Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Cannabis and Nausea

Nausea is something that can happen for a lot of reasons. Whether it’s morning sickness because of pregnancy, stomach anxiety, or even cancer treatments, nausea is all the same. It’s that feeling that you’re feeling awful, and your stomach wants to blow chunks. Cannabis-based medications actually help with this.  You may wonder if smoking some weed can help make nausea better. Here’s what you should know. 

Why nausea happens 

Nausea happens for a variety of reasons. Think of our body as an aggregation of cells, with different reactions made for the purpose of keeping all of us safe. You feel this hen you sneeze to get rid of something foreign. Nausea works the same way. It’s a way to get rid of something that your body doesn’t want anywhere near it. Nausea can happen randomly, but it can happen dur to several types of triggers. Your brain may have a symptom that can affect the GI tract, and that's what causes the gastric conditions that can create nausea in the body. 



Can weed Cause Nausea? 

Yes it can. While rare, it can cause nausea in some cases. This is ultimately dependent upon what you take, and how much you take. Greening out is an example of too much cannabis, where you have vomiting, nausea, anxiety, and panic attacks. It can be discomforting, but it’s not like an overdose. 

When you take THC in through inhalation, it binds to the CB1 receptors, which can cause dopamine to rush, and then, you get the high, but if you overstimulate, this is what causes vomiting.



 There is also the rare condition of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, which is a rare one that happens and you basically get sick after having cannabis, and it can happen for weeks, leading to eventual hospitalization in a few cases. This can be a bit dicey, but it may happen as well if you have morning sickness. Some people may use compulsive bathing if they have serious symptoms. CHS is usually due to the improper regulation of your CB1 receptors, and too much cannabis, or a mutation in some of the receptor sites, which can impact the signal of dopamine. 

Does it Prevent Nausea 

While greening out and other conditions may be scary, the truth is, cannabis is great for nausea. The FDA even approved a drug called dronabinol, along with nabilone, which are basically two manmade versions of THC, and they’re used for those who have chemotherapy to treat the vomiting that goes with this. 

This can be because of the activation of the receptors. 

There are also some early research studies that are showing promise in the realm of cannabis research with nausea. 

There are also some factors that may be causative with this too, including the ay a person’s ECS works, and also the ay that it fights the morning sickness. Your endocannabinoid system can also target this, but if you also have terpenes that help to target this, it can help. 



CBD is also really good for preventing nausea, since it does inhibit your FAAF, which is responsible for breaking down the 2-AG, which can help with nausea. 

More people are actually using this to help with nausea, since it does activate the serotonin receptors. 

Overall, we know only a little bit about the way cannabis can work to prevent nausea, and there is still a lot that we don’t know, but hopefully, with more and more studies, e can see the potential of cannabis being used as a means of treatment for nausea, and helping those who suffer from this condition as well.


Friday, June 17, 2016

Cannabis for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

For many people who have ASD, it impacts the way that they process the different sensory aspects, and the associations that they have with others. About 1% of the total  population of the world has ASD. Some different studies have looked to see if cannabis may help. Some agree that more trials for humans need to be conducted before they can deem it safe enough for those who have ASD. In this, we’ll look at whether or not it can help, and what current science says. 

What ASD IS 

ASD is basically a disorder that involves how someone communicates with their entire world. Some people with autism might: 

  • Have issues interacting and communicating with others 

  • Struggle to understand the feelings of others 

  • Struggle with sensory stimuli, and feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed when there are loud noises or lights that are bright 

  • Get anxious and stressed when something unexpected or out of the routine happens 

  • Require more explanation and things might take a bit longer for them to understand. 

  • They act inside different patterns, or they do the same thinking oftentimes 

Autism is not a disease or illness, and it doesn’t’ prevent someone from doing well with life. They usually figure out what they’re good at and what they do struggle with at times too. Some of them have average levels of intelligence, some above average, and some may have a learning disability in some cases. Some may need a little bit of support, or none, others might need help on the daily 



Autism is also not curable, and there is no major cause of this. It’s said that it may be genetic in origin. 

Cannabis for autism 

In the last decade or so, more and more experimentation with the utilization of cannabis in the world of autism has come forward. There is some research which suggests that cannabis can help with some of the possible characteristics of autism. 

This is because the ECS does regulate a lot of the various homeostasis aspects of a person, and for those with autism, it can sometimes help with controlling and mitigating these feelings. 



CBD is one that is good as an agonist, and it will stimulate some of the CB1 receptor aspects and binds to this. It also I pacts some of the receptors outside of where the ECS is, including your serotogenic system, and this can actually be multifaceted. According to a 2018 study that it was found that when you used a transdermal patch to help those with autism, it would reduce the feelings of anxiety. It also helped those who struggled with seizures, so for  with autism who struggle with seizures, it can definitely be worthwhile to possibly try. 

THC is something that can be psychotropic, so it’s not generally used on those who are younger. However, small dosages of this can help. It can help with improving the behavior of those with autism, and it did impact and improve the lives of some young teenagers and children who struggled with autism. The risks are definitely possible. It can impact cognition for those who are adolescent. 



Within the world of research, CBD is definitely good for this. When you use it safely, it does well. However, there isn’t enough research on what the cannabinoids do on the body period, and the brain of those teenagers, and there is also the interactions of prescription drugs. Right now, we’re still tin the formative stage of this, and it’s important to understand that medical cannabis is definitely a useful tool. Hopefully, we can learn more about the impact of this on autism.