ancient civilizations used it in religious rituals
first came from Central Asia
1800s BCE first recorded
1600s hemp was grown at Jamestown to produce rope, paper, textiles
1700s - doctor wrote about medical benefits, hemp seeds and roots to treat health problems
until 20th century, cannabis was seen as dangerous, before it was seen as medicine
congress passed the FDA act of 1906, product labels listed 10 ingredients considered addictive and cannabis was included
none of the receptors that cannabis affects are in the brain stem and don’t include drops in breathing, heart rate, body temp
after Mexican revolution in 1910, brought it over the border and associated it with the minorities in 1937. Harry Jacob Anslinger stated that cannabis made people violent
Marihuana Tax Act 1937 made nonmedical cannabis illegal. It didnt criminizalize possession or use of marijuana, other penalities
the reason why Anslinger and others attacked it so much is because they felt threatened by success of industrial hemp industry that could create other products
controlled substances act passed in 1970 and substances categorized by schedules
Nixon repealed Marihuana Tax Act in 1970, cannabis listed as a Schedule I drug
two subspecies in the genus cannabis is cannabis sativa and cannabis indica and contains “strains” or variants
the 3rd subspecies is cannabis Ruderalis
harder to find pure indica or sativa, more common to get blend or hybrid that is dominant in one or the other, this is because of years of different breeding and cultivation practices [black market growers]
for purpose of different effects
cannabis products derived from the indica subspecies vs the sativa species
inhaling cannabis [strains matters more, less when injesting it]
attention to cannabinoids [cannabinoids are chemical compounds like THC]
CBD and other cannabinoids are psychoactive [can affect your brain]
not considered psychotropic like THC
breeders produce specific types of plants, during the cultivated process and called “cultivars” [”cultivated varieties”]
more than 700 cultivars of cannabis or strains
cultivar is preferred term among growers
scientists and doctors prefer the word chemovar to classidy
based on “chemotype” [chemical compounds contained in each plant and to breed plants for the specific makeups like terpenes]
cultivar vs. chemovar
sativa came from eastern Asia
Cannabis Ruderalist is a low THC and low resin subspecies native to Central/Eastern europe and russia
female plant [pistillate]
male plant [staminate]
cannabinoid production [compound for health]
farmers work to cultivate female flowering plants to produce budding flowers at flowering stage
trichomes exist to protect plant from insects, animals and where cannabinoids and terpenes are produced
terpenes are compounds
terpenes vary depending on the cultivar or chemovar
flower production happens trichomes form along outer service
kief is from the buds, it is dried trichomes
concentrates - produced using extraction methods to pull compound rich trichomes
concentrated extracts contain more cannabinoids and terpenes then dried cannabis flowers and more potent
difference between hemp and cannabis are in genetics and how they are cultivated
hemp plant part of family
cannabaceae family, it is cannabis sativa but with low THC
cannabis for consumption contains up to 30 percent of the cannabinoid THC
to be legal, hemp-derived products need to have less then 0.3% of THC per dry weight and contains more CBD
because of legalization, cannabis cultivators breed new strains with higher CBD
hemp can be used to run vehicles?
hemp seeds rich in protein and omega fatty acids
the endogenous cannabinoid system [ECS] has not been research as much
ECS overlays all of the other systems in the body, regulates both mental and physical functions
“endogenous” - something produced naturally inside body
cannabinoid because those molecules were discovered in the 1990s during cannabis research
scientists think that ailments and diseases like pain, inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy, come about because of weak ECS and can be treated by introducing “phytocannabinoids” or plant cannabinoids into the body
1960s scientists examined the plant by identifying the compounds in it
early 1990s, two receptors were discovered
this system modulates different systems in the body
ECS Makeup:
- receptors: detects molecules outside cells and activates signals inside of calls
- endogenous cannabinoids or endocannabinoids or human body’s internal cannabinoids
- enzymes: breaks down endocannabinoids after performing function
where? cell membranes
your body’s internal cannabis molecules
if you do consume cannabis, phytocannabinoids binds with receptors and stimulates, supplements, nourishes ECS [treats diseases, balances, manages conditions]
GPCRs: G-protein coupled receptors. They are the gatekeepers of molecular signals involved in every process, CB1 and CB2 receptors are GPCRs
CB1 biggest GPCR in central nervous system
cannabis targets CB1 and CB2 and house fewer negative side effects than typical pharmaceuticals
can’t take a lethal dose
CB1 - brain, nervous system
CB2 - immune system
keys to unlock receptors are endocannabinoids as well as phytocannabinoids [not strictly cannabis]
THC binds to these two receptors and CBD affects
identified 113 cannabinoids in cannabis
infinite ways plant can be used to enhance
ECS uses receptors that are affected by cannabinoids and other compounds to modulate funtions
black truffles, cacao, black pepper also contains phytocannabinoids or enzymes that all affect ECS
“whole plant” cannabis extracts keeps related compounds in cannabis together
CBGA converted into acid forms of THC, CBD, CBC [THCA and CBDA]
heating/warming plant matter or concentrate to activate or “decarb” it
you want test results so that you can predict or measure how much cannabinoids is present
all starts with CBGA, raw acid form of CBG
ask for testing results [Wholesome breaks down the chemical makeup]
CBGA: A stands for acid, is exposed to heat [UV light or heat source], enzymatic process is triggered that converts CBGA into other acid forms
heat converts other acid forms of cannabinoids into other cannabinoids
CBGA is not psychotropic
THCA exists in the raw cannabis plant. In order to be absorbed, needs to be decarbozylated
THCA and THCV are different. ThCV is more psychotropic
CBD is psychoactive [affects the brain]
to be legal, CBD must be extracted from industrial hemp plants and contain only a little THC
CBD doesn’t bind on to our receptors on its own but influences binding of compounds to CB2 receptors
CBD affects how THC binds with CB1 receptors by reducing psychotropic effects
takes longer to build up in system
manufacturers extract, concentrate, and isolate compounds
whole plant or full-spectrum extracts describe extraction process that involves entire plant
CBD modulates and neutralizes the psychotropic effects of THC [entourage effect]
antagonistic but also synergistic
THC can help CBD affect your CB1 receptors
opposite of whole-plant extracts are isolates
distillates: process that divides cannabinoids and terpenes by heating cannabis oil to boiling point
each cannabinoid and terpene has a boiling point temp where the compound is released
what is the point of distillates and isolates?
CBG comes from CBGA where all cannabinoids are naturally produced]
THC is from the resin glands located on the buds and flowers. Hemp plants are low-=resin [don’t produce sticky substance]
buds or flowers: high ThC content, high resin, wider range of meidicine
cannabinoids: chemical components of cannabis, keys to unlocking CB1 and CB2 receptors
plant contains more than 200 different terpenes, most products contain only handful
each strain has varying percentages of specific terpenes and effects of products varies based on terpene makeup [terpene profile]
growers and manufacturers grow and produce of specific terpene profiles to help certain conditions or achieve effects
release the oil or resin within the plant matter, helps detect terpene profile
terpenes and cannabinoids work together to produce effect [entourage effect]
terpenes enhance effect of cannabinoids
see the overall terpene profile to find complementary terpenes
the chemical makeup can vary from cultivation method, crop, region
double check testing results to find specific terpenes in the strain
ask for test results of products, percentages of terpenes
terpene content varies from strain to strain
terpenes may have been removed in extraction process or reintroduced [form of cannabis]
flower and edibles [butters, oils infused]
contains natural terpenes
terpenes are compounds that affect our ECS but the only ones that bind to our CB1 and CB2 receptyors
hydrocarbons: hydrogen and carbon molecules
terpenes are hydrocarbons and compounds present in medicinal plants
terpenes enhance, modify, how cannabinoids act/interact
terpene or cannabinoid, then strain
5-8 months: seed to sale
indoor cultivation grows and flower more quickly
3-5 months of growing the plant
indica takes longer to grow and be ready to harvest
once female plants have flowered are mature: harvest the plant
it differs from farm, the way the plant is grown, treated, harvested [treated with pesticides or not]
3 steps of harvesting:
- remove from leaves from plant
- remove trim [smaller leaves]
- flower buds [pick for consumption]
flowers and leaves are sorted, dried, cured
5-15 days of drying
after dried and cured, trimmed
several weeks of story in containers to complete curing process
4-8 weeks extends curing process
black market is rushed
less info about growing process unlike wine
flower or bud [parts that are harvested and dried for consumption]
kief comes from ground dried cannabis flower and has powdery dried trichomes
kief can be pressed to create hash or rosin
concentrates can come from trim has higher levels of THC/cannabinioids/terpenes
CBD-heavy concentrates wither come from strains with higher ratios or they isolate
solvent vs. solventless extraction
butane hash oil is a solvent
CO2 oil comes from solventless extraction
hash - compresses kief and plant resin, pressure not solvents
live resin - flash freezing, solventless concentrate
rosin - squeezes sap or rosin from flowers, hash, kief, solventless
tinctures - liquid of concentrated extractions
joints are pre-rolls, blunts
blunts used cigar paper
under tongue - fast absorption
cannabinoids stored in fat, makes the extracts more absorbed in body
alcohol and oil based tinctures