Can Cannabis Help You Beat the Summer Heat?

Medical Science Explains How

By Dan Reich

As summer and the high temperatures that go with it are rapidly approaching, you may take some comfort in the knowledge that ingesting your favorite cannabis can actually lower your body temperature. This happens because cannabinoids, particularly THC, interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) as it regulates a variety of body functions.

Its main function is to help the body achieve homeostasis, which Wikipedia defines this way:

Homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits.

“Cannabis can alter your body temperature as many compounds act as homeostatic agents, helping the body to achieve balance,” says Emma Chasen, cannabis educator and co-founder of cannabis consulting firm Eminent Consulting. “Therefore, if your body temperature is high, cannabis can help to lower it.”

“If your body temperature is high,

Cannabis can help lower it.”

This reaction is believed to originate with a cellular receptor, called TRPA-1. This receptor has many functions in the body, but it is essential in mediating pain, inflammation and regulating temperature. THC binds with this receiver, which reacts similarly when one consumes spicy or hot food. When this receiver is activated, it causes a cooling and pain-fighting reaction.

It should be noted that most of the temperature-reducing properties are due to THC. CBD does not bind with the TRPA-1 receiver, and doesn’t have the same effect on body temperature. If the cool-off factor is not important and you aren’t a fan of THC, a high CBD:THC ratio (i.e., 20:1) should work out fine, but if you are seeking a cooling effect, you should use a product with a significant amount of THC, such as a CBD:THC ratio of 1:1. Note that the CBD will lessen the effects of THC, if that is an issue for you.

Topicals Can Make Summer More Comfortable

CBD topicals, which are available as both a salve and a roll-on, are anti-inflammatory, and can be effective in easing the discomfort of sunburn, insect bites and other minor skin irritations. We’ve heard from our community that keeping the salve in the refrigerator makes it especially soothing on sunburn. The topicals are also great for relieving sore muscles after a day of activity.

So stay cool and enjoy summer with your favorite cannabis product.

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Modulating Mood with Cannabinoids

By Billee Sharp

Cannabis has one of the longest associations with the human race of any domesticated plant. Around the globe, cannabis and hemp have been an invaluable resource, cultivated for medicine, food and fiber for thousands of years. After a century or so of condemnation in Western society, the 21st century is witnessing the popular return of cannabis medicine to the medical pharmacopeia.

Scientific cannabis studies over the last 80 years have identified THC, CBD and many more cannabinoids, we’ve also discovered cannabinoid receptors and the human endocannabinoid system (ECS). Now cannabis medicine has solid scientific credibility, more and more research will reveal the plant’s true medical potentiality.

Most people first hear about cannabis described as a “recreational drug” which has a strong psychoactive effect on the brain, and this is documented many times through history to antiquity. A personal favorite is Pliny the Elder’s titillating account of how the native Sycthians would prepare a tent and burn cannabis inside to enjoy the vapors while singing and laughing.

Many cannabis users cite mental relaxation as their primary goal and THC is effective for many in this capacity. Others cannot tolerate the psychoactive effects of THC but will respond positively to the relaxing anti-anxiety effects of CBD and other cannabinoids that also lead to a pleasant state of ambient wellbeing.

Finding the appropriate cannabinoids and the right dosage are crucial, and self-experimenting will determine exactly what works for the individual. Self-knowledge is the essential starting point and a willingness to try out a variety of cannabinoids. Where there is resistance to THC based on previous negative experiences or just plain trepidation, experimenting with blends of cannabinoids can yield surprisingly positive results.

Synergy Wellness continues to develop unique blends of cannabinoids for differing dispositions and to treat various conditions. For a relaxing effect Synergy’s #103 4:1 CBD Indica blend, has one part THC to four parts CBD, accordingly the psychoactivity of the THC-rich Indica is mild to minimal. Another mood - enhancing blend, associated with raising mental energy and mood enhancement is Synergy’s #116 4:1 CBD Sativa blend. Here four parts of CBD are supplemented by one part Sativa, again this blend yields only a mild psychoactivity.

The best option for powerful mood modulation without any psychoactivity is Synergy’s #231 3:1 CBD/CBG blended tincture, CBD’s anti-anxietal action is combined with CBG, a cannabinoid valued as a mood booster and used for treating neurological distress with encouraging research into restoring brain function after stroke-induced trauma.

There is considerable research into the use of cannabinoids for serious mental and neurological conditions, autism, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia among them.

Dr Deborah Malka has been working with Bipolar Disorder (BD) patients for over a decade, previously known as Manic Depression, BD is notoriously difficult to diagnose and is characterized by extreme mood swings from manic mental overactivity to deep depressive periods. Dr Malka’s protocols offer cannabinoid-based medication for BD patients, who often experience mentally debilitating side effects from conventional treatments.

The breakthroughs Dr Malka has experienced with her patients relate to pairing the right cannabinoids with the symptoms that are presenting; relief of anxiety and mood elevation are typically central concerns.

Dr Malka works with an awareness of terpenes which has proven to be key in managing cycling episodes, she favors the terpene Myrcene to promote calmness and relieve sleeplessness while Limonene works well for invigorating depressive episodes. Following Dr Malka’s terpene guide Synergy’s #103 CBD 4:1 Indica or #116 CBD 4:1 Sativa both of which derive from ACDC which is rich in the terpene Myrcene, promoting relaxation and relieving agitation. While Synergy’s #124 Cannatonic 2:1 is rich in the terpene limonene which encourages mental stimulation and energy, lifting the spirits.

The special bonus gift of cannabinoids is their inherent synergistic effect. While one may be seeking relief from a mental issue, cannabinoids allow our ECS to simultaneously address inflammation, monitor and remediate cell health and balance our overall physical condition, side effects that we welcome!

The positive research into mood modulation through cannabis therapies represent a promising start to the development of new effective plant-based treatments for mental health conditions. Whether symptoms are mild or severe, there is a non-addictive effective path to mood enhancement with cannabis medicine.

Sources:

‘CBD & Bipolar Disorder’ Mary Biles. April 6. 2022

https://www.projectcbd.org/medicine/cbd-bipolar-disorder

‘History of Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System’ Marc-Antoine Crocq. September 2020 issue

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7605027/

‘CBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis’ Leonard Leinow & Juliana Birnbaum. October 2017

Cooking with Cannabis: CBD-Infused Summer Pudding and Syllabub

As a child I felt lucky to be born in June when strawberries and raspberries came into season. Instead of a birthday cake I would ask for a Summer Pudding, a traditional English dessert dish, which necessitated a trip to the local fruit farm to pick the berries and sample plenty of them for sweetness! Syllabub is another traditional English sweet, and one not served to children as it contains alcohol. Both these delicacies work well with CBD alcohol tincture which adds an ambient note of wellbeing to an extravagant treat. I love these two desserts served together but both are excellent and satisfying stand alone desserts.

Summer Pudding Ingredients

300g/10.5 oz strawberries

250g/ 8.5 oz blackberries

500g/ 1lb 1oz raspberries

100g/ 3.5 oz red currants, blackcurrants or blueberries

Or 1.25/2lbs 4oz mixed berries of your choice.

60 drops Synergy CBD-rich alcohol tincture

175g/6oz caster sugar

3 tablespoons water

7 slices of day-old white bread ( store bought sliced works best)

Equipment

A pudding basin or high sided mixing bowl - 1.25 litre/ 42 floz capacity.

Clingfilm, a side plate and something to use as a weight; a can or two of beans!

Instructions

1) Wash the berries and gently dry with kitchen towels, keep the strawberries separate & remove the leaf tops. Set aside.

2) In a small saucepan add the caster sugar and the 3 tablespoons of water, heat gently, stirring a little until the sugar is completely dissolved.

3) Turn up the heat and bring the sugar water to a boil for 1 minute.

4) Add the fruit (except the strawberries) and cook for 3 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally. The berries will soften but won’t completely lose shape.

5) Drain the fruit in a sieve and catch the dark red berry juice in a bowl. Take 2 cups of the berry juice and set aside, add 60 drops of Synergy CBD-rich alcohol tincture into the juice and stir. Pour into a shallow bowl and set aside.

6) Take two lengths of clingfilm and lay them overlapping at the bottom of the bowl, let the clingfilm hang over the brim to make a generous fold over the top of the basin when the pudding has been made. This makes the final turning out of the pudding much less nerve-wracking!

7) Take the 7 slices of bread and cut all the crusts off. Then cut 4 slices in half, making eight rectangles, take 2 slices and cut out four triangles out of each slice. Leave one slice whole.

8) Now to assemble the pudding: start with the 1 whole slice, dip it into the CBD berry juice so lightly coat and lay the slice to cover the bottom of the bowl. Build up the sides of the bowl by dipping the rectangular half-slices in the juice one at a time and press them into the bowl, make sure every edge fits neatly together and don’t be afraid to cut down the size of the bread pieces to make everything fit nicely. The triangles are for creating a lid for the filled pudding but you may have to use a couple to finish the sides, don’t worry, there will be enough or simply add more pieces as you need.

9) Once the basin is lined with the juice-coated bread, start to spoon in the berries, adding a few strawberries with every spoonful. When the pudding is filled, make a mosaic lid with the bread triangles and then pour over the remaining CBD berry juice. Fold the ends of the clingfilm over the pudding and loosely seal. Then place a side plate on top and add something like a can or two of beans to weigh the plate down. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

10) To serve the pudding, take off the side plate and open out the cling film, then take a large plate and put it upside-down on top of the pudding basin. Flip the plate over, holding the pudding basin steady on top, then remove the basin and the cling film, serve with syllabub, cream or ice-cream!

Enjoy!

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CBD Syllabub

Syllabub is a quick and easy dessert to make, Synergy CBD alcohol tincture pairs well with the white wine and adds a relaxing dimension to this exquisitely delicate traditional English recipe.

Ingredients

290 ml/ ¼ pint double cream or heavy whipping cream

55 gr/ 2 oz caster sugar

½ lemon in finely zested

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

40 drops Synergy CBD-rich alcohol tincture

150 ml/ 5 fl oz white wine

Mint leaves, or berries to garnish

Equipment

A whisk, a zester or grater, 6 ramekins or other small dessert dishes or glasses.

Instructions

1) Warm the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.

2) Add the 40 drops of Synergy CBD-rich alcohol tincture to the wine and add this mixture to the sugar lemon mixture, stir together lightly.

3) In a separate bowl whisk the cream to soft peaks and then fold in the wine/sugar/lemon mixture. Mix well and then pour into the ramekins or other little dishes. Refrigerate for 2 hours and then garnish with a mint leaf or berries.