benzo of choice is Klonopin (aka clonazepam). Like many people who struggle with anxiety, it works like a charm for me. It shuts off the worry loop that plays inside my head and keeps me from falling asleep. Benzos calm you by enhancing the action of GABA, the most common neurotransmitter, which slows down the central nervous system. But, as with so many Big Pharma fixes, it comes with big risks. The effectiveness of benzos means they’re highly addictive. In the US, Klonopin is a Schedule IV drug. As far as controlled substances go, that means it’s not supposed to be that addictive. But that wasn’t my experience. And a psychopharmacologist I know who works at a rehab center recently told me that it’s harder for her patients to break their addiction to benzos than anything else—including opioids.

Why Try Cannabis for Anxiety Instead of Benzos?
Because of benzos’ side effects, my doctor counseled me to get off them for years. I didn’t mind the noticeable ones. Drowsiness was a plus for me, and their addictive nature didn’t bother me…as long as I kept taking them. For tolerance breaks, I stepped down the drug to ¼ pill before stopping completely. Regardless of that careful weaning, withdrawal symptoms were inevitable. They included the shakes, the sweats, the jitters, and lack of focus for more than a week. And, of course, my anxiety and insomnia came back immediately. But the noticeable side effects aren’t the truly dangerous ones. It’s the ones you don’t feel until it’s too late. What finally got me off benzos was their potential to damage my brain over the long term. Amnesia is a common side effect—not kidding. Unsurprisingly considering that, new research shows that long-term use might significantly increase the risk of dementia.

CBD for Anxiety
I was initially afraid that using cannabis for sleep would interfere with my work. I’m one of those fast-paced stereotypical New Yorkers who always has a million balls in the air. I didn’t want to take anything that would slow me down. Before benzos, I had tried every imaginable sleep aid, including melatonin, Benadryll, and Ambien. They either did nothing for me, gave me sleep-disturbing dreams, or left me really groggy in the morning. So I started with just CBD. CBD helps me a ton. Unfortunately, though, alone it only gets me to sleep. It won’t keep me asleep all night.

THC for Anxiety
Once I got more comfortable with consuming cannabis, I added in THC. That worked a lot better for me than CBD alone. But I’m a lightweight. I quickly discovered that 5-6 mg of THC is all I can handle without getting sloppy that night or still being high the next morning. That meant I had to find form factors that I could microdose. I started with a vape pen. That was great for getting to sleep. Inhalation makes cannabis hit your bloodstream almost instantly. But it wasn’t great for staying asleep—the effects dissipate too quickly to last all night long. Also, with my propensity for lung problems, inhalation is scary for me.

Cannabis Edibles for Anxiety
The next step on my “cannabis for anxiety” journey was edibles. The onset of cannabis edibles takes longer than inhalation, but it also lasts longer. So it’s better at keeping me asleep. I like gummies, but they aren’t legal in my state. At this point, I’ve found that full-spectrum oils and concentrates offer the best relief for me. I look for products that reliably start working in about an hour. If I take 4-5mg sometime before 9pm, they keep me asleep for at least 5-6 hours and wear off before my alarm rings between 5-6am. If I wake up before then and can’t get back to sleep, I dose myself with more CBD or CBN.

Best Cannabis for Anxiety
It’s tricky for me to opine specifically on cannabis strains for anxiety because I also rely on them to relieve chronic pain. I’m always looking for strains that have a heavy bodily effect like my current fave, Animal Face, or my perennial fallback, Blue Dream. If you’re only using cannabis for anxiety, you might not like those strains. If you want a more energizing strain, you may want to try one with limonene. I like terpene profiles with lots of myrcene and/or linalool for their calming potential. I also look for formulations that have a high CBD to THC ratio. A 3:1 CBD to THC ratio usually works best for me. CBN is also getting lots of ink lately for its potential to calm and aid sleep. But I’ve just started to experiment with it.

Cannabis for Anxiety is More Complicated than Benzos, but Much Safer
For some, taking benzos is a lot easier than cannabis. You just pop the pill that your doctor prescribes. There’s no need to figure out the right strains, formulations, and dosing. But the downsides of benzos can be enormous for some. I’m still experimenting to find the Goldilocks combos. But overall, I’ve found that using cannabis for anxiety is a much healthier option for me.

Editor’s note: Cannabis is not a one-size fits all medicine. People can respond differently to the same products; even the same person may respond differently to the same product and same dose on different days depending on what they have eaten, the amount of sleep they had, their level of stress, hormone levels, the setting, etc. This is why the “start low, stay slow” moniker is an important one.

Considering CBD or THC for your child

An Advanced Practice Cannabis Nurse Weighs In
Katie Sullivan, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Modern Compassionate Care

As a Family Nurse Practitioner and Medical Cannabis Specialist, I regularly consult with parents who are curious if CBD or THC could be beneficial for their child. The most common reasons being afflictions such as cancer, epilepsy, PTSD, and conditions related to autism (self-injury, aggression, sleep disturbances). I have seen cannabis change people’s lives, but it is not for everyone. It is important to not only do your research, but to have realistic expectations going in. What I do know is that through proper consultation, diagnosis, and support nearly all of our patients who use cannabis therapeutically have derived benefits from it; qualitative research has shown that this is the experience of most individuals who use cannabis medicinally.

Despite the proven medical efficacy of cannabis for multiple conditions, families still face barriers in trying to access this option for their children. They often experience negative feedback, social stigma in their communities, and pushback from medical providers. The cost of treatment is not covered by insurance and there is great risk and a valid fear of legal trouble for treating their child with a substance that is illegal at the federal level. In the face of all of this, more and more families are moving forward with medicinal cannabis as a treatment option, in the hopes that this plant might help their child where traditional pharmaceuticals and treatments have failed.

The question I hear most frequently is, “will this have negative long-term consequences on my child’s brain?” and the truth is we don’t have enough long-term data to be able to answer this unequivocally. What we do know is that cannabis has an excellent safety profile and that it is a neuroprotectant. There have been some studies correlating heavy THC use with negative psychiatric outcomes in susceptible individuals. However, the studies were looking at illicit cannabis use (which could potentially include high THC concentrates) - not supervised medical use – and they did not establish a causal relationship between THC use and any mental disorder. We need more research so we can develop pediatric medical guidelines. In the meantime, what’s important for families considering cannabis as an option, is to have a careful risk-benefit analysis done prior to starting treatment, and close follow-up with an experienced provider versed in treating pediatric patients with medicinal cannabis.

As a practitioner, the best advice I can give to parents is to enlist the help of a cannabis clinician, cannabis nurse, or doctor trained in the endocannabinoid system. Most medical providers simply are not qualified to manage this treatment because they lack both education and experience with cannabis as medicine. A cannabis clinician is trained to provide education about the cannabis plant and how it works in the body, to offer dosing and administration guidance to parents and patients, to assess potential drug interactions, and to advocate for the patient as part of their medical team. If mental health issues are part of your child’s clinical history or if they are a teen, I highly recommend including a cannabis-informed mental health provider as an additional support person to assist in the proper monitoring of your child for any unwanted or unforeseen side effects.

I believe that cannabis can be a safe and highly effective treatment option for many conditions, and that it should be available for pediatric patients - not just as a last resort. When it comes to minors especially, getting the advice of a licensed professional is important. You don’t want to wing it, rely on just what you come across online, or simply take the advice of family and friends. Finding the lowest effective dose for an individual is both an art and a science that requires patience and good communication from everyone involved, but the benefits for the child can be enormous.

Considering CBD or THC for your child

An Advanced Practice Cannabis Nurse Weighs In
Katie Sullivan, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Modern Compassionate Care

As a Family Nurse Practitioner and Medical Cannabis Specialist, I regularly consult with parents who are curious if CBD or THC could be beneficial for their child. The most common reasons being afflictions such as cancer, epilepsy, PTSD, and conditions related to autism (self-injury, aggression, sleep disturbances). I have seen cannabis change people’s lives, but it is not for everyone. It is important to not only do your research, but to have realistic expectations going in. What I do know is that through proper consultation, diagnosis, and support nearly all of our patients who use cannabis therapeutically have derived benefits from it; qualitative research has shown that this is the experience of most individuals who use cannabis medicinally.

Despite the proven medical efficacy of cannabis for multiple conditions, families still face barriers in trying to access this option for their children. They often experience negative feedback, social stigma in their communities, and pushback from medical providers. The cost of treatment is not covered by insurance and there is great risk and a valid fear of legal trouble for treating their child with a substance that is illegal at the federal level. In the face of all of this, more and more families are moving forward with medicinal cannabis as a treatment option, in the hopes that this plant might help their child where traditional pharmaceuticals and treatments have failed.

The question I hear most frequently is, “will this have negative long-term consequences on my child’s brain?” and the truth is we don’t have enough long-term data to be able to answer this unequivocally. What we do know is that cannabis has an excellent safety profile and that it is a neuroprotectant. There have been some studies correlating heavy THC use with negative psychiatric outcomes in susceptible individuals. However, the studies were looking at illicit cannabis use (which could potentially include high THC concentrates) - not supervised medical use – and they did not establish a causal relationship between THC use and any mental disorder. We need more research so we can develop pediatric medical guidelines. In the meantime, what’s important for families considering cannabis as an option, is to have a careful risk-benefit analysis done prior to starting treatment, and close follow-up with an experienced provider versed in treating pediatric patients with medicinal cannabis.

As a practitioner, the best advice I can give to parents is to enlist the help of a cannabis clinician, cannabis nurse, or doctor trained in the endocannabinoid system. Most medical providers simply are not qualified to manage this treatment because they lack both education and experience with cannabis as medicine. A cannabis clinician is trained to provide education about the cannabis plant and how it works in the body, to offer dosing and administration guidance to parents and patients, to assess potential drug interactions, and to advocate for the patient as part of their medical team. If mental health issues are part of your child’s clinical history or if they are a teen, I highly recommend including a cannabis-informed mental health provider as an additional support person to assist in the proper monitoring of your child for any unwanted or unforeseen side effects.

I believe that cannabis can be a safe and highly effective treatment option for many conditions, and that it should be available for pediatric patients - not just as a last resort. When it comes to minors especially, getting the advice of a licensed professional is important. You don’t want to wing it, rely on just what you come across online, or simply take the advice of family and friends. Finding the lowest effective dose for an individual is both an art and a science that requires patience and good communication from everyone involved, but the benefits for the child can be enormous.

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