Cannabis Expo 2023 Cape Town ~ Sista Vee speech Is Cannabis really safe for children?

 

Back in the 1980’s I couldn’t have explained to you the scientific reasons or the medical mechanisms whereby this plant could heal small children with almost no adverse side-effects.

My Rastafari teachers took me into communities that didn’t have clinics or access to any kind of primary health care, and we were healing children and adults with Ganjah.

Asthma, epilepsy, TB, diabetes, mental health issues, allergies, burns, dog bites, you name it, and the children were recovering.

In my training at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital I saw so many desperately ill children who would surely have benefited from Cannabis Medicine. Tiny little babies the size of your palm undergoing open-heart surgery.

But luckily today we have access to mountains of evidence that explains Child Safety in Cannabis Medicine.

In my book I dedicate chapters 5 & 6 to the outstanding scientific works of Professor Ester Fride. She will always be my main mentor in the field of Pediatric Cannabis Medicine. Before she passed away in 2010 she shared a lab with the late Professor Mechoulam for 20 years and he fully supported her works as did Dr Ethan Russo who still uses her research in his work at Project CBD.

I have taken all of Professor Fride’s research that I have studied and unpacked it into 10 fundamental scientific facts concerning the treatment of children with Plant Cannabis Medicine.

Fact #1 There is Endocannabinoid activity in the womb and Anandamide and Endocannabinoid receptors are present in the uterine wall.

This is very important because Anandamide is the human version of THC and it controls the genes that would send out the Killer-T cells to expel the fetus.

In the past this was always a medical mystery, the question of why the female body does not expel the fetus that is 50% foreign. But now, through Cannabis Research we know that Anandamide is responsible for preventing miscarriage.

Anandamide also controls the implantation process that happens on the 6^th day after conception by preventing those Killer-T cells from being sent out. It also controls the genes required for labor contractions and of course the placenta is also full of Endocannabinoids and receptors.

Fact #2 Endocannabinoid receptors are present in the pre-implanted embryo

This means that Endocannabinoid activity starts at the moment of conception!

Fact #3 Endocannabinoids are present in human breast milk regardless of whether the mother consumes Cannabis or not

As Traditional Healers we have always known this and the Chinese have known for 7000 years but scientists only started writing about this in the 1970’s so this is not new information. In fact the highest concentration of Endocannabinoids is in human breast milk that features 12 different Endocannabinoids with the majority of content being 2-AG, the human version of CBD.

Fact #4 Endocannabinoid receptors are present in the white matter regions of the pre and post natal brain.

The white matter regions are the very deep tissues of the human brain and this proves the specific role that the Endocannabinoid System plays in early human brain development.

The next 4 facts concern the feeding of the newborn human baby.

Fact #5 The Endocannabinoid System is crucial to the suckling response in new born babies

Fact #6 In infants, “Growth Failure” due to the inability to suckle is now scientifically attributed to an under developed Endocannabinoid System

Fact #7 The official diagnosis “Infant Failure to Thrive” is caused by blocked Endocannabinoid receptors because of the failure to stimulate the suckling response

This research proves that the Endocannabinoid System is vital to the survival of the newborn human.

Fact #8 Endocannabinoids stimulate the tongue muscles to treat swallowing problems in children and adults

You would not believe how many medical conditions are associated with Dysphagia or impaired swallowing. For example, Muscular dystrophy, Muscular Sclerosis, strokes, traumatic brain injuries and even certain cancers.

Fact #9 Endocannabinoids can be altered when the pregnant mom is under stress, regardless of whether she consumes Cannabis or not

The reason for this is that life stresses block the Endocannabinoid receptors.

Fact #10 Dose controlled plant medicine has virtually no side-effects in children because of the delayed receptor expression in early human development

These are all legit scientific facts and with all this evidence of Endocannabinoid activity in early human development, the big question now is:

How is it possible that a molecule like THC has almost no effect on small children?

There are 5 reasons for the high safety margin of plant Cannabis medicine in treating children

1. 1. Delayed Receptor Expression

Because of Professor Fride’s work we now know that Endocannabinoid receptor expression is different in children because the Endocannabinoid System develops very slowly in the pre and post natal stages.

Her work also proved that this gradual increase in receptor expression is also accompanied by a gradual maturing in the response to THC.

You can clearly see that this is a biologically adaptive defense mechanism delicately designed by the Creator to protect small children and this is why it appears that THC has almost no effect on small children. You can look at the many You Tube videos on this topic and you will not see a typically high child.

In my book I discuss several human studies where fairly large doses up to 60 mg per day was administered to oncology and neurological child patients with almost no side-effects, only healing. Improved appetite, less nausea, less pain, less spasticity and overall mood improvements.

2.2. The way in which THC binds to the Endocannabinoid receptors

Remember that THC is the only plant cannabinoid that can actually bind to the Endocannabinoid receptors. In fact my Rastafari teachers used to speak about the “THC receptors” in reference to the Endocannabinoid system.

One of the greatest secrets of this medicine is the fact that plant THC only acts as a partial agonist at the Endocannabinoid receptors.

Compared to synthetic THC that acts as a full agonist and this is why synthetic THC is up to 800 times more potent than plant THC.

And synthetics come with severe mental and physical side effects including psychosis, violence and extreme aggression. These are the complete opposite of the effects one would normally see with plant THC.

In fact, synthetics are the number 1 reason for the increase in emergency room admissions due to unintentional ingestion and its usually due to edibles. These are ever so attractive to small children and should be kept locked away by responsible adults.

The biggest problem with these products is that they do not contain any CBD to help the patient cope with the potency of synthetic THC.

3. 3. The way in which CBD can calm THC

Let me tell you something about the power of CBD that my students always say ‘blows their minds’!

CBD has the ability to change the shape of the surface area of the Endocannabinoid receptors. So if you can imagine that the surface area of the receptor looks like a round donut with a hold in the middle where the THC enters to bind.

CBD is able to change the shape of the surface of the receptor to resemble a sickle or half moon, thus reducing the surface area of the receptor and therefore reducing the THC uptake as well.

4.4. . There are no Endocannabinoid receptors in the Cardiac and Respiratory cells I the human brain stem

This is the biological reason why no one has ever died or overdosed from using plant Cannabis by heart attack or stopping to breath.

Also, for interest sake the LD-50, the Lethal Dose that affects 50% of the population is so low for Cannabis that 30 000 (30 thousand) times more Cannabis than in a single joint would have to be consumed in one session and of course this is not possible with plant medicine

5.5. The Entourage Effect

The Entourage Effect is the botanical explanation that ALL of the plants components must be present in order for the medicinal properties to be reaped.

In the case of Cannabis all of the plants Cannabinoids, terpenes, flavinoids and alkaloids must be present otherwise the medicine basically will not work. This is why isolates and synthetics simply do not work and you are better off to grow your own plants and make your own medicine. It is of great botanical interest that plant terpenes have almost the same healing properties as the Cannabinoids but only if they are all present together.

Today, Cannabis is implicated in 678 medical conditions including corona. It is the most researched medicine with far more research than any pharmaceutical drug.

Every day we hear miraculous stories of how this medicine is helping children but still today there are places in the world where pregnant women are being arrested for consuming Cannabis while they are pregnant.

So we give thanks for the Arizona Ruling last month that declared that it is no longer considered child neglect or abuse to consume Cannabis during pregnancy to treat Hyperemesis Gravidarum, meaning severe morning sickness. This means that it is no longer a crime to smoke a spliff when you are feeling sick during pregnancy and I would really like us as a society to stop judging women for self medicating with the only plant in creation that can offer us any version of THC that we so desperately need to supplement our Endocannabinoid Systems

I have been healing children with Ganjah for 35 years and I have never ever seen this plant harm a sick child.

I am so passionate about Pediatric Cannabis Medicine that last year together with my amazing sponsors we hosted an Art Competition for the cover of my new book, the human companion plant for children and I would love to share the cover, created by the winning artist Roxy Meijer. I am also delighted to announce that Roxy and I had a meeting last week and we have agreed to go forward together with this project to bring Buddy to the world! 

The book will be aimed at ages 7 to 12 and aims to teach children, parents, grand parents, caregivers and teachers about Cannabis Medicine.

I give thanks for the privilege of your time!

 

 

Here is the link to the You Tube video of my talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAubkVKKhxM&t=13s

The Importance of the Vagus Nerves?

 

We are living in such exciting times within the natural-healing realm today. As traditional healers we have been waiting for the scientists to catch up to the original healing philosophies that they now call ‘alternative’ for centuries now. Finally people are starting to realize the importance of the “Gut-Brain Connection” and the fact that we can actually down-regulate inflammation in the gut, and in so doing, we can alter the delicate gut biome that also regulates mental health.

By manipulating the gut biome we can help thousands of people suffering with gut health issues, mental health and chronic degenerative conditions that are plaguing the whole world right now as we see statistics that 1 in 4 people are chronically ill. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and The Gut-Brain-Connection and Vagus nerve stimulation in the role of human health.

The reason why the gut brain connection is so vitally important to human health is because 90% of our immune system is found in the gut therefore both the mycobiome and the microbiome form a massive part of our larger immune system. CFU’s (Colony Forming Units) that are the good gut bacteria regulate our immune, nervous and hormonal systems. The fact of the matter is that we are actually more bacteria than human and this is why we need to start paying better attention to the bacteria populations within our bodies…good and bad!

 What is the Vagus nerves?

There are 12 sets of cranial nerves, meaning nerves that are directly connected to the brain. The 10^th cranial nerves are the Vagus nerves, a left and a right. These are the longest nerves in the body, moving from the brain down to the gut and these nerves control the ‘gut-brain connection’ that many Shamans, Indigenous Healers and Integrative Doctors have been speaking about for decades already. They have their origin in the Pineal and Pituitary glands and this is the first connection to Cannabis and its influence on the Endocrine system that is ironically controlled by the Endocannabinoid system.

On a spiritual level, it is the vagus nerves that are responsible for sending the "Christos Oil" back up the spine to the optic thalamus and then back to the pineal and pituitary glands aka "the land of milk and honey".

Back to medicine, the Vagus nerves are the main immune regulators in the body because of their control over the gut-brain connection and in particular the way these nerves regulate the Cholinergic anti-inflammatory immune response. It is a complex network of nerves that has an effect on all of our organs and systems

All information regarding sensory touch, heat and cold, pain, metabolism, hormonal and chemical functions of all the organs is transmitted via the Vagus nerves to the brain. So just like the ECS, the Vagus nerves also affect the functioning of every single physiological system from the immune to the endocrine system in the human body.

People with unbalanced Vagus nerves will also experience a lot of anxiety and panic attacks with racing heartbeats

When balanced and fully functioning our Vagus nerves take us out of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and shifts us into the Parasympathetic Nervous System that gets you out of ‘fight and flight’ mode into ‘rest and digest’ mode.

Our 10^th cranial nerves are responsible for easing chronic pain and inflammation, regulating our heart and respiratory rates, our blood pressure and blood flow, as well as our mood and sleep patterns. Just like the ECS, the Vagus nerves are also deeply concerned with homeostasis and hormonal regulation, meaning perfection of body balance and the absorption and secretion of our hormones. These are two vital functions for maintaining happiness and therefore health because the truth is that good health cannot dwell in an unhappy body.

Maintaining good Vagal nerve performance is therefore crucial to human health. And while this is life-saving information that literally saved my own life recently, I always ask that people please first discuss any medical treatment with their primary health care providers or house doctor before making any changes to their treatment. I do find that today many doctors are far more open to alternative treatments than ever before, especially when it comes to so-called autoimmune conditions and mental health including anxiety and panic attacks that generally always involve multiple factors like brain chemistry, environmental factors and of course genetics, all of which vary greatly from one person to another. By stimulating the vagus nerves we can help ease so many neurological conditions like epilepsy, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and even loss of consciousness.

Cannabis is the only plant that can induce the biological process of Autophagy

In the last paragraph of my last paper about Autophagy I mentioned that the cancer-killing process of autophagy also has the ability to stimulate the Vagus nerves. We know that Cannabis is the only botanical that is capable of inducing autophagy in human beings.

This means that each time a person experiences ‘the munchies’ the body is preparing to reset the Vagus nerves. This is why as traditional healers we encourage intermittent and alternate-day fasting. Simply stated, when we ‘give in’ to the munchies and consume food, then we potentially risk breaking the healing cycle by not allowing the full process of autophagy to set in.

In a 2017 study scientists observed that impaired autophagy is associated with obesity, diabetes, liver disease, heart and brain diseases. Their study looked at the potential role of Ghrelin, aka ‘the hunger hormone’ to induce autophagy in the body. This is a wonderful study because it also proved that Ghrelin acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory. They also observed that patients with the aforementioned conditions all had low levels of this hormone in addition to diminished autophagy. [1-3]

“Ghrelin represents an attractive target for development of therapeutics for prevention or treatment of metabolic, cardiac or neuronal disorders, in which autophagy is impaired.”

Doctors are excited about exploring the Ghrelin Pathway that displays a protective role by regulating the process of autophagy that is now known to play a major role in cellular homeostasis which is one of the main functions of the ECS. By maintaining a healthy ECS we can stimulate the Vagus nerves when they become impaired. [4]

Also in my last paper I introduced you to one of my mentors whom I respect very much. Dr Henry Ealy is the Founder and Executive Community Director of The Energetic Health Institute. This is the only medical school that has been banned from You Tube, because of Dr Henry’s stance and research on corona vaccines.

He holds a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition. Dr Ealy is the author of “Energetic Health ~ Interesting Insights Into Advanced Natural Medicine” and he also hold the copyrights on over 200 published papers regarding Natural Medicine, Vaccine Education, Medical Cannabis, Cellular Cleansing & Detoxification and Holistic Nutrition. As you can see he is more than qualified to be my Mentor, and last week I was privileged that he took my question on a Q & A Session.

"Is it correct that through its regulatory role over the Endocrine System, the ECS and therefore the plant, is able to influence the hunger hormone Ghrelin to induce autophagy and in turn offer vagal stimulation?

If so then this might explain why we are having such great success targeting the ECS in the treatment of so-called autoimmune diseases, gut health, addictions, chronic pain & inflammation, skin conditions and also mental health issues and I would love to hear your opinion. Give thanks Dr EalyJ"

I feel honored that Dr Ealy even took my question let alone answer with such alacrity! This is how Cannabis can stimulate the Vagus nerves and assist us in dealing with so many medical conditions including so-called autoimmune diseases, hormonal conditions, gut health issues, neuro-degenerative conditions, mental health and skin conditions.

“Yes! Wow! Yes! That's it exactly! You nailed it! Yes! Yes that is it! I would encourage you to look into 11 hydroxy THC and I would also encourage you to make sure that any edible Cannabis product is balanced and making sure that you also have terpenes…”

Besides inducing autophagy, in what other ways can Cannabis help to stimulate the Vagus nerves?

There are a number of indirect ways that Cannabis can help us to stimulate the Vagus nerves. As a traditional healer I have always been fascinated with the development of medical technology but in the case of Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) I do feel that we can all benefit from proven age-old techniques that will save you from surgically invasive -medical procedures and also save you a lot of money.

1.    Working with the Chakra System 

You can see from the cover of my book, Cannabis is The Human Companion Plant aka THC Plant, that I place a lot of importance on the chakra system. In chapter 1 I explain the importance of Cannabis in the effective functioning of our chakra system. Yoga is the best way to learn about the chakras and while you there you can also learn to work with your Vagus nerves. 

The secret to working with the Vagus nerves is to have your head below your heart. 

The only way to do this is to be upside down! If your healer has one of those rotating beds then all they have to do is flip you upside down for 15 minutes a session, or you can try to suspend yourself upside down over a bed or couch and this also works quite effectively. Not many people can bear to lie upside down for much longer than 15 minutes and I have found a perfect 5 minute session that works like a bomb. I also encourage my patients and I do this myself as well, is to search online for Vagus nerve stimulation frequencies and play these while you are lying in position.

Here is the link for the 5 minute session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v_ljiI1wk0

Or you can work with a yogi. Yogis know that Cannabis is the only plant that can open our chakras up to vibrate to the frequency of 432 Hz. This is the frequency of love, harmony and healing. It is also the frequency of the Earth, and the human body, and of course of the plant itself. I am a huge fan of frequency healing and my personal tuning fork is tuned in to this frequency and I do heal people often, just with my fork. I truly believe that 432 Hz is the perfect frequency to bring the Vagus nerves back into balance because this is the frequency of balance, love and harmony and this is where healing takes place. [5-6]

If you do your own research you will find that quite a few scientists have published studies on the healing achieved with the 432 Hz and il just drop a few links here for you to look at.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7806348/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8023109/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27430941/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6924256/

And remember that the vagus nerves have their origin in the pineal and pituitary glands that are associated with the 6th and 7th chakras or "the third eye" and the "crown" chakras.

2.    Coughing and Laughing

The Ancients believed as we still do today, that singing, chanting and humming are highly effective Vagus nerve stimulators. This is truth and to this list we can add Coughing and Laughing. I’m sure that I don’t have to convince anyone about the coughing part and in the conclusion of my book I ended off sharing the reasons why Cannabis can make human beings laugh so much.

The Vagus nerves are directly connected to the muscles in the back of the throat, and it is these muscles that activate the Vagus nerves as they move through singing and laughing and even humming. As a matter of interest, a simple way to test whether your Vagus nerves need to be balanced is to take a torch and inspect your Uvula or ‘small tongue’ situated in the centre back of your throat.

The bottom part of the Uvula should always be pointing directly down into the throat. When the Vagus nerves are unbalanced that little point will be pointing to the left or right (usually to the patient’s left) then you know that you have some work to do that could change your life.

Just by virtue of the fact that Cannabis always makes a person feel better, one will automatically be more prone to laughing. The first reason why Cannabis makes people laugh is that it is our natural THC, Anandamide which via the ECS naturally controls the production and release of our feel-good hormones Serotonin and Dopamine. Cannabis and laughter both control the release of our endorphins and oxytocin, which is known as the ‘love hormone’. These are the hormones that activate the laugh mechanism in different parts of the brain. [7]

Of course it is true that “laughter is the best medicine!” and Cannabis and laughter have a few things in common, and both are known to reduce the secretion of our stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. They both release tension and psychic energy among humans by increasing our psychic connection to one another. The second reason why Cannabis can make us laugh is that Cannabis is a vasodilator. It automatically increases blood flow to the areas of the brain concerned with emotions and expression. We know that there is a link between laughter and healthy functioning of our blood vessels, because laughter itself also acts as a vasodilator, and like Cannabis, helps protect us against strokes and heart attacks. So both laughter and Cannabis act as vasodilators. It is very interesting that when people have strokes, no matter how damaged the brain is, the person is still able to laugh. This is a classic example of “Body Wisdom”.

3.   Cultivating Extraordinary Relationships 

As the human companion plant, Cannabis is now famous for encouraging humans to maintain positive social relationships. Cannabis has always stimulated these networks, often producing far-reaching effects as the plant continues to unite people from every corner of the Earth. These high vibrations and elative emotions all contribute to balancing our Vagus nerves. 

Positive emotions correlate with improved Vagal function as seen by heart-rate variability. If you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, you most likely will also have tachycardia or fast heart rate of over 100 beats per minute. When you start working with your Vagus nerves the very first thing that you will notice is that your heart rate will come down. Promoting joy, compassion and happiness stimulates the Vagus nerves and this is in line with the fact that good health cannot live in an unhappy body.

4.    Exercise and Sunshine

Scientists know that in animals mild exercise does stimulate gut flow and that Vagus nerve stimulation is needed to initiate this response. This is why we believe that exercise may also stimulate the Vagus nerves in humans although there is no scientific proof to confirm this as yet, but mice studies are proving positive in the interim. [8]

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that sunlight can stimulate the Vagus nerves as I have firsthand experience in achieving this healing over decades. However, I am waiting for more scientific evidence to be published. People need to know that sunlight is so much more than vitamin D and a great tan! Human beings benefit from thousands of nutrients on offer from the sun so that we can thrive here on Earth. So many people are scared of the sun today and this is another reason why so people are so ill, especially in the northern hemisphere where there is limited sunlight.

I found this very interesting paper simply titled “The effect of light on critical illness.” I also enjoyed the writing style of Dr Ricardo Castro! This paper explores the power of sunlight to stimulate the Vagus nerves and confirms that the 10^th cranial nerves can inhibit ‘the cytokine storm’ and therefore inflammation because Vagus nerves signal the release of Acetylcholine in the gut, spleen and liver. [9-14]

5.    Breath-work and Meditation 

There is no doubt that Cannabis helps us to relax and to meditate proving that Cannabis is already very good at stimulating our Vagus nerves and this is just one of the many reasons why people who consume Cannabis are generally in much better health than those who do not. This is why we know that Cannabis is actively involved in the healing of the brain-gut connection.

In my life I have had exactly two yoga lessons and I learnt the two most important lessons in my life. First I learnt about the importance of the chakra system in human health. Second I learnt that we breathe completely wrong, in fact the complete opposite to how we should be breathing.

The correct way to breathe is from the gut and slowly. This means that when you inhale, your belly should push outwards, and when you exhale your belly should cave in. This is the exact opposite to how we do breathe, so adjusting to healthy breathing patterns can be a challenge at first. Use it as a meditation tool and you will be amazed at how fast this style of breathing can calm you down. And this is because by simply breathing correctly we can stimulate the Vagus nerves.

People have been doing yoga for thousands of years to benefit from the healing properties of breathe-work. Engaging in gentle chest-opening poses can stimulate the Vagus nerves and improve gut motility. It is known that meditative breathing and similar activities do stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system because of the effect of breathe-work on the Vagus nerves.

Many people believe that prayer can also stimulate Vagus activation and one small study found that reciting the Rosary Prayer can do just this because it enhances cardiovascular rhythm and reduces blood pressure. [15]

So many people today are struggling to find medical answers to their problems. Doctors say that they do not know why the body attacks itself and now millions of people live with so-called autoimmune diseases. The truth is that the human gut biome has been destroyed by over-prescription of antibiotics, over-spraying of Glyphosphate-laced pesticides and intentional poisoning of our food, water, air, soil, vaccines and medications. It is said that no one on Earth can escape glyphosate poisoning not even on the North Pole! Almost 100 years of environmental toxins has ensured that most of the people left on Earth are ill including small children, gosh, these days babies are having heart attacks inside the womb because mothers have been exposed to murdering clot-shots that were never ever tested or researched on human beings.

What is happening right now in the medical world is atrocious and this obsession with genetically altering The Creation is sure to backfire. But in the meantime let us give thanks for The Human Companion Plant because in a time when there seems to be very little hope, Cannabis assures us that there is always hope. Hope to heal ourselves from the poisons inflicted upon us over decades of deceit.

By stimulating the ECS we stand an excellent chance of setting the intention to reset our major systems including your nervous, immune and digestive systems and since they are so beautifully connected by the Vagus nerves. In Cannabis we have a hope of healing ourselves because in Cannabis we have the single most useful herbal remedy for the treatment of the widest range of health care problems including mental, physical and spiritual problems. Almost daily we are being surprised, delighted, amazed and indeed healed by the miraculous medicinal properties hidden inside this once totally forbidden and still heavily controlled plant.

CITATIONS:

[1] (Ezquerro S et al, September 2017) “Ghrelin and autophagy” Journal Current Opinion Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care Issue 20 Volume 5 pages 402-408 PMID: 285

[2] (Stoyanova II, December 2014) “Ghrelin: a link between ageing, metabolism and neurodegenerative disorders.” Journal Neurobiology Volume 72 page 72-83 PMID: 25173805

[3] (Kasprzak A and Adamek A, September 2022) “Role of the Ghrelin System in Colitis and Hepatitis as Risk Factors for inflammatory Related Cancers.” International Journal of Molecular Science Volume 23 Issue 19 page 11188 PMID: 36232490

[4] (Yuan MJ and Wang T, April 2020) “The new mechanism of Ghrelin/GHSR-1a on autophagy regulation.” Journal Peptides Volume 126 PMID: 31981593 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170264Get rights and content

[5] (Gerritsen RJS and Band GPH, October 2018) “Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity.” Journal Frontiers in Neuroscience Volume 12 page 397 PMID: 30356789 PMC6189422

[6] (Anupama Tyagi and Marc Cohen, July-December 2016) “Yoga and heart rate variability: A comprehensive review of the literature.” International Journal of Yoga Issue 29 Volume 2 page 97-113 PMCID: PMC4959333 PMID: 27512317

[7] (Lamota.org) “Why does Marijuana make us laugh?” 20 March 2014

[8] (Guilherme S et al, January 2019) “Exercise activates vagal induction of dopamine and attenuates systemic inflammation.” Journal Brain, Behaviour and Immunity Volume 75 pages 181-191 PMCID: PMC6334665 PMID: 30394312

[9] (Castro R, Angus DC and Rosengart MR, 22 March 2011) “The effect of light on critical illness.” Journal Critical Care Volume 15 Issue 2 page 218 PMCID: PMC3219304 PMID: 2147502

[10] (Tracey KJ, 2002) “The inflammatory reflex.” Nature Journal Volume 420 pages 853-859

[11] (Eskandari F and Sternberg EM, 2002) “Neural-immune interactions in health and disease.” Journal Ann NY Academy of Science Volume 966 pages 20-27 doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04198.x

[12] (Borovikova LV et al, 2000) “Vagus nerve stimulation attenuates the systemic inflammatory response to endotoxin.” Journal Nature Volume 405 pages 458-462 doi: 10.1038/35013070

[13] (Borovikova Lv et al, 2000) “Role of vagus nerve signaling in CNI-1493-mediated suppression of acute inflammation.” Journal Autonomic Neuroscience Volume 85 pages 141-147 doi:10.1016/S1566-0702

[14] (Van Westerloo DJ, 2010) “The vagal immune reflex: a blessing from above.” Journal Wien Med Wochenschr. Volume 160 pages 112-117 doi: 10.1007/s10354-010-0761

[15] (Bernardi L et al, December 2001) “Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: comparative study.” British Medical Journal Volume 323 Issue 7327 pages 1446-9 PMID: 11751348 PMCID: PMC61046

AUTOPHAGY: One of the secret weapons of Cannabis medicine in the fight against cancer and autoimmune conditions

 

Cannabis kills cancer cells through more than one mechanism namely anti-angiogenesis, apoptosis and autophagy. There are a few processes involved, starting with the boosting of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), the treating of inflammation and the strengthening of the immune system.

Autophagy (pronounced or-tof-o-gee) is one of the secrets to the success of Cannabis Medicine because Cannabis is the only known botanical that can induce this biological process. In plants, autophagy evolved as a defense-mechanism to environmental stresses for example nutrient starvation and drought. Autophagy is a process involving cellular clearing and destruction of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components and organelles as well as mutant cells, like mis-folded proteins aka amyloid deposits that cause Altzheimer’s disease and other neuro-degenerative conditions. Damaged organelles, cell membranes and proteins are broken down and excreted, without any damage at all to healthy cells, unlike most cancer-fighting drugs which kill off healthy and damaged cells.

Both CBD and THC as well as certain terpenes and flavinoids are able to induce autophagy and thereby decrease tumor growth and progression.

Through the process of autophagy the body can suppress the growth of tumors by preventing damaged components of the cells to accumulate. These mutant cancerous cells are dreadful and deadly because they have lost their ability to undergo another process known as apoptosis. This is also programmed cell death, but sometimes these tumors are just too strong, and this is the reason that they don’t simply die and just carry on multiplying. Today we even have tumors with hair and teeth called ‘teratomas’.

We need the vital components from the Cannabis plant to assist in inducing apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells, through the healing powers of the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavinoids, antioxidants and polyphenols contained within the plant. [1-3]

Cannabis is the only known botanical that is capable of inducing autophagy

Cannabis induces the biological process of autophagy through the mechanism that is now famously known as ‘the munchies’. The only other real way to induce autophagy is to teach the patient how to fast by withholding food and forcing the body into a state of hunger. Cannabis does this quite successfully with the minimum of effort for the patient.

Autophagy is not only useful for preventing cancer formation but also for a number of other health benefits for example resetting of the nervous and immune systems. In my opinion one of the most potent effects of autophagy is the virtual elimination of inflammation in the body. There is no doubt that autophagy is a therapeutic target to reverse many diseases including so called ‘auto-immune’ diseases as well as age-related degenerative conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis and even dementia. Autophagy is also deeply concerned with homeostasis and the perfection of body balance.

Restricting calories and exercising intermittent or alternate-day fasting has so many benefits for achieving excellent health. If you look to the ancients you will realize that the practice of fasting for health purposes has been done for as long as man has dwelled on Earth. According to one of my mentors Dr Henry Ealy, in order for good health to prevail the human body needs to become hungry every single day for the sole purpose of inducing autophagy to protect us against mutant cellular activity and to ensure that the body rids itself of these damaged mutant cell organisms as a defense mechanism against all disease. This is one of the greatest secrets of Cannabis medicine so we can see how important this maintenance system is for the health and longevity of human beings.  

Dr Henry Ealy ~ https://www.energetichealthinstitute.org/meet-our-team/

It is a privilege and honor to dedicate this post to Dr Henry Ealy who inspired me to write this paper with his brilliant explanation of how Cannabis induces autophagy and I give thanks for wisdom!

Beside the affects of CBD and THC, another reason why Cannabis is able to induce autophagy is because of the presence of a terpene known as D-limonene and together with Humulene, another powerful Cannabis terpene, these two terpenes form a major part of the cancer-defense system of Cannabis because both together with the cannabinoids are able to trigger the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and this is what causes autophagy and apoptosis to occur. [4-14]

The failure of the process of autophagy is the main reason for on-going cell damage and cancer, and this is also what speeds up the aging process. It seems obvious that we need to boost our systems with Cannabis in order to maintain good health and longevity into our golden years. [15] We know that Cannabis can cure cancer, and it is now a well-known scientific fact that Cannabis has effectively killed all the different types of cancer cells that science has tested the plant against to date. [16]

There is now scientific proof that the EC system is involved in the cellular death of human proximal tubular (HK2) cells. [17] These human kidney cells originate from the kidney cells of the HK2 gene on the 2^nd chromosome, and these cells are required in the formation of tumors in most cancers because they cause renal tubule hypertrophy (enlargement of cells). Through the function of autophagy the ECS is able to cause these cells to commit cellular suicide, a type of programmed cellular death, for example in the case of nutrient starvation.

This is how Cannabis contributes to reducing hypertrophy throughout the body by providing the supplements that our ECS needs to perform its functions. Every single one of us needs a daily dose of Cannabis to sustain our health and the fact that we have Cannabis receptors in our brains is proof that we are literally wired to consume this plant. [18-23]   

Personally I find it completely fascinating to realise that as human beings we have evolved to produce the human versions of CBD and THC in the form of our two endocannabinoids named Anandamide and 2-AG. The wonderful thing about human body wisdom is that these two endocannabinoids already know how to use autophagy to suppress tumor formation inside the body. In the same way Cannabis phytocannabinoids also carry out these functions within the body. Incrediby interesting to note is that Cannabis also knows that autophaphy will stimulate the vagus nerves and this has numerous health benefits that I will address in my next paper. The secret to this plant medicine is simply to supplement the ECS with Cannabis in order to enjoy your life without illness, depression or suffering. [24]

Heal Thy Self ~ Healthy Self

CITATIONS:

[1] (Tomko et al, 21 July 2020) “Anti-Cancer Potential of Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Flavonids Present in Cannabis.” Journal Cancers Volume 12 Issue 7 page 1985 PMCID: PMC7409346 PMID: 32708138

[2]  Armstrong J.L., Hill D.S., McKee C.S., Hernandez-Tiedra S., Lorente M., Lopez-Valero I., Eleni Anagnostou M., Babatunde F., Corazzari M., Redfern C.P.F., et al. Exploiting cannabinoid-induced cytotoxic autophagy to drive melanoma cell death. J. Investig. Dermatol. 2015;135:1629–1637. doi: 10.1038/jid.2015.45. 

[3] Glodde N., Jakobs M., Bald T., Tüting T., Gaffal E. Differential role of cannabinoids in the pathogenesis of skin cancer. Life Sci. 2015;138:35–40. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2015.04.003. 

[4] Hajizadeh M., Maleki H., Barani M., Fahmidehkar M., Mahmoodi M., Torkzadeh-Mahani M. In vitro cytotoxicity assay of d-limonene niosomes: An efficient nano-carrier for enhancing solubility of plant-extracted agents. Res. Pharm. Sci. 2019;14:448–458. doi: 10.4103/1735-5362.268206. 

[5] Hafidh R.R., Hussein S.Z., MalAllah M.Q., Abdulamir A.S., Abu Bakar F. A high-throughput quantitative expression analysis of cancer-related genes in human HepG2 cells in response to limonene, a potential anticancer agent. Curr. Cancer Drug Targets. 2018;18:807–815. doi: 10.2174/1568009617666171114144236. 

[6] Zhang X.-Z., Wang L., Liu D.-W., Tang G.-Y., Zhang H.-Y. Synergistic inhibitory effect of berberine and d-limonene on human gastric carcinoma cell line MGC803. J. Med. Food. 2014;17:955–962. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2013.2967. 

[7] Bishayee A., Rabi T. d-Limonene sensitizes docetaxel-induced cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer cells: Generation of reactive oxygen species and induction of apoptosis. J. Carcinog. 2009;8:9. doi: 10.4103/1477-3163.51368. 

[8] Berliocchi L., Chiappini C., Adornetto A., Gentile D., Cerri S., Russo R., Bagetta G., Corasaniti M.T. Early LC3 lipidation induced by d-limonene does not rely on mTOR inhibition, ERK activation and ROS production and it is associated with reduced clonogenic capacity of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Phytomedicine. 2018;40:98–105. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2018.01.005. 

[9] Russo R., Cassiano M.G.V., Ciociaro A., Adornetto A., Varano G.P., Chiappini C., Berliocchi L., Tassorelli C., Bagetta G., Corasaniti M.T. Role of d-limonene in autophagy induced by bergamot essential oil in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. PLoS ONE. 2014;9:e113682. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113682. 

[10] Yu X., Lin H., Wang Y., Lv W., Zhang S., Qian Y., Deng X., Feng N., Yu H., Qian B. d-limonene exhibits antitumor activity by inducing autophagy and apoptosis in lung cancer. Onco Targets Ther. 2018;11:1833–1847. doi: 10.2147/OTT.S155716. 

[11] Haag J.D., Lindstrom M.J., Gould M.N. Limonene-induced regression of mammary carcinomas. Cancer Res. 1992;52:4021–4026. 

[12] Gould M.N., Moore C.J., Zhang R., Wang B., Kennan W.S., Haag J.D. Limonene chemoprevention of mammary carcinoma induction following direct in situ transfer of v-Ha-ras. Cancer Res. 1994;54:3540–3543. 

 [13] Elegbede J.A., Elson C.E., Tanner M.A., Qureshi A., Gould M.N. Regression of rat primary mammary tumors following dietary d-limonene. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 1986;76:323–325. 

[14] Nakaizumi A., Baba M., Uehara H., Iishi H., Tatsuta M. d-Limonene inhibits N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine induced hamster pancreatic carcinogenesis. Cancer Lett. 1997;117:99–103. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3835(97)00207-3. 

[15] Manuele M.G., Barreiro Arcos M.L., Davicino R., Ferraro G., Cremaschi G., Anesini C. Limonene exerts antiproliferative effects and increases nitric oxide levels on a lymphoma cell line by dual mechanism of the ERK pathway: Relationship with oxidative stress. Cancer Investig. 2009;28:135–145. doi: 10.3109/07357900903179583. 

[16] Cannabis is the Human Companion Plant Chapter 3 page 24 and 18

[17] (Weeks, 2018) “Standard cancer treatment must be adapted to the type and location of tumor,whereas Cannabis is an equal opportunity killer. Cannabis can kill all types of cancer cells” www.rxleaf.com 27 November 2018 

[18] (Velasco PhD et al 2016) “Anti-cancer mechanisms of cannabinoids”. Current Oncology Journal 16 March 2016 Volume 23 (Suppl 2) pages 523-532 PMCID: PMC 4791144 PMID: 27022311

[19] (Dr Edward R Laskowski MD, Mayo Clinic, 2018) “What are the risks of sitting too much?” 8 May 2018

[20] (Jenkin KA et al, 2010) Physiology and Biochemistry Journal Volume 26 Issue 6 (879-86) Research Gate January 2010

[21] (hemphealer.com, 2012) “Hemp repairs DNA” The Inspired Observer 14 April 2012

[22] (Jan Komorowski et al 2007) “The Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Regulation of Endocrine Function and in the Control of Energy Balance in humans”. Journal High Med Dosw. Volume 61 pages 99-105 PMID: 17369778

[23] (J Garcia-Leme and Sandra P Farsky 1993) “Hormonal Control of Inflammatory Responses” Journal Mediators Inflammation Volume 2 Issue 3, PMC 2365405 PMID: 18475521

[24] (Patsos et al, December 2005) “The endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide, induces cell death in colorectal carcinoma cells: a possible role for cyclooxygenase2.” Journal GUT Volume 54 Issue 12 pages 1741-1750 PMCID: PMC1774787 PMID: 16099783

Heal Thy Self ~ Healthy Self