AIDS not so "TUFF" with Marijuana

The human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that invades cells in the human immune system, making it highly susceptible to infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization, over 500,000 Americans have died from HIV/AIDS and over one million US citizens are living with the disease.

Researchers have known for decades that cannabis can provide an enormous benefit to patients suffering from HIV/AIDS because of its ability to stimulate the appetite and prevent weight loss. One recent study reported that more than 60 percent of HIV/AIDS patients self-identify as "medical cannabis users. People with HIV have long realized that cannabis can ease many HIV-related conditions, including nausea, loss of appetite, depression, weight loss, and neuropathic pain. However, a new study finds that this magical herb may do more than just give patients the munchies, but it may actually tackle the disease at its core.

Strain: Sadhu

Sadhu

Sadhu is a homage to the legendary ganja from India’s high altitude valleys, and to the wandering ascetics, or sadhus, who keep the traditions of cannabis cultivation and ritual and recreational use alive. Sadhu’s parentage is a combination of a specially adapted landrace male from the Himalayan heights, and one of Mandala’s short flowering indica-sativa hybrids. 

Trichome production is very generous on Sadhu’s leaves and buds. These plants develop a fresh candy aroma, with some leaning toward a bubblegum scent. As they dry, these beautifully rounded buds take on a sweet-fruity honeydew melon scent and flavor with just a bit of spice in the exhale. Sadhu’s leaves and buds produce generous amounts of wonderfully flagrant hash of fine quality that is reminiscent of India’s traditional hand-rolled charas.

Sadhu strain offers a meditative indica high – relaxed and oceanic, but clear-headed. The strain can sooth stress-related disorders such as hyperactivity and insomnia. Some medical growers also report that it has antidepressant properties and the strain has benefited cancer patients.

It has THC content up to 18%.

               
Makes you feel:

+Relaxed
+Sleepy
+Happy
+Euphoric
+Hungry

Useful for:
+Stress
+Pain
+Insomnia
+Depression
+Lack of Appetite

Zee News: It’s official! US confirms marijuana does kill cancer cells

Washington: After a series of laboratory tests and speculations, scientists from the National Cancer Institute (US Department of Health) have confirmed that cannabis, or marijuana, does kill cancer cells.

In its website, the institute wrote, "cannabis and cannabinoids may have benefits in treating the symptoms of cancer or the side effects of cancer therapies" and also that "cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory."
The website also records that "cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied in the laboratory and the clinic for relief of pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, and loss of appetite."
Having said that, the researchers also stressed that marijuana has only shown these effects on mice, and are not yet ready to recommend the drug for human use in fighting cancer.
Although Cancer Research pointed out that there is not yet enough evidence to determine whether cannabis can be effectively used for cancer treatment, but this could be a big moment in the battle against the disease.
This new development could also pave the path for a nationwide legalisation of marijuana!

Source:
ZeeNews

Suffering from Menopause, PMS and PMD? Cannabis may help!

The endocannabinoid system has a fundamental role to play in all aspects of female fertility, from initial fecundity, to implantation of the developing embryo into the endometrium, to delivery of endocannabinoids via breast milk. As well as all this, the endocannabinoid system also has a vital role in the cessation of fertility.

Cannabis aids a plethora of medical conditions, including Menopausal syndrome, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Studies have shown that up to 85% of women suffer from at least one of the symptoms these disorders may bring.
In the 1800s, cannabis was a common medicine use to alleviate menstrual cramps, general pain and anxiety. 

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle. The wide range of symptoms include severe pain from uterine cramps, anxiety, headaches, depression, irritability, and more that can get in the way of daily activities. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Treatments for PMS and PMDD typically include pain killers, muscle relaxants and anti-depressants. Pain killers can become addictive and do long-term damage to the liver and kidneys. Muscle relaxants have similar drawbacks. Anti-depressants (such as Prozac and Zoloft) take several days to start working, so relief is not in arm’s reach. Even with the other pill options, pain killers and muscle relaxants take 40-60 minutes to kick in. Cannabis helps these symptoms immediately, much sooner than pain killers and muscle relaxants will begin to take effect. Additionally, cannabis is not physically addictive or as harmful to the human body.

The Yogic way of getting high

"Hamsa" is a pure state of mind that relates to a mythical swan. This mythical swan supposedly could drink the milk out of water that was mixed with milk. Hamsa refers to the mind able to filter and absorb the good through the vast inputs before it. When we meditate and go deeper inwards our thinking patterns change and gradually our mind begins to perceive from higher conscious states, like a swan gliding above thought process. When the mind goes inwards and goes beyond to the thoughtless realm of deep meditation, the mind state is called 'Hamsa'.

Yogis who meditate for years together acquire a pure mind state that enables the discipline and insight to choose the right intake of food and herbs. Ganja, as marijuana is called in India, is considered to be a sacred herb of Lord Shiva due to the effect it has on the mind to go inward, with focus.

Ganja, however, is also regarded with reverence. In other words, ganja is to be be smoked exclusively to take the mind to the oneness state. The effect of taking the inward journey through ganja is- ability to transcend the mind, i.e, to go beyond sleep to the sleepless sleep state called turiya by the yogis; to transcend body consciousness, i.e, to go beyond hunger, heat and cold; ability to empower the mind with clarity, insight, creativity and focus. All these effects are actually nearly the opposite effects that one might have when ganja is smoked simply for recreation.

These are steps suggested from the yogic wisdom to enhance the goodness of this sacred herb of higher consciousness . Read more..

Himalaya’s Hash Poverty

There’s irony everywhere you look in the cannabis culture. From Hawaii’s medical legalization that allows small gardens, but prohibits citizens from purchasing seeds or clones, to the judges who sentence inner city youth for minor possession and then go home and smoke up themselves, many characteristics of the pot world are rife with hypocrisy and double standards.

The pot fields of the Himalayan valley in India, situated at a potency-enhancing elevation of 10,000 feet, are no exception. Regarded by many as the homeland for a variety of high-quality indica landrace strains, Himalaya maintains a small cannabis tourism business despite the fact that most villagers who produce the herb remain impoverished.

Most of this poverty is caused by the simple fact that marijuana is officially outlawed in India, and has been since 1985. As a result, the majority of the profits are kept by the distributors, rather than the farmers. These black market operators take not only the cannabis and hash to distribute, but also most of the cash. Read more..

Illinois the First State to Add Autism as a Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabis

Illinois’ medical cannabis program is heating up! The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board recommended eight new qualifying conditions for its medical marijuana program, a relief for possible medical patients after 11 suggested qualifying conditions were rejected by Governor Bruce Rauner last month.This marks the first state ever to add autism as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana. It has only recently come to light that cannabis may have a remarkable effect on those with autism, particularly on children struggling with motor skills and coordination. Much of the evidence has come in the form of anecdotes from families whose lives have been changed by the administration of cannabis oil, but there have been few formal scientific studies.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced that they have approved 3,100 new patients to be a part of the state’s burgeoning medical marijuana program. The recently approved patients also included 16 children. In order for children to qualify for the program, they must have written certification from two doctors, while adults only need one. Read more..

Bombay HC dismisses plea to decriminalize cannabis

Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking direction to decriminalize cannabis.

A bench of Justice V M Kanade and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi heard a public interest litigation by Aditya Barthakur, a lawyer, urging the court to declare the inclusion of cannabis under The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act as illegal and ultra vires of the Indian Constitution.

Barthakur argued that failure to decriminalize cannabis will attract people to more dangerous substances. He submitted data to show the useful effects of cannabis on health including as a cure for illnesses like cancer. He also pointed out that several countries have legalised its sale and consumption. Read more..

Chennai: Should marijuana be legalized?

Cannabis should be legal in India, petition in the Bombay high court.

Advocate Aditya Barthakur has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court challenging the criminalisation of cannabis under Indian law, based on the fact that none of six government organs he queried had any idea about how the herb is harmful to the human body.

The high court has issued notices to the central and state governments, reported the Express.

Barthakur last year filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking medical or scientific reasons for how the consumption of Cannabis in any form is harmful to humans.

Impact of Cannabis on ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem, and motor cortex. An estimated 30,000 Americans are living with ALS, which often arises spontaneously and afflicts otherwise healthy adults.

The medical components of marijuana have shown remarkable abilities to both slow and stop the progression of the neurodegenerative disease known as ALS.

In fact, CBD (non-psychotic cannabinoid found in marijuana) has been shown to have beneficial effects on all major neurodegenerative diseases involving the mitochondrial and basal ganglia portions of the brain.

School Uses “Marijuana Goggles” To Misinform Kids About What It’s Like To Be Stoned

Apparently some students from Hancock County, Indiana think now is the best time to start putting the “marijuana scare” into their classmates. Formed from 4 schools in the county, these high school students represent The Hancock County Youth Council. Their mission is to end alcohol and substance abuse in their schools.

The FATAL VISION marijuana goggles:
 

Read more..

Cancer is just another word for cannabinoid deficiency

Marijuana has been used in herbal remedies for centuries. Everyone from hippies to conspiracy theorists and even several creditable scientists have previously argued that smoking or ingesting the herb can have medicinal benefits. Scientists have identified many biologically active components in marijuana. These are called cannabinoids. The two best studied components are the chemicals delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (often referred to as THC), and cannabidiol (CBD). Other cannabinoids are being studied.

Cancer kills up to 20,000 people worldwide every day, according to global health estimates. Health researchers for the US government claim that cannabinoids - the active ingredients in cannabis - can inhibit the illness by causing cell death and blocking key blood vessels needed by tumours to grow. The studies in mice and rats show cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells - while still protecting normal cells.

Strain: White Rhino

White Rhino

White Rhino is a indica dominant hybrid 90% indica, 10% sativa (Brazilian Sativa  x South Indian Indica x Afghani).This phenotype of the Rhino produced large very dense, extremely crystalline monster buds. Colors ranged from light olive green to some leaves that actually appeared white, but the overall appearance is that of flowers covered in frost and ice after an early snow. 

It has very deep, dank, and pungent smell. A very complex, almost overwhelming aroma  When sniffed lightly you definitely get deep berry tones mixed with a spicy anise aroma. 

It has very delightful, yet deceiving taste. On the inhale it is like sour patch candy with hints of anise and clove, very sweet and tangy. As you exhale it is very peppery in the throat, not unpleasant at all though, and leaves the tongue and lips slightly numb with a distinct,uber-sweet, anise aftertaste.

It has THC content up to 20%.

Makes you feel:  
+Relaxed
+Happy
+Sleepy
+Euphoric
+Uplifted

Useful for:
+Stress
+Insomnia
+Pain
+Lack of Appetite
+Depression
+works well for OCD

Marijuana against mosquito borne disease: Malaria

Malaria is an infection caused by protozoan organisms of the Plasmodium genus and transmitted by Anopheles mosquito species. Malaria can be fatal, although not all strains of the disease are equally lethal. The disease is said to have killed half of all humans to ever live, and continues to claim over a million lives annually.

Cannabis has a long history of use against diseases that cause symptoms of fever, such as cholera, rabies and tetanus. There are documented instances of use by ancient cultures including those of China and India; anthropologists have also documented traditional use which persists to this day among some African and Southeast Asian populations.

The early Chinese literature makes reference to cannabis being used as a treatment for malaria. Summarising its therapeutic properties, the Pen T’sao Ching states that cannabis ‘clears blood and cools temperature’, a reference to cannabis’ ability to reduce fever.

In Cambodia, individuals infected with malaria were traditionally treated with cannabis; such use may persist to this day, in some regions. Reportedly, the smoke from one kilogram of male and female plants is inhaled twice daily until the fever has passed. Occasionally, an alternative method is employed, whereby a preparation of cannabis and water is administered orally in two-milliliter doses prior to each meal. However, this method is held to be less effective.

In Africa, cannabis is reported to have been used by Zimbabwean traditional healers as a remedy for malaria, as well as for blackwater fever, a potentially-fatal complication of the disease. It is believed that traditional cannabis-based medicines continue to be in use among rural populations both in Africa and in Southeast Asia.

Cannabis helps cure epilepsy

Marijuana is known by many names; the most common is cannabis. This is the Latin name used most often by botanists and pharmaceutical companies. The word marijuana usually refers to the leaves and female flowers of the cannabis plant. Cannabinoids are substances in cannabis that act on cells in the body (called cannabinoid receptors) to cause some effect.
Two major ingredients include:

• Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, causes the psychoactive effects of "getting high."
• Cannabidiol, or CBD, does not cause psychoactive effects but has shown some positive effects on certain body systems and may potentially affect seizures.

Evidence from laboratory studies, anecdotal reports, and small clinical studies from a number of years ago suggests that cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis, could potentially be helpful in controlling seizures. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature.

Individual reports of children with refractory (or intractable) epilepsy who have tried cannabis,
usually with high ratios of cannabidiol to THC, have reported marked improvements in seizure frequency, including a report describing the results of Charlotte, a girl with Dravet syndrome.

Cannabidiol (CBD): Recently, there have been some open-labeled studies in the U.S. of Epidiolex (a drug derived from cannabidiol or CBD), which is produced by a pharmaceutical company (GW Pharmaceuticals). Epidiolex is a purified, 99% oil-based extract of CBD that is produced to give known and consistent amounts in each dose. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given some epilepsy centers permission to use this drug as "compassionate use" for a limited number of people at each center. Such studies are ongoing for difficult epilepsies such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (in children and adults) and Dravet syndrome in children.

Marijuana: Hero for Diabetes Patients

Diabetes is the term for a group of related metabolic disorders characterized by prolonged high blood glucose levels. Diabetes affects almost 400 million people worldwide, resulting in up to five million deaths per year–and its prevalence is rising. Substantial evidence indicates that cannabis may prevent and treat the disease.

Diabetes is associated with high levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance, as well as low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). 
In 2013, the results of a five-year study into the effects of cannabis on fasting insulin and insulin resistance were published in the American Journal of Medicine. Of the 4,657 respondents, 2,554 had used cannabis in their lifetime (579 were current users and 1,975 were past users) and 2,103 had never used the drug.

The researchers found that current users of cannabis had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than respondents who had never used cannabis, as well as having 17% lower levels of insulin resistance and higher levels of HDL-C. Respondents who had used cannabis in their lifetime but were not current users showed similar but less pronounced associations, indicating that the protective effect of cannabis fades with time.

The researchers also ran analyses on the data that excluded individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Even after excluding diabetics, current cannabis users were found to exhibit reduced fasting insulin and insulin resistance levels, indicating that cannabis can help prevent the occurrence of diabetes as well as controlling symptoms in diagnosed cases.

Strain: Parvati

Parvati 

It is originally farmed in the Parvati Valley which is located in the Indian Himalaya. It is well known for being able to produce charas that are characterized as soft and oily black. A cannabis variation like this one can have a high CBD content making this marijuana stain have a medical potential. 

Parvati  is very rich in terms of flavor and aroma however, that doesn't make it less of a marijuana strain. It still offers a very strong kick. Being an intensely resinous ganja, this plant offers a scent that is very rich and hugely resembles a spicy fruit. It gives a very easygoing high with a medium potency. This ganja plant is a good choice if you prefer a traditional strain that has a high resin production.

Makes you feel:
+Happy
+Euphoric
+Energetic
+Creative
+Focused

Useful for:
+Pain relief
+Anti-inflammatory
+Anti-epileptic
+Strengthens bones
+Anti-nausea
+Counteracting THC-induced anxiety

Strain: Kali Haze

Kali Haze

Kali Haze is a superb blend of energetic Sativa high and dependable Indica performance. The yield and flavour of the original Haze has been improved by breeding with North Indian and Jamaican gene-stock, resulting in a sweet, fresh and vigorous variation on the classic Sativa.Kali Haze develops huge buds that cluster closely together to form buds that are mostly leafless. 

The deities Kali and Shiva may be seen as parts of the same whole – representing energy and consciousness respectively. Just as the Indica strains named for Shiva have a physical, stony power which encourages contemplation, the divine vitality of Kali Haze lifts and energises mind and body, inspiring creativity and action.

This lightweight sativa is a perfect choice for consumers looking to maintain focus and productivity throughout their day.

It has THC content up to 15%. 

Makes you feel:
+Happy
+Energetic
+Uplifted
+Relaxed
+Euphoric

Useful for:
+Stress
+Depression
+Pain
+Fatigue
+Nausea

Strain: Shiva Skunk

Shiva Skunk

Shiva Skunk is among the most powerful varieties in the Skunk family, crossing the famous Skunk #1 with the resinous and hardy Northern Lights #5. This potent indica inherits the sweet, pungent aroma typical of Skunk varieties and the high-yielding potential of its Northern Lights mother. This mix between two of the most prominent cannabis strains has won several Cannabis Cups as a result, making it not only a pillar of cannabis genetics, but also a definite favorite in the eyes of many.

Its effects tend toward the lazy side of the spectrum, so evening use is recommended. The smell of Shiva Skunk flowers is described as musky and sweet, with citrus undertones, although it can sometimes reveal different fruity scents. Shiva Skunk is also known to be extremely smooth despite its strength – enthusiasts who experience coughing more often than not should therefore be appeased.

It has THC content up to 18.1%         

Makes you feel:
+Happy
+Relaxed
+Giggly
+Euphoric
+Talkative

Useful for:
+Stress
+Depression
+Pain
+Insomnia
+Lack of Appetite