Page 34 - Spring 2019 Journal

While marijuana remains illegal according to the U.S. federal government, a frenzied promotion has taken over the marketplace.
A 2016 literature review found that the asso- ciation of cannabis smoking with lung cancer is inconclusive,60 but a 2015 study found that marijuana does appear to increase the risk for chronic bronchitis.61 In a 2012 case-control study, marijuana users had a twofold increased risk of developing testicular cancer compared to nonusers.62 Assessing cannabinoids as anti-cancer agents, a 2016 review found that THC and CBD induced both regression and progression of breast cancer in mice.63 And in 2004, researchers found that risk for glioma (a brain cancer) was increased 2.8-fold in those who smoked marijuana at least once per month, after correcting for cigarette smoking and other factors.64
A 2007 study found that THC was a very potent activator of certain cancer-promoting receptors, while CBD gave modest protection.65 These findings may explain the mixed conclu- sions of cancer studies so far.
THE WILD WEST
While marijuana remains illegal according
to the U.S. federal government, a frenzied pro- motion has taken over the marketplace, targeting not just patients and the alternative health com-
munity but businesses and various marketing models, including multilevel and mail-order marketing. In California, with its open recre- ational marijuana market, cafes and bars are offering CBD-infused smoothies and cocktails, while California wineries are adding cannabis into their wines and selling them through dis- pensaries. Two Los Angeles restaurants and pop-up venues serve CBD- and THC-containing food and cocktails, and CBD concentrates are used in the manufacture of “edibles” such as cookies and candy. Oprah Magazine even ran a colorful feature story in which the author swooned over a trendy California ladies’ tea party featuring THC-infused teas.66 Cannabis is also having “a serious moment in the skin care space,” with the promise of cannabis beauty treatments that “get you high.”67 One beauty salon offers marijuana-infused manicures and pedicures.67
Typically, an approved drug will come with dosing instructions as well as warnings about contraindications and side effects, so that both doctors and patients can understand the param- eters and risks of the medication. In the Wild West environment in which medical marijuana products and dispensaries are proliferating,
NUTRITION AND OUR ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
Our bodies produce cannabinoids from animal fats in our diet. When well-regulated, these endocannabinoids are “feel-good chemicals” that ensure production of the proper amount of dopamine and limit the overproduction of cortisol. In an article in Wise Traditions Winter 2008 issue “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Chris Masterjohn details the way that arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in animal fats in our diet, converts to endocannabinoids.93 The fat-soluble vitamins A and D work together with arachidonic acid to help humans handle stress and retain the motivation to achieve long- term goals. Masterjohn also explains that when we rely on a drug to address one isolated component of the human body’s
complex interacting systems, the drug “often works for a time, but eventually stops working or produces adverse effects.” External sources of cannabinoids like cannabis are referred to by scientists as “exogenous” cannabinoids. Nora Volkow, a neuroscientist with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), explained at a 2015 drug prevention conference in Atlanta that exogenous cannabinoids overwhelm the brain’s cannabinoid receptors and can shut down the body’s natural production of endocannabinoids. In 2016, Volkow and colleagues published a review article in Nature that detailed the variable effects of cannabis on the dopamine system from both animal and human studies.94 While the “high” created by THC initially releases a flood of dopamine, long-term use of the drug actually blunts dopamine response and reduces dopamine synthesis. The effects vary based on the amount of the drug consumed and the part of the brain affected. When cannabis interferes with the dopamine system in this way, the resulting behavioral effects include increased appe- tite, memory problems, executive dysfunction, decreased motivation, impaired educational and occupational outcomes, negative emotions and severe addiction. Dr. Volkow also has written about the sixfold increase in the risk of schizophrenia associated with abuse of high-THC cannabis, noting that “aberrant dopaminergic function in the midbrain”—a hallmark
feature of schizophrenia—“may underlie this association.”95
It is so much better to stay balanced, motivated and happy by eating a lot of butter and other animal fats, and by
consuming good sources of vitamin A such as cod liver oil, liver and other organ meats! The glycine in nourishing bone broths also helps to regulate dopamine levels. These foods keep us “naturally high” without any need to resort to can- nabis and other drugs.
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Wise Traditions
SPRING 2019