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!

---

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.

CBDA & CBGA: Lesser-Known Cannabinoids in the Spotlight

by Billee Sharp

Research into medical cannabis is increasing our understanding of cannabinoids exponentially. The most recent scientific studies estimate at least 113 identified cannabinoids with many more still to be formally recognized. Many of these cannabinoids have not yet been studied in isolation and as such, must be considered as forming part of the entourage effect of full spectrum cannabis products. Of the cannabinoids that are currently being researched the perceived benefits continue to grow. In this article I’ll be focussing on just two of the cannabinoids that have recently come to the fore: CBDa and CBGa.

The “a '' at the end of CBDa and CBGa stands for acid, These acid cannabinoids are the precursors to CBD and CBG respectively. CBDa, (Cannabidiolic acid) and CBGa (Cannabigerolic acid) are the forms in which the cannabinoids naturally exist in the plant. When either cannabinoid is exposed to temperatures of 250 degrees F during processing, they convert to CBD and CBG respectively, through a process known as decarboxylation.

In Jan 2022 Oregon State University published results of research on the combined effect of CBDa and CBGa on inhibiting the Sars-Covid -19 coronavirus. The two cannabinoids appeared to bind to the coronavirus spike protein and prevent the virus from entering human cells. While the research was conducted in laboratory conditions and not on human subjects the positive evidence was significant and consequently further research is underway.

How the acid form of cannabinoids differs from the cannabinoid form is not entirely known. What we do know is that cannabinoids in acid form are highly bioavailable as they are consumed in their raw state. Both CBDa and CBGa exhibit the properties of CBD and CBG but in acid form, the cannabinoid appears to have a heightened effect on certain conditions.

CBDa is particularly indicated for its influence on serotonin production, the rapid onset of effect is extremely useful to those with mood issues.

CBDa like CBD is highly indicated for its anti-inflammatory properties and is proving to be a significant inhibitor of nausea.

In the world of medical cannabis research CBGa it is known as “the mother of all cannabinoids”. Quite literally all the other cannabinoids first appear as the CBGa cannabinoid, which later converts to CBG, CBDa, THCa, etc. Early research into CBGa has shown that it activates PPAR receptors which control levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which make it particularly useful for both prevention of diabetic conditions and for systematic treatment for diabetes and its comorbidities.

CBGa research is ongoing into cancer treatment, with a recent study suggesting CBDa targets colon cancer cells. CBGa also shows promising results with bladder dysfunctions, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular issues.

The interaction of CBDa and CBGa on our endocannabinoid system enables the ECS to maintain our homeostatic balance and for our immune system to function at full capacity. As neither CBGa or CBGa have psychoactive effects, these cannabinoids are accessible to all as an immune boosting supplement.

NB. Synergy Wellness “Super Immune” capsules, 30 x 25mg (17mg CBDa 8mg CBGa) #241 $75.00

Sources:

“What are CBDa and CBGa?” Eleanor Thompson, Jan 2022, Green Life Remedies

“Effects of low-dose CBGa as nausea inhibitor” E M Rock L A Parker

June 2013, National Library of Medicine