Who is the true Ganja Queen?

Ma Gu ~ The Ancient Cannabis Goddess ~ A mythological history of Cannabis and longevity…

From a young age since ii started my healing career ii have been referred to as ‘the ganja queen’ by people ii have helped to access Cannabis medicine over the years and ‘queen’ is a reference to Rastafari spirituality. But please let me introduce you to the true Cannabis Goddess and her name is Ma Gu which literally means Hemp. In ancient times more than 5000 years ago the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans appointed an Asian guardian for Cannabis and her name was Ma Gu and she became known as The Hemp Goddess and The Immortal Hemp Maiden and today we continue to respect her as The Goddess of Cannabis. Most of the mythological stories surrounding this goddess involve her work with the poorest of the poor, healing the sick and cultivating the natural world as either a goddess or a priestess.

Legend states that before she was immortalized she had freed thousands of slaves who had worked for her evil father and she taught them how to farm sustainably. Her youth and beauty became symbols of the health and healing of the entire universe which she was believed to protect and to this day she is regarded as the guardian of vitality throughout East Asia. We can see throughout history that it was the Chinese who seemed the most keen to preserve her memory and this is displayed widely in Chinese art where she is famous for healing with peaches and Cannabis.

In fact she was known to serve tea with Cannabis for longevity and this is how she healed the symptoms of menopause and became the symbolic protector of women in Chinese mythology and to this day her birth day is still celebrated on the 6^th day of the 6^th lunar month.

This is how Ma Gu was immortalized as a goddess possessing the elixir of life… the goddess who healed with Cannabis. This is also the first reference to Cannabis and the Feminine Divine which embraces the consciousness of the human companion plant. On a spiritual level the Chinese have always believed that Cannabis can protect us against demonic possession by increasing the “second sight” which is a reference to the pineal gland our third eye and the burning of hemp seeds was associated with cleansing rituals and it was the goddess Ma Gu to whom the people were praying which also gives us a better idea of the value the Chinese placed on the Cannabis plant by aligning it with the goddess of healing and surely only a highly valued goddess could be entrusted to care for our companion plant.

There is a great article titled Beliefs about Aging and Longevity in Ancient China by Joges Candra Ray an Indian researcher who wrote about the fact that the ancient Soma ritual drink of importance was in fact Cannabis. Personally ii find this interesting as this work dates back to 1939 which is the exact same year in which language specialist Sula Bennet confirmed that Kaneh-bosm an ingredient in the biblical Holy Anointing Oil mentioned in the book of Exodus is in fact Cannabis.

Soma is also a plant and is the name of the intoxicating and holy drink which the ancient people of India and surrounds believed could cure disease and offer immortality and Cannabis was the active ingredient of this drink. According to ancient Chinese scripts it is all about rejuvenation and it would be unfair if ii fail to mention that in 2009 it was recorded that the worlds oldest women Fulla Navak 122 years old from India smoked Cannabis every day and praised our human companion plant for her personal longevity.

Why does Cannabis make our eyes red?

Interestingly enough the reason our eyes become red after smoking Cannabis is also the main reason why Cannabis is becoming renowned for its treatment of glaucoma. Basically Cannabis reduces blood pressure, which in turn causes blood vessels and capillaries to dilate. The ocular capillaries dilate which increases the flow of blood to the eyes and this is what naturally reduces intraocular pressure. A lot of people will argue that this is not a good idea and red eyes surely must be a sign of a problem.  Some people will tell you that Cannabis sets your brain on fire and this is why your eyes go red.  Alcohol does the exact same thing because alcohol is also a vaso dilator. The red eye effect of Cannabis is short lived just like the psychedelic effects.

The reality is that the stronger the THC strain the redder your eyes will be but as said before this is also short lived. But some experts will tell you that actually the weaker the THC strain the more red the eyes…so yes everyone is different, every eye is different and again every Cannabis plant is different. So for example a person can smoke a low THC strain one day and have little to no eye redness, while the very next day their eyes may be blood shot after eating a high THC strain edible product. This also explains why red eyes can still occur even in the absence of smoke proving that it is not the smoke which makes our eyes red but the actual Cannabinoids. Personally ii would take red eyes over blindness any day.

Why does Cannabis make us sleep so well?

We know that Cannabis is the best medicine for uninterrupted sleep cycles which is essential to overall health and well -being. Insomnia is usually the biggest problem for any sick person. Not only ill people struggle to sleep there are many healthy people who will also benefit from a good night of sleep. But it is not only the CBN which sends us off to dreamland. Because the chemicals found in the Cannabis plant controls our hormone system our human companion plant can offer us a good night’s sleep because it stimulates the Pineal gland to produce Melatonin and Serotonin which are the two hormones which controls our sleep-wake patterns. So here again you can see how Cannabis controls the Endocrine system and how our bodies absorb hormones.

Most sleeping tablets give the patient a simple hypnotic effect but Cannabis offers a proper nights rest with overall symptom reduction which allows better sleep patterns to be developed. Most of the sedative or hypnotic drugs which are available have awful side effects and none really seem to create a sleep architecture which is even remotely identical to natural sleep architecture. One of the worst side effects of opioid drugs is sleep disruption which in turn intensifies the pain condition. One would think that clever people who become scientists would have considered these side effects but all we achieve through prescribing these man made drugs is an increase in the dose of pain killers required to manage the patient’s pain and an increase in the side effects. This is a major problem which needs to be addressed by gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms of sleep action as well as the mechanisms of drug action. This involves developing a deep knowledge of receptor expression and of how molecules bind to the various receptors. 

The importance of sleep as a medicinal remedy can never be overlooked and we hope that in the future this ongoing clinical problem of sleep disorders may continue to stimulate advances in understanding neurochemical regulation of sleep.

Cannabinoids are able to interact and bind with multiple targets meaning a variety of different receptors and not only the Cannabinoid receptors. It is the combination of all the Cannabinoids and the terpenes especially Myrcene (the mango terpene) which enables Cannabis to be offer us pain relief, anti-anxiety and sedative effects. Cannabis brings sleep on rapidly with less periods of wakefulness and minimal next day effects and almost no abuse potential. No other sedative drug can offer all of this.

Sensual Awakening Herbs

Herbs for Sensual Awakening

While Cannabis medicine will always be my speciality ii have also been very blessed to have trained with traditional healers who have educated me in the healing properties of many different herbs and ii would like to share new healing potential for sensual awakening which is a secret Khoi San recipe of herbs, roots and barks. One of the greatest joys in life is to share love with another person on this journey of life. It is a divine union of lovers entangling two paths together along the path of life where immense potential of beauty is available to be discovered and enjoyed. At some point in life for many different reasons there comes a time when couples might require sensual healing work to address all kinds of sexual dysfunction or trauma whether it is simply to reignite passion or to heal a shared connection.

Sensual awakening offers us natural ways to enhance pleasure and joy and to develop more self-love and a greater self-esteem. Working towards inner union is a journey to wholeness and expansion where one heals and embraces certain aspects within oneself instead of searching for things in another person. This philosophy is of great benefit to both partners.

There are many drugs on the market used to improve sexual response in men and to improve sexual desire and libido in women but a lot of these drugs have alarming side effects. Vitality and sensual awakening herbs for men and women have been used as aphrodisiacs for thousands of years in many cultures and as with any herbal treatment the effects will vary from person to person. Not only do the vibrational qualities of these herbs assist in balancing, relaxing and energizing your aura and chakras which is known to promote a sensual state of mind but they also effect healing in the blood system by cleansing the blood stream and stimulating blood circulation to the pelvic area. Vitality herbs also act as a muscle relaxant and mood enhancer because they are also hormone supporting herbs which assist in balancing oestrogen and progesterone levels and in this way are able to stimulate stamina and endurance by increasing sensation and sensitivity for both partners.

This is what a typical treatment dose looks like which is about 30 grams of plant material. This parcel is divided into 3 parts. The first section is taken and a litre of herbal tea is made. Each partner consumes 25 ml of the tea twice a day until the litre is completed this is ten days of treatment. Both partners wait one week before returning to the herbs.

The next picture is a smaller parcel included in the treatment of finely crushed herbs which looks like a reddish brown powder. This parcel must also be divided into three parts. After the one week waiting period passes another litre of tea is made with a one third part of the powder mix and consumed over another ten day period followed by another one week waiting period. By now the couple will have started to appreciate the healing properties of these plants and many couples only need to use the first third of their parcels while others may use the recipe more frequently.

It’s no secret that an active sex life can greatly increase longevity among the elderly and it’s also no secret that intimacy has no age limit. But for many reasons a lot of adults continue to worry about sex in the golden years, some are embarrassed by their aging bodies or their lack of performance while others might be affected by an illness or the loss of their partner.

Sex does not have to deteriorate with age it is quite possible to continue to explore the emotional and sensual aspects of our sexuality by shifting our perception of value from quantity to quality in the intimacy of the bedroom. The truth is that being sexually active virtually guarantees a longer and healthier life.

For more information on how to obtain these sensual awakening herbs please contact me directly.

How does Cannabis heal pain?

What is the mechanism by which Cannabis can ease pain and inflammation?

It has been scientifically declared that Cannabis does greatly contribute to pain relief on a physical level because of the way THC and other Cannabinoids interact with all of our receptors including the vanilloid receptor. Both THC and CBD interact with our vanilloid receptors and this is just one of the ways how Cannabis manifests its pain killing and anti-inflammatory properties. Very little is known about the vanilloid receptor and it is described by scientists as an excitatory ion channel which is expressed by nociceptors so here is the link to the pain receptors which are called nocioreceptors. Capsaicin from the chilli pepper plant is the natural agonist for this receptor which has its own unique pain killing properties but this receptor like our Cannabinoid receptors is also highly lipophilic meaning it has a strong affinity for fats and this is why THC and all the other fat soluble Cannabinoids are naturally attracted to the vanilloid receptor and are able to interact with this receptor and this is where pain healing begins in our bodies. The vanilloid receptor is the gateway to the pain pathway. This biological link between Cannabinoids and the vanilloid receptor as well as the expression of our Cannabinoid receptors on the sensory nerve fibres and adnexal structures in human skin is how Cannabis is able to offer us pain relief.

Once the vanilloid and Cannabinoid receptors are activated by Cannabinoids a brief moment of hyperalgesia or increase to sensitivity to pain is followed by a prolonged period of desensitization and virtually instant reduction of pain in the body. In general there are two basic components of the pain process being the actual signal of pain…getting hurt or injury and the perception of pain itself this is why pain is a subjective experience unique to each individual because everyone’s receptors are wired differently. We can see that both the vanilloid and Cannabinoid receptors have biological similarities which explain why they work so well together in the pain pathway. The chemical action of both receptors presents an initial fleeting moment of pain followed by a long lasting period of desensitisation.

Our pain receptors are called nocioreceptors and they relay information on pain to the brain and these pain receptors exist throughout our entire nervous system. Make no mistake pain is a complex process but we can break it down to the relative activity of nocioreceptor neurons. When they are active, we call this the sensation of pain so their activity which is measured by the number of synapses activated per second and is directly proportional to the amount of pain that we feel. If we can regulate the activity of the pain receptors then we can regulate the pain. Our Cannabinoid receptors found throughout our nervous system are also able to interact with the pain receptors and when the EC system is activated by Cannabis it is able to immediately inhibit the activity of our pain receptors. Some scientists refer to these the opioid and Cannabinoid receptors as ‘friends with benefits’ which proves to us that Cannabis engages multiple receptors involved in the pain pathway.

It is this instant inhibition of the nocioreceptors by the Cannabinoids which is the mechanism by which Cannabis can offer us pain reduction.

We have learnt about the unique feature of our EC system referred to as retrograde transmission and when we look at the analgesic effects of Cannabis it is certain that the entire mechanism by which Cannabis offers pain relief to humans is based on the inhibition of presynaptic neurotransmitters. At any point of injury in the body when neural or non-neural cells in the tissues are injured and damaged there will be a localised upregulation in the expression of our Cannabinoid receptors. So for example if there is a pinched nerve in the neck the body will naturally increase the amount of Cannabinoid receptors in that exact location and the receptors require Cannabinoids to effect healing. The EC system ensures that all damaged cells produce the arachidonic acid derivatives which are our Endocannabinoids Anandamide and 2-AG. This then depletes our natural Endocannabinoid level and the receptors require the additional support of the chemicals found in the Cannabis plant. This is why we need our human companion plant to supplement the EC system.

Our naturally produced Endocannabinoids and Cannabinoids from the Cannabis plant transmit in a different way to any other neurotransmitter. They literally move backwards from the pre-synaptic cell to the post-synaptic cell where all other neurotransmitters move forward from the post to the pre-synaptic cell. This is how Cannabis is able to inhibit the activities of the cell in front of the damaged cell and in the case of pain it inhibits the pain receptors of the cells concerned. The importance of the ability of Cannabinoids to move backwards is that this is how they control the activities of the pre-synaptic cell in other words Cannabinoids can control what happens next at cellular level. The actual mechanism of any healing is really an enigma and so it should not surprise us that our human companion plant works in a very mysterious and profound way through its activities throughout the human body.

Pain is a subjective experience and a lot of patients say that their pain doesn’t actually go away it just becomes easier to manage and everyone has a different story of how Cannabis helps them with their pain. A lot of people claim that they do not feel much difference in the pain but the pain definitely worried them less. It is as if Cannabis is able to distract the pain centre of the mind away from the actual pain. For me personally ii can be honest and say that in many respects it is precisely the ‘being high’  the feeling of  ‘lightness’ meaning the THC which is actually giving me the pain relief so in order to function daily ii do like to be on a bit of buzz.

So many people are in pain today…physical and emotional pain which definitely has an effect on character and behaviour. When people are in pain they tend to lash out at the ones they love as much as they can target perfect strangers. These people desperately need the healing which Cannabis can offer. For so many people Cannabis is able to take their pain away making them feel better within minutes with relief that lasts for hours and our human companion plant can do this for each one of us. It is a combination of the many benefits of Cannabis which contributes to the distraction of aches and pains and based on everything we now know it is my firm belief that THC is the main contributor to all Cannabis healing especially pain.

How to speak to your healer or doctor about Cannabis dosing

Cannabis dosing and tolerance

Things would be a lot easier if there were just one kind of Cannabis plant and doctors would have an easier task of recommending a certain Cannabis dose. But the truth is that there are thousands of different strains some very potent and others which don’t have much effect on the body or mind. Different delivery routes also complicate the matter further because different routes have different effects. Despite all these mysteries surrounding Cannabis medicine dosage can be measured in order to achieve the desired healing effect each patient is looking for. At the end of the day dosing is relative to the potency of the THC content of the plant material. Dr Donald Abrams MD is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. He is one of the few medical doctors who have written about Cannabis dosing. He offers final dosing recommendations which ii use in my own medicine as a guideline. Plants which tests result in around 10% THC he suggests a daily dose of between .15 to 5.55 grams which is a suitable dose for most illnesses but certain cancers will need a much higher dose. As THC levels increase dosage should decrease in grams. Cannabis testing at 20% THC for example would reduce to a daily dosage of around .08 to 2.79 grams while 30% THC would reduce to .01 to 1.86 grams and so on but the important thing to consider is that dosage is an deeply individual issue and often ii will treat two patients with the exact same medical diagnoses with different dosages and again this is because of individual Cannabinoid receptor expression.

It really is true that less is more and ii am a huge fan of micro dosing or miniscule dosing in my healing work and especially with Cannabis medicine. Research is now starting to prove that just tiny amounts of Cannabinoids can stimulate the body to make more Endocannabinoids and build more receptors. This is exactly why so many first-time Cannabis users do not feel any effects the first few times they consume but by the third or fourth time, their bodies would have built more THC receptors and will be ready to respond. More receptors increase a person's sensitivity to Cannabinoids; which means that smaller doses have larger effects, and the individual has an improved foundation for optimum Endocannabinoid activity by consuming just a tiny dose of Cannabis on a regular basis. Some of my oldest patients in their 90’s already are literally consuming six raw Cannabis leaves a day as part of a miniscule maintenance dosing plan. Other patients maintain their health with daily doses Cannabis seeds while others might have established their personal tolerance at say 10 ml of coconut infused Cannabis oil per day. Dosage consideration requires a deep understanding of individual receptor expression in patients. 

When it comes to man-made drugs, it can be difficult to control the dose of synthetic medicines and often the patient doesn’t really have a choice but to commit to the medicine at the prescribed dose and endure whatever side effects come their way. It starts becoming obvious that the whole herbal version of Cannabis can offer many positive side effects which are not present in synthetic versions. The important thing to bear in mind is that synthetic man-made Cannabis medicines are definitely not as effective as when working with whole herbal plant extracts.  Here is a quote by Dr Ware of Health Canada, he says:

“By virtue of purifying those resins, isolating them, and putting them into pharmaceutical products, you sort of give rise to a more standardized and clean product…the challenge is that even though we have these existing prescription cannabinoids that these prescription medicines don’t seem to work the same way that the herbal product does.”

This is the truth and ii really don’t mean to bash the pharmaceutical industry because they do have a lot of excellent products which are also helping many patients but it seems obvious that doctors will have to educate themselves about whole herbal Cannabis healing and not only the synthetics they will be allowed to sell. A lot of the doctors ii have worked with have shown enough enthusiasm to learn about this complex and highly evolved plant by realising that Cannabis medicine doesn’t really fit into any of the conventional medical boxes and so it needs to be handled in its own right and with individual treatment programs to be fully appreciated. The reason why the actual plant cures more effectively than synthetics is because of The Entourage Effect. This is the understanding that all of the plants chemical components must be present in the recipe. All of the different Cannabinoids and terpene profiles are involved in the healing process and they actually all have to work together to achieve the magical healing properties we are seeing with whole herbal Cannabis. We must all realize that THC and CBD are only a part of the equation.

The concept of the Entourage Effect comes from the Hebrew University in Israel from the laboratory of Professor Raphael Mechoulam and describes how all of the chemical compounds of Cannabis must work together in symphony to create the total of all the plant parts which then transcend to the magic powers of this plant of renown. The entourage effect is the natural combination of an array of the over 140 known Cannabinoids as well as hundreds of other chemical components which together produce the specific natural effects of whole herbal Cannabis. There are even terpenes and terpenoids of which over 200 have already been identified and which also mimic the actions of Cannabinoids and also have their own special healing powers so no-one really knows the true number of chemical components within the Cannabis plant.

Potency as with other medical drugs is not only concerned with how strong the effect of a medicine is but rather at what concentration or dose these effects are achieved in different individuals. For instance THC and CBD have different potencies at different targets because of the different ways in which they interact with the different receptors and of course everyone’s receptors work completely differently. This is important because at higher doses THC and CBD are able to engage more targets. Estimating which doses are needed to engage different targets is the secret to healing with this medicine. The research involving my own recipe The Cannabis Coconut Connection took 12 years of field study to bring to the public after almost 20 years of growing and researching the human companion plant. Over the years the challenge has always been to try to produce a quasi-standard recipe for the most common ailments like insomnia, nausea, pain, inflammation, menstrual problems, lack of appetite, obesity, constipation, headaches, high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. In general when working with a Cannabis strain which records around 6 to 8% THC and a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD meaning that the CBD ratio would also be between 6 and 8% an effective formula has proven to be 10 grams of pure Cannabis flowers to 100 ml of virgin organic coconut oil to make small amounts of medicine.

One of the biggest differences between Cannabis medicine and pharmaceutical drugs is that the pharmaceuticals generally only have high potency at one specific target, meaning a specific receptor which they are engineered to target. Cannabis targets all of our receptors and this is why this medicine works so fast and so effectively for such a wide range of health issues. This is also why Cannabis works so well with other pharmaceutical drugs and this has been a blessing over the years as many doctors were not even aware that their patients were taking Cannabis as part of their treatment. The truth is that Cannabis will never really be a medicine which can be standardized and this is because our Cannabis receptor system is as unique to each of us as our fingerprints so factors like receptor expression, tolerance, dual purpose, retrograde transmission and the chakra system also need to be understood. This is not only because everyone is different it is also because no two Cannabis plants are the same and even on the same plant no two buds or branches contain the exact same chemical makeup. Nothing about the EC system is constant or predictable because it is an everchanging system unlike any other system we have ever studied.

Establishing Cannabinoid tolerance also varies from person to person especially in respect of the main psychoactive compound THC. Scientists are actively studying the mechanisms which underlie the development of this tolerance. And it is interesting to note that the extent to which any one of these mechanisms is involved in the establishment of this tolerance seems to be brain-area based and ii really believe that this is because the brain is the main target of THC. In chapter 8 we will take a closer look at the psychedelic properties of the plant.

Many medical practitioners and paediatricians and even veterinarians continue to be amazed at the virtually miraculous healing abilities of the Cannabis plant and truly this plant has shown us many miracles which people continue to experience even when doctors say there is no hope. Many people have seen me at their death bed and then weeks later we are drinking tea together. A lot of doctors must be wondering if Cannabis medicine will work for their patients but they don’t really know anything about how the medicine works or even if it is a real medicine. Some doctors feel that once Cannabis is legal for everyone there doesn’t seem to be any point in doctors prescribing it. Doctors can expect obvious questions from patients such as “How much to take? When to take it? And what type of effects will be felt?” These are the type of things you should be able to discuss with your doctor or health care provider. And there will always be a need for whole herbal Cannabis dispensing because not everyone likes gardening and most people are either too busy or too ill to tend plants. So doctors will still need to assist in making this medicine available to their patients where they can be sure that it contains what the label says it contains and possibly has been tested for toxins and heavy metals.

The truth is that there are many people producing various Cannabis medicines and often ii think there are more producers than patients but the fact is that you really do not know what is in these products and the only way to be totally sure of what you are consuming is to grow the plants yourself and produce your own medication otherwise you will need to put your trust in another human being who really is no more qualified than yourself. Many doctors today are in fact aware of the medicinal healing properties of Cannabis and everyone should be urged to discuss this very serious matter with their health care practitioners to find the best solution for their personal medical disorders. It is quite possible for conventional and natural medical practitioners to work together for the overall healing of the people. We can see how more and more doctors are beginning to realise the truth about Cannabis however they lack the scientific research to adequately administer this medication in its natural form.

Going forward more and more people will need information from their doctors about Cannabis medicine because it is helpful for so many day to day complaints. Doctors must not feel awkward when discussing Cannabis with their patients even though the patient might be far more informed.  It is important to rather focus on the evidence of the healing abilities of the plant and realise that this is a barrier which needs to be broken down for the benefit of everyone especially sick children and their suffering parents.

While most doctors are approachable and are accustomed to discussing alternative treatments if your doctor is unfamiliar or hesitant to prescribe it you should take it upon yourself to explain the science and medical support for your specific experiences because the best way to approach your doctor is from a position of knowledge and this is exactly how a lot of doctors will learn about Cannabis medicine from their patients. My limited medical training was most helpful because a healer can be very gifted but at times it does become necessary to confer with doctors on various patients when a medical treatment becomes the more appropriate intervention. Without this training it is not easy to communicate with the medical professionals so healers with training and practice in western medicine automatically bring something extra to their work and can act as a bridge between the traditional world and the medical world. The biggest difference between doctors and traditional healers is that we are shown through our connection to the ancestors the exact nature of a patient’s problem. It is different from listening through a stethoscope to find clues to form an opinion. This is how we are able to tell the patient exactly what they are feeling and what symptoms they are experiencing before they even begin to speak. No one can do this no matter how many medical degrees they might have or how successful their medical practise is. And if you as a patient have to tell a traditional healer what is wrong with you then you can be sure that this is not a genuine healer. As a healer ii really value cooperation with medical professionals and ii have tried to cultivate relationships where we each respect one another and many doctors have told that ii have wonderful medicine. They want to know more about it and they refer patients to me because ii specialise in some areas and they specialise in other areas and we should refer to each other for our own specialities as we do amongst ourselves as well.

Medical professionals must try to understand the myths, the facts, the fears, the challenges as well as the rewards of working with this medicine in order to become a dependable doctor who can confidently treat patients with Cannabis medicine. They need to understand the different delivery routes of this medicine and why it is so important to choose the appropriate method for each individual patient. Individual personalised treatment is one of the core principals of prescribing Cannabis medicine. It is my hope that doctors might see this as an opportunity to provide an excellent healing service to their patients and to actually cure them so we need doctors and patients to have an open mind about Cannabis medicine. Personally ii feel that the doctors who will benefit the most are the paediatric neurologists especially when treating epilepsy for instance. No one can say that there is not enough research or evidence to prove that Cannabis is helping thousands of epileptic children and their families to live relatively normal lives.

Acknowledging the sacred relationship between Cannabis and humans is what will determine whether doctors and healers will comprehend the intricate network of the true natural healing powers of the Cannabis plant and its receptors in our bodies. In the future ii would like to see Cannabis being the first port of call for preventative and curative treatment through the focus on receptor expression rather than a last resort.

We really do need more cooperation between doctors and healers throughout the world. We all have our specialities, our strengths and weaknesses. We must refer to other healers and doctors who are best able to assist the patient. Some diseases are better treated with traditional herbs while others respond best to western medicine. For example western procedures are seen as best for emergency and critical care and most healers will have an ambulance on standby for such cases. Hospitals are able to replace patient’s fluids if they become dehydrated and can offer blood transfusions where necessary. Millions of people especially in Africa have placed their faith in traditional healing for generations, yet they hear about the miracles of modern science. As health care providers we must all try to offer patients the best of both worlds. Not so long ago it was unacceptable for the medical community to work with traditional healers but now we are reaching out to the doctors and visiting their clinics. Today we can see that this cooperation will only grow stronger and stronger and have great benefits for everyone.

How does Cannabis control diabetes?

How does Cannabis control our blood sugar?

There are three types of diabetes. All three types involve the production and secretion of a hormone known as insulin which is produced in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes is where an autoimmune process has destroyed the insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. Insulin is the essential hormone produced by the pancreas to convert glucose into energy. Type 2-diabetes is the most common version of the condition which develops over time where the body gradually becomes unable to use insulin properly or doesn’t produce enough insulin. Thirdly there is gestational diabetes which occurs during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, genetics and lifestyle.

It is estimated that there are between 700 000 and 1.5 million people suffering from type 1-diabetes (insulin dependent) in America and it doesn’t look any better in South Africa where we are heading for serious trouble with our ever increasing diabetes numbers. Around 3.5 million people about 6% of the population suffer from diabetes and many more remain undiagnozed. Further it is estimated that another 5 million South Africans have pre-diabetes which is a condition where insulin resistance causes blood glucose levels to be higher than normal but not high enough yet to be classified as type 2-diabetes. It is projected that diabetes cases in Africa are expected to double by 2030 with the main causes being urbanization and obesity as millions of people migrate from the rural areas looking for a better life and end up adopting a westernized diet high in fat, sugar and salt and get far less exercise than they are used to. It is also ironic that there are serious interactions between drugs administered for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV and diabetes. Anti-retroviral drugs come with the side effect of causing glucose intolerance and people with diabetes are at a greater risk of contracting TB because diabetes reduces the body’s immunity. This is why it is so difficult to control these disease because of the interactions of the drugs to treat both TB and diabetes actually reduces the effectiveness of both sets of drugs.

It is well known that obesity is a major contributing factor to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia are common features of obesity in modern times. Diabetic patients can often reverse their insulin resistance simply by decreasing their body weight. We now know that Cannabis is able to both stimulate and suppress our appetite in different individuals. The OB (obesity) gene presents on the 7^th chromosome and codes for the cytokine known as Leptin to be produced in the adipose tissue which controls food intake and energy expenditure. Mutations in the OB gene results in obesity and insulin resistance, and this serves as a model for increased food intake leading to further obesity and insulin resistance. So again obesity and diabetes really do have a lot to do with genetics. It is becoming more and more obvious that our hormones play a very important role in the way our bodies uptake and regulate energy and there are other hormones also involved in insulin production. The importance of this is that Cannabis and our EC system also regulates the functions of our hormone system The Endocrine system.

Because of the way in which our EC system and the chemicals within the Cannabis plant protect and regulate our hormone system Cannabinoids are continuing to show potential with scientists in the field of metabolic regulation and we can see how it is the impact of hormones which affects our metabolism and this is how Cannabis is able to regulate blood sugar levels by controlling the secretion and release of the hormones insulin, MCH, epinephrine and norepinephrine, and melatonin all of which are crucial to the regulation of blood sugar.

Scientists now know that MCH (Melanin Concentrating Hormone) produced in the brain is known for its role in increasing human appetite and also plays a role in the growth of insulin-producing beta cells and the secretion of insulin. When we eat food our bodies need more insulin. When MCH induces appetite it also increases insulin secretion from the beta cells and enhances the growth of the beta cells. Melatonin is the hormone usually associated with our sleep waking patterns but research now reveals that this hormone has a specific function on the controlled insulin secretion from the islets of the pancreas proving that Melatonin has a distinct and detailed effect on insulin secretion based on the biological fact that the pancreatic beta cells are presented with melatonin receptors. It is also well known that sleep disorders and shift working is closely associated with a higher risk of reduced glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes. 20 years ago scientists had no idea of the functional importance of hormones like melatonin but through the study of receptor expression we now realise that many hormones act on diverse physiological processes in the body.

Cannabis through the EC system not only controls our production and secretion of insulin but also stimulates our uptake of another important hormone Vitamin D and this in turn stimulates the production of melanin to increase our insulin secretion. Cannabis also stimulates the Pineal gland to increase its uptake of melatonin through its control of the Endocrine system. This is the reason why Cannabis can heal virtually any medical condition in the shortest space of time compared to pharmaceutical drugs, because of its regulatory role on our system of hormones.