After a six and half hour drive, on a cold and
rainy Friday the 13th October we arrived in the beautiful and
majestic Hogsback for the purpose of catching the last weekend of the annual
Open Gardens to view the immaculately landscaped gardens in the village.
For me personally, the honour and privilege was to present
a talk to the community and visitors about the most medicinal flower on Earth.
Usually I would only speak about one specific topic
but my amazing hostess Joanne Campbell who runs her CBD shop called Cannacopia,
in Hogsback, asked me to speak on 4 topics over the 2 days and I felt moved to
record my talk for the benefit of those who could not attend to listen to how
Cannabis can heal cancer, fybromyalgia, pain and depression.
I had the privilege of meeting Joanne Campbell,
owner of Cannacopia, “the quaint little shop in Hogsback” in 2021 and since
then she has been asking me to do a book-signing in Hogsback and finally thanks
to the amazing support of my beautiful friends at The Canna Club in Plettenberg
Bay this occasion became a reality. Without the kindness of Heidi and Herman
and Esther this trip would not have been possible.
I was completely overjoyed to witness the amazing healing work that Joanne is achieving from her quaint shop in her small community by bringing the plant closer to the people and I wish her every success in expanding her business in Hogsback and beyond.
Come to Hogsback and meet Joanne “The Hempress of
Hogsback”
When I speak about Cannabis Medicine I always like
to inform people that the Endocannabinoid System is not a new therapeutic
target. Today we have archaeological evidence going back 350 million years
where Endocannabinoid receptors were identified in sea squirts. Some search
engines and even ChatGPT indicate that the evidence is more likely 500 million
years!
Before 1937 CBD was always in the food chain
because it was known that human beings have a set of receptors that require to
be supplemented with components found in the Cannabis plant.
So today we are on our 8th/9th
generation of Endocannabinoid deficiency and statistics reveal that 1 in 4 people
worldwide are now ill
The Endocannabinoid System is the body’s “Super-Computer”
because it controls all of our physiological systems
Everyone has an Endocannabinoid System and everyone’s
brain produces Endocannabinoids, and when you become ill, your system needs to
be supplemented with the Cannabis plant. Endocannabinoids are known by
scientists to be the most abundant neurotransmitters in the body because of the
fact that this system controls all of our other physiological systems.
Cannabis is now implicated in 678 medical
conditions including corona, yet this information is still not taught in
medical schools.
At least once a week, I am asked by a medical
doctor how it is possible that they studied the body for seven years but they
have never heard of this system. I suspect that the reason for this is that
there are 8 billion different Endocannabinoid systems and this means that this
medicine is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ type of treatment. In my own practice I
tailor make each patient’s medicine to suit their specific needs.
My hostess Joanne has asked me to speak about
cancer, pain, fibromyalgia and depression. I am happy to speak on each of these
as I have personal and clinical experience in these conditions.
Let us start with cancer because I am also a
cancer-survivor, all praises to the plant! In my opinion cancer is a condition
of failed immunity because once your body starts manifesting tumours then you
realise that you have very little immunity left.
In my book, Cannabis is the human companion plant,
I make a statement saying that Cannabis is the plant whisperer of human DNA and
the reason why I say this is because as human beings we do share over 40% of
our genome with Cannabis sativa L. And I believe that this is the very reason
why Cannabis has to date been able to cure every type of cancer that it has
been tested against.
When I think about cancer I am reminded of the
words of one of my mentors Dr Henry Ealy of the Energetic Health Institute.
This is the only medical school to be banned from YouTube because of Dr Ealy’s
stance on the corona vaccine.
Dr Henry says that we should give thanks for cancer
because if there was no cancer then people would be dying from their tumours. So
with cancer we are given a period of grace where we can take action and reverse
our condition through self-healing. Modern history has revealed that this is
very achievable with plant medicine.
Cannabis destroys cancer through more than one mechanism
The very first thing that the plant does is to
reduce inflammation and from there the anti-tumour properties kick in.
In my book in chapter 3 I explain the process of
Apoptosis and Autophagy. Apoptosis is the process whereby the mutant cancer
cells are forced into a “cellular suicide”. You can also take a look at the
videos by Dr Christina Sanchez who explains this process very nicely.
Autophagy is the process of cleaning up these
damaged cells, membranes and organelles and ridding the body of these.
Autophagy happens at the moment you start to experience “the munchies” this is
when we need to not eat and let the hunger pangs pursue as this is the exact
moment when the body is preparing to clean out damaged cells. Cannabis is the only
botanical that can induce autophagy but you can also achieve this state through
intermittent fasting which is why fasting is so effective in healing cancer
patients.
Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System are able to
literally cut of the blood supply to tumours through the process of
Anti-angiogenesis which means that the blood vessels supplying tumours are
destroyed. Cannabis is also able to destroy Triple-negative breast cancer
cells.
"I found Sista Vee's medicine to be profoundly effective in reducing the bleeding of active and aggressive tumors and keeping wounds relatively clean where most certainly it would be much worse without THC on board." ~ Dr John Wulz, Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa
And it is not only the cannabinoids of the plant
that can assist with cancer healing. The terpenes also have the same healing
properties as the cannabinoids and are also able to induce apoptosis and
autophagy. Terpenes like Humulene and Limonene are part of the cancer-fighting
artillery of the Cannabis plant.
The leaves contain a substance called Cannaprene
and this molecule is also able to induce apoptosis and autophagy
In the roots you will find a substance called
Friedlin that specifically targets liver disease and liver cancer. This is why
it is known that the very best Cannabis medicine is only really possible
through using the entire plant, roots and all.
Other benefits include relief for pain, insomnia,
appetite, nausea, depression, hormone regulation, homeostasis, gene repair and
nutrient absorption.
It is during chemo-care that I really see the plant
shining as you can clearly see in the chemo room which patients are taking CBD.
The plant literally changes nausea to the munchies and sadness to gladness. I often receive messages like this
Today smoking is the probably the least popular
form of getting cannabinoids into your system. You can try tinctures, oils,
edibles, suppositories as well as topical treatment.
I would really like to urge people to not consider Cannabis
only as a last resort, when in fact it should be the first port of call. Cancer
is pretty easy to prevent and now that we know exactly how Cannabis cures
cancer, we must surely realise that supplementation of the Endocannabinoid
System is essential.
Next up is the condition of Fybromyalgia, one of
the most misunderstood syndrome of symptoms of the hyper-pain conditions
Previously known as Fibrositis, meaning
inflammation of the connective tissues but today we know that this inflammation
extends to the nerve fibres as well.
I always like to look for the root causes of each
patient’s condition and I have now learnt through decades of research that
stress is a 95% catalyst of this condition. And this is precisely where fibromyalgia
becomes ‘misunderstood’. Many people cannot sympathise with people who are in
severe pain unless they can see the hole that you are bleeding out of! So a lot
of people including doctors do not really believe that patients can have so
much pain without any physical evidence of this pain being possible. Patients
suffering from fibromyalgia are too often labelled as hypochondriacs, lazy
people, attention seeking and so many other negative connotations for people
simply suffering with an unseen pain
There is a perfectly explainable reason why some
people’s bodies simply cannot endure any stress and in these cases this stress
manifests as severe and ‘unexplained’ pain
The common denominator in patients with this
condition is a Hypothalamus dysfunction. The Hypothalamus is the part of the
brain concerned with the stress response, anxiety, emotions, and memory and
also controls the Pituitary gland that is the main centre of hormone production
in the body. When there is a dysfunction of the hypothalamus the patient has
very low serotonin and when serotonin is low this does not only manifest as
depression. Low serotonin amplifies stress and magnifies pain and this is why
people suffering from fibromyalgia have super low stress thresholds and there
is nothing that conventional medicine can do about it without severe side
effects of their medicines. .
Some other root causes include the Epstein-Barr
virus that many patients also present with. It is generally very difficult to
get rid of, but you can also try Essiac tea and colloidal silver. Cannabis is
also a powerful antiviral medicine.
Other pathogens include bacterial infections,
parasites and also heavy metal toxicity is a big one in people suffering with
hyper-pain conditions like fibromyalgia and even rheumatoid arthritis.
Dehydration is a common problem in most of the population, but the reason why it is a root cause in this condition is because dehydration drastically depletes our Tryptophan that is the building block for our serotonin and melatonin, and this bears repetition, that when serotonin is low, stress is amplified and pain is magnified. The correct amount of water to consume per day is 35ml per kg body weight.
Photo courtesy of Legacy Grower, Zungu Xolile,
How can Cannabis help with fibromyalgia?
1. Pain and Inflammation
Cannabis works via the opioids and vanilloid
receptors that is the pathway to pain healing in the body.
2. Nervous system calming
CBD calms the entire nervous system and here you
can treat spasms, spasticity, seizures, cramps and Restless Legs Syndrome
3. Neurogenesis and Neuro-protection
Cannabis assists the body to generate new brain
cells while CBD offers protection against damage to brain cells. With this
healing property we can treat brain fog, chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss
and neuropathy. Cannabis also offers neuro protection specifically for the
hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
4. Hormone regulation
It is amazing how often this is overlooked by
doctors. Since the Endocannabinoid system regulates the endocrine system,
Cannabis is extremely helpful in regulating our hormones in times of illness.
Cannabis can increase serotonin and melatonin and increase our ability to
absorb Vitamin D. Cannabis can reduce the harmful effects of the stress
hormones and also regulates our thyroid hormones. Just to remind you what I
mentioned earlier that when the body is low on serotonin then stress is
amplified and pain is magnified.
5. Gut brain repair
Everyone suffering with fibromyalgia is also
suffering from dysbiosis and most often these patients also have a leaky gut.
We must remember that 80% of our serotonin is found in our gut and that 80% of
our nervous and immune system is also found in our gut. Cannabis is able to
heal the delicate gut lining and stimulate the correct bacterial growth
required for optimal health.
I would also go so far as to say that everyone with
fybromyalgia also has unbalanced vagus nerves and you look at my previous paper
on how Cannabis helps to offer vagal nerve stimulation.
https://xhosastyles.blogspot.com/2023/02/how-does-cannabis-stimulate-vagus-nerves.html
6. Hemp Seed Oil
It is a scientific fact that stress not only blocks
the Endocannabinoid receptors but also vampirically feasts on our Vitamin B
supplies. Many people are walking around with pins and needles in their hands
and feet, suffering from terrible neuropathic pain in their feet, this is a
sure sign of Vitamin B deficiency and you need to take action.
Vitamin B is responsible for the production of our
red blood cells and this is why people who have fibromyalgia also suffer with
chronic fatigue syndrome, brain fog and loss of memory. This is because there
is a lack of oxygen in circulation due to the lack of the vital vitamin B.
It is known that hemp seed oil is the perfect form
of nutrition for human beings as it is packed with all the vitamin B’s and
other essential nutrients that we require and that are pretty hard to get from
the modern diet that has no nutrient-density.
Hemp seed is also the perfect formulation of Omega
fats 3, 6, and 9. Many people falsely believe that because our body produces
omega 9 that it is not necessary to supplement. Well, I am here to tell you
that this is not true because the body does not produce enough omega 9 to
protect us from illness and environmental toxins. Omega 3, 6, and 9 protects us
against oxidative stress that leads to cancer by increasing the reactive oxygen
species that in turn increases anti-oxidant activity to destroy free-radicals.
In combination, omega 3, 6 and 9 also offer brain
protection in particular for the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. This is
an excellent alternative for brain health for people who are allergic to fish
oil.
I highly recommend that everyone who is suffering
with any chronic illness add hemp seed oil to their daily regimen. I also
recommend the teachings of Dr Roger Murphree author of The Murphree Method as I
consider him a specialist in the condition of fibromyalgia. The only aspect we
differ on is that Dr Murphree says that we have to tackle the insomnia first
where I am more geared to go straight to the gut.
Every illness is also accompanied by severe
depression
In my opinion clinical depression is when the
patient no longer feels hopeful about their future, and most people feel like
this at least once a day, so you can imagine that a person who can find no
relief for chronic round-the-clock excruciating pain might easily become as
depressed as the patient facing cancer.
We must remember that serotonin is not only about
our mood and feeling happy. This hormone is also responsible for our memory,
hunger signals, body temperature, sexual behaviour, sleep as well as our pain
response.
It is interesting to note that the name given to
our main Endocannabinoid produced by everyone’s brain is Anandamide that is a
Sanskrit word meaning “Internal Bliss” in other words “happiness”.
When a patient becomes ill and depressed their
Anandamide is also severely depleted and this again not only affects the mood
but also all of our vital bodily functions. There is only one plant that can
give us any form of Anandamide supplement and that is the Cannabis plant
because Anandamide is the human version of THC.
Anandamide controls our hormone production and
release by balancing our serotonin, melatonin, sex hormones as well as the
stress hormones, adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. Anandamide also
assists the body to take up more Vitamin D which is essential for so many
functions but in particular for inflammation.
Anandamide is the most abundant neurotransmitter in
the human body and when we are ill it is essential to supplement with Cannabis
medicine
Cannabis calms the entire nervous system and
interacts with our GABA receptors, the limbic and para-limbic systems as well as
the vital HPA axis.
One of the main functions of the Endocannabinoid
System is Neurogenesis and Neuro-Protection, but it also offers “Neuro-Diversity”
that means that the Endocannabinoid System and the plant, takes into account
that every human being has a completely unique constitution and that each system
is beyond comparison just like the
fingerprints and iris of the eyes.
And ask yourself why does Cannabis make people
laugh? In my book I end off with this question since scientists claim that they
still do not know why humans laugh, so I thought to help them out!
Anandamide tickles the brain in a way that produces
amusement, and just by virtue of the fact that Cannabis always makes you feel
better, people would be then be far more inclined to enjoy a laugh. Cannabis
eases any form of suffering and makes any illness easier to bear.
Be sure to visit Joanne at Cannacopia when you next
visit Hogsback to discover how Cannabis can make a difference in your life. Good
bye beautiful Hogsback...until next time!
Photo by Esther Nel, The Canna Club, Plettenberg Bay
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