Stress and Anxiety

With the ever increasing emotional and physiological demands of modern living, anxiety and stress is certainly a factor in the lives of most. We are always thinking, solving, doing, and constantly moving. Our bodies, which are intricately designed quantum machines, are not built to withstand the constant influx of artificial information coming at them at all times. We have become largely alienated from nature, our most important guide and teacher, and as a result our bodily cycles have become out of sync. This affects every system of the body, leading to the ever increasing number of people who suffer from chronic and acute physiological and psychological disorders. 

Anxiety and stress are the body’s way of communicating that something is out of alignment. If we are living our lives in such a way that we are in a constant state of anxiety and stress, it is incredibly important that we take the time to reflect and go within. It requires paying attention to the body when it communicates with us, and this takes practice. If we don’t learn to listen to our bodies when they speak to us, we will be forced to listen when the screams of disease have arrived. Our immune systems cannot function properly when we are in a state of fight or flight, and constant stress is a major factor in this unfortunate process.

There are many different modalities to assist in the reduction of stress and anxiety, but the most important thing to focus on is reducing the amount of fight or flight your body is experiencing. Plant medicine has been used for thousands of years as a means to restore balance in the body and mind. Cannabis provides soothing plant wisdom that calms our nervous systems, allowing us to reconnect with the part of ourselves that is guided by nature. CBD and THC are potent neurotransmitters that cause the central and peripheral nervous system to relax and vasodilate, meaning the blood vessels are actually relaxing too. This causes an emotional and physiological release.

When we are in a state of comfort in our bodies, it becomes much easier to communicate with the part of ourselves that knows what is best for us. If we are constantly running around, stressed out in our thoughts, we cannot hear our higher selves speaking wisdom to us. Cannabis aids in this process by bringing us home to ourselves. The sesame oil based CBD tincture #101 ACDC is a wonderful product to try if you’d like to incorporate a gentle plant teacher into your life. Because it is made of sesame oil, it is liposomal, bypassing the liver, making it very fast acting, and easy to work with. Figuring out the dose that works for you is simple, and can be adjusted over time. Cannabis can assist in guiding you to a sense of peace, which is the key to accessing parts of ourselves that reveal the answers to what ails us. There is no greater wisdom than that of nature, always remember that you are nature embodied in flesh. The gifts of nature are always abundant, and when we remember our roots and get back in alignment with nature, miracles happen.

The Wonderful World of Hemp

The Wonderful World of Hemp

Recently I went to a presentation by a small design company called ‘Hempla’ which designs furniture using recycled plant material. The items on display and under discussion were a pair of mediation stools, one 3-D printed using hemp plant stems and the other using sugar cane waste.

The stools are elegant, sculptural and comfortable and they rest on a woolen rug made from hemp and recycled wool. This duo comes with a soundscape which uses the vibrational ratio of the materials as a starting point for the composition. It all sounds quite eccentric but the user experience is rather magical, definitely conducive to a meditation moment.

Today the wonderful hemp stool is a luxury good retailing for $1,065.00. Unaffordable for most but the future of 3-D printing hemp and other organic industrial waste may be coming soon.

As the world’s natural resources dwindle, industrial by-products look set to become part of a new paradigm of sustainable living. 

Hemp, is the jewel in the crown in this emerging space. Hempcrete, made from hemp stem waste is an amazing construction material, capable of  retaining heat in the cold months and keeping interiors cool in the summer. 

Hemp fabric and fiber are both durable and planet-friendly; not only is hemp fiber long-lasting, in addition, the plant itself utilizes ten times less carbon as other crops and needs significantly less water to grow.

For thousands of years across continents and cultures, humans have relied on hemp for a multitude of needs, from fabric to food and medicine.

Where I grew up in Southern England, hemp was the basis of the ancient rope-making industry which was the main employment in the area. The rope was famously strong, in popular parlance the hangman’s rope was known as the “Bridport Dagger’. 

Even as recently as 1940 Henry T. Ford designed his Model T prototype with a ‘bio-plastic’ body composed of cellulose, cornhusk and hemp by-products. This natural fiber car body was thirty percent lighter and ten times stronger than the steel alternative.  Ford had wanted to help the agricultural industry which was struggling, while the steel industry was already booming with manufacturing for the war effort. He also hoped that using ‘bio-plastic’ in the car industry would encourage other industries to consider using it too. Sadly the steel industry won out  and the ‘bio-plastic’ car never went into production. 

Perhaps the greatest comeback in the long story of humans and hemp has been the return of cannabis to the Materia Medica. In 1998 the American Medical Association acknowledged the existence of the Endocannabinoidal  System (E.C.S.) which maintains homeostasis in the body of all mammals, feeding back information to correct imbalance in between all organs and systems.

Medical science has shown how a wide variety of conditions benefit from cannabinoid treatment. Studies on inflammation, anxiety, seizures, glaucoma have all concluded that cannabinoids will reduce and eliminate these and many more ailments. 

A deficiency or imbalance in the ECS leads to inaccurate messaging in the body. Auto-immune conditions are underwritten by endocannabinoid deficiencies and can be treated with cannabinoid supplements.

The U.S. constitution written in 1776 obliged landowners to grow hemp on one acre of their arable land; the plant was so essential it was written into law!  The 21st century is just unfolding and human society faces new circumstances which will need new answers. Don’t be surprised to see cannabis hemp making news in innovative developments across the board!

Changing Habits : Giving up Alcohol with CBD

Most of us enjoy a drink, whether we are relaxing after a busy work day or socialising with friends, alcohol makes us feel at ease and society, for the most part, endorses it. 

What alcohol actually does in the body is to act as a central nervous system depressant, which despite feeling good, ultimately stresses the body. Over time, too much alcohol creates other stresses; weight gain, liver toxicity, digestive problems and punishing hangovers.

Overindulgence in alcohol affects us adversely, but giving up is notoriously hard to do.  Luckily, CBD has been shown to help with addictive and compulsive tendencies and has attributes which support sobriety. We’ve put together seven ways CBD can help when you are giving up or moderating alcohol consumption.

CBD Outperforms Alcohol

When we use alcohol to relieve stress or anxiety it works in the short term by depressing the response ability of the central nervous system. Unfortunately when the alcohol wears off the stress levels rebound. CBD acts differently, modulating the endocannabinoid system (ECS) which is the body’s regulating system controlling stress, pain, mood etc. So where alcohol can be seen as a sedative action CBD stimulates a stabilising action, restoring balance and relieving stress. 

Better Sleep

Alcohol use often leads to sleep issues, from bladder issues to insomnia and nausea. CBD works well as a sleep aid when anxiety or overactive mind are the problem. A broad spectrum CBD product will give extra support, particularly with CBN included, a cannabinoid many favor as a sleep aid.

CBD supports Gut and Brain Health

Anybody who has ever had a few drinks too many, knows first hand how the brain and the gut suffer from overindulgence. The brain suffers impairment from excessive alcohol, memory loss is a common complaint along with hangover headaches which are caused by dehydration, inflammation and the buildup of toxins in the brain. CBD however doesn’t have a painful after effect, but it does support cognitive function and will alleviate hangover symptoms in the brain by reducing inflammation and restoring cellular balance. 

The gut has a similar relationship to alcohol and CBD, where alcohol can disrupt and inflame the digestion CBD restores balance and relieves inflammation.

Pain Relief

As alcohol depresses the central nervous system it has the ability to relieve pain, and is often used for muscular pain, backache and the dreaded toothache. However, drinking for pain relief is not recommended for the obvious reason of intoxication, which renders normal activities suspended. CBD however will work on inflammation and relieve pain without affecting cognition or emotional control.   

CBD for Addiction   

Alcohol is addictive, not to everybody, but an addiction to alcohol will create serious health issues. CBD on the other hand is non-addictive and clinical research has proved it has anti-addictive capabilities with both alcohol and narcotic addictions. A 2024 clinical trial showed CBD radically reduced alcohol cravings in AUD (Alcohol Use Disorder) subjects due to  anti-addictive, anti-compulsive Stress- relieving actions.

CBD for Socializing 

 One of the most common complaints about sobriety is experiencing social awkwardness without Dutch Courage.

The good news is that CBD is extremely effective for creating a stress free and enjoyable social event without drinking. A CBD mocktail is the easy way to enjoy sobriety; create an ambient sense of wellbeing with sparkling water and a few drops of bitters and CBD tincture that will last all evening. Or try a CBD-rich cookie or gummy for relaxation or socialising. Vape pens are very useful for quick relief as the effect is felt almost immediately. Vaping a blend of CBD and THC can be particularly helpful and relaxing, a 1:1 ratio or 4:1 or 8:1 are what we usually recommend for this kind of situation, where compulsion needs to be replaced with contentment!

One of the most unique aspects of cannabis is the overlap between medicinal and recreational value. CBD relieves anxiety which is perhaps why substituting CBD for alcohol works so well. If only all medicine felt so good!

Sources:

Acute cannabidiol administration reduces alcohol craving and cue-induced nucleus accumbens activation in individuals with alcohol use disorder https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39668256/

Cannabidiol alters psychophysiological, craving and anxiety responses in an alcohol cue reactivity task: A cross-over randomize controlled trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39891614/