{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/cannabis/2","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_3875-markdown","title":"The 5 Best Medical Marijuana Products for Anxiety in Illinois","slug":"the-5-best-medical-marijuana-products-for-anxiety-in-illinois","content":"We live in an era where anxiety is commonplace. It’s no longer stigmatized to struggle with mental health. But many of the medications that society has normalized have anything but “normal” side effects. From [drowsiness to fatigue to slowing mental functionality](https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/anxiety-medication.htm) anxiety meds aren’t always the safest option. \n\nIt’s worth considering a healthier alternative - like cannabis - to help with anxiety. \n\n### How Can Cannabis Cure Anxiety?\n\nThe [National Institute on Drug Addiction](https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-almanac/national-institute-drug-abuse-nida) posted a [study](https://archives.drugabuse.gov/testimonies/2015/biology-potential-therapeutic-effects-cannabidiol) that found “CBD reduced anxiety in patients with social anxiety subjected to a stressful public speaking task.” \n\nThis comes as no surprise since Cannabidiol (CBD) is a potent anxiolytic and is very effective in reducing anxiety and the frequency of panic attacks. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can also reduce anxiety at low doses.\n\nThere is a clear link between CBD and reduced anxiety. Oftentimes, if you walk into a dispensary and ask for products to treat your anxiety they will almost always recommend some form of CBD. \n\nKeep in mind, high doses of THC can actually increase anxiety levels, it’s best to start slow with a product that contains much more CBD than THC.\n\n### The Best Marijuana Products for Anxiety in Illinois\n\nIt’s not always easy to pick the perfect product for your anxiety. You should always consult medical practitioners, dispensary pharmacists, or budtenders for advice and recommendations for weed products that best fit your body’s needs. \n\nSome people prefer fast-acting tinctures, while others enjoy long-lasting edibles. The best ways to find out are through research, gathered insight, and experimentation with low doses. \n\nLet’s walk through some options - in various consumption methods - of marijuana products for anxiety in Illinois. \n\n### Chill Tins\n\n![Untitled13.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled13_0d935ad796.png)\n\n[1906’s Chill Tins](https://www.verilife.com/il/menu/verilife-schaumburg-il) are drops for relaxation and solace. They feature a unique blend of high-CBD cannabis and plant medicine to promote relaxation. Each Chill Drop contains 5mg THC and 25mg CBD. Purchase them for $35.\n\n### CANN Blood Orange Cardamom\n\n![Untitled14.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled14_91878904d6.png)\n\n[CANN’s Blood Orange Cardamom infused social tonic](https://www.verilife.com/il/menu/verilife-schaumburg-il) is microdosed with THC & CBD, perfectly crafted to give you a light, refreshing buzz within 10-15 minutes. This product is perfect for those suffering from social anxiety searching for a chance to relax while still enjoying a night out. Crafted in California, the beverage marries blood orange juice from Sicily to the aromatic magic of cardamom, creating a cacophony of citrusy and spicy flavors. Stop in to Verilife and pick up a six pack for $25.\n\n### Tonic Frost\n\n![Untitled15.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled15_c02e15b446.png)\n\n[Tonic Frost popsicles](https://www.verilife.com/il/menu/verilife-schaumburg-il) are a sweet treat with just the right amount of THC and CBD for balanced anxiety relief and relaxation. The edibles contain 75mg CBD and 25mg THC per popsicle. You can buy these weed treats for $35. \n\n### 2:1 Limonene\n\n![Untitled16.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled16_92563e069a.png)\n\n[Limonene](https://www.verilife.com/il/menu/verilife-galena-il) flower offers a high-CBD option for those who enjoy consuming marijuana the old-fashioned way - in a joint, pipe, bong, or blunt. The effects of this strain are euphoric and anti-anxiety inducing. You can find the flower for $60 per 3.5 grams. \n\nKeep high-CBD marijuana products in mind the next time you feel anxiety setting in. Or plan ahead and stock up. Many cannabis consumers find that weed offers preventative capabilities too. \n\nIt’s an exciting time where cannabis is becoming a legitimate medicine in the eyes of the public. If you haven’t yet, give it a try. The results may be surprisingly positive. \n\n### Get Your Medical Document & Purchase Medical Cannabis\n\nIt's easy to get your medical document with the online [Telehealth service HelloMD](https://hellomd.com/get-started). Register, pay, and receive an online medical consultation with a licensed practitioner and start purchasing medical cannabis today.\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.7857142857142858,"src":"/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/14b42/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg","srcSet":"/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/f836f/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg 200w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/2244e/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg 400w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/14b42/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg 800w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/47498/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg 1200w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/0e329/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg 1600w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/9b4ec/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.jpg 3992w","srcWebp":"/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/58556/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/61e93/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp 200w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/1f5c5/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp 400w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/58556/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp 800w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/99238/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp 1200w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/7c22d/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp 1600w,\n/static/84bb6b365bf30af091c45aee60f3de41/a43c4/0d9666f443b99b452d31cd57caa577bd.webp 3992w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_3874-markdown","title":"The 5 Best Medical Marijuana Products for Anxiety in Pennsylvania ","slug":"the-5-best-medical-marijuana-products-for-anxiety-in-pennsylvania","content":"In April, 2018 the first dispensaries began serving medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania. A massive step forward for the state and an opportunity for residents to find relief from a litany of medical ailments - one of the most prominent being anxiety. \n\n[Over 40 million adults in the U.S.](https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders) suffer from an anxiety disorder. The excessive worrying that comes with being anxious can consume hours of a person’s day, making it difficult to focus and complete normal tasks. \n\nA person with [Generalized Anxiety Disorder](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20360803) (GAD) can become exhausted by worry and also experience headaches, tension or nausea. \n\nBut marijuana can help reduce or eliminate the symptoms of anxiety. For those seeking relief in Pennsylvania, look to medical marijuana for help. \n\n### Cannabis and Anxiety\n\n![iStock-1347122897-min.jpg](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/i_Stock_1347122897_min_b769b90e30.jpg)\n\nCannabis and more specifically Cannabidiol (CBD) - a naturally occurring active cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant - have been studied for the potential to relieve all sorts of medical ailments, including anxiety. \n\nA [2015 study from the New York University School of Medicine](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/) found that “current evidence indicates CBD has considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders, with need for further study of chronic and therapeutic effects in relevant clinical populations.”\n\nSo how does marijuana consumption relate to reduced anxiety? \n\n[Studies have found](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6486906/) that consuming cannabinoids such as CBD increase the level of the joy neurotransmitter, anandamide. Cannabis also helps users experience a change in body chemicals that allow their nerves and body to relax. \n\n# The Best Marijuana Products for Anxiety in Pennsylvania\n\nFinding the right marijuana product for anxiety can be a challenge. Consult your medical practitioner, dispensary pharmacists, or budtenders for advice and recommendations for weed products that best fit your body’s needs. \n\nSome people prefer fast-acting tinctures, while others enjoy long-lasting edibles. It’s recommended to give each a try, but remember to start slow - you can always increase the dosage later on.  \n\nLet’s walk through some options - in various consumption methods - of marijuana products for anxiety in Pennsylvania. \n\n### Moxie 3:1 Peaches ‘n Cream\n\n![Untitled7.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled7_6e60045612.png)\n\n[Moxie’s 3:1 Tincture](https://www.verilife.com/pa/menu/verilife-plymouth-meeting-pa) provides immediate relief with a high CBD to THC ratio. This product is perfect for those seeking a fast-acting weed product to treat anxiety. Pick up the tincture for $50. \n\n### iRest Capsules\n\n![Untitled8.jpeg](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled8_1bec6e6441.jpeg)\n\n[Terrapin 1:1 iRest Capsules](https://www.verilife.com/pa/menu/verilife-pottstown-pa) can ease the mind since they provide balanced levels of CBD and THC. You can purchase these 20 packs of capsules for $40. \n\n### Lemon G\n\n![Untitled9.jpeg](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled9_3c2124345e.jpeg)\n\n[Terrapin Tears Lemon G Rick Simpson Oil](https://www.verilife.com/pa/menu/verilife-quakertown-pa) is used for oral consumption or topical application. The product contains a high quantity of CBD and THC so consume a small quantity to start. This RSO is perfect for those struggling with anxiety because it’s fast-acting and easily accessible. Buy these Lemon G Terrapin Tears for $60 in Pennsylvania. \n\n### Rythm Chem Fruit\n\n![Untitled10.jfif](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled10_a1775f9fa1.jfif)\n\n[Rythm Chem Fruit](https://www.verilife.com/pa/menu/verilife-quakertown-pa) full spectrum vape cartridge contains 53.58% THC and 25.19% CBD, great for more experienced cannabis consumers looking for anxiety relief. The half gram cartridge can be used for all-day support from anxious feelings. You can take a couple puffs and relax  either socially or in private. Pick up the vape cartridge for $50.\n\n### Painkiller XL\n\n![Untitled11.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitled11_10d2c7a9f9.png)\n\n[FarmaceuticalRx’s Painkiller XL](https://www.verilife.com/pa/menu/verilife-williamsport-pa) flower contains high levels of CBD. For those who still prefer old-fashioned weed consumption like joints, bongs, and bowls - this is the perfect flower. Purchase an eighth of Painkiller XL for $50. \n\nKeep high-CBD marijuana products like the ones mentioned above in mind when you’re feeling anxious. It’s often best to plan ahead and stock up before anxiety sets in as it can often be hard to leave the house in severe cases. \n\nRemember that cannabis is medicine, but it’s still possible to overindulge, which can lead to even higher levels of anxiety. Always start out slow and work your way up when you feel comfortable. \n\n### Get Your Medical Document & Purchase Medical Cannabis\n\nIt's easy to get your medical document with the online [Telehealth service HelloMD](https://hellomd.com/get-started). Register, pay, and receive an online medical consultation with a licensed practitioner and start purchasing medical cannabis today.\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5151515151515151,"src":"/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/14b42/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg","srcSet":"/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/f836f/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg 200w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/2244e/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg 400w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/14b42/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg 800w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/47498/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg 1200w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/0e329/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg 1600w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/7c67b/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.jpg 3957w","srcWebp":"/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/58556/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/61e93/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp 200w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/1f5c5/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp 400w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/58556/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp 800w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/99238/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp 1200w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/7c22d/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp 1600w,\n/static/8b3cd7494c18bce28b9f5aa3eb1e2f07/85df5/eec2920cbc90b7720cc6ac39c8e5e2ac.webp 3957w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_3085-markdown","title":"Is Combining Cannabis & SSRIs Safe?","slug":"is-combining-cannabis-and-ssris-safe","content":"In 2017, the National Institutes of Mental Health reported that a staggering 17.3 million adults, or [7.1% of *all* American adults had at least one major depressive episode in that year](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml). Of that number, 65% of those folks received support from a health professional, medication, or both. Surprisingly, a whopping 35% had no treatment whatsoever.\n\nBecause of the difficulty in accessing mental health care, stigmas about disclosing mental illness, and the high cost of treatment and medication, it’s not surprising that some people turn to [cannabis to help manage their depression](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/how-cbd-can-relieve-symptoms-of-depression). \n\nMany often take marijuana alongside antidepressant medications. But is this safe? Let’s examine the information currently available so that you can make safe, informed choices.\n\n![Hello3-min (10).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello3_min_10_cb9eb2245a.png)\n\n### What Are SSRIs & How do They Work? \n\nSelective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are often prescribed for depression. These medications include: \n\n* Citalopram (Celexa)\n* Escitalopram (Lexapro)\n* Fluoxetine (Prozac)\n* Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)\n* Sertraline (Zoloft)\n* Vilazodone (Viibryd)\n\n[Serotonin is a neurotransmitter](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/kc/serotonin-facts-232248) that carries chemical signals through the brain’s nerve cells. It has many important functions, including:\n\n* Balancing mood\n* Regulating sleep cycles\n* Managing digestion\n* Aiding memory \n* Controlling sexual function\n\nThe brain and the intestines produce serotonin, and it’s found throughout the body. Though scientists don’t yet know what causes depression, it’s widely believed that imbalances of the body’s neurotransmitters, particularly low levels of serotonin, are significant factors. SSRIs work by blocking the body from reabsorbing serotonin, making it more available for neurotransmission.\n \nBut as many people with depression will attest to, SSRIs aren’t a global fix for depression. There’s currently no way to measure the serotonin levels in the brain, and scientists don’t yet know whether SSRIs added to the bloodstream actually increase serotonin levels in the brain. \n\n![Hello5-min (11).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello5_min_11_0f9d38b1e1.png)\n\n### Folks Are Already Experimenting With Marijuana for Depression\n\nBecause of side effects and the sometimes-limited effectiveness of SSRIs, a significant number of people are substituting cannabis for a variety of antidepressant medications. \n\nAccording to a 2017 study of 2,774 individuals who had taken cannabis in the previous 90 days, [12.7% of respondents stated they were consuming cannabis as a substitute for antidepressants](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422566/). \n\nAn earlier survey of 1,429 respondents reported that [50% of cannabis users stated they were consuming cannabis to address depression](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28861489/). \n\n![Hello1-min (13).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello1_min_13_54fd85da01.png)\n\n### The Medical Community Is Split on How Safe It Is to Mix Marijuana & SSRIs\n\nSome doctors feel strongly that [cannabis and antidepressants aren’t a good mix](https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19995609/marijuana-drug-interactions/), primarily because you’re combining two medications that may both have psychoactive effects. Is it your Prozac, your Purple Haze, or a panic attack that’s causing your increased heart rate? At this point, there’s virtually no way to tell.\n\nHowever, other physicians, including **Dr. Richard Kim**, have a different point of view, noting that small amounts of cannabis can be beneficial to those with depression when taken strategically and carefully.\n\nDr. Kim cites two studies that [point to the importance of consuming low doses of cannabis when addressing depression](https://www.hellomd.com/answers/59e8f1a4727ea41548672a4c/is-it-safe-to-take-cbd-or-thc-with-ssri-and-snri). Because heavy cannabis consumers can become less sensitive to dopamine, the pleasure-pain neurotransmitter, too much marijuana use can sometimes lead to increased depressive symptoms. \n\nThe second study points to a research project where researchers gave high doses of [tetrahydrocannabinol (THC](https://www.hellomd.com/tag/thc) to animals, which resulted in reduced serotonin. \n\nThough humans may react differently, both studies point to a simple rule of thumb: When consuming cannabis to augment SSRIs or address symptoms of depression without medication, less is definitely more.\n\n![Hello2-min (14).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello2_min_14_aa30ba1a54.png)\n\n### Can Cannabis & SSRIs Increase the Risk of Serotonin Syndrome?  \n\nDr. Kim also notes that [both THC and cannabidiol (CBD) can inhibit the enzymes that are involved with metabolizing SSRIs](https://hellomd.com/questions-and-answers/i-have-take-luvox-an-ssris-i-suffer-from-chronic-pain-and-was-curious-if-hemp-oil-cbd-oil-that-does-not-include-thc-would-interact-with-my-medication-and-have-the-potential-to-cause-serotonin-syndrome/). This could create the possibility of a rise in SSRI serum, which can lead to Serotonin Syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition when the body has too much serotonin. \n\nFortunately, for those experimenting with CBD, Dr. Kim explains that it would require an extremely high amount of CBD to produce this dangerous condition. \n\nSome patients using SSRIs also have concerns about their long-term effects on the liver. Because cannabis is considered to be neuroprotective, [there’s currently no evidence pointing to any connection between cannabis consumption and liver toxicity](https://hellomd.com/questions-and-answers/i-suffer-from-concussions-is-taking-thc-oil-bad-for-the-liver-if-im-on-ssris/).\n\n![Hello4-min (12).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello4_min_12_aa5e4f893b.png)\n\n### Tips for Combining Cannabis & SSRIs Safely\n\nWhen consuming cannabis as an adjunct treatment for any disorder, it’s imperative to work with your doctor, disclose your cannabis consumption and seek out products that have been regulated and tested, so that you can be confident you’re consuming a safe, clean product.  \n\nIf you’re taking antidepressants and wish to incorporate cannabis into an overall wellness program, be sure to start very slowly and document your results. If you’re a cannabis consumer interested in trying antidepressants, talk it over with your doctor and if you have one, your therapist or mental health practitioner.\n\nBecause there has been very little research on the interaction between marijuana and SSRIs, it’s important to know what some of the risks may look like. These risks are low-to-moderate for those taking SSRIs, but increase markedly for patients using other types of antidepressants. \n\nHere are a few tips to help you decide if you should combine SSRIs and cannabis:\n\n* Tell your doctor/counselor about your plans to try SSRIs and marijuana. \n* Don’t try to add cannabis to a new SSRI prescription until you’ve fully adjusted to your medication and are on a stable dosage.\n* Conversely, if you’re already consuming cannabis and adding an SSRI to your wellness program, consider stopping cannabis consumption until you’ve adjusted to your dosage.\n* Closely document your cannabis consumption. Journal the type of product you’re taking, the dosage, and how often you consume it.\n* Start or resume your cannabis regime slowly, even if you’re a seasoned consumer. Try microdosing to ensure a safe, smooth transition. \n* Remember that low doses of cannabis are far less likely to result in negative side effects.\n* Remember that cannabis isn’t a one size fits all product. What works for a friend or relative may not work for you, and that’s perfectly OK.\n\nAnd always remember to reach out to friends, family, or your mental health professional if you feel that your depressive symptoms are getting the best of you.\n\n### Get Your Medical Document & Purchase Medical Cannabis\n\nIt's easy to get your medical document with the online Telehealth service HelloMD(https://www.hellomd.com/get-started/). Register, pay, and receive an online medical consultation with a licensed practitioner and start purchasing medical cannabis today.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAAUCAIAAAAC64paAAAACXBIWXMAAA7DAAAOwwHHb6hkAAAD5klEQVQ4yyVUW2/jRBj1X+M38MoDLzzzhoSEEEIIJMrDglgVtgUWym6hZUvvzTpJ66Rpuk2btrnfY8fX8cx4PB5f026l/dKVRp9G1pzvfOfMGUuDsYmpQC5P5w/Keb3RU32Rxck8iufMC7gfJNm9jXlnZCAWjU1Kg/SmNx3PXC9IpZHqWo6PKRx6qF13rhp9AIdxFohURHNABlFmuP7UpgA2sSB+oiPfgg1PJMMJEBYu5oHIugP1+PSSR0CbATMXSRhlQZjNHM+hcDr2ROKHqWpRmwgKYEQiymKEOWURwv4//+cwixlfwJL0jrLQ47Hpsq7qtSdeT2M9lY4NiryI8nQB9oPUQT7xQhOxycx2aSCijAdpnNzBhrDIoYHLopkjhrq/AJue60UegB0cgjxgdqm4bY1GqpXN3wLne88CmFMkNuFekITxPL27h6ojDr1YkEiMpwDmIrURs11uIT9K5kkK6w6U8yDiYUpYCCYBP8wP4m0SgHgPNLtEiDCDG1F1F74ykQAYHBbxXIhMiNQPM/ZIDhs4YOMAUQEtsBdKmk4Ii0E2woFmYNP1CWbURpz4jC2EoYnaLsjdsuLqussTw2GUx8SPQabk0li3mIUCC3HNpOP+lA77sTZNR1A1NNWCm8s3y0/a/74wz0+hKWSD+BF7P7ZmEM30hlPUH9vVal2/OJ/3WnejXtK+SZoNt3x8Px22Nl6cfPdV/+Vz46pGwwxowb/FPR/v7VeLSq1Uad10KgXFKL7O6hfR5cVbrfww2PSKea8kF5Z/WPrkw4MvP5sWZcxC9xEMNkkH6+s7vz3bW3l6+McvuT9Xjpa+6f+1GlbL+y+fdkp/i1Kh/PP3X3z0wbNPPz7++vPBzivMU8vl4Bx0kS6rF8c7O4VXm4WtrZO9A3l7d2vpW21jTV5ZKT9f8+QD+2j//NcfKz8tjf9b755WByoaakizqI6Y1LptnypnB1u7yqF8oVSqcr50lKv8vpop+bCUx/nXpJBXtzcby0/s0snU5RMDg+nwVCDw0lWtLh8V93fl3L58fXV7Xbu9PHvTb3XHuSNra8NvNGbN7nB1eba+pjfbOoGc+BZUzGcWkc7PanJOqVTqZ2f128agft2tXzWxH441Rx9pyMSQAtTtubplsdjCHJCQTceLpoYrlZVqsXhev+61u9NuX2s0B+3OZGbg2SIwYEwILyxI7gmPkBfajwtDQlgM80sFuawotVZX7Q30yQw1mkNosYga8uGdm6ZDKPcXkQrhZ2ARYdHFVcGamFTa3T48US46A304sceq3WyPOz11qrsQQ4cIx34EC0hV6HjCJNyCYHuRw5KxQd4BP28SrVeyS0UAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","aspectRatio":1,"src":"/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/ee604/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.png","srcSet":"/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/69585/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.png 200w,\n/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/497c6/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.png 400w,\n/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/ee604/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.png 800w,\n/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/12b05/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.png 836w","srcWebp":"/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/58556/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/61e93/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.webp 200w,\n/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/1f5c5/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.webp 400w,\n/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/58556/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.webp 800w,\n/static/fdaa5bebb48c512b4b3963f6404514e1/6c306/a4e65f6f7c3bd3d5ff43f53fea8546a8.webp 836w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_3179-markdown","title":"Finding Your Flow State During COVID with Cannabis & Psilocybin","slug":"finding-your-flow-state-during-covid-with-cannabis-and-psilocybin","content":"Athletes say they're \"in the zone,\" and musicians say they're \"in the groove.\" And if you've ever been deeply engrossed in an activity and you don't notice time passing, you know that feeling too. It's called [flow state](https://www.headspace.com/articles/flow-state). It's when you're so completely present and engaged in an activity that the rest of the world seemingly disappears.  \n\nFlow state plays a role in our mental and physical well-being, but the stresses and concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it more difficult for many people to find flow in daily life.  There are [plenty of ways](https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-achieve-flow-2794769) to rediscover your flow state – and recent research suggests that mind-expanding substances like cannabis and psilocybin can help.\n\n### Flow State Defined \n\nFalling into flow state is easy when you're completely engaged in an activity you enjoy. When the key elements of a flow state come together, time can slow down, and you're so focused on the activity you're oblivious to everything else. Senses become heightened, and there's a feeling that the body and mind are working in sync. So much so that you don't even have to think about what you're doing.  \n\nMuch of our modern understanding of the flow state comes from the [pioneering work of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness?language=endr), who explored how becoming immersed in creativity, play, or any other engaging activity could contribute to overall fulfillment and happiness in life.  \n\nBeing in the flow is often associated with creative work or athletics, but it can come from many other things, too.  Whatever they are, flow-state activities usually have a few characteristics in common:\n\nThey're activities you enjoy doing and where you excel\n\nFlow activities are often directed at a goal. This could be an athlete training for a competition or an artist working to complete a painting. But flow state can also come from the pleasure of the process itself, without an end goal in mind.\n\nIt pushes you to use your skills at the highest level. The activity is neither so easy that you get bored, nor so difficult that you get frustrated and give up. But it usually adds a new challenge that pushes you a little beyond your comfort zone.\n\nIt requires intense concentration, and this complete focus on the task at hand produces better work and higher performance.\n\nIt creates a sense of clarity, so that you know just what to do without consciously thinking of it. The mind and body work  in sync to carry out tasks.\n\nActions \"flow\" without the mind's negative chatter. During flow state, self-doubt, self-criticism, and uncertainty disappear.\n\nAt the end of a flow state, people usually feel invigorated, exhilarated, and self-confident – and the benefits can last well beyond the experience itself. Research reveals that regularly spending time in flow state can boost self-esteem and lead to a general sense of well-being and accomplishment that affects all other areas of life.\n\n### Getting Into the Flow\nFor most people, flow state happens during the course of pursuing something enjoyable. But psychologists following Csikszentmihalyi's work, along with a long list of life coaches, therapists, and others working to unravel the secrets of human potential, have outlined some specific steps anyone can take to get into the flow of what they're doing.  Among their suggestions:\n\nCreate a ritual around the activity you're doing. Rituals \"prime\" the brain to start the activity and direct awareness toward it. Rituals can be as simple as getting coffee and turning off the phone, or laying out supplies – whatever signals dedication to the work at hand.\n\nDon't multitask. If the activity has multiple parts, choose the most important one and focus only on it.\n\nReduce or eliminate distractions whenever possible before you begin. That might include closing your office door, turning off the phone, or telling people you won't be available for a period of time.\n\nFigure out the time of day when you're at your most productive, and try to do the flow activity during that time.\n\nThese practical steps can set up conditions for a flow state to happen. But researchers studying flow state have also learned that practices that encourage focus and concentration can also help people to experience flow.  Meditation, mindfulness and [focus-enhancing substances such as cannabis and psilocybin](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/why-interrupting-the-default-mode-network-with-psychedelics-is-good-for-mental-health) can also help people find flow and reap its benefits.\n\n### Meditation and Mindfulness Can Encourage Flow\n\nFlow and meditation share some commonalities.  Like flow, meditation works best when you eliminate distractions.  And both meditation and mindfulness involve total focus on the present moment, and a detachment from negative thoughts.  \n\nFor those reasons, meditation and mindfulness practices can help people improve focus and concentration, and those practices could make it easier to find the flow in other activities, too. But new research reveals that chemical compounds such as cannabis and psilocybin may play an important role in opening up the mind to flow.\n\n### Cannabis & Flow State\n\nThe many compounds in the cannabis sativa plant work with the body's endocannabinoid system, a network of receptors found throughout the organs and tissues, for a variety of beneficial effects. In particular, [CBD and THC can work together](https://wayofleaf.com/cannabis/ailments/best-marijuana-strains-for-staying-totally-focused) with receptors in the brain to boost focus and concentration, which are essential for flow state. The [most popular strains](https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/best-cannabis-strains-for-focus-and-addadhd) for helping with focus and mood include:\n\n[Harlequin](https://www.hellomd.com/strains/harlequin), a sativa-dominant strain with a CBD to THC ratio of 5:2. This strain is also popular for pain relief and boosting mood, and it helps with finding focus during daily tasks.\n\nCinex, another Sativa strain with a considerable amount of THC, produces a \"clearheaded high\" and is popular among artists and other creatives.\n\nMother's Helper is a perfectly balanced (1:1) hybrid strain often used to relieve symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder.  This strain supports focus and motivation, but its high THC content can also increase anxiety.\n\n###  Breaking Down Barriers with Psilocybin\n\nPsilocybin is the active ingredient in \"magic mushrooms\" beloved of yesterday's hippie trippers. But now [researchers are discovering](https://www.wired.com/2014/10/magic-mushroom-brain/)\nhow these chemicals can disrupt activity in areas of the brain related to self-consciousness and the ego. That creates the [sense of expanded consciousness](https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/article/your-brain-on-psilocybin) that's also present in flow states, when people \"lose themselves\" in favorite activities.\n\nJaime Wheal and Steven Kotler are at the forefront of altered states of consciousness for greater productivity and life satisfaction. Their book, [Stealing Fire](https://www.stevenkotler.com/book-pages/stealing-fire)\nexamines how careful use of psilocybin and other psychedelic substances can boost creativity, fuel aspirations, and help people achieve more than ever before.\n\nThese substances affect brain areas connected to learning, memory, and the awareness of the self.  In small doses, they form new connections between these areas and disrupt existing ones. According to Wheal and Kotler, that breaks down the barriers to experiencing flow in all areas of life.\n\nIn a [recent presentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koHeGZn1p9M), Wheal notes that the potential for flow is in everyone, and this natural \"altered state\" has profound benefits for body and mind.  The constant uncertainty of the COVID pandemic may make it harder to find your flow, but today's new research reveals ways to rediscover that magical state anytime you like.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.492537313432836,"src":"/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/ee604/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.png","srcSet":"/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/69585/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.png 200w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/497c6/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.png 400w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/ee604/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.png 800w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/f3583/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.png 1200w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/3ce3d/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.png 1394w","srcWebp":"/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/58556/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/61e93/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.webp 200w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/1f5c5/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.webp 400w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/58556/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.webp 800w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/99238/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.webp 1200w,\n/static/f0706c75562fb59316e72210bfb0002d/936bb/7f5a2ce2b493145279496abec41385e2.webp 1394w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_3172-markdown","title":"The Top 5 Health and Wellness Trends for 2021","slug":"the-top-5-health-and-wellness-trends-for-2021","content":"COVID-19 has gripped the world for much of 2020, transforming the way we work and live. But as people worldwide struggle to cope with the new stresses and challenges of life in coronavirus times, they're discovering new ways to get and stay healthy.  \n\nThe top 5 health and wellness trends for 2021 and beyond were born of necessity during the pandemic, but they're here to stay, with multiple benefits for body and mind. Bon voyage 2020, here's what you need to know about the future of health and wellness for 2021 and beyond:\n\n### 1. Telemedicine Transforms Healthcare\n\nAccording to the CDC, during the first quarter of 2020, the number of telemedicine appointments across the US increased by 50 percent.  By mid-year, that number had risen to 154 percent.\n\nTelemedicine – consulting with a doctor or other healthcare practitioner by phone or computer – has gradually been working its way into the medical mainstream, thanks to a larger digital revolution in healthcare that has introduced various tools for monitoring a patient's health from home.  \n\nSince March, new telehealth options have been helping millions of patients and doctors stay in touch, save time, and avoid risky contact during the pandemic. And many practitioners say it's even more effective than in-person appointments, even for people with more serious, chronic conditions.\n\nWearable device fitness and wellness trackers, like the Fitbit or Oura ring, also help make telehealth more relevant and user-friendly. These devices collect essential data about blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels and share them with doctors with the click of a mouse.  \n\nMore sophisticated \"digiceutical\" devices like glucose monitors and oximeters can help doctors manage severe diseases like diabetes and COPD from a distance.\n\nThe most recent surge in the use of telemedicine is within the realm of mental health.  [Recent statistics reveal](https://getstream.io/blog/telemedicine-statistics/) that in the months since January 2020, the number of people booking virtual mental health visits has increased by an average of 77 percent.\n\nThe rise of telemedicine has also produced niche services that focus on meeting a particular need or interest outside the medical mainstream. \n\nHolistic practices like [Parsley Health]( https://www.parsleyhealth.com)\n offer access to a community of practitioners through monthly plans that allow subscribers unlimited access to its services and at-home testing. Canada's [Gennev](https://gennev.com/) focuses on the health concerns of menopausal women with coaching, lifestyle advice, and more. And numerous medical cannabis sites such as [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) support people who use or want to try cannabis for a variety of health concerns.\n\n### 2. Psychedelics Meet Mainstream Medicine\n\nFor decades, psychedelic drugs like LSD, psilocybin (or \"magic mushrooms\"), and peyote were considered dangerous, mind-altering substances. But [recent research reveals](https://maps.org/news/media/7732-hellomd-maps-founder-rick-doblin-talks-psychedelics-mdma-the-fda) that these and other psychedelics can have powerful benefits for treating PTSD, depression, and other mental health issues. \n\nBacked by entities like the [Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Medicine](https://maps.org/)(MAPS) and the Canadian startup [Numinus Wellness](https://numinus.ca/), [MDMA](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/mdma:-coming-soon-to-a-therapist's-office-near-you)(3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine), a drug better known by the street names Molly and ecstasy, is rapidly becoming a vital tool in treating severe PTSD.  \n\nAlong with [MDMA-assisted therapy](https://www.verywellmind.com/psychedelic-therapy-how-does-it-work-5079161), other psychedelics are being investigated for their potential health benefits. Advocates of microdosing LSD, psilocybin, and other drugs say that taking minimal doses of these substances can help to improve mood and concentration without causing the altered consciousness of higher doses.  In that way, they can work in ways similar to pharmaceuticals for problems such as anxiety and depression without powerful prescription drugs' undesirable side effects.\n\n2021 holds great promise for the legalization of psilocybin and MDMA for clinically-assisted psychotherapy across North America.\n\n### 3. The Gut Microbiome: Your Second Brain\n\nIf you've experienced \"butterflies in the stomach\" before a stressful event you know the brain and the gut are somehow connected.  A [growing body of research](https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/things-your-gut-wants-you-to-know) is revealing just how close that connection is – and why this \"second brain\" in your stomach and intestines plays a crucial role in the health of body and mind.  \n\nWith functions ranging from breaking down foods and making essential nutrients available to the body as a whole, the gut is the key to maintaining energy, regulating hormones, boosting immunity, and more. \n\nAnd now, scientists are learning that the rich and complicated gut microbiome has some startling similarities to the brain – and those similarities help explain the connections between emotions and the digestive system.\n\nAntidepressants can often help to relieve the symptoms of bowel diseases like IBS and Crohn's disease. And conversely, changes in diet can sometimes benefit people with mood disorders like anxiety and depression. \n\nIt's estimated that 95 percent of the body's supply of the mood-boosting chemical serotonin production occurs within the small intestines, not the brain. Due to this, [supporting gut health](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/how-cannabis-can-keep-you-healthy-via-your-gut-microbiome) with a proper diet and supplements like pre-and probiotics, or cannabis. Eating fermented foods like kimchi or saurkraut is a good addition as are mushroom supplements which act as prebiotics to stimulate the growth of gut microbiota. \n\nAll of these can play an influential role in relieving common mental health issues and may boost the immune system for overall health.\n\nAs research continues to reveal new insights into the gut's microbiome, this \"second brain\" will become the focus of healthy wellness routines and lifestyle changes to promote mental and physical health in 2021 and beyond.\n\n### 4. Preventative Lifestyle: Maximizing Wellness\n\nThe pandemic has put a renewed focus on wellness, as people worldwide are working harder to get and stay healthy.  By mid-2020, the US was facing a shortage of bicycles – and online fitness apps and classes are at an all-time high as gyms remain closed, and people look for new ways to stay fit during lockdowns and quarantines.  \n\nThis \"preventative lifestyle\" also includes increased interest in cooking healthy meals at home and taking other steps to avoid illness, such as reducing stress, improving sleep, and adding key supplements such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc, and turmeric to the diet. \n\nAlthough many people adopted healthier habits during the pandemic out of necessity, these lifestyle changes have positive effects that will outlast the COVID-19 crisis – and committing to overall wellness is a key trend that will last far beyond the pandemic.\n\n### 5. Holistic, Conscious Parenting: Redefining Family\n\nFor millions of children globally, virtual learning has taken the place of classrooms, creating new issues for parents who may also be working from home.  Other stressors come with isolation from extended family, such as grandparents and other family members, who in the past may have helped more around the house.  \n\nThe pandemic has challenged parents with kids at home on every level. For many, it means embracing a more holistic parenting style that's less focused on [competition and achievement](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/end-of-competitive-parenting-how-covid-brought-us-together) and more about children become healthy, happy individuals.  \n\nBecause parents and children are spending more time together than usual, they're finding new ways to bond as a family around shared activities and interests. That also allows parents to reevaluate their beliefs and values and develop new systems to make the family work.   As everyone returns to work and school, this kind of conscious parenting could continue to shape family dynamics well after the pandemic subsides.\n\nThe COVID crisis has had a lasting impact on public health, and changed the way people manage health and wellness in daily life.  The hottest trends for 2021 offer new ways to stay healthy in the new year – and beyond.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5151515151515151,"src":"/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/ee604/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.png","srcSet":"/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/69585/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.png 200w,\n/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/497c6/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.png 400w,\n/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/ee604/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.png 800w,\n/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/f3583/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.png 1200w","srcWebp":"/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/58556/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/61e93/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.webp 200w,\n/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/1f5c5/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.webp 400w,\n/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/58556/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.webp 800w,\n/static/5821bd2dc7a33bb56c8296472af911a4/99238/9af3b3621279404b687f4c3c875efee1.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2962-markdown","title":"\tDIY Recipe: Cannabis-Infused Broccoli Cheddar Soup","slug":"diy-recipe-cannabis-infused-broccoli-cheddar-soup","content":"Winter’s winding down, but there’s a still a chill in the air. So, what better way to make it through the last bit of the cold season than to indulge in a little comfort food? One of my favorite dishes to help keep me warm is broccoli Cheddar soup.\n\nCreamy, cheesy and packed with nutritious broccoli and garlic, this hot dish is sure to leave you feeling warm and toasty. This soup was a favorite for me growing up and has kept me going through many cold and snowy winters. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nThe infused version of this dish has all of the comfort and rich flavor of the soups mom used to make. Plus, you’ll get even more relief and the warm fuzzies when the cannabis starts to take effect.\n\nTo make things even better, it’s an incredibly easy soup to make. The whole recipe uses just one pot, making cleaning up a breeze. Plus, it’s a snap to make. It only takes around 30 minutes to create, from start to finish. \n\nIf you want to get creative with it, you can add all kind of additions. The soup goes perfectly in a bread bowl, or you can cut bread into cubes and use them for dipping. Some like to add carrots to their broccoli Cheddar soup, so feel free to chop some up and throw them in when you add the broccoli. Or would you rather add some meat protein to the mix? Bacon is a fantastic addition to throw in at the very end. \n\nWhat are you waiting for? Get started, and try this quick and easy edible for yourself.\n\nRELATED: [CONSUMING CANNABIS EDIBLES TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a567e8fc7e0180007a7826c/consuming-cannabis-edibles-to-improve-your-health)\n\n### Ingredients for Cannabis-Infused Broccoli Cheddar Soup\n\n4–6 servings\n\n* 4 tbsp cannabutter*\n* 2 tbsp flour \n* 1 cup milk\n* 12 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese\n* 1/2 tbsp minced garlic\n* 32 oz chicken broth\n* 14 oz frozen broccoli \n* Salt and pepper to taste\n\nOptional:\n* Bread\n* Carrots \n* Bacon\n\n*Check out our [recipe for cannabutter](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56b27915fe98a1000c000243/diy-recipe-cannabutter-or-cannabis-butter). Use your best judgment on dosing based on your previous experiences with edibles. If you have a lower tolerance to cannabis and want to make a less potent soup, you can always substitute plain butter for part of the cannabutter. \n\n#### Cooking Tools:\n\n* Large or medium cooking pot\n* Mixing spatula or spoon \n* Measuring cups and spoons\n\n### How to Make Cannabis-Infused Broccoli Cheddar Soup \n\n1. Before you begin, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have all of your ingredients and cooking tools at the ready and out on a clean surface. \n\n2. Put a medium or large cooking pot on the stove, and turn on low heat. Add the cannabutter, and let it melt (watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t start to burn or brown). \n\n3. Once melted, mix in the garlic and flour, and turn the heat up slightly. Watch for about a minute as the flour lightly browns and makes the mixture a light brown color. \n\n4. Add the chicken broth to the pot, turning the heat on high and stirring every few minutes to ensure even heating. Let the broth heat to a low boil. \n\n5. Once the broth is bubbling at a low boil, mix in the frozen broccoli and the milk. (This is also when you’d want to add in carrots if you’re using them.) Let the mixture come back up to a simmer, and then adjust the heat to keep it simmering. Continue simmering until the broccoli is cooked through and soft. You should be able to break the broccoli apart very easily with your spoon or spatula when it’s finished cooking. \n\n6. When the broccoli has finished cooking and is soft enough to break apart with your spoon or spatula, remove it from the heat and mix in all but half a cup of the cheese. Set the other half cup of cheese aside. \n\n7. Season your soup with salt and pepper to taste. The cheese already includes plenty of salt, so I just add pepper. But if you like your soup a bit more seasoned, you may want more. At this stage, you can also mix in bacon, if you’re including it.\n\n8. Serve immediately in a bowl or bread bowl, adding a touch of pepper and some of the remaining shredded cheese as a garnish on top of each bowl.\n\nPhoto credit: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-marijuana/) index of articles. And if you have questions about cannabis, [ask them](https://www.hellomd.com/answers) and our community will answer.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIEAQP/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAVXZAToSm5//xAAaEAACAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEDERIT/9oACAEBAAEFAuNGXk89EaXrss2IZ5P/xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ/9oACAEDAQE/AT//xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAAH/2gAIAQIBAT8BNYv/xAAcEAACAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhMTJhgZH/2gAIAQEABj8CbjodeE7clZRBR//EABsQAQACAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAESExQVFh/9oACAEBAAE/IVW3RgUO+n1NVOjbgh80cnpOyqCeTE//2gAMAwEAAgADAAAAEL8v/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERIf/aAAgBAwEBPxCprSn/xAAXEQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQESEx/9oACAECAQE/EJFgf//EAB4QAAICAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERADEhQVFhgcHw/9oACAEBAAE/ED4cQNQC99qFKUPPPXygJ7lgjI8VFFk4F2G3zGtDGdRqJVMe5//Z","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/14b42/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg","srcSet":"/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/f836f/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg 200w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/2244e/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg 400w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/14b42/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg 800w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/47498/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg 1200w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/0e329/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg 1600w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/daa73/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.jpg 3648w","srcWebp":"/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/58556/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/61e93/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp 200w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/1f5c5/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp 400w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/58556/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp 800w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/99238/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp 1200w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/7c22d/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp 1600w,\n/static/c9b84c66a693f89f8c5bfa37692f90b5/af520/b4baa6f5b5c924ef74f9c42f911cf9f7.webp 3648w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2895-markdown","title":"Are Single-Cannabinoid Plants the Future of Cannabis?","slug":"are-single-cannabinoid-plants-the-future-of-cannabis","content":"Humans have used cannabis for thousands of years, and we’ve done a great job of tailoring it to our needs through a long history of selective cultivation. But as cannabis research restrictions loosen, and demand for the plant increases, many now wonder whether we’re on the brink of a new era in cannabis production. Could genetically modified cannabis be right around the corner? \n\nSome say yes, but many experts disagree. While companies are already working on producing single-cannabinoid plants, they say it’s not genetic modification that will change how we produce cannabis, but rather a technique known as genetic editing. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_us/?utm_medium=copy_link/)\n\n### Genetically Modified Cannabis? \n\nGenetic modification involves splicing in genes from one organism into another organism. Meanwhile, gene-editing uses genes in the editing process that already belong to the original organism itself. \n\nGenetic modification is fairly common. Especially when it comes to agricultural products, genetic modification has been used to make crops that are hardier, larger and better able to withstand the conditions of conventional farming. While many see genetic modification as a beneficial development, others worry it could lead to problems down the road. \n\nBut regardless of your view on genetically modified products, now that cannabis is becoming a legal agricultural crop in many areas, people have begun to wonder when cannabis as a genetically modified organism (GMO), rich with unnaturally high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other desirable cannabinoids, will start to hit the shelves. \n\nRumors of GMO cannabis started popping up back in 2016, when a fake news article claimed that Monsanto—one of the world’s largest producers of GMO agriculture products—had begun development of a GMO cannabis strain. \n\nBut according to Monsanto, this rumor is unfounded. “[Monsanto has not and is not working on GMO marijuana](https://monsanto.com/company/media/q/does-monsanto-make-gmo-cannabis-seed/),” the company clarified on its website, adding, “This allegation is an internet rumor.” \n\n ### The GMO Cannabis Debate\n\nStill, the rumor got people talking and looking ahead (either in fear or hopeful expectation) to the time when GMO cannabis is a reality. “The cannabis industry should be aware that sooner rather than later, there will be big agriculture at play in this industry,” says Reggie Guadino of [Steep Hill Labs](https://www.steephill.com/), a California-based cannabis testing lab. \n\nReggie believes GMO cannabis will be coming soon. “I think a lot of people are afraid of it, because of genetics,” he says. “Really, it’s something that all agriculture does because it makes sense, because we have the tools and the technology and can do things in a more cost effective, intelligent manner.” \n\nBut other experts disagree. Mowgli Holmes, genetics researcher and CEO at the Portland-based cannabis research company [Phylos Bioscience](https://phylos.bio/) says that genetic modification may not be as useful for cannabis as it has been for other crops. “I don’t think there is anything that GMOs could do for cannabis that we need that couldn’t be done by advanced plant breeding technique,” he explains, adding “GMOs can make cannabis that glows in the dark, but we don’t need that.”\n\nCJ Schwartz, a cannabis genetics expert and biochemist at Colorado genomic research company [Marigene](https://www.marigene.com/), agrees, saying, “I truly don’t think there is any GMO cannabis out there.” He says that genetic modification could get plants to do tricks like produce more THC, but that it isn’t needed for this.\n\n“There’s also ways that nature will do that by itself through gene duplication,” he says.\n\n### The Science of Genetic Editing \n\nThe genetic experts don’t think GMO cannabis is likely, not because it’s impossible, but just because it seems unnecessary. Still, a similar technique, [genetic editing](https://www.businessinsider.com/difference-between-genetically-edited-crops-and-gmos-2016-2) may be better at transforming cannabis into a more efficient crop. \n\nIn fact, one company, [Ebbu](https://www.ebbu.com/science-ebbu/), a Colorado-based cannabis research company, is already using this technique to create single cannabinoid plants—rich with one particular cannabinoid. \n\nEbbu has focused on the science of maximizing yields of particular cannabinoids. “The plant is a wildly efficient way of producing complex compounds,” explains Ebbu’s CEO Jon Cooper. “From a processing perspective, it’s a lot easier if that plant is only producing one compound. What if we could just make a CBG-only plant?”\n\nRELATED: [BEYOND THC AND CBD; WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CBC, CBN & CBG](https://hellomd.com/articles/beyond-thc-and-cbd-what-you-need-to-know-about-cbc-cbn-and-cbg/)\n\nAnd so, they are. A CBG or cannabigerol-only cannabis plant is currently in development and is expected to be available in the near future. \n\nEbbu _has_ used genetic modification in the past. In fact, it used jellyfish DNA to make cannabis that glows in the dark. (Sorry, Ebbu won’t be releasing those genetics.) But the company doesn’t see much use for it and so is focused on gene editing instead. Cannabis already has everything we need within its own genetic code. \n\nUsing these genetic editing techniques, researchers could create plants to produce a variety of isolated compounds more efficiently. These isolated compounds could then be combined in specific ratios to create more complex medicinal products.\n\nWhile it’s unlikely anyone will want to smoke these single-compound flowers, they would make things easier and more cost effective for producers to create infused products with precise ratios of cannabinoids and terpenes. \n\nWe’ll have to wait and see how the CBG-only plant turns out. But the potential to change the way the industry produces cannabis’s active components is huge. \n\nWhile a future of GMO cannabis may be unlikely, one with single cannabinoid plants appears to be just around the corner. \n\nPhoto credit: [Mark](https://www.flickr.com/photos/eggrole/)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-marijuana/) index of articles. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAOABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAQT/xAAXAQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQID/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAGTcj4KZhZ//8QAGxAAAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAxESITL/2gAIAQEAAQUCoNKk6Em7NuyJ/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAwEBPwE//8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD/2gAIAQIBAT8BSf/EABoQAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARASEQMoH/2gAIAQEABj8CxQkRfDY//8QAGhAAAwADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERITGBYf/aAAgBAQABPyGclwqXPC9CkE+AeN24KOR//9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABAnH//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR/9oACAEDAQE/EFf/xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABACH/2gAIAQIBAT8QRdjC/8QAHBABAQEBAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhADFhQaGx/9oACAEBAAE/EKQVCIKbvIkafI8OCEcZWfXMfvV3egFnijF92zrJKZhn73//2Q==","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/14b42/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg","srcSet":"/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/f836f/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg 200w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/2244e/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg 400w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/14b42/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg 800w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/47498/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg 1200w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/0e329/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg 1600w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/00cb9/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.jpg 3187w","srcWebp":"/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/58556/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/61e93/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp 200w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/1f5c5/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp 400w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/58556/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp 800w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/99238/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp 1200w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/7c22d/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp 1600w,\n/static/d8ba70e5199609315c634a4f2398782b/971f2/2f86e7c07458ce5f2ad03cb4cfa3fb76.webp 3187w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2745-markdown","title":"8 Fast Facts About the History of Cannabis in the U.S.","slug":"8-fast-facts-about-the-history-of-cannabis-in-the-us","content":"Marijuana in the U.S. has a rich and colorful history: From the plant’s beginnings on the continent as a staple colonial crop to its effective outlaw status in 1937, and now with its new resurgence, our relationship with the plant is everchanging. On Independence Day, we take a look at the United States’ relationship with marijuana—the good, the bad and everything in between. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### 1. Cannabis in the Form of Hemp Was an Important Part of Colonial Life\n\nLet’s start with some tidbits you may have picked up from your pro-marijuana uncle at Thanksgiving dinner: Hemp was a crucial part of the New World economy. So much so that Virginia passed a law in 1619 that required every farm in the colony grow hemp. The fibrous plant was used for the production of sails, clothing and rope.  \n\nMany of the founding fathers also grew the cash crop including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Contrary to popular myth, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence weren’t written on hemp paper; they were written on parchment, or animal skins. Though, it’s possible that drafts of the documents were written on hemp paper, as it was popular at the time. \n\nRELATED: [WHAT IS HEMP & WHAT IS IT USED FOR](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56dfbf5fab06d8000c000076/what-is-hemp-and-what-is-it-used-for)\n\n### 2. Cannabis Was Sold in Pharmacies Across the West in the late 1800s & early 1900s\n\nIn 1842, Irish physician William Brooke O’Shaughnessy returned from his travels in India and brought cannabis to Britain, renewing interest in the plant’s medicinal properties among Westerners. \n\nFrom the late 1800s to early 1900s, cannabis—often mixed with other drugs and in the form of tinctures—was a popular sight on pharmacy shelves across the U.S. Marijuana was used as a remedy for everything from pain and insomnia to muscle spasms and seizures. \n\n### 3. Smokable Cannabis Entered the U.S. via Mexico & the Caribbean \n\nIn the 1910s, Mexican refugees, fleeing violence from the Mexican Revolution, brought cannabis with them to the U.S., particularly to Texas. Cannabis had been brought to Latin America multiple times in the 1700s and was often smoked; its use there was already well-established. \n\nAround the same time, cannabis arrived in New Orleans and other coastal cities from the Caribbean. It was here that the plant began to take root in what would become jazz culture. Jazz musicians brought the plant with them to cities throughout the Midwest—including St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago. \n\nThe popularity of cannabis among Latinos and African Americans birthed the stereotype of the plant as a “colored people’s drug,” a notion that Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics, would take advantage of in the years to come.  \n\nRELATED: [MARIJUANA’S STORIED HISTORY: FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO NOW](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5ad6746f049b4f000a64e890/marijuanas-storied-history-from-ancient-times-to-now)\n\n### 4. Alcohol Prohibition May Have Helped Popularize Cannabis \n\n![](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-12196254-3e36-42d0-88e1-4eb89638918a/original.png)\n\nIn 1920, the Volstead Act established alcohol prohibition in the U.S. Though there’s no direct evidence to point to, historian Barney Warf, who authored the paper [_High Points: An Historical Geography of Cannabis_](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1931-0846.2014.12038.x), theorizes that Prohibition may have contributed to the popularization of cannabis. \n\n“Tea pads” began appearing in Harlem and soon spread across the country; they were often associated with the black “hepster” jazz scene. These pads, which often resembled speakeasies, were places where folks could go to purchase and consume marijuana in a peaceful, comfortable atmosphere. By the 1930s, it’s estimated that there were about 500 tea pads in New York City. \n\n### 5. Henry Anslinger Sculpted Marijuana’s Negative Image & Sold It to the Masses\n\n![Henry Anslinger promotes a negative image of cannabis](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-1e2e3b11-30c6-424e-8523-9c9a443fe05b/original.png)\n\nYou can thank Henry Anslinger, commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (which would later become the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA), for promoting a negative image of marijuana. \n\nIn his 32-year career, Henry frequently dismissed scientific evidence, which stated that cannabis use didn’t lead to violent behavior or the use of addictive drugs. He manipulated public opinion, causing many to believe that cannabis use:\n\n* Led to temporary insanity \n* Was addictive\n* Was a gateway drug\n\nHe also promoted the narrative that the plant was used by communities of color and linked this use to violence and crime. His efforts would ultimately culminate in the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which didn’t distinguish hemp from marijuana and placed all production of cannabis under government control. \n\n### 6. The U.S. Re-legalized Hemp During WWII—Then Promptly Criminalized It Again \n\n![Hemp for Victory film](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-185a1117-face-41ea-b0ab-46c140bb261d/original.png)\n\nDuring World War II, industrial fibers that were often imported from overseas were in short supply, prompting the federal government to lift the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. To encourage farmers to grow hemp, and likely to explain the lifting of a ban of a substance that they’d recently promoted as extremely dangerous, the U.S. government released a film titled _Hemp for Victory_ in 1942. The film goes through the history of hemp and how it was used for rope and cloth.\n\nShortly after the war, the DEA initiated a series of anti-hemp programs, and the plant was once again criminalized. \n\n### 7. Beatniks & Hippies Popularized Cannabis Use in White America \n\nIn the 1960s, use of cannabis among America’s white middle class began to expand. This phenomenon is credited to the Beatniks, who made a drug often associated with poor communities of color seem more approachable. The hippie counterculture movement would popularize the plant further, though it did little to change cannabis’s illegal status.\n\nIn fact, as most cannabis consumers know, the worst was yet to come: In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act would classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug, a substance with high abuse potential, no medical use and severe safety concerns. This classification, in combination with mandatory drug sentencing laws, would disproportionately affect men of color. \n\n### 8. The AIDS Epidemic Brought Medical Marijuana to the Forefront of the Public’s Mind\n\nWhen the AIDS epidemic hit the U.S. in the 1980s, there was no medicine to combat the virus’s effects. Eventually, the FDA approved a drug called azidothymidine (AZT). While it was effective and manageable for some AIDS patients, for others its side effects only seemed to worsen the disease’s already debilitating symptoms, which included nausea, fatigue and cachexia.\n\nNaturally, people with AIDS gravitated towards marijuana for its ability to relieve nausea and stimulate appetite, in spite of its contraband status. And so began the fight to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. [This movement was led in part by activists Dennis Peron](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5b1832a9bf4c4d000a0e743d/how-lgbtq-activists-brought-medical-marijuana-to-the-masses) and Mary Jane Rathburn, whose work received much media attention. Dennis would go on to draft and pass Proposition 215, which legalized medical marijuana in California. \n\nTo date, there are 30 states plus Washington, D.C., where medical cannabis is legal and nine states plus Washington D.C., where adult-use cannabis is legal. Meanwhile, more than a dozen states allow very limited medical use of marijuana.\n\nPublic perception about the plant is changing: Major polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center indicate that the majority (over 60%) of Americans support marijuana legalization. It’s taken decades for the cannabis community to undo the misinformation spread by Henry Anslinger and like-minded officials. With marijuana still illegal at the federal level, time will tell whether this work has been enough to bring the plant into a new light. \n\nPhoto credits: [Jurassic Blueberries](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurassicblueberries/) (main image); [Orange County Archives](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ocarchives/) (alcohol prohibition); [Wikipedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/ReeferMadness_13.jpg) (Henry Anslinger); [Wikimedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Hemp_for_Victory_1942.webm) (Hemp for Victory).\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/14b42/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg","srcSet":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/f836f/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/2244e/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 400w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/14b42/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 800w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/47498/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 1200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/0e329/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 1600w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/c62f6/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.jpg 2005w","srcWebp":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/58556/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/61e93/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/1f5c5/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 400w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/58556/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 800w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/99238/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 1200w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/7c22d/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 1600w,\n/static/947fafe910054d21d38faf6a43d765ef/3a4e8/d33d5ea4e1c944627f882e8dc6904399.webp 2005w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2712-markdown","title":"Tips for Having Cannabis Conversations With Your Kids","slug":"tips-for-having-cannabis-conversations-with-your-kids","content":"I grew up in the ’80s, right in the middle of the War on Drugs, “Just Say No,” and at a time when many people referred to cannabis as “pot” or “weed.” Smoking pot was something to do in the backyard at a party, in the shadows with a pipe or bong, with friends and strangers. It was ritual. It was bonding. But it wasn’t even remotely thought of as medicine.\n\nFast forward to today. We call the plant by its correct name: cannabis. We talk about cannabis’s health and wellness benefits, especially for women. And now many of us are navigating how to talk to our kids about what was once taboo. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Small Pieces of Marijuana Information Work Best\n\nMy own kids are 11 and 14. My daughter finds it amusing that her mother “markets that weed thing.” My son is weary of hearing about “all that cannabis stuff.” They both roll their eyes when I go into my “cannabis is medicine” spiel, reminding them that they shouldn’t try it until their brains are fully formed when they’re 25 years old. “We know, Mom,” they say.\n\nThese conversations are a far cry from what I thought I’d be saying to my kids about cannabis. I want to convey that cannabis is normal, natural and beneficial when used responsibly by adults. And remind them that marijuana is only administered to children with serious health conditions.  \n\n“You don’t need to tell them everything all at once, and it doesn’t have to be about you,” says Laurie Light, a cannabis educator and entrepreneur. Laurie consumes full-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to stabilize her moods, manage PMS and get restful sleep. “It’s similar to ‘the sex talk.’ Give them small, digestible bits of age-appropriate information over time,” she advises.\n\nLaurie also suggests viewing short, educational videos that explain the science of cannabis together to spark and further the conversation. \n\n“If they are older, you can watch Sanjay Gupta’s “Weeds” episodes together as a family. Educating my girls about the truth of this plant and about my use is very important to me,” Laurie says. “I talk openly talk with my two teenage daughters about cannabis’s legality, it’s history, it’s medical properties and safety profile. I have taught them about the endocannabinoid system and how cannabis works in the human body.”  \n\nRELATED: [HOW TO TALK TO YOUR TEENS ABOUT CANNABIS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5730f375134911000800006f/how-to-talk-to-your-teen-about-cannabis)\n\n### Plain Talk With Younger Kids About Cannabis\nStephanie Kerns is a brand representative for Lunchbox Alchemy, an Oregon-based edibles company, and is the artist/painter Vibrant Deity. She suffers from debilitating endometriosis. After many surgeries and extensive treatments in a pain clinic, she finally found cannabis and says it saved her life. She consumes hemp-derived CBD edibles in the morning and dabs strong THC extracts to relieve extreme nausea, pain and inflammation. This cannabis regimen means Stephanie was able to replace the 17 medicines she was prescribed for her condition.\n\n“I’m open with my kids. I explain that cannabis is a medicine and also a vegetable. It can be eaten and juiced, and is very healing and nourishing,” Stephanie says, explaining how she talks to her children, ages three and five. “I also say that some people don’t understand what cannabis is, and that’s OK. I tell them that in our culture it isn’t studied or used in spiritual practices like it has been in other places for thousands of years, so most Americans don’t understand what it really is.”\nStephanie tells her children that at some point, someone might say something negative about “how mommy uses cannabis medicine. “I tell them that it is OK; everyone has the right to their own opinions even if it is not based in reality.”\n### Tips on How to Talk About Cannabis With Your Kids\nSumming up the advice I’ve heard from numerous moms, consider doing the following when you talk with your kids about cannabis:\n* Use age-appropriate content including educational videos, articles and books. Let their questions guide your conversations, but don’t shy away from starting the conversation about cannabis yourself.\n* Don’t feel like you have to tell all, but don’t lie about your use of cannabis either. Honesty is truly the best policy, but be mindful about what you reveal and when can be more comfortable at first.\n* Don’t use scare tactics or threats to try to keep your kids away from cannabis. Kids will, by nature, gravitate toward the mysterious or forbidden. \n* Be matter-of-fact in your approach. The less of a big deal you make of cannabis, and the more normal and average it seems, the less of an issue your kids will make of it.\nSays Stephanie, “Kids are going to learn one way or another, but if you take a scientific and educational approach they will understand.”\nLaurie points out that as laws change, children should hear the truth from you, not get their information about cannabis from their friends.  \n\nSays Laurie, “If or when you’re ready, help end the stigma surrounding responsible adult use of cannabis, and tell your kids about your consumption and why it’s a healthy life choice for you.”  \n\nPhoto credit: [London Scout](https://unsplash.com/@scoutthecity)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/14b42/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg","srcSet":"/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/f836f/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg 200w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/2244e/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg 400w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/14b42/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg 800w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/47498/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg 1200w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/0e329/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg 1600w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/ea0b4/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.jpg 3607w","srcWebp":"/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/58556/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/61e93/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp 200w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/1f5c5/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp 400w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/58556/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp 800w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/99238/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp 1200w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/7c22d/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp 1600w,\n/static/8b8266ffb33d39751ceff485014dc4f6/ea59b/023f83bf1b6d39e5e4585b0ec3150f87.webp 3607w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2663-markdown","title":"Marijuana’s Storied History: From Ancient Times to Now","slug":"marijuanas-storied-history-from-ancient-times-to-now","content":"For much of human history, cannabis was used for food, fiber, and as a drug for medical and spiritual purposes. It was only in the late 1800s that countries around the world began to ban its use and cultivation. By the mid-1900s, cannabis prohibition was the norm in most parts of the world, and only recently have public attitudes begun to shift.\n\nAs cannabis’s stigma begins to dissipate, we look back at the plant’s history and how we got to now. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### 8000 BCE: Cannabis Is Domesticated \n\nArcheological evidence suggests that cannabis was first domesticated in Central Asia. From there, humans brought the plant with them in their migrations across the globe.\n\nIn each area that humans settled, they bred the plant for their specific needs such as food, fiber and in some cases even psychoactivity. Over thousands of years, humans selectively bred cannabis plants, and each area developed plants that were specifically adapted to life in that region. Today, these indigenous plants are known as landrace strains. \n\n### 7000 BCE–476 CE: Cannabis Was an Important Crop in the Ancient World \n\nArcheologists have found evidence of the cannabis plant in southern and eastern Asia, Europe, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. The cannabis plant played an important economic, cultural and spiritual role in the civilizations it was cultivated in. The plant was also used medicinally by many ancient civilizations, including by the Chinese, Egyptians and Romans. \n\n### 500s–1400s: Cannabis Continues to Spread Across the Globe  \n\nAfter the fall of the Western Roman Empire, cannabis continued to play an important role in ancient societies. Archeologists uncovered the grave of French queen Arnegunde, who was buried with a hemp cloth in 570. And cannabis seeds were uncovered in a Viking burial that dates back to 800. \n\nReferences to hashish abound in the Arab world and date as far back as 1000. Some of the earliest references to cannabis’s intoxicating properties were from the Arab world during this era. The famous _One Thousand and One Nights_ contains details of the cannabis’s aphrodisiac properties. The plant was even implicated as a tool that was used by assassins in Marco Polo’s account of his journeys in the late 1200s.  \n\nRELATED: [CANNABIS & SEX: A BRIEF WORLD HISTORY](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a835c65f24d1300077ccb47/cannabis-and-sex-a-brief-world-history)\n\nIt’s speculated that the Arabs spread cannabis to Africa, as the plant isn’t native to the continent. The earliest evidence of the plant in Africa outside of Egypt is from Ethiopia in the 1300s, where archeologists discovered ceramic pipes that contained traces of cannabis. \n\n### 1500s–1700s: Hemp Helps Power the Age of Exploration  \n\nRopes and sails made from hemp were crucial to the Age of Discovery. Hemp was so important that by 1545 the Spanish crown required much of its colonized farmers to meet hemp quotas. \n\nMeanwhile in Britain, cannabis cultivation hit its peak to meet the English military’s seafaring needs. During the Tudor era, farmers in the English countryside were required to plant a certain percentage of their land with cannabis, and the same was required of farmers in Scandinavia. \n\n### Mid 1700s: Marijuana Gets a Species Name\n\nNaturalist Carl Linnaeus described a single species of hemp, _Cannabis sativa_ in _Species Plantarum_, which was published in 1753. In 1785, another naturalist, Jean-Baptiste de Lamark, proposes that there are two species of the plant: _C. sativa_ as previously described and _Cannabis indica_, a wild species that grows in India and the surrounding regions. The debate over whether marijuana constitutes more than one species continues to this day.   \n\n### 1842: Cannabis Receives Renewed Interest in the West\n\n![Cannabis extract from 1900s](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-0020135e-bbac-443c-9af5-e6c4a2a358df/original.png)\n_Cannabis medicines were a common sight in pharmacies during the 1800s into the early 1900s_\n\nIrish physician William Brooke O’Shaughnessy often traveled to India. It was here that he first studied and observed the use of _Cannabis indica_. In 1842, William returned from his travels and brought cannabis to Britain, provoking renewed interest in the plant’s medicinal properties in the West. \n\nDuring the 1800s into the early 1900s, cannabis was a popular sight in pharmacies across the West, including in the United States, where it was used as a remedy for everything from pain to insomnia. \n\n### 1844–1849: The Club of Hashish-Eaters Enjoys Cannabis’s Creative Properties    \n\nIn the beginning of the 1800s, cannabis in the concentrated form of hashish and drugs like opium were recreationally popular in Europe’s scientific and literary circles. The Club des Hashischins, or Club of Hashish-Eaters, was one such group that participated in this type of recreation. The club was dedicated to exploring drug-induced experiences, and hashish was often their substance of choice. Some of the group’s most well-known members included Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire. \n\n### 1890: Cannabis Bans Begin in Some Arab Countries\n\nSome countries in the Islamic world began to ban cannabis in the late 1800s. Egypt banned the plant’s importation in 1879; Morocco heavily regulated cannabis cultivation and trade; and Greece banned hashish in 1890. These laws had varying degrees of success. \n\n### 1893–1894: Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Finds That Cannabis Is Harmless \n\nThe Indian Hemp Drugs Commission was formed to investigate what was known at the time as “the ganja menace.” After a year of research and interviews with Indians from all walks of life, the commission found that banning cannabis would be “totally unjustifiable.” Doing so, they stated, would make England very unpopular due to the plant’s integral part in social and religious life in the country. Moreover, they felt that a ban would cause people to turn to more harmful drugs—a sentiment that bears modern applications.\n\n### 1913: Cannabis Prohibition in the U.S. Begins\n\nCalifornia, Maine, Wyoming and Indiana banned marijuana. Other states followed suit; by 1933, 29 states had criminalized the plant. \n\n### 1925: International Opium Convention in Geneva Attempts to Regulate Cannabis \n\nThe goal of the International Opium Convention in 1912 was to regulate the opium industry. However, by 1925, cannabis was also included on the agenda. An agreement was made between 13 nations, including the United States, to ban exports of “Indian hemp” in countries that had prohibited its use. Although restricted, there was still much leeway for countries to grow cannabis, trade internally and use the plant for recreational reasons. The law was established in 1925, but didn’t go into effect until 1938. \n\n### 1936: Reefer Madness Film Is Released in the U.S.\n\nThe 1930s marked the start of the reefer-madness era in the United States. The term comes from a movie of the same name, an anti-cannabis piece of propaganda that was released in 1936.\n\n### 1937: U.S. Marijuana Tax Act Places Cannabis Under Government Control \n\nPassed by the United States Congress, the act placed production of all cannabis under government control. All hemp farmers were required to register and obtain a license from the federal government. Other restrictions were passed regarding the production, sale and possession of cannabis—all in an attempt to curb the plant’s use. Several other nations also established prohibition laws regarding cannabis during this time. \n\n### 1960s–70s: The Hippie Trail Spreads Cannabis Seeds & Culture\n\n![Hippie Trail](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-4ce3696d-24e8-4fb8-8d22-4e283c9c7bc8/original.png)\n_Freak Street in Kathmandu, Nepal was the epicenter of the Hippie Trail in the 1960s-70s_\n\nLured by promises of adventure and exotic lands where the hashish was strong, cheap and plentiful, youth of the Western counterculture movement set off on the Hippie Trail—an overland route that began in Europe and wound its way through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India before ending in Nepal. It’s said that along the way, these travelers picked up cannabis seeds and brought them back to the United States, where they would become some of the parents of today’s modern-day cannabis strains. \n\n### 1964: Raphael Mechoulam Isolates Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) \n\nIsraeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam was the first to isolate THC from cannabis and fully elucidate the molecule’s three-dimensional structure. He did the same with cannabidiol (CBD), one year prior. Because of his work, he’s often thought of as the father of modern-day cannabis science. \n\n### 1970: The Controlled Substances Act Classifies Cannabis as a Schedule I Drug\n\nThe Controlled Substances Act listed marijuana as a Schedule I drug: a substance with high abuse potential, no medical use and severe safety concerns. This categorization of cannabis has had far-reaching effects, hampering scientific research and people’s access to the plant—effects that are still felt today. \n\n### 1970: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Is Established\n\nInitially funded by a $5,000 grant from the Playboy Foundation, [NORML has been fighting for the rights of cannabis consumers since the 1970s](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a18a0c7eea891000897e26f/norml-fighting-for-the-rights-of-cannabis-consumers). The organization continues to play an important role in the marijuana decriminalization movement in the United States and also operates internationally. \n\n### 1973: Oregon Decriminalizes Cannabis\n\nOregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis by reducing the penalty for possession of up to one ounce to a $100 fine. Alaska, Maine, Colorado, California and Ohio followed suit two years later. \n\n### 1976: The Netherlands Decriminalizes Cannabis\n\n![Bulldog coffeeshop](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-c1143d70-32ed-4e42-b0e8-291ffd04ff3f/original.png)\n_The Bulldog was the first coffeeshop in Amsterdam_\n\nThe Netherlands first criminalized cannabis in 1953, but decided to decriminalize it in 1976, removing penalties for possession of small amounts of the plant. Since then, cannabis use and sales have been allowed in designated coffeeshops, fostering Amsterdam’s vibrant, modern cannabis scene.\n\n### 1985: _The Emperor Wears No Clothes_ Is Published \n\nMarijuana legalization activist Jack Herer publishes _The Emperor Wears No Clothes_, a book that intended to educate the public on the cannabis plant’s history and myriad uses. Now in its 12th edition, the book is widely available online—just like Herer would have wanted. \n\n### 1988: Scientists Discover the Endocannabinoid System  \n\nScientists Allyn Howlett and William Devane located the CB1 receptor in the rat brain, hinting at the existence of the endocannabinoid system. In the early 1990s, other key components of this system were identified. \n\n### 1992: San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club Is Born\n\nThe San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club, founded by the late, great cannabis activists Dennis Peron and Mary Jane Rathburn, was the nation’s first public marijuana dispensary. The idea for the club came to Dennis in jail after he was arrested for possessing four ounces of marijuana. The cannabis actually belonged to his partner Jonathan West, who was using it to ease his AIDS symptoms. \n\nDennis and Mary Jane boldly opened and operated the dispensary in defiance of state and federal law. They would both go on to help with the passing of Proposition 215. \n\n### 1996: California Becomes the First State to Legalize Medical Marijuana \n\nCalifornia became the first state to legalize medical marijuana with the passage of Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. Oregon, Alaska and Washington did the same two years later. \n\n### 2001: Canada Legalizes Medical Marijuana\n\nCanada became the first country to legalize medical marijuana for terminally ill patients and those with chronic illnesses. Other countries like Australia, Israel and Chile have followed suit. \n\n### 1998: Breeding of High CBD Cannabis Strains Begins \n \nGeoffrey Guy of GW Pharmaceuticals teams up with Dutch Seed Company HortaFarm to begin the process of breeding cannabis strains that are high in cannabidiol (CBD). It would be roughly 10 years before these strains would make it to the United States. \n\n### 2008: First Cannabis Testing Lab in the U.S. Opens \n\nSteep Hill Halent Labs became the first consumer cannabis testing lab in the United States when it opened in Berkeley, CA. The lab was opened in conjunction with Steve DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center after the entrepreneur had difficulty getting non-cannabis labs to test his products. Steep Hill eventually went on to test some of the first high CBD strains for potency.\n\n### 2012: Adult-Use Cannabis Becomes a Reality in the U.S. \n\nWashington and Colorado became the first two states in the United States to legalize recreational marijuana through voter initiatives. Alaska and Oregon did the same in 2014. \n\n### 2013: CNN Airs “Weed” \n\n![Sanjay Gupta & Charlotte Figi](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-fd1b8620-2701-4035-bd37-8ea6a3ca2cae/original.png)\n_Sanjay Gupta with Charlotte Figi in his documentary “Weed”_\n\nSanjay Gupta’s three-part documentary series “Weed” popularized medical marijuana for many Americans. The first documentary featured Charlotte Figi, a six-year-old with a severe form of epilepsy who found relief after taking CBD. After the airing of the documentary, interest in CBD products skyrocketed—a trend that still continues today.   \n\n### 2013: Uruguay Becomes the First Country to Legalize Cannabis\n\nUruguay was the first country in the modern era to legalize recreational cannabis. However, retail sales didn’t begin until 2017. Canada is currently on track to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2018. \n\n### 2016: A Record Number of Americans Supports Cannabis\n\n![Tom Wolf signs medical marijuana legalization bill](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-aa020251-3b09-40fc-a3ca-f4f14eac56dd/original.png)\n_Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Wolf signs legislation legalizing medical marijuana_\n\nIn October 2016, 60% of Americans believed that “the use of marijuana should be legal,” according to a Gallup poll. In 2017, that number jumped to 64%—the highest percentage recorded since the group began polling the question in 1969.  \n  \n### 2017: World Health Organizations Supports CBD Use \n\nA World Health Organization (WHO) [report found that CBD isn’t associated with abuse potential and on the contrary, has several medical applications](http://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/5.2_CBD.pdf_). The WHO also noted that research confirms some of the molecule’s positive benefits. \n\n### 2018: Recreational Cannabis Sales Begin in California\n\nThe world’s sixth-largest economy began selling recreational cannabis in January 2018. All eyes are on California, currently the world’s largest cannabis market, to see how things unfold. \n \nMain photo credit: [Mark](https://www.flickr.com/people/eggrole/)\n\nFreak Street photo credit: [Holynow](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freak_street.jpg)\n\nBulldog coffeeshop photo credit: [Michael Costa](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcosta1973/10084870205/in/photolist-gnaAyv-7mHbhb-hdR4mW-9SqnLT-cxmUMY-7avbAP-8neZ5Z-2zfFbT-3JfbF-gnbxpT-Bem5pi-WoyfxQ-5GysEu-KxK3WQ-EatLv-3KvKkJ-gnbZDK-73sR65-hnwmV-ro1Jz-cWCurQ-mR2nk-6kZMnQ-7HsCrm-9jTJZ3-6eZc93-dioidS-8nuNoz-3WCeR-mR2uJ-mR2pp-nRn2V-7aYbkL-pAJBJw-mR2rE-4bVnqm-s2uAG-wAwm1C-6CYpTV-6CP5mp-nRmrF-iZyJv4-9spuJH-nRmjn-bEzdqh-6dGuu-Bxihy-8bwzss-G6rnH-8nxwXJ)\n\nTom Wolf photo credit: [Governor Tom Wolf]( https://www.flickr.com/photos/governortomwolf/26423053171/in/photolist-GfV49g-GmGAAt-CxpcKM-CxhBMQ-DkdBh1-DstruY-GfUDrr-CxoSya-FWD2ws-GdB1vQ-CxhmWC-CxhxGA-DkdbZo-GmH1XK-DuMnrP-cqVyAh-FriecQ-GdAtLJ-FrrB6x-GfShXe-FrqZeT-GmL9YZ-FWAJA7-GdBmq9-FriUo5-Gjqcsj-FrrghK-FrrpvZ-Frrjsn-FWAjRU-FriGDy-FrrEbk-GfSbZH-ZtaMJz-DsuoWQ-GjpY3J-FWAnPC-21LL5K7-FWAHFm-FruBpn-Frrz2H-FriiEY-r2xro8-qK7J83-GmLhzv-uDmJXS-cqVAdb-cqVo5u-cqVbUJ-8QTCi9)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3793103448275863,"src":"/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/14b42/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg","srcSet":"/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/f836f/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg 200w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/2244e/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg 400w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/14b42/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg 800w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/47498/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg 1200w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/0e329/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg 1600w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/1874d/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.jpg 3130w","srcWebp":"/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/58556/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/61e93/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp 200w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/1f5c5/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp 400w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/58556/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp 800w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/99238/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp 1200w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/7c22d/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp 1600w,\n/static/1f53c57b62459b5c56a97aa233953de8/30d2d/007d45141bb92603d5f72ed3851a0787.webp 3130w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2244-markdown","title":"Dope Magazine: Creating the Cannabis Lifestyle ","slug":"dope-magazine-creating-the-cannabis-lifestyle","content":"Lifestyle publication [Dope Magazine](http://www.dopemagazine.com/) has risen to the front lines of the cannabis conversation with their goal to normalize the plant and provide exposure for top cannabis brands.  Every month, one hundred thousand free copies of the magazine are spread throughout dispensaries around the country and their list of partners continues to grow, along with their sway in the industry.  \r\n\r\nAs the “boots on the ground,” Dope’s Business Development Manager Josh Davis sees his job as more of a consultative service, creating valuable connections within the industry through content and events.  “We’re trying to be the connectors and liaisons within the cannabis industry and find ways to create a win-win.” \r\n\r\nRELATED: [DOPE MAGAZINE HOSTS COMBUSTION LOUNGE AT LAUGHTER HAVEN](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-comedy-tickets-38057372626)\r\n\r\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZPcgp5jJNl/`\r\n\r\n### Exposure for Cannabis Brands\r\n\r\nWhen Dope was started in Seattle in 2011, the professionalism of the industry was still developing and there was a lack of channels for cannabis companies to use to gain exposure.  Dope saw the opportunity, stepped in to spark the conversation, and has since expanded into Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada, with plans to continue expansion into additional regions and emerging markets.  \r\n\r\nCreating local versions of the publication has always been a part of Dope’s strategy because it allows them to tailor the conversation to the audience and highlight local brands.  Since many cannabis companies are stuck within state lines, this allows brands a better chance to reach their potential customers and readers the opportunity to learn about products they can actually go try.  \r\n\r\nThere is a lot of creativity happening in this industry (to say the least), and Dope wants to share this with their readers.  As Davis puts it, “Our goal is to provide a platform in exposure and provide perspective on the creativity and innovation involved in the industry.”\r\n\r\nRELATED: [HELLOMD’S LAUGHTER HAVEN: AN EVENING OF CANNABIS & COMEDY](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/hellomd-s-laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-comedy)\r\n\r\n### Normalizing the Cannabis Conversation\r\n\r\nThis year has “marked a turning point” in Dope’s progression, as they expand their content to topics relevant to, but not always directly related to cannabis.  Davis says, “We’re trying to make it an everyday conversation just like wine, food, sports.  I believe that it deserves that credit.”  By expanding their content to topics outside of cannabis, cannabis becomes naturally woven into the fabric of regular everyday conversations.  \r\n\r\nPlus, Dope wants to create content for everyone, not just regular cannabis users. “Our audience is anyone who wants to listen.  Even if people don’t smoke or they’re first time users, we want to open the door for them as well,” says Davis.  \r\n\r\nDope makes an effort to develop valuable relationships with their partners, making connections between brands and referring their partners to new opportunities for exposure.  The inaugural Dope Industry Awards in Southern California recently took place in September in Los Angeles, bringing together a “who’s who” of California cannabis while celebrating the success of their reader’s favorite brands.  Remaining authentic to the core, Dope makes a point to keep their award shows unbiased by letting regional voting determine the winners rather than sponsorship.  \r\n\r\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZmtNEfjlF8/`\r\n\r\n### Dope at Laughter Haven\r\n\r\nIf you get out and about to cannabis events in your neighborhood, you can expect to see Dope there representing their favorite brands, as Davis is determined to sponsor more and more local events and get involved in the local communities.  In fact, Dope will be sponsoring the outdoor combustion lounge at [HelloMD’s Laughter Haven](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-comedy-tickets-38057372626) event October 5th, offering attendees samples of flower, concentrates, topicals, and the chance to smoke, dab, and vape to their heart’s delight!\r\n\r\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/14b42/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.jpg","srcSet":"/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/f836f/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.jpg 200w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/2244e/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.jpg 400w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/14b42/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.jpg 800w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/47498/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.jpg 1200w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/54ac5/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.jpg 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/58556/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/61e93/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.webp 200w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/1f5c5/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.webp 400w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/58556/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.webp 800w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/99238/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.webp 1200w,\n/static/631c89c66ae536f6cc24b1f0640621ce/5e0b8/714e7ed53520c06aacca0d9f04ea01c1.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2310-markdown","title":"Marijuana and Laughter Can Improve Your Health","slug":"marijuana-and-laughter-can-improve-your-health","content":"### Why Cannabis Makes You Laugh\r\n\r\nThough no one knows the exact reason why cannabis makes you laugh, there are some [studies](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17115869) that might shed some light on the possibilities. There are compounds in cannabis that stimulate areas in your brain that are associated with laughter. When you consume cannabis, blood flow to the to the right frontal and the left temporal lobes is increases—this may be the reason why things seem a little bit funnier than usual. Plus, cannabis is a natural mood booster, which always makes it easier to see the brighter side of things. \r\n\r\n### Laughing is Good for You\r\n\r\nWhen you laugh, you release a series of endorphins—neurotransmitters that boost your mood. These hormones play a major role in the carefree, euphoric feelings you have when you’re laughing and feeling good. There are [studies](https://synapse.koreamed.org/DOIx.php?id=10.4040/jkan.2015.45.2.221&vmode=PUBREADER) that have shown that he act of laughing can have a similar effect to an antidepressant. Laughing is good for your heart as well by [reducing artery inflammation,](http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/Humor-helps-your-heart-How_UCM_447039_Article.jsp#.WciwLsgjHIU) which in turn lowers your risk for heart disease. The effects of laughter can last up to 24 hours!\r\n\r\nRELATED: [HelloMD's Laughter Haven: An Evening of Cannabis & Comedy](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/hellomd-s-laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-comedy)\r\n\r\n### Using Cannabis Boosts Your Mood\r\n\r\nThe endocannabinoid system helps regulate a lot of day-to-day functions within the body including sleep, appetite, pain, immune system function and mood. When cannabinoids like THC or CBD bind to the receptors in the brain, they can have major therapeutic effects that naturally stabilize mood, reduce stress, manage anxiety, ease feelings of depression and generally help you feel more pleasant.\r\n\r\n### Comedy and Cannabis Make Sense Together\r\n\r\nIf you live near the Bay Area and you’re looking for an opportunity to get in some good laughter paired with cannabis, HelloMD is hosting a fun-filled [comedy night](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/hellomd-s-laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-comedy) that combines the best of both worlds. Recognizing the healing power of laughing and marijuana, we’re dedicated to providing a comfortable and welcoming space for like-minded people to enjoy themselves while they also enjoying cannabis. \r\n\r\n\"We host themed events called Havens that bring together the cannabis community,” [Pamela Hadfield](https://www.hellomd.com/people/pamelahadfield), the Co Founder of HelloMD, says. “On October 5th in San Francisco, we are hosting Laughter Haven: An Evening of Cannabis & Comedy. Attendees can sample cannabis, socialize and enjoy a full evening of comedy with Netflix star Mike Winfield. We chose to do a comedy event because we honestly believe that laughter is the best medicine.\"\r\n\r\nEveryone who joins for the night of fun will have the opportunity to connect, engage and mingle with one another before comedians Steph Garcia and Carlos Rodriguez open up the show for headliner, Mike Winfield. Plus, in addition to cannabis samples (from dabbing and vaping to edibles and elixirs) and entertainment, everyone will receive a goodie bag with products to take home with them. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit our [ Eventbrite link](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-comedy-tickets-38057372626).\r\n\r\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient.  \r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/142174125@N05/32028843093/in/photolist-QNhcbD-afJtDn-5G517m-7Vjc8B-V6w1Jr-pwe5u-5oiRED-qosgfw-RzRN9q-W2SyXu-RzzFxH-9C9YBM-fr6kVv-9C9Y3v-bfAVJK-o8cQyx-bfAQJP-7tzthD-QEgj3z-UfrDsW-6G3MK7-bfARGH-jUQMx-S5urGU-SSt3tP-hNWXLw-bfATwz-6yg96H-4QFHL8-nGKk8x-abXQg-bfASzT-eatYHn-4QBVRZ-cj3Mj-5srY2c-awUh5q-WeXJnD-dt7DfE-4tqBzS-nWU9Sb-mKTLp-R4ApMz-5EmaVx-RZ44kS-oL77nk-c2kg5C-S7YvUr-dZ1Rt-bVcFLB)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":2,"src":"/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/6aab9/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.jpg","srcSet":"/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/f836f/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.jpg 200w,\n/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/2244e/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.jpg 400w,\n/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/6aab9/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.jpg 576w","srcWebp":"/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/3ce96/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/61e93/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.webp 200w,\n/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/1f5c5/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.webp 400w,\n/static/a3a60740ac53ebab1de24621b84c3baa/3ce96/494132b443371ddfde76a0474d4e1ddb.webp 576w","sizes":"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":12,"numPages":3,"currentPage":2,"id":5052,"name":"Cannabis","slug":"cannabis","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}