PotSmiths – The Benefits of Medical Cannabis

Author: Kim Lux

PotSmiths – Coming Soon to the Colorado Springs, CO Medical Market!

PotSmiths is a new medical cannabis brand hitting the Colorado Springs, CO cannabis medical market in April 2022. PotSmiths products will include cannabis flower and concentrate extracts and will be available at your local medical dispensary.

Medical cannabis use has been increasing across the US as more states recognize the benefits of cannabis and legalize its use in some form. In 2020 especially, more people used cannabis to cope with stress and anxiety. But even as cannabis use gains more acceptance, there are still many myths and misconceptions about cannabis. After being told for decades that cannabis is “bad,” many people are confused about why cannabis is gaining acceptance and how it can be considered a valid medical treatment now. The truth is cannabis has been a valid medical option for much longer than it was labeled “bad.”

Cannabis is a natural and safe alternative medicine for many symptoms and diseases. And that’s not “new.” Cannabis has a long, worldwide history going back to about the end of the last Ice Age. It’s been grown for fiber, medicine, and inebriation for thousands of years.

In Japan, dried hemp seeds were found in a clay jar that dated over 10,000 years. Written accounts of medicinal cannabis date back to ancient China. Europe, the Mediterranean, Egypt, India, Iraq, and more have a long history with cannabis.

How, then, did cannabis become demonized for so long that we’re only just now rediscovering its many medical benefits? There is a lot of misinformation and politics involved. Americans recognized the medical benefits of cannabis many decades ago. In fact, as recently as 1937, the American Medical Association argued to keep cannabis available to the medical profession. For now, it’s enough to know that cannabis has a long history of medicinal use worldwide.

Our Bodies Were Made to Use Cannabis
Ancient civilizations knew how to use cannabis but didn’t know why. And until very recently, we didn’t know why either! It wasn’t until the 1990’s that researchers discovered that our bodies produce and use our own version of the compounds that are so common in cannabis: cannabinoids.

Together, our cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors throughout our bodies make up our endocannabinoid system (ECS), which helps regulate processes involved with memory, mood, pain, stress, and more.

In other words, our bodies make and use the same compounds found in cannabis and use them to regulate some of our body systems. We have natural receptors for cannabis.

How is Medical Cannabis Different from Recreational Cannabis?
What is medical cannabis? Some people are surprised to find out that medical cannabis is the same as recreational cannabis. The difference isn’t in the product; it’s in how it’s used. Medical cannabis relies on the different natural chemicals in the plant to treat various symptoms or conditions.

For best results, medical users research the different strains of cannabis and choose their cannabis based on their medical needs.

The cannabis plant has more than 100 natural compounds called cannabinoids that interact with receptors in our endocannabinoid system to cause different reactions. The two most common cannabinoids in cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

What Can THC and CBD Help With?
Even though they are both present in cannabis, THC, and CBD affect your body differently. The most noticeable difference is that THC causes psychoactive symptoms (it gets you high), and CBD does not. When used together, CBD can even reduce the psychoactive effects of THC.

THC can help:
• Anxiety
• Decreased appetite
• Glaucoma
• Insomnia
• Muscle spasticity
• Nausea
• Pain

Its temporary side effects can include:
• Anxiety
• Coordination problems
• Dry mouth
• Increased heart rate
• Memory loss
• Red eyes
• Slower reaction times

CBD can help:
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Inflammation
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Migraine
• Nausea
• Pain
• Psychosis or mental disorders
• Seizures

Its side effects can include:
• Appetite changes
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Weight loss

Different cannabis products have different amounts of THC, CBD, and other compounds which work with our natural cannabinoid receptors.

THC and CBD are Just the Beginning

Cannabis growers can cultivate different varieties of cannabis with specific amounts of THC, CBD, and other compounds that grow naturally in cannabis. Some of those other compounds are called terpenes, and they also benefit your body through the ECS.

What are Terpenes?
Terpenes are common in the natural world. You encounter them every day and might not know it. They’re the compounds responsible for the odor of plants. They help the plant by attracting or repelling certain animals and insects, protecting it from pathogens, and triggering immune responses.

Terpenes have therapeutic properties that affect your body in different ways. Together, cannabinoids and terpenes give unique medicinal characteristics to the different varieties of cannabis.

Medical cannabis users can select products based on the properties of the cannabinoids and terpenes to achieve the therapeutic or mood-altering effect they need. Connoisseurs of cannabis can identify terpenes by aroma and flavor. The terpene linalool, for example, is what gives lavender its familiar scent.

Therapeutic Benefits of Terpenes
The cannabis plant contains hundreds of different terpenes, but only a few of them have been studied. Some of the benefits discovered include:

Anticancer – Some terpenes slow the growth or activity of cancer cells, including limonene, camphor, pinene, beta-myrcene, and terpinene.

Antidepressant – Many terpenes have mood-altering properties, including linalool and beta-pinene.

Antimicrobial – Many terpenes can stop microorganisms, including alpha-bisabolol, eucalyptol, geraniol, menthol, and terpinolene.

Antiviral – Several terpenes can help kill viruses: alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, camphor, carvone, and caryophyllene.

Pain relief – Some terpenes work with cannabinoids to reduce pain, including beta-pinene, geranial, humulene, and linalool.

The three most abundant terpenes in cannabis, and some of their unique qualities and uses, are:

Myrcene – Smells herbal, hoppy. It’s calming and relaxing. It has antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Beta-caryophyllene – Smells peppery. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is known to help muscle spasms, insomnia, and pain.

Limonene – Smells like citrus. It has antidepressant, antianxiety, and antifungal properties. It’s been shown to help with mood elevation, stress relief, and gastric reflux.

What Can Medical Cannabis Treat?
Even though medical cannabis has been used for thousands of years, the Food and Drug Association (FDA) has only approved one cannabis-derived medication and three cannabis-related products for use in specific circumstances.

FDA-approved research has shown evidence that cannabis is beneficial for:
• Pain relief
• Nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy
• Muscle spasticity due to multiple sclerosis

Others use it for a number of conditions, many of which are being researched. Cannabis has been used for or proven effective for many symptoms and conditions, including:

• Acne
• ADHD
• Adolescence
• Alzheimer’s
• ALS
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Appetite loss
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Cachexia (wasting syndrome)
• Cancer
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Gerontologic issues
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Insomnia
• Menopause
• Migraine
• MS
• Muscle spasms
• Neuropathy
• Nausea
• Pain
• Palliative care
• Parkinson’s Disease
• PTSD
• Restless leg syndrome
• Seizure disorders
• Sexual issues
• Stress
• Tourette’s syndrome
• And more!

Because cannabis works with our body naturally and has so many chemical variations, cannabis treatment can be customized to address the symptoms of many conditions. It’s important to remember that cannabis isn’t usually a cure, but supporting your own endocannabinoid system with plant cannabinoids can reduce symptoms and may even improve and prevent some diseases.

So, Are Medical Cannabis Users Sitting Around Smoking Joints?
Maybe! But probably not. Cannabis doesn’t have to be smoked, and it’s not always the best method of treatment. Smoking is difficult to dose, is shorter-lasting than other methods, and many medical users don’t like to smoke! Medical cannabis is commonly used in these ways:

• Smoking – It has a fast onset but toxic byproducts.
• Oral (edibles, pills, oils, tinctures, sprays) – One of the safest methods, oral cannabis has a slower onset, is longer-lasting, allows for more precise dosing, and is convenient.
• Vaporization – Vaping is similar to smoking but has fewer irritants inhaled than smoking.
• Topicals (salve, cream) are among the safest methods, can target affected areas, and have no psychoactive effects.
• Suppository – Useful only for specific localized symptoms, suppository absorption varies, and they have a likelihood of user error.

But They’re Getting High, Right?
Maybe! Maybe not. There are therapeutic effects from getting high, but medical cannabis users are usually looking for symptom relief first. Not everyone enjoys getting high or can afford to get high – many still have work or other responsibilities while using medical cannabis. It’s not always practical to have the psychoactive effects associated with THC.

For those who want to avoid the psychoactive symptoms, cannabis varieties with high levels of CBD and lower levels of THC (or none) are a better choice. High-CBD cannabis is safe and gives relief without the high.

Is it Possible to Overdose on Cannabis?
It is possible to have too much cannabis, but it’s not possible to overdose the same way as with opioids or alcohol. There are no reported cases of cannabis alone causing death. But it can cause a bad and very uncomfortable reaction.

Talk to anyone who regularly uses cannabis, and you’re bound to hear stories about overdoing it with edibles. Because it takes longer to feel the effects of edibles, too many novice users eat more because they think their first dose didn’t affect them.

They may not be aware that it can take from 20 minutes to as long as 2 hours before you feel the effects of an edible. When dosing medical cannabis, the motto is “start low, go slow,” and that is especially true with edibles.

A bad reaction can cause:
• Anxiety, mood changes
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Dry eyes
• Fatigue, lethargy
• Hallucinations (rare)
• Headaches
• Increased heart rate
• Nausea, vomiting (rare)
• Paranoia, panic attacks (rare)
• Slow reaction times
• Thirstiness, dry mouth

What cannabis can do is lower your inhibitions and reaction times, so while cannabis is not fatal, medical cannabis users still need to use good judgment when they’re taking cannabis.

Where to Begin
Medical cannabis can be therapeutic for many symptoms and conditions, but it does take some knowledge and planning to get the best results. There are healthcare providers – doctors and nurses – who specialize in medical cannabis treatment and can customize a treatment plan for you.

Others research medical cannabis on their own and find the right variety, dose, and method of administration through trial and error. We recommend starting with small doses of a cannabis variety selected for your specific needs if you take this route. Take time to experience the benefits and side effects, and slowly increase the dose as needed. Keeping your dose as low as possible is the best way to get relief while limiting unwanted side effects.

We don’t recommend buying cannabis off the street or from a friend of a friend. There is more to medical cannabis than buying a bag of weed and rolling a joint. You might get some results that way, but you might also get some unintended and unpleasant results.

The safest, best way to benefit from medical cannabis is to educate yourself about your options, select cannabis varieties that are known to treat your symptoms, start with small doses, and assess your results before trying a higher dose or different variety. And always be careful.

The best way to achieve all of those goals is to buy proven, high-quality cannabis products – like PotSmiths. We’re proud to be launching our products in three dispensaries in the Colorado Springs medical cannabis market in April 2022.

About Us
At PotSmiths, we’re genuine craftsmen with a true passion for cannabis. PotSmiths will offer you our GOLD Standard of products every time. Our team’s culmination of life-long experience shines through in every product, consistently producing quality cannabis with you in mind. PotSmiths is looking forward to bringing you cannabis products FORGED from FIRE!

Look for us at The 64 Store, Rocky Farms, and Cannabicare!

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