Xhosa Styles!
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Safety Concerns and Potential Side-Effects of Cannabis Medicine
Today I am going to speak about some of the safety
concerns and potential side-effects of Cannabis Medicine. Please note that I am
speaking about full spectrum organic whole plant medicine and not the synthetic
cannabinoid products that are up to 800 times stronger than plant medicine and
have serious side-effects, fatalities and product recalls.
The truth is that the Cannabis plant is one of the safest
plant medicines available today when correctly prescribed … BUT… in today’s
post-modernist society I am here to tell you that it is NO LONGER safe to
self-medicate with this medicine whether you are using medicinally or
recreationally.
It is absolutely imperative that anyone who is wondering
whether Cannabis could help them or a loved one, must please consult with someone
who has studied the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and knows how to prescribe
this medicine.
The reason why human beings need THC is because it is only
the THC molecule that can bind to the ECS receptors to activate the system BUT,,,
only teenzy weenzy amounts are required to achieve this. And THC is ONLY found
in the Cannabis plant.
So even though this plant is now scientifically
implicated in 678 medical conditions including sars virus and Alzeheimers…Medical
Doctors are still not being taught about the ECS at medical schools.
Fortunately today there are many online courses that offer CPD points to clinicians
to encourage them to study the system so that they can confidently advise their
patients about dosing and delivery routes.
And when purchasing any Cannabis medicine please insist
on a COA, this is the only real way that you can truly know what is actually
inside the thousands of products that have popped onto the shelves since 2018.
Doctors and healers
need to be aware of what the medical world refers to as the biphasic effect of
medicine.
This medical rule is not unique to
Cannabis medicine it is a general medical principle that means that high and
low doses can have opposite effects. A good example is alcohol, where at first
a person seems “stimulated” but after one too many the same person can become
sedated…and the same thing can happen with Cannabis Medicine, antibiotics,
blood pressure meds and many others, contraception is also a bi and tri-phasic
medicine where different effects are experienced at different doses.
Remember that in the 1980’s and early
90’s even, 6% THC was considered high and today we have “over 30’s” clubs, and
the average THC readings are around 22% this is more than 3 x stronger than many
people are able to cope with, especially Cannabis naïve patients and the
elderly
So for example a person who has been
using Cannabis for anxiety may now start finding that they are experiencing anxiety
instead of calming it, this is because of the biphasic effect where a high THC
dose is having the opposite effect. So it is incredibly important to be aware
of this and my advice is to seek out strains that do not exceed 15% THC and
that is quite high already.
In simple terms today’s high THC
strains that contain no CBD are far too strong for most medicinal use. In my book
I explain how current breeding practices could ultimately end up out-breeding
CBD. Truly I feel that the greatest threat to the plant’s safety margin is man’s
quest for the highest THC strains.
Healers and doctors also
need to be aware that the ECS controls the human hormone system and in certain
types of hormonal cancers one has to be precise with dosing so as to avoid the
biphasic effect in respect of THC.
In other words, if your doctor or
healer prescribes too high CBD or THC in certain hormonal cancers you could end
up feeding the cancer instead of destroying it….I cannot stress the importance
of this statement enough…..because most definitely Cannabis does destroy most
types of cancer in a number of ways, but the truth is that only minute amounts of
THC is required in the presence of the other plant molecules.
Always ask your grower or your healer
what the CBD percentage and terpene profile is of your flowers and your oils or
tinctures. Very important to ask questions to make informed opinions about your
health and happiness.
It is also very
important that the person selling you any medical product must do the “Drug to
Drug Interaction Checks” for CBD and THC.
I have spent many years helping people
to work out dosage on products I did not produce and I see this as a huge concern
going forward, and I urge everyone to
ask the oil maker directly what is in the medicine you have bought and always
insist on COA.
This is so important… I again cannot
stress this enough especially for patients using statins, heart meds, blood
pressure meds and blood thinners but also most chronic medications, there are a
lot of pharmaceutical interactions that must be considered before administering
Cannabinoid Medicine and not everyone today is a candidate for this treatment,
largely due to Drug Interactions.
The best strains for the least side
effects are the 1:1 strains where the plants have the same % CBD as THC.
Doctors I have worked with absolutely love these strains for making medicine
because there are hardly any side-effects because of the presence of CBD.
I’m sure by now many people have heard
about the “Entourage Effect”…. that means that all of the plants chemicals must
be present in order for the medicine to be safe and effective. There are more
than 160 cannabinoids and more than 200 terpenes in this plant that offer
protection to humans and animals, but these must be present in the plants that
are used to make medicine.
My Two Top medical concerns today are adolescent use and
pre-existing and undiagnosed mental health conditions.
The truth is that you cannot die from dagga in the same
way as alcohol can kill you. According to the WHO Cannabis has a very low
addiction rate at 3% where coffee is at 7%, alcohol at 10.2% and tobacco at 30%
We know that in children, under 12 years old there is a
biologically built-in defense mechanism known as “Delayed Receptor Expression”
that protects small children from the psychoactive effects THC.
You can find my talk on Child Safety on my rumble account
where I unpacked 14 scientific facts as evidence to safety of THC in small
children.
This means that children over 12 years old are becoming
receptive to the effects of THC, and special medical considerations are
required in terms of dosing and application when the adolescent might need
treatment that targets the ECS. For example refractory epilepsy, asthma and
cancer in teenagers.
My
biggest concern with teenagers is high THC and the biphasic effect that can lead
to psychosis.
In my experience, and there is a lot of
scientific evidence that the majority of patients, including young people, with
psychosis, suffered with it before they consumed Cannabis. Please know that I
absolutely do not condone self-medicating any medicine but especially Cannabis
because of today’s high THC strains.
Anyone with pre existing or
undiagnosed mental health conditions must stay far away from high THC and seek
out plants that are between 6 to 12% THC never higher than 15%. I cannot stress
this enough.
The
big question is still…. Does dagga damage brain cells????
One of the main functions of THC and
the ECS, is neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells, and many doctors
today have witnessed what this plant can do for the human brain especially in
children suffering with seizures, spasms and other brain traumas. Most gliomas
aka brain tumors respond exceptionally well to properly prescribed THC. Today
there is absolutely zero scientific evidence to prove that this plant in any
way damages brain cells.
There is a very good biological reason why it is
impossible to overdose on this plant
There are ECS receptors on every
single cell in the human body EXCEPT for 2 types of cells….. the Cardiac and
Respiratory cells in the Medulla Oblongata.
This means that a human being or
animal cannot die from a heart attack or stop breathing from consuming
Cannabis, and this is the biological
reason why no human being has ever died from plant Cannabis Medicine.
When it comes to
plant safety there are a number of reasons for the high safety margin of this
plant
It is a scientific fact that Plant THC only acts a partial agonist
at the ECS receptors and that CBD naturally calms the effects of THC.
Compared
to synthetic THC products that act as
FULL agonists and this is the reason why man-made synthetic and single molecule
Cannabis medicine is 800 x stronger and have severe side effects.
You
can read all about plant safety in my book but let me explain exactly how CBD mitigates
the effects of THC inside the human brain. This is an extract from my clinical
practice book.
KEY TAKE-AWAY POINTS:
- CBD can bind to many receptors in the body but it
cannot actually bind to the ECS receptors.
- It does however interact with the ECS and there are
even CBD ‘docking bays’ on most of cells in the body.
- CBD acts as an antagoninst at the ECS receptors
- CBD can alter the shape of the ECS receptors
Scientists refer to this as
“negative allosteric modulation of CB1 & 2 receptors”. The
secret is that CBD can actually change the shape of the Cannabis receptors. This,
in turn, affects the potency and reduces the effects of THC as it binds with
the receptor. [15] (Pertwee, 2008)
Imagine that the surface of the
receptor is more or less the same shape as a blood cell like a disc shaped
doughnut with a hole in the middle. This hole represents the THC docking bay that
requires the THC molecule in order to activate the system and open the
receptors.
CBD has the ability to alter the shape
of our receptors from a round donut to resemble, say, a sickle or half- moon
shape. This then reduces the surface area of the receptor by half and by
reducing the surface area of the receptor this reduces the THC uptake, and in
turn minimizes the psychedelic effects of the THC (Marzo,et al 2014) [17] (W
Jaeger, 2008)
Today, smoking the plant is the least popular way of
medicating. We now have so many different products to try but one of the best
ways of consuming this plant is in its raw form.
And this is another great way to avoid
THC without losing the benefits, because the truth is that there is hardly any
THC in the raw plant because the chemicals are still in their “acid versions”
and chemically they then have an ‘A’ behind their letters so THC within the raw
plant is known as THCA and CBD is CBDA and so on for all the different Phytocannabinoids.
The plant terpenes also play a vital role in healing and it is now known that all
terpenes are cannabimetic meaning that they have the same healing properties as
the cannabinoids.
There is an amazing study of the
cannabinoid acids in the field of Migraines and Nausea where CBDA was 1000
times stronger than CBD and in that same study THCA was 25% stronger than THC.
People are literally healing
themselves from cancer by adding raw cannabis plant to their smoothies and I
encourage everyone to do this as a preventative measure, like a daily
supplement, so that in times of illness your Endocannabinoid System will be
able to defend you.
Endocannabinoid Deficiency is now a
recognized medical condition and I have seen in my life how so many doctors
miss this therapeutic target that can assist humans and animals with 678
medical conditions. That is really something!
In my practice I work
with ultra low dosing and the idea is to never let my patients develop a
tolerance to THC
As a rule of thumb ….as THC levels
increase, dosage should decrease because only minute amounts of THC in the
presence of CBD and other plant molecules, is all that is needed to treat most
diseases and ailments with zero side-effects.
As mentioned before the
only way to assess potency and purity of plant material is to insist on a
Certificate of Analysis from a reputable laboratory.
You must always look at the ratios of
THC to CBD, A higher ratio of CBD to THC typically means less psycho activity
and therefore a lower risk of any side effects. I work on a 15 to 1 ratio in my
practice for common ailments like anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain,
inflammation, skin conditions and chemo care.
Cannabis is unlike any other medicine
we know or have studied before and the truth is that only very low doses are
needed to nudge the ECS in the right direction and for your body to start
producing enough Endocannabinoids and ECS receptors to start healing.
I have witnessed how often patients on
lower doses experience more significant symptom relief, especially for pain and
sleep conditions.
And often times when a patient does
not achieve efficacy the treatment is actually enhanced by REDUCING the dose instead
of increasing the dose and this is very interesting medical response in the
majority of people who try ultra low dosing protocols.
So the big question is : “Is Cannabis the be-all and end-all of modern
medicine?”
The simple answer is of course NO!
There really are no magical ‘cure-all’
remedies and no one should expect this from the Cannabis plant as there are so
many variants at play in disease assessment today especially the uniqueness of
the individual ECS.
This is why I urge people to not wait
until they or their loved ones are already at the end before thinking about
inviting Cannabis into your lives. My whole life people have been coming to me
on their deathbeds after the doctor has sent them home and I have seen hundreds
if not thousands of stage 4 recoveries In my life, but unfortunately sometimes
it is simply too late.
It is never fair to offer false hope
but the truth is that for the majority of people who have tried Cannabis, the
plant has offered them healing in one way or another.
So my message to everyone today is to
be super conscious of Responsible Adult Consumption of THC, as well as harm
reduction in our communities.
All Cannabis shops, dispensaries and social clubs have a
huge role to play in Harm reduction today and I would love to urge owners of
these establishments and anyone thinking of opening a Cannabis business to
educate themselves and their staff on the medical aspects of the plant and to
be conscious of members who might have pre existing or undiagnosed mental
health conditions.
A big part of this social responsibility is to also offer
members low THC and 1:1 strains that contain more CBD. It is always a good idea
to have pre-rolled CBD flower on offer as well as a high CBD tincture in your
first aid kit
Unfortunately today due to politics and economic greed
surrounding this plant, one can no longer trust the scientific research online
even on Pubmed. There have been recent court cases earlier this year that prove
that 94% of funded Cannabis Medicine research is geared to finding harm with
the plant. This means that only 6% of funded research is geared to positive
outcomes, so you actually have to find someone who knows what they are talking
about.
Here in South Africa there is no shortage of Doctors and
Healers who have studied the ECS and if anyone needs any help please feel free
to contact me directly and I will refer you to a practitioner in your area or
assist you myself.
Monday, June 24, 2024
Redefining Narcissism, Trauma and the Ego
It really pains me to see so many people hating on certain so-called segments of our society.....yes, sure, psychologists claim that 1 in 4 are narcissistic....let me tell you the truth that ii see, that is each one of us has the ability to show these tendencies....because we are all in pain....we are ALL traumatized in one way or another....whether we know it or not.
And yes absolutely it is each one of our responsibility to ensure that
our triggers and fears do not ruin other people in the process....but not
everyone has the strength to actually do this.
People
who are in daily pain are weak people who do not have the strength to help
themselves and therefore they need help to cope with their emotions, thoughts
and actions.
Being
in a relationship with a known narcissist is an incredibly painful challenge
and ii urge couples to address these type of concerns long before the church
bells start ringing.
In my opinion, those of us who enjoy gossiping and speculating about so-called narcissists are in fact also narcissists, myself included, because this type of behaviour also stems from the place of ego because the ego thrives on comparison and this is an easy trap for all of us to fall into.
The Ego is not something to drop, it is not something to
destroy, you yourself are that ego…and all the egos are little building blocks
of this world
There’s no shortage of new age dogma that teaches us about this
so-called 5th dimension. This doctrine also teaches that humanity
must lose the ego. I’v met so-called teachers of the 5th dimensional
transcendence process and they claim to be egoless, yet their lives are not reflecting
anything to convince me that this dogma is actually working for them. In my
opinion to ‘lose the ego’ is to lose consciousness! We must become more
concerned about the collective ego and the collective consciousness and less
concerned about destruction and separation and division, it’s all about
wholeness.
They claim to be superior beings moving to a superior 5D
world. The truth is that if you really study these topics you will know that
the so-called 5th dimension is actually so tiny and right now it is
actually stuck between 4 and 6 like it is pinched between those two dimensions.
Personally I recommend the 6h dimension there is far more
love to be found there but there is also a lot of karma there.
So in my opinion no one is superior and no dimension is
superior and in my studies my late teacher used to always send me to the 13th
dimension and that is where all the action is. Up there we no longer have a
digestive tract, every spirit up there is a breatharian! And with no gut there
is no disease, toxicity and no psychosis!
We must question everything and avoid falling into spiritual
traps that promote negativity like separation, selfishness and self-hatred. I also
question the mentality that these so-called superior people will simply leave
us plebs behind and move on….that does not sound very irie to me, quite cold
actually!
If you wish to travel spiritually I urge people to not fall
prey to the many false life teachings that have deceived us for eons. (All of
these studies will be shared in my upcoming book The Secret Place of The Most
High)
The truth is and we must realize that we are that ego
that these teachers are suggesting you must destroy. So this is actually where
self-hatred comes from and another truth is that whatever we reject or deny,
will ultimately possess us, that is a fact and the true teaching is “What we
resist will persist”. To destroy the ego would mean to destroy yourself and
you should ask yourself why would you want to become entrapped in such a
teaching? Perhaps we should consider simply surrendering to our own egos. The goal is to be authentically human.
"Before Enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment; chop wood, carry water." (Zen Koan)
In my opinion people who present or identify as "Echoists" aka empaths, are really just subliminal narcissists because we are simply suppressing our own personalities because of our past trauma. These people believe that other people’s happiness and needs come before theirs and this they believe to be a requirement in order to find love and approval.
Like
narcissists, the opposite end of the scale also display poor mental health and
end up in dysfunctional relationships because ultimately they tend to give more
than they receive.
Echoists
seem quite content in putting others' needs before their own and this is just
as unhealthy, especially when taken to extremes.
We
see this a lot in many co-dependent and 'people-pleasing' relationships
because the truth is where you find narcissism - echoism is always close-by.
The irony is that as some people obsess over how NOT to be a narcissist, they
are really also just exhibiting self-absorption.
In my opinion the only way to overcome trauma-based personality traits is to constantly observe ourselves. To be deliberate about the way we wake up each day and how we go to sleep and everything that we do in between that time.
The most important step to healing our trauma
is to observe our thoughts because our thoughts really do control our lives.
If
necessary we must go and find some way to help ourselves to develop self-love
and healthy relationships, but most importantly we have to find ways to address
our traumas so that we do not continue to hurt ourselves and others, especially
our children.
I
will love to see a society that recognizes that we are ALL completely damaged,
and ii am yet to meet a person who has absolutely no trauma at all.
It's
completely ridiculous to hate on people that you consider to be narcissistic
because that basically makes you one as well, even though you were traumatized
by such a person.
In this particular case ii do not believe that the solution is in
the problem.....the only solution to this problem and most of our
people-problems is LOVE!
As
a collective-people we really need to learn how to "unlove hate" and realize
that unloved people hate themselves. And then you have people who are not able
to unlove the person that hurts them and they keep going back for more because
they don't really love themselves. So this vicious circle is causing havoc in
our world today.
Collective trauma in any society is real and not just
historical facts. Besides the issue of the ‘fatherless family’ ii do believe
that societal trauma is the second greatest risk to public health in our world
today. And sadly all trauma emerges from empty egos because all versions of
hatred dwell in empty egos that lack the ability to self-heal.
No matter what has happened to us, it is each one of our duty to ourselves and to our communities and to future generations to heal our own trauma.
And it's important to realize that healing does not mean
that the trauma never existed and believe it or not ii have had patients who
once healed, missed their trauma so much because it felt weird and abnormal to
the patient to not have the trauma anymore...like something was 'wrong'...and
these types of emotions are perfectly normal as well and simply means that more
healing is necessary.
The best thing you can do is to find a way to actually
embrace your trauma, and please believe me, ii do realize how ridiculously
awkward and uncomfortable this suggestion sounds! I am suggesting that we
try to find a way to actually 'love' our trauma through acceptance so that we
may reach that place where the trauma and pain no longer controls your
emotions, your thoughts and ultimately your life.
Love truly is the ONLY remedy for emotional pain and
trauma because trauma blocks love and love heals trauma and ii highly recommend
it because it transformed my own life!
If you claim to be an empath
Thursday, June 6, 2024
The Fatherless Family and how the plant can help us to be better parents
In my opinion the most significant health crisis the
world is facing right now is that of “Fatherlessness”.
As a major public health disaster I now believe that
every social ill faced by our children in this world is also directly related
to fatherlessness.
Statistics reveal that children from fatherless homes are
more likely to be poor, more likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol,
more likely to drop out of school, more likely to do crime and most importantly
these children are also more likely to suffer with health and emotional
problems throughout their lives. They are also more likely to become parents while
still teenagers thus exasperating the fatherless societal syndrome we are
seeing play out today.
Some of the main root reasons for the rise in the
fatherless family in our world today are illiteracy, illegitimacy,
homelessness, prison, military service, certain fertility procedures and
suicide.
Let’s take a look at some of the real consequences of
fatherlessness in our world today.
1. Scarcity is the back door to trauma, addictions and poor health
If you take a look at the statistics revealed in the US Census
Bureau under ‘Children’s Living Arrangements and Characteristics’ you will
learn that in America children living in female-headed families with no father,
had a poverty rate of almost 50%.
This shows that children living in fatherless homes are 4
times more likely to be poor.
In South Africa an alarming 60% of our children do not
live with their biological fathers.
2. The
Fatherless Family is the Gateway to Alcohol and Drug Abuse
In my opinion the number one reason why studies show that children from fatherless homes often engage in self-harming behavior and present with high levels of addiction and anti-social behavior is the sense of abandonment and lack of confidence that children experience. This type of trauma can follow a person for a lifetime.
When you walk the streets of Cape Town many young people will tell you how they found affection and encouragement from gangsters. They will tell you straight up that they turned to drugs and alcohol to numb the daily pain.
In many communities worldwide this is an ongoing pattern
that fuels intergenerational trauma and ultimately some form of dependency and
even co-dependency.
On average the studies reveal that fatherless children
are 70% more likely to take drugs and 76% more likely to do crime. These are
the dramatic consequences of fatherless families and their impact on public
health.
3. Children
living within fatherless families are also living with poor mental and physical
health
A 2006 study (Hofferth, S.L) looked at 1977 children from
age 3 upwards living with a resident father, and showed that these children had
far fewer externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems than children
living in fatherless families. This study also showed that fatherless children
are twice as likely to commit suicide.
The effect of historical changes that led to the destruction
of the nuclear family unit also led to a total disregard for the nature of the
father-child relationship and the impact of this relationship on human
development.
How we show up in life is largely dependent on our
overall state of health.
4. Research
reveals that 71% of high school dropouts are fatherless
Children from fatherless families have a greater struggle
academically and this results in illiteracy, poor thinking skills and poor
decision making skills. According to this research fatherless children are less
likely to achieve academic qualifications in adulthood.
5. Fatherless
children are more likely to engage in delinquency and the result is crime
Studies have been carried out to explore
the relationship between family structure and the risk of violence in
neighborhoods. The results showed that if the number of fathers is low, then
there is an increase in teen violence in those neighborhoods.
These studies also show that
teenagers who live in areas with higher levels of family integration commit
less violence and crime.
In the Journal of Marriage Volume
67 pages 767 to 780 it is reported that children living with both biological
parents were less likely to experience sexual assault or to witness other types
of major violence in their families compared to children living in
single-parent or stepfamilies.
6.
Teenage pregnancy
and the impact of illegitimacy
In many poor countries today
people are controlled by the social grant and especially the child grant. This
has also resulted in many poor families encouraging pregnancy as a means of
securing an income for the family.
A lot of impoverished people can only
see social grants as a short term solution to their daily hunger that prevents
most people from calculating the true costs of raising a child.
In many places today this is the
only income they have and the pressure to fall pregnant weighs heavily on young
people.
Today in America 1 in 3 children
are living without their fathers and the statistics show that teenagers from
fatherless families are far more likely to be sexually active compared to teens
living with their fathers. (Hendricks CS et al, 2005)
In
many communities today the reality is that the dysfunctional family unit has
ultimately led to the destruction of the nuclear family
In a study of 17 000 children born in the UK in 1958
and who were followed up with at ages 7, 11, 16,23 and 33 revealed that
children with involved fathers have less emotional and behavioral difficulties
in adolescence and that teenagers who felt close to their fathers go on to have
more satisfactory adult marital relationships.
This study also revealed that girls who have a strong
relationship with their fathers showed a lack of psychological distress in
adult life.
It is ironic that so many families are fatherless due to
so-called Cannabis crimes…..and yet I have seen how this plant can heal these
families and the millions of fathers who are imprisoned within the system of
sadness.
How can Cannabis help
to overcome the emotional impact of a father’s absence?
Cannabis can help us to allow ourselves to grieve the
pain of growing up without a father. The plant can also help to build our
self-esteem by helping us to let go of any guilt that often exists, and most
importantly the plant can offer forgiveness. All of these things contribute to
having healthier relationships.
I would really like to see a society where we have more
“stay-at-home dads” and more fathers who are prepared to mentor fatherless
children.
A society that nurtures the idea that single fathers
could also be full-time caregivers to their children.
An increasing number of mothers are using Cannabis to
help them parent and I encourage fathers to do the exact same!
Women have been using Cannabis to be better mothers since
forever because the plant makes them feel better and happier in their bodies
and minds.
Calmness and patience are two benefits that are most
commonly reported and many mothers report that using Cannabis helps them to get
into the headspace where they can patiently help with their children’s homework
and activities.
Cannabis calms the nervous system down and helps busy
moms to slow down enough to spend quality time with their children in the
evenings.
Through responsible adult consumption of the plant so
many moms say that they are able to be ‘truly present’ with their children and
this inspires creativity.
Managing the often difficult emotions that come with parenting
like frustration is easily overcome when you invite Cannabis into your lives
In the same way as some people use alcohol to escape
their reality, other people use Cannabis to be more involved in what they are
doing and we see this filtering through to the parenting realm.
Even though in my country we have fought decades for the
Cannabis for Private Use Bill, it is important to note that it is still a
punishable crime to be caught smoking Cannabis or anything in front of a child.
So even though most people’s grandmothers are now using Cannabis there is still
a huge stigma attached.
One thing I really do not want to see is a society where
Cannabis is used against a parent in child custody battles and divorce
settlements. We already have had over 50 years of this situation and I have
personally been to court many times to help prevent people losing their
children because they consume the herb.
Parenting
is about consciousness and Cannabis makes us very conscious. If nothing else,
it cuts down on alcohol consumption and this is a major win in our society
Conscious parenting and co-parenting is when as adults we let go of our
egos, needs, desires and attachments to strive for judgment-free caring of all
aspects of our children’s lives with the aim of raising children who are in
touch with their authentic selves.
This all adds up to a gentler, calmer and more peaceful
style of parenting where parents find ways to truly ‘be’ with their children.
It is interesting
that adult-use Cannabis laws have been linked with a decrease in foster care
admissions
A study conducted at the University of Mississippi looked
at foster care admission in American states before and after adult-use Cannabis
was legalized. Bear in mind that recreational use is still not legal in the
state of Mississippi.
This study conservatively confirmed that there was at
least a 10% reduction in total foster care admissions since legalization. The
study also found that admissions due to physical abuse and neglect also
decreased after legalization.
This proves
that Cannabis legalization definitely reduces many threats to child welfare
Cannabis is already famous for helping people with stress
and anxiety and many parents report that the plant helps them to be better
parents and co-parents. Cannabis can help parents to overcome sleepless nights
as well as the general frustration associated with raising children.
Cannabis is all about human health and happiness and
there is a lot of truth in the fact that happy parents raise happy children so I
encourage parents to have a look at how the many benefits of the human companion
plant can bring more health and happiness into your life.
Thursday, May 30, 2024
CBD and corona virus symptoms in 2024
There is now no doubt that CBD (Cannabidiol) can assist us to overcome the "sars virus" that is responsible for the corona.
And as so-called new variants are developed each year, the plant is busy building confidence in the ever emerging power of CBD in the presence of tiny amounts of THC.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
420 Highlights!
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
The real risks of male infertility and how Cannabis sativa L can reverse the anti-androgen agenda
For more than 100 years now this world has been pushing
the agenda that Cannabis causes male infertility. For the past 45 years I have
without fail received weekly panic stricken messages from men requesting information
on this government perceived threat. I’ve also been using Cannabis for that long
to help people to conceive.
From my perspective men that consume Cannabis have been
taking the blame for infertility problems while in reality based on my clinical
observations and the science the greatest risk is in fact an under developed
female Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
What are the risks of male infertility in modern
society?
1. 1. A daily dose of Endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins and carcinogenic compounds
The earliest history of endocrine disruptors goes back to
the American pig farmers in the 1920’s when they became concerned about low
swine fertility.
As far as pesticides go they all contain hormone
disruptors and it’s interesting to note that the Sumerians used sulphur
compounds to controls pests 4500 years ago according to the tablets.
Sulfates are known hormone disruptors and are now even found in bottled water,
About 3200 years ago the Chinese started using mercury
and arsenic in their pest control efforts. Today we have pesticides known as’
glyphosate’ and ‘squamiquart’ that also contain toxic hormone disruptors that
are also neurotoxic. It is said that no
one on Earth can escape pesticide poisoning, not even on the North Pole where
it has been detected.
Heavy metals, also been around since before creation,
also known to block hormone receptors and testosterone production.
2. 2. The modern lifestyle is literally destroying the future of humanity
Caffeine and sugar are known hormone disruptors but more
than half the population is addicted to both!
Known disruptors of human and animal hormones include but
definitely not limited to BPA’s (Bisphenol A found in all plastic products,
windows, eyewear, resins, food cans, bottle tops, water supply), caffeine, peanut
butter, alcohol, nicotine, cosmetics, laundry detergents, soap, intimate
products, toothpaste, Vaseline/petroleum jelly, toys, carpets, sugar and
especially sugar substitutes definitely cause hormonal imbalances.
Even some essential oils like tea tree and lavender
contain compounds that can affect the sex hormones.
All pharmaceuticals, pesticides, plasticizers and
processed foods, including their packaging contain endocrine disruptors
including milk, meat, poultry, cheese, yogurt, yellow oils, grains like bread,
oats, crackers, pasta, rice, soya beans and cereals,
All of these items and many more can lower
testosterone by increasing the activity of an enzyme called Aromatase. This
enzyme converts testosterone into estrogen in men.
Also, all of
these hormone disruptors are also carcinogenic and are in my opinion the
biggest cause of the radical increase in hormonal cancers we are seeing today
like womb, prostrate, testicular and breast cancers.
So not only
are these human-made toxins able to cause cancer and disrupt hormones they are
also all neurotoxic meaning that they also destroy brain cells.
There is no shortage of scientific papers providing
evidence that all of these substances and even substances still unknown to us
result in reduced testosterone levels in the blood.
What happens in the womb during pregnancy?
Even more concerning is the effect of endocrine
disruptors on the unborn baby.
In Pallotti et al,
scientists explored the potential dangers including the disruption of
testosterone production and reproductive tract development.
Maternal exposure to endocrine disruptors is a great risk
to the unborn male baby and to the future of humanity. Here is a potent quote
from this paper that is quite alarming:
“Maternal
exposure during fetal life offers the greatest risk to the developing organism:
exposure in this phase is associated with disruption of testosterone
production and reproductive tract development, as demonstrated by the in
vivo and in vitro detection of multiple anti-androgenic EDCs in fetal life.”
This
is the phase in which sex is determined, with differentiation of the
reproductive tissues, a fundamental step for the future development and
maintenance of reproductive function.
In the male fetus, these processes are dependent on the
initiation and maintenance of androgen activity. This may be disrupted by EDCs
at various levels, including AR antagonization and interference with the
synthesis of steroid hormones Disruption of these processes may thus lead to a
risk of damage to the reproductive tissues while the fetus is still in the
womb, leading
to malformations
(hypospadias, cryptorchidism, testicular hypertrophy, reduced anogenital
distance), impairment of future fertility (altered spermatogenesis,
infertility) and/or even the appearance of testicular tumors.”
Dr Pallotti’s 2020
paper had 97 citations as evidence of the potential dangers of endocrine
disruptors to testosterone production, and I am just going to share a few here
today for those who wish to do their own research and I really do encourage
this. [1-6]
So as you can see the very last thing you need to worry
about is Cannabis causing male infertility when you have so many other risks of
exposure from governments and corporations.
The main pathway for endocrine disruptors to enter the
body is through food, breast milk and water. Small children and the developing
fetus are far more likely to be affected by these dangerous chemicals than
adults.
The issues surrounding so-called safe low-doses remains
highly controversial especially in the face of all the evidence that endocrine
disruptors are very UNSAFE not only for us but also for future generations that
have not even been exposed yet!
What does the science say about
Cannabis and male infertility?
We know that the ECS controls the
Endocrine system, the hormone system, and we also know that like most hormones,
Testosterone actually increases Endocannabinoid tone. [7-8]
But this is not all! Scientists
have also realized that testosterone also plays a vital role in the production
of Endocannabinoids in the male body and especially 2-AG that is the human
version of CBD produced within the body. [9-13]
There are literally hundreds of journal
papers on this topic that prove the vital role of the ECS in sperm production
and regulation.
People need to know that Endocannabinoids and
therefore Cannabis are actually responsible for the production of human sperm. [14]
This means that a man with an
underdeveloped Endocannabinoid System (ECS) will struggle with infertility
issues.
Men
need Cannabis to supplement their ECS and their sperm production with the human
companion plant
Not only does human sperm express EC receptors but
Anandamide, 2-AG and other Endocannabinoids are also present in human sperm. So
clearly Cannabis has a role to play in human reproduction! [15]
The science also proves that there is no difference in
testosterone levels between users and non-users of Cannabis. Here is a quote
from the paper written by Dr Thistle and team for the Andrology Journal. [16]
“…indicating that recency of use, and not duration or frequency,
had the strongest relationship with testosterone levels.
Serum testosterone concentrations were higher in men with more recent marijuana use.”
This paper was very interesting because it was a Danish
study on American men and the study involved 1577 men. This study revealed
increased testosterone levels among Cannabis using men and especially in
respect of recency testing.
And here is a very recent study by Dr Janaina da Silva
that was published in the World Journal of Men’s Health in 2023.
I’m a huge fan of Dr Janaina’s work because she also has
a passion for exploring heavy metal toxicity and I’d love to just share her bio
with you as she is doing incredibly important research in the field of Cannabis
Medicine.
“Actually, I am researching the impact of cannabinoids used for recreational and therapeutical purposes on the male reproductive biology of mice and humans. Also, I am investigating the mechanisms that heavy metals can lead to repro-toxicity. My current interests also involve: cancer biology and therapy, cardiovascular diseases.”
Here is the punch line from her brilliant scientific
paper:
“Results: The testosterone
production and the spatial distribution of Leydig cells did not change
upon CBD and/or THC exposure versus controls
after 48 hours or 9 days. The overall tissue morphology of the
cannabinoids-exposed testis explants was similar to their control upon 24 hours
or 9 days of exposure, a finding confirmed by morphometric analyses on
short-term cultures. In line, the number of apoptotic cells was not affected by
either 48 hours or 9 days of cannabinoids treatment versus mock. Cannabinoids had
no impact on the number of proliferating cells nor on mRNA expression of genes
encoding proteins involved in sperm cell differentiation, meiosis, or Sertoli
and Leydig functions after 24 hours exposure.
Conclusions: Altogether, these findings
show an absence of acute direct effects of exposure to cannabis-derived
cannabinoids THC and CBD on testicular testosterone production and sperm
cells ex vivo. Further
studies are warranted to explore an indirect impact of cannabinoids on testis
functions through the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis axis, as well as the
potential effects of long-term exposures.” [17]
Infertility in general is becoming a worldwide health problem and it’s affecting people’s mental health and happiness. It is one of the many massive lies that has been fed to humanity, that Cannabis lowers testosterone. Please do not be afraid to invite Cannabis into your lives and especially into your bedroom.
Endocannabinoid deficiency is real and
people need to know how to heal themselves from all kinds of medical conditions
and especially infertility.
The proof is irrefutable that
even though Cannabis has been helping people to conceive for thousands of
years, It turns out that Cannabis has no direct effect on the incidence and
evolution of male infertility.
Please
feel free to reach out to me if you or a loved one needs any help to nudge
their Endocannabinoid System in the right direction.
CITATIONS
[1] (Pallotti F et
al, 2020) “Mechanisms of Testicular Disruption from Exposure to Bisphenol A
and Phtalates” Journal of Clinical Medicine Volume 9 Issue 2 page 471, 8
February 2020 PMCID PMC7074154 PMID: 32046352 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7074154/
[2] (Kortenkamp A, 2020) “Which chemicals
should be grouped together for mixture risk assessments of male reproductive
disorders?” Journal of Molecular Cellular Endocrinology page Volume 1
Issue 499, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31525431/
[3] (Gaudriault P et al, 2017) “Endocrine disruption in human fetal testis explants
by individual and combined exposures to selectd pharmaceuticals, pesticides,
and environmental pollutants.” Journal Environmental Health Perspective
2017 Volume 125 Issue 1 page 11, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28796631/
[4] (Conley J.M. et al, 2018) “Mixed “Antiandrogenic” chemicals at low individual
doses produce reproductive tract malformations in the male rate.” Journal
Toxicology Science 2018 Volume 164 pages 166-178, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6677127/
[5] (Howdeshell K.L. et al, 2007) “Cumulative effects of dibutyl phthalate and diethylhexyl
phthalate on male rat reproductive tract development: Altered fetal steroid
hormones and genes.” Journal Toxicology Science 2007 Volume 99 pages
190-202, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17400582/#:~:text=In%20the%20fetal%20male%20rat,critical%20for%20gubernacular%20ligament%20development.
[6] (Howdeshell K.L. et al 2008) “Mechanisms of action of phthalate esters, individually
and in combination, to induce abnormal reproductive development in male
laboratory rats.” Journal Environmental Research 2008 Volume 108 pages 168-176,
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18949836/#:~:text=Mixtures%20of%20phthalate%20esters%20with,during%20sexual%20differentiation%20in%20utero.
[7] (Kristie Conde et al, 2017) “Testosterone Rapidly Augments Retrograde
Endocannabinoid Signaling in Proopiomelanocortin Neurons to Suppress Glutamatergic
Input from Steroidogenic Factor 1 Neurons via Upregulation of Diacylglycerol
Lipase-α” Journal Neuroendocrinology Volume 105 Issue 4, 6 March 2017 PMCID
PMC5839320 PMID 27871072 NIHMSID NIHMS852640 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839320/
[8] (Borgquist A et al, 2015) “The
role of AMP-activated protein kinase in the androgenic potentiation of
cannabinoid induced changes in energy homeostasis.” Journal Physiological Endocrinology
Metabolism Volume 308, 2015 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25550281/
[9] (Marzo DI et al, 2001) “Leptin-regulated
endocannabinoids are involved in maintaining food intake.” Journal Nature
Volume 410 pages 822-825, 2001, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11298451/#:~:text=Leptin%2Dregulated%20endocannabinoids%20are%20involved%20in%20maintaining%20food%20intake
[10] (Malcher-Lopes et al, 2006) “Opposing
crosstalk between leptin and glucocorticoids rapidly modulates synaptic
excitation via Endocannabinoid release.” Journal Neuroscience Volume 26 pages
6643-6650, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16775153/
[11] (Kola B et al, 2008) “The orexigenic
effect of Ghrelin is mediated through central activation of the endogenous
cannabinoid system.” Journal PloS One Volume 3 page 1797, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18335063/#:~:text=The%20orexigenic%20effect%20of%20ghrelin,of%20the%20endogenous%20cannabinoid%20system
[12] (Kirkham TC et al, 2002) “Endocannabinoid
levels in rat limbic forebrain and hypothalamus in relation to fasting, feeding
and satiation: stimulaton of eating by 2-arachidonyl glycerol” British Journal
of Pharmacology Volume 136 pages 550-557, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1573386/#:~:text=Endocannabinoid%20levels%20were%20compared%20to,2%2DAG%20in%20the%20hypothalamus.
[13] (Yoshida T et al, 2006) “Localization of
diacylglycerol lipase-α around postsynaptic spine suggests close proximity
between production site of an endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonyl-glycerol, and
presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptor”. Journal of Neuroscience and Journal of
Fertility and Sterility, Volume 26 Issue 18 pages 4740-4751, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6674155/
[14] (Claudia
Osycka-Salut et al, 2017) “Anandamide induces
sperm release from oviductal epithelia through nitric oxide pathway in bovines”
Journal PloS One Volume 7 Issue 2 12 February 2017 PMID 22363468 PMCID:
MPC3281848
[15] (M Rossato et al 2005) “Human
sperm express cannabinoid receptor Cb1, the activation of which inhibits
motility, acrosome reaction, and mitochondrial function” Journal Clinical
Endocrinology Volume 90 Issue 2 pages 984-91, February 2005 PMID 15562018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15562018/
[16 ] (Thistle et al, 2017) “Marijuana
use and serum testosterone concentrations among U.S. males” Journal
Andrology Volume 5 Issue 4 pages 732-738 PMID 28395129 PMCID PMC5660879 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28395129/
[17] (da Silva J et
al, 2023) “The Acute Exposure of Human Adult Testis Tissue to Cannabinoids
THC and CBD Does Not Impact Testosterone Production Nor Germ Cell Lineage” World
Journal of Men’s Health Volume 41 Issue 4 pages 928-939 PMID 37118951
PMCID: PMC10523127 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37118951/