Deprecated: uasort(): Returning bool from comparison function is deprecated, return an integer less than, equal to, or greater than zero in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/google-site-kit/includes/Core/Modules/Modules.php on line 245 Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/google-site-kit/includes/Core/Modules/Modules.php:245) in /var/www/html/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893 {"id":241,"date":"2019-05-20T14:56:19","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T18:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannalogue.ca\/column\/?p=241"},"modified":"2020-04-13T08:46:53","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T12:46:53","slug":"what-is-thc-and-how-does-it-affect-medical-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannalogue.ca\/column\/column\/education\/what-is-thc-and-how-does-it-affect-medical-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"What is THC and how does it relate to medical cannabis?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"What<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

The cannabis plant contains over 100 different cannabinoids, with the two most well-known and well-studied compounds being THC and CBD<\/a>. New medical cannabis patients should bear in mind that THC is responsible for the psychoactive \u201chigh.\u201d On the other hand, CBD is non-intoxicating and does not generate any mind-altering effects.<\/p>\n

This article will outline the historical as well as modern medicinal uses of THC. Interested medical cannabis patients will also learn how to decipher THC and CBD concentrations when determining which cannabis products suit them best.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"AncientHistorical Use of Medicinal Cannabis\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cannabis has long been championed for its medicinal merits by the great civilizations of antiquity such as the Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, and Indians.<\/p>\n

In 2737 B.C, Chinese emperor Shen Nunh used medical cannabis to treat gout and rheumatism. In ancient Egypt, as far as 2,000 B.C, cannabis was known to treat cataracts and sore eyes. The ancient Greeks also implemented cannabis as medicine to treat edema, inflammation, and earache.<\/p>\n

Fun fact:<\/strong> Cannabis happens to be one of the fifty essential traditional Chinese herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. back then, ancient cultures were fully aware of the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic and diuretic traits of cannabis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"MedicalRediscovery of Cannabis<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After much-lauded use through the centuries, therapeutic cannabis knowledge was lost to the sands of time. It resurfaced in the early 1800s when Irish scientist, William Brooke O\u2019Shaughnessy rediscovered and reintroduced medical cannabis and its many medicinal functions to western medicine.<\/p>\n

Currently, medical patients in Canada and around the world are utilizing medical cannabis to help manage all kinds of health problems from chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, PTSD, seizures, epilepsy, and cancer-related symptoms like nausea, low appetite and pain management.<\/p>\n

The progression of cannabis from ancient to modern medicine has spanned literally over thousands of years. With current mainstream acceptance and application, the journey has finally come full circle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"NowThe Medicinal Value of\u00a0THC\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When we talk about cannabis in terms of medicinal value, it may seem like CBD receives most of the attention over its psychoactive counterpart, and for the most part, that\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

Effects from THC can potentially include helping patients with pain management, increasing appetite, and helping to fall asleep. These are definite \u200abenefits that greatly aid patients dealing with chemotherapy-related health issues such as difficulty eating, difficulty sleeping, chronic pain, and improvement in the quality of life.<\/p>\n

Understanding THC Potency in Cannabis\u00a0Products<\/strong><\/h4>\n

By law, medical cannabis products sold in Canada are required to display clear labels indicating THC and CBD amounts. The reason for this is that different ratios can produce different effects. Ultimately, everything depends on patient needs.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, cannabis strains with high CBD and low THC amounts are more tailored for medical patient purposes. Conversely, cannabis strains containing high THC and small CBD amounts are usually preferred by recreational users.<\/p>\n

The below example contains three different strains, each with three different THC to CBD ratios.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Patients<\/p>\n

Following this criterion, the Tsunami<\/strong> brand is considered to be reasonably potent at 18.0% tetrahydrocannabinol. In contrast, the \u201cObservatory One\u201d<\/strong> strain is CBD-dominant and contains only trace THC levels.<\/p>\n

Balanced THC\/CBD Strains<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

Having a look at the \u201c1:1\u201d<\/strong> strain, we know that \u201c1:1\u201d is a cannabis oil as indicated by the eye-dropper symbol in the upper right corner of the card. But what\u2019s interesting is seeing that both THC and CBD limits are the same, each at 15.0mg\/mL. This strain is an example of a balanced medication.<\/p>\n

The maximum allowable amount of THC and CBD set by Health Canada for cannabis oils is capped off at 30.0mg\/mL, so \u201c1:1\u201d has a pretty decent concentration level at 15.0mg\/mL.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"MedicalTHC is Available in Many Forms<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Thanks to medical technology, tetrahydrocannabinol doesn\u2019t have to be exclusively consumed through the process of combustion (smoking).<\/p>\n

Many medical cannabis patients who are new to using cannabis don\u2019t often choose to smoke as their optimal delivery method. Smoking can be harsh and painful in the lungs.\u00a0Instead, we suggest that medical patients opt for more convenient and discrete delivery methods such as:<\/p>\n