Africa is the biggest producer of cannabis in the world, which means that cannabis is most likely to be at your disposal all the time. But do you know anything else about cannabis besides just smoking it?
Some do, but others don’t know that there are cannabis products that can be good for your health. Cultivation director of Cannaconsulting Lawrence Sharpley says cannabis benefits include phytonutrients that can be juiced out of the cannabis plant.
“I don’t smoke, but I can safely say that smoking cannabis is a valid form of medication,” Sharpley says. “For people with chronic pain and disorders like PTSD, smoking dried cannabis plant can be an immediate and long-lasting relief.
“As part of my health regimen, I often juice the cannabis plant and add some grapefruit, lemon and some apples for my health maintenance. It is a very good way of improving my health and people should try it too,” he recommends.
What can you do with cannabis?
Sharpley says, “Cannabis goes directly to the cannabinoid system in the human body and holistically balances the human body with the entire system to bring calm to the parts of the body that are unstable and/or unwell,” he says.
Cannabidoil, also known as CBD oil, is just one of the many cannabis plant products on the market today.
CBD oil is a natural oil which is extracted from the flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. It is one of many different molecules called cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis plant.
According to the director and co-founder of Cheeba, Bianca Kaiser, cannabinoids are active compounds produced by all cannabis plants and account for most of the benefits of cannabis.
“Cannabinoids found in plants are technically called phytocannabinoids and they mimic compounds that are produced naturally by all mammals which are called endocannabinoids,” Kaiser says.
She adds that CBD oil comes in various forms, but to get the best results one should only consider full-spectrum CBD oil. This ensures that all naturally found cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds found in the original plant material are preserved as they work in harmony together.
What are the uses?
For many, CBD oil forms a part of their daily wellness routine and they are used all over the world for a variety of purposes including:
- helping with stress
- anxiety
- depression
- inflammation
- insomnia
- nausea
- pain relief
- skin allergies
According to Kaiser, when purchasing a CBD oil it is important that you do your homework and educate yourself more about it.
“It is very important to buy from a trusted source to ensure the product is of good quality and the claims that are made on the label match with what you get in the bottle.”
Bianca Kaiser, director and co-founder of Cheeba
A certificate of analysis (COA) should be exposed for you to see that the oil is free from any toxins, pesticides, heavy metals or mould, and that the amount of CBD stated on the label is actually in the bottle.
Benefits of CBD oil
Sharpley and Kaiser both agree that many people manage to reduce or even come off their prescription medication for things like insomnia, inflammation and anxiety.
Kaiser adds when administered at the correct dose, CBD oil has pretty much no side effects and enables the person taking it to be a fully functioning member of society.
“CBD oil is not psychoactive and even large doses of CBD oil have shown to be very well tolerated. When students join our academy to learn more about cannabis, we have many of them share moving stories about themselves or a family member who has benefitted from the use of the cannabis plant,” she says.
How far can we go with cannabis?
While many believe that cannabis can be addictive and toxic for our bodies, Sharpley says this is a myth because cannabis is not an external substance in our biology.
“With cannabis you can go as far as you would like to with no toxicity at all. In order for cannabis to kill you, you would have to have taken about 250 litres of cannabis juice before the toxicity becomes detrimental. Cannabis is not a foreign substance to your body; we have an endocannabinoid system where in we manufacture cannabinoid in our bodies,” he says.
“From a physical perspective cannabis cannot make you addicted, but you can be emotionally dependant on it.”
Sharpley says people who take too much cannabis in a day, can find themselves sleeping for a day or two. “That is a respiratory process because the body needs to sleep and rest for prolonged healing.”
- You should always consult with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, beginning any diet, nutrition or fitness plan or adopting any treatment for a health problem, whether offered on Health For Mzansi or otherwise.
