Herbal Humor for Hump Day
My buddy and I the other day were driving around cruising having a good time and we just finished a joint and the car was full of smoke we were buzzed as can be when we saw the blue lights and we are getting pulled over by a K9 police officer no less and we kept our cool as he had us get out of my buddy’s car then he went and got the K9 and had his dog sniff the car for drugs. The K9 sounds off and is going all through the car just barking. The cop comes over with the dog and says to us, “My dog says you have some weed in the car.” My buddy quickly responded, “Well I don’t know about that, but I want whatever’s got you talking to the dog!”
Introduction
Hello and I am Christopher your friendly Cannabis Guru and I welcome you to Happy Healing Herbs Hump Day. Why It should be as no surprise to anyone that medical and recreational cannabis industries are booming. In 2017 alone, the medical marijuana industry made 3.2 billion dollars.
Now this boom has started a nationwide debate about the ethics, societal effects, and medical benefits of cannabis. This debate has muddied the waters around cannabis on those issues. Some may now believe that the medical benefits of cannabis are overstated – that people just want to get high.
WRONG!
Medical Cannabis, particularly a good Indica strain, can alleviate the symptoms of an exhaustive list of ailments.
Cannabis falls into one of three varieties: indica, sativa, or hybrid. Despite how fervently some might argue that all cannabis is identical, there are obvious differences in those three varieties in terms of their effects on the human body and mind.
Today the focus is on indica cannabis – an inherently intriguing species native to cold mountainous regions in central Asia. We highlight some of the most popular medical uses for indica cannabis, discussing few of the most iconic breeds that may work well for a specific range of conditions. So fire one up it’s time for some higher education.
But First, What Is Indica?
As we just mentioned, many believe that indica cannabis first found in the harsh mountainous climates of central Asia, such as the iconic Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
It is no secret that heirloom (i.e., genetically pure) indica cannabis strains of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region possess a list of medicinal properties. As is the case with almost any of the indica family, these plants grow low and bushy – their pungent flowers usually hidden beneath a mass of stumpy, deep green and sugar leaves.
The fact that indica cannabis plants boast a relatively consistent and specific chemical profile. Namely, a 2012 study has pointed out that most indicas have a higher CBD content.
When taken in large doses, CBD tends to have pretty strong sedative effects that can bring on a quick and heavy bout of onset drowsiness. This is likely why indica cannabis is known to be the best variety for inducing sleep and relieving anxiety and stress.
It would be naive to suggest that the medical benefits of indica cannabis are solely due to the consistently higher percentages of CBD. In fact, some indica strains have a very high THC content.
This is where secondary cannabis compounds come into play. While we know very little of what each specific compound in cannabis does, we know that the effects of the whole plant are amplified on the human body compared to the effects of a single extracted compound.
Medical Indica Benefits and the Complexity of Cannabis Plant Chemistry
When we use cannabis, there are far more things acting on our bodies and minds than simply the THC and CBD molecules. THC and CBD are just two of over 100 identified cannabinoid compounds (called phytocannabinoids) in cannabis.
There are other active compounds like terpenes, flavonoids, and omega acids also play a role in the medical benefits of indica strains. In other words, it is the specific full-spectrum chemical blend of pure indica cannabis strains that gives them the renowned benefits of sleep, sedation, and body numbing that they’re known for.
But what exactly is this cannabis indica chemical blend? That is a question that we’re going to have to wait to find out. To our knowledge, there is no study that has quantifiably identified the phytocannabinoid, terpene, flavonoid, and omega-acid profiles of pure indica cannabis.
We do know that the specific indica cannabis profile – whatever it may be – is responsible for producing a relatively consistent range of benefits that we can anticipate and put to use to maximize medicinal therapy.
Because of Indica’s high CBD concentration and its relaxing properties, an Indica strain is ideal for ailments relating to muscle pain, spasming, and restlessness. Below are some specific use cases for Indica cannabis, though medical cannabis has endless uses.
The Top Medical Uses for Indica Cannabis Strains
Medical Indica Effects #1 | Promotes Sleep/Insomnia
It has long been common knowledge that one of the best medical uses for indica strains is to promote sleep. Not long ago, the Swiss academic journal Medicines published a report supporting this idea. It claimed that cannabis flower was correlated with “significant improvements in perceived insomnia” and that flower from sativa strains was “…associated with more negative side effects than flower from [indica] plant subtypes.”
Insomnia is becoming a growing ailment for people these days. Thanks to the inundation of media and stimuli receive while we’re awake, it has become more difficult for people to turn their brains off when they go to sleep.
However, after smoking marijuana, a 2013 study found that users had less difficulty falling asleep than their non-smoking peers. It actually reduced the time it took for them to fall asleep by over an hour.
So, what is the general takeaway here? Indica marijuana strains are without a doubt your best option if you’re looking to get a better night’s sleep — and there is now scientific evidence to prove it.
Medical Indica Effects #2 | Relieves Stress, Anxiety & PTSD
High-CBD cannabis is preferable over high-THC cannabis when it comes to anxiety relief. And, of course, as we discussed earlier, CBD is more prevalent in indica cannabis than it is in sativa.
A recent 2013 study has verified as much, claiming that CBD “…reduces the effects of THC on several behavioral functions” and that it is known to “…reduce anxiety and improve the sensation of well-being [that is induced] by a high THC dose.”
For veterans returning from war, survivors of assault, and men or women escaping from abusive relationships or trauma, PTSD can be a life-threatening ailment. It keeps you anxious, afraid, angry, and unable to sleep.
The worst symptom of PTSD is the chronic nightmares a victim of the disorder experiences.
Thankfully, cannabis has come to the rescue. In 2009, a study found that THC served as a fantastic treatment for PTSD-related nightmares or night terrors. The study found that users slept longer, had a better sleep quality, and had fewer daytime flashbacks when awake.
Medical Indica Effects #3 | Relaxes Muscles, Decreases Inflammation, Pain and Chronic Pain
Out of the top-12 strains that cannabis reviewers identified as the best muscle relaxers, only one of them (Amnesia) was a sativa strain. The other 11 were either pure indica breeds or indica-dominant hybrids.
Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is a globally recognized organization dedicated to “advancing legal, medical marijuana therapeutics and research.” In their educational resource titled the ASA “Guide to Using Medical Cannabis,” one of the top therapeutic effects of indica cannabis was to help reduce pain and inflammation.
Again, this is likely due to the presence of full-spectrum CBD in indica-dominant cannabis varieties. Things like pure CBD oils and CBD-infused lotions have been known to work wonders in recent years at minimizing inflammation. Given the dominant genetic profile of indica strains, it makes perfect sense why.
A good Indica strain of cannabis gives you a “stoned” feeling. Your body gets heavy, and the high hits you in the body and legs. For someone looking to get high with their friends, Indica may not be the cannabis for you, but if you suffer from chronic physical pain it may be perfect for you.
Because cannabis is so popularly used recreationally, many strains of even Indica have had all of the CBD bred out of it. So if you’re looking for an Indica strain to treat your chronic pain, make sure to buy a strain with a high CBD concentration.
Not only can cannabis ease the pain in your large muscle groups, it can also alleviate the pain in your bones and joints as well. Ailments like arthritis and fibromyalgia are caused partially by severe inflammation in the joints.
Thankfully, research has shown that the cannabinoids in cannabis can reduce your inflammation as well.
Cannabis works for inflammation because the cannabinoids in cannabis encourage the apoptosis, or death, of T-cells in your body, in which regulate your immune system. The death of T-cells (which is needed to eventually regenerate them), results in the suppression of your immune system. This then leads to the reduction of inflammation, since an overactive immune system is what creates that response.
Medical Indica Effects #4 |
Epilepsy
Cannabis has become so effective in treating seizures. Scientists have even created a Sativa-Indica strain called Charlotte’s Web designed specifically to treat epilepsy and other maladies.
Charlotte’s Web was named after a girl named Charlotte Figi who used to experience frequent debilitating seizures. Until she started smoking this strain, that is.
What makes this strain different is that it is very low in THC and packed with CBD, making it good for treatment without limiting the user clarity of mind that THC can disturb.
Looking For A Medical Indica Strain?
Almost all strains of cannabis can have tremendous palliative effects that will boost your wellbeing. But the more specific you can get the better. Depending on your current ailment, you might need to find a strain with a higher CBD content or a higher THC content. Like with any other medicinal product, there is no one cure-all drug, so you need to find one that specifically works for you. A doctor wouldn’t prescribe you Xanax for foot pain, so you shouldn’t buy cannabis sativa to treat your PTSD.
On top of figuring out the balance of cannabinoids you need, different strains also have different levels of potency, so that’s something you should be looking out for as well.
A Brief Summary on the Top Medical Uses for Indica Strains
There is a clear pattern here when discussing some of the top medical uses for indica cannabis strains. Research investigations have pointed out that indica plants tend to have more CBD than sativa. We see that most indica effects are consistent with the perceived effects of CBD. Namely, we see that people commonly use indica strains for:
• Sleep and insomnia
• Anxiety relief
• Inflammation relief
• Muscle relaxation
If you’re lost and don’t know where to begin looking for the right medical cannabis for you as a natural therapy (after speaking with your healthcare provider). In that case, we recommend finding a proven indica breed these strains should be relatively easy to find if you have access to a cannabis dispensary.
STONER QUESTION OF THE DAY
Did you feel euphoric the first time you used cannabis?
So until tomorrow stay Herbaly Healthy & Happy. Please follow and take the time to give us a LIKE then post a comment because we would love to hear from you and Share this with your friends and family to help us educate on the Endo-Cannabinoid System and Cannabis as a Holistic Therapeutic that is all Organic and Natural, Chemical and Pesticide Free, Affordable and Easy to Access and Therapeutic while We Demand the FederalGovernment to Immediately Reform the law on Cannabis. We also Demand Big Pharma to stay out of our Wallets and we have a medication that actually Heals named Cannabis that does not contain those Harmful Side Effects like Liver Damge, Kidney Damage, or Death.
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