Medical marijuana

News and developments on the medicinal properties of marijuana For thousands of years, marijuana has been used worldwide as a medicinal plant, taking advantage of the numerous therapeutic properties of cannabinoids (THC, CBD ...) together with aromatic molecules (terpenes) found in cannabis. Here, we present several articles on the therapeutic use of marijuana, as well as a monthly or bi-monthly compilation of news related to the world of medical cannabis, highlighting advances and scientific studies conducted internationally.

Cannabis: dependence and withdrawal syndrome

Cannabis: dependence and withdrawal syndrome

Legalization and increasing social acceptance of cannabis or marijuana use have led to a significant increase in its use around the world. As more people turn to cannabis as a form of recreation or medical treatment, it is crucial to examine and understand the potential effects of its use in the medium and long term.

In this article, we want to explore two fundamental aspects of this debate around cannabis: dependence and withdrawal. Through an in-depth analysis, we will examine how continued use of this substance can lead to dependence and, in some cases, trigger withdrawal symptoms upon quitting that affect both the physical and mental health of users. By addressing these topics, we hope to shed light on a crucial aspect of the conversation surrounding cannabis and provide valuable information for those seeking to make informed decisions about its use.

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Medicines of the past: Cannabis, mushrooms and ancient forgotten therapies

Medicines of the past: Cannabis, mushrooms and ancient forgotten therapies

In the constant search for relief and healing, humanity has turned to a wide variety of resources throughout history. Since the dawn of civilization, plants and fungi have played a fundamental role in ancient therapies, providing a refuge for those seeking remedies for their ailments. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of medicines of the past, with a special focus on two elements that have captured the imagination of generations: cannabis and medicinal mushrooms.

As we unravel the historical medicinal uses of these substances, we will discover how they have been harnessed by cultures around the world for therapeutic and spiritual purposes. From ancient rituals to forgotten medical treatments, we'll explore the past to better understand how ancient knowledge continues to influence modern perspectives on medicine and wellness.

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Dry mouth and cannabis use: what it is and how to avoid it

Dry mouth and cannabis use: what it is and how to avoid it

If you are a regular user of cannabis, and leaving aside the popular munchies, you must have noticed another curious - and somewhat annoying - symptom derived from marijuana use: having a dry mouth like desert sand. Although it is a symptom that does not usually bother or worry excessively, the truth is that this phenomenon has an explanation and, as you will see in today's article, it can have truly undesirable consequences in cases of continued consumption, which are not few.

Today we will explain why after consuming cannabis it may seem that your tongue has become a piece of leather, what you can do to avoid it and, above all and most importantly, what long-term consequences may arise from the fact that your salivary glands take a break too often, something that, as you will see, happens every time you smoke, vape, or even ingest cannabis.

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Is CRISPR gene editing the future of cannabis?

Is CRISPR gene editing the future of cannabis?

Although propagation by cuttings or clones is an old and effective practice for generating crops, it is not the standard within the agricultural industry. Instead, farmers use stable seeds that grow predictably and uniformly. Many growers are interested in developing similar seeds for hemp and medical cannabis; however, the process may require the use of a technology known as CRISPR/Cas9.

For those unfamiliar, CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that allows DNA to be altered, controlling which attributes the organism expresses. In any case, regardless of the organism edited, having the ability to make DNA consistent across multiple organisms or seeds allows for genetic uniformity without cloning.

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The effects of the interaction of cannabis with other drugs

The effects of the interaction of cannabis with other drugs

Drug interaction is defined as a change in the way a substance works when taken alongside other drugs, medications, or foods. This interaction can be quantified, either by the magnitude of the effects caused, by their duration, or by the physiological conditions of the consumer. Depending on the type of interaction that occurs, it can be classified into three types:

  • Additive: when the combination of two substances causes both to produce their effects as they would independently.
  • Synergistic: the combination causes these substances to increase their effects compared to when they would separately.
  • Antagonistic: the effects of both substances are reduced, so their action is less than when they are taken separately.

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Cannabis for chickens: The latest revolution on the farm?

Cannabis for chickens: The latest revolution on the farm?

A medical cannabis farm in northern Thailand has been feeding its free-range chickens cannabis instead of antibiotics, an experiment that has yielded some very promising results and one that aims to provide a solution for consumers who don't want to eat chicken meat full of hormones and antibiotics.

In this case, the recent availability of cannabis in Thailand was the driving force behind the project. It all started about a year ago when the owner of a farm growing cannabis for therapeutic use wondered if he could use the leftover cannabis leaves to feed his chickens. Researchers from the Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences at Chiang Mai University wanted to answer that question and investigate what benefits the plant could bring to the health of these birds, in addition to being a food supplement.

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How to make CBD oil with CBD crystals

How to make CBD oil with CBD crystals

The use of cannabinoids for the treatment of various ailments or symptoms has exploded in recent years, with dozens of CBD-rich products now freely available in many countries. What only a few years ago seemed to be the domain of an "enlightened" few has now become an emerging industry in which even leading brands of, for example, cosmetic products, are riding the wave of CBD's therapeutic benefits and enriching some of their products with this already popular cannabinoid.

In many cases, CBD oil can be prepared with a few cannabinoid-rich cannabis flowers, some vegetable oil and a little patience. However, it is frankly difficult to establish an exact CBD content in these types of home extractions unless you analyse the resulting oil, and you may not have CBD-rich buds on hand. Today we will explain a simple method to prepare it at home that solves both issues and provides us with a high-purity product with a precise CBD content, which will significantly facilitate dosing.

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The munchies: cannabis and a craving for food

The munchies: cannabis and a craving for food

Although each marijuana strain delivers different effects depending on its composition, most varieties have one clear factor in common: they leave you feeling incredibly hungry once their effects wear off. One of the cannabinoids responsible for this could be the main star of the plant, i.e. THC. Even though its content is below 1% in some strains (particularly those known as ‘Pure CBD’), this component is still present in most varieties on the market, especially in those aimed at recreational use.

However, there are more factors in this relationship between marijuana and food cravings that have been researched scientifically.

The role of THC in cannabis-induced food cravings

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an intercellular communication system formed by endogenous cannabinoid receptors (or endocannabinoids) that interact with marijuana’s natural cannabinoids (or phytocannabinoids). This system regulates many metabolic functions in mammals and plays a key role in the regulation of hunger.

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The effects of mixing marijuana with tobacco

The effects of mixing marijuana with tobacco

The world of cannabis has changed a lot in recent years. In fact, in this last decade the plant has been legalized in different countries and regions around the globe, and trails towards its therapeutic use have been blazed. Its consumption via vaping, edibles and concentrates has also increased.

Something that has not changed much, however, is the most common form of cannabis consumption: mixing it with tobacco to roll a cigarette.

Europe tops the list worldwide in this habit, and these seem to be some of the reasons most cited by users:

  1. It lowers the cost of cannabis consumption, because you use less.
  2. It improves the combustion of the cannabis in the cigarette, making it faster and more uniform.
  3. By cultural tradition, associated with places where it is consumed.
  4. Because nicotine augments the effects of cannabis, according to some users.

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Side effects of CBD

Side effects of CBD

CBD is one of the principal cannabinoids found in cannabis and, along with THC, one of its best-known compounds. This molecule, which has found huge popularity in recent years due to its therapeutic potential, has led not only the scientific community to focus on its study, but also seed banks to strive to create new varieties rich in CBD, strains with different THC/CBD ratios designed to meet the needs of a growing public.

Therapeutic properties of CBD

The truth is that CBD has proven to have multiple properties that are useful both in the recreational field (since it modulates the adverse effects of THC) and in the medicinal field. Recent scientific studies have proven that cannabidiol contains the following therapeutic properties:

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Can cannabis prevent or treat coronavirus?

Can cannabis prevent or treat coronavirus?

At the beginning of this new year of 2022, a news story about how cannabis can help fight COVID-19 was picked up by many non-cannabis media. These articles reported the findings of a study by Oregon State University into the effect that cannabis has on the cellular pathways that the COVID virus (an acronym for coronavirus disease) uses to invade the body.

While this research is certainly worth celebrating, the reality behind the message can be easily misunderstood in this age of social media. It seems that every time a positive clinical study relating to cannabis and COVID comes out, the world gets excited about the medical potential of weed as a miracle medicine to end the pandemic. Then later, when the details begin to emerge, the clickbait headlines disappear like leaves in the wind.

Fortunately, almost everyone in the cannabis industry kept a level head in the face of this study and affirmed that no, cannabis doesn't prevent or cure coronavirus, although it does have the potential to help in a number of ways. Firstly, it can reduce the spread of the virus by binding to the receptors that the virus uses to infect the body. Secondly, it can reduce symptoms associated with the virus, since cannabis has natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Therefore, cannabis, to a certain extent, cannot cure COVID or stop you from contracting the virus. Still, it's important to understand that it's too early to make assumptions, especially when many people claim that cannabis use is the reason they haven't had COVID-19 yet. For this reason, it is necessary to take a closer look at existing research on how cannabis might help (or harm) people against coronavirus.

Let's review the most notable scientific studies to date.

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Plants that interact with the endocannabinoid system

Plants that interact with the endocannabinoid system

It's not unusual for people to think that cannabis is the only plant that produces cannabinoids (after all, it has “canna” in its name). But other phytochemicals (known as 'cannabimimetics') also interact with the endocannabinoid system in a wide variety of plants and fruits, which could open other alternative routes to explore new therapeutic compounds. What role do these substances play, and what other species contain them?

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10 benefits of CBD to treat unexpected diseases

10 benefits of CBD to treat unexpected diseases

Cannabidiol offers many therapeutic benefits which are well-documented by scientific literature, and include pain relief, anti-anxiety, and anticonvulsant properties. But plenty of medicinal properties of CBD go largely unnoticed. While many CBD supporters tend to claim this cannabinoid is a magic formula that cures pretty much everything, in the above cases, scientific evidence is there to back up any anecdotal accounts.

However, we should admit we're still learning about what CBD can exactly do to our bodies; after all, research on its potential properties is still in its infancy, and very few clinical studies have been conducted on humans. After sifting through heaps of scientific reports, here are some of CBD?s most interesting or unexpected health benefits:

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Whitey or greening out after consuming cannabis: what is it and how to act?

Whitey or greening out after consuming cannabis: what is it and how to act?

Sometimes, cannabis doesn’t have the effect you might expect. Every seasoned smoker has experienced - or has seen someone going through it - at least once, a series of really unpleasant and adverse effects that are the result of their body’s reaction to THC. In stoner jargon, this is usually known, among other things, as a "whitey" or "green out". But... do you know exactly what it is? Why does it happen? What can you do for a person who’s greening out?

In this article, written alongside a medical professional, we delve further into this subject and explain why these episodes occur, what happens to your body during them, and above all, what you can do to make these unpleasant sensations disappear as fast as possible.

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Temperatures for Vaporising Cannabis

Temperatures for Vaporising Cannabis

Cannabis vaporisers and temperature control

The increase in use of vaporisers that we've seen in recent years is in response to a growing demand on the part of the consuming public, not only the medicinal users, but also a growing number of recreational consumers who more and more are concerned for their health and who want to find alternatives to the traditional combustion of flowers or cannabis extractions.

As a result, the market is rapidly expanding, with the appearance of more and more devices for vaporising both dried herbs and resins, usually incorporate some kind of system to control either vaporisation temperature or battery voltage (or featuring both systems on the same device), giving the user total control over the temperature at which the product will vaporise.

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How to make cannabis creams and ointments with CBD

How to make cannabis creams and ointments with CBD

Cannabis creams and ointments with CBD

The many benefits offered by the cannabinoids such as CBD that are found in cannabis have been the subject of research for years, with numerous studies that directly relate the use of CBD with an improvement in a wide range of diseases or symptoms. Products such as CBD creams and cosmetics are now widely available on the market, and often also include other substances such as rosemary, tea tree or even terpenes (as we will demonstrate).

As we mentioned, it's relatively easy to find this type of cream these days, but we also know that many of you grow for yourselves or have access to CBD-rich cannabis. Therefore, today we're going to explain how to prepare a cream with CBD easily at home, with no more danger or difficulty than cooking any simple recipe! In addition, we will take a look at the main uses for this type of cream, which, as you'll discover, can range from pain management to psoriasis.

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About this Cannabis Blog

This is the official blog of Alchimia Grow Shop. This blog is intended exclusively for the use of adults over the age of 18 years.

To buy equipment for growing cannabis at home you can consult our catalogue of cannabis seeds, grow shop and paraphernalia


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