Category: medical marijuana

Marijuana In Montana

      A warm Congratulations Montana! The decision expands the state’s medical marijuana laws. Now, Licensed medical marijuana providers can serve more than three patients at a time. In addition to that, it now allows them to hire employees to grow, dispense and distribute medical marijuana. It is not legal to grow marijuana at home but it is a step in the right direction.

There aren’t many places to smoke and grow weed in the northwest half of the United States. Unless you get past Idaho or head east to Minnesota, the Central and Northwest part of the country is an area of unfriendly weed opponents. Montana is the exception. The state’s small medical program allows for Montana weed growing even though it is unpopular in the area. It’s a step toward full legalization that will, hopefully, encourage its neighbors to follow suit.

The Montana medical marijuana program lets patients with wasting syndrome, chronic pain, nausea, seizures and severe or persistent muscle spasms treat their conditions with marijuana as well as have one ounce of marijuana on them at any time. They are also allowed to grow up to twelve plants, with four mature plants at one time.  Caregivers are allowed to grow cannabis for patients, as long as they do not charge for their services.

Growing in Montana

Montana makes it easy for anyone to grow marijuana.  You simply need to be a patient, or know a patient to grow for. If, for some reason, you cannot meet one of these qualifications, you risk a felony with up to 10 years in jail. It’s hard to imagine why anyone would do that when it is very easy to become a patient or grow for a patient, yet anything is possible.

No matter how you plan to grow your marijuana in Montana, you’ll learn some valuable tips by downloading and reading the Marijuana Grow Bible.  Not only does it explain how to grow in any situation, it also discusses the best way to grow for both medical in non-medical uses. I’ve been growing marijuana for so many years, and I felt it was time to share some of my knowledge. The Marijuana Grow Bible is where I wrote it all down.

Medical Marijuana

Montana has a medical marijuana program, but it is not decriminalized. This means those caught with marijuana could get into serious trouble if they are not a medical patient.  Not only is Montana weed growing a felony without medical need, looking like you intend to sell it is also a felony.   Montana has mandatory jail time sentences for those convicted of selling weed and misdemeanor charges for all forms of possession. Those arrested for possession (that are not patients) will be required to take a drug education course.

Being surrounded by Idaho and the Dakotas, Montana is on its own with its marijuana policies. Although Montana weed growing is a unique situation for the area, it doesn’t mean that Montana is very weed- friendly. If you aren’t a part of their medical program, you are at risk for very stiff penalties.  The good news is: Montana has a conditional release program. This means first time offenders are often given probation or drug education classes.  If you keep your grow very small, not only are you less likely to get caught, you’ll probably be in a lot less trouble.

Handling Contaminants & Viruses In Marijuana

    Growing  marijuana in your own property may be legal but it isn’t that easy. Like many other flowers and vegetables common in a Colorado garden, cannabis cultivation comes with its own set of hurdles including viruses, contaminants and other stressors (and a fair share of cannabis pests, too), which must be remedied quickly and thoroughly in order to reap a quality harvest. Waiting too long to nip marijuana grow problems in the “bud” can result in damaged crops, weak harvests and otherwise dirty weed.

With grow season in full-swing, we’ve decided to list some of the most common, non-pest problems with growing weed – and how to fix them – so that your marijuana grow will be a success.

Powdery Mildew

  • Identifying Powdery Mildew: Powdery mildew can be identified by its powdery white appearance on leaf surfaces. This fungus spreads quickly through the air and can attach itself to your cannabis plants especially following a lengthy wet spell.
  • Problems Caused by Powdery Mildew: Though powdery mildew only affects the plant’s surface, its ability to spread quickly and block out the sun can cause significant damage to the plant and may ultimately cause plant death if not properly treated. Inhaling or otherwise ingesting mildew can also cause respiratory problems or allergic reactions in some people so it’s best to avoid it whenever possible.
  • How to Remedy/Prevent Powdery Mildew: It’s important to act fast at the first sign of powdery mildew to avoid it spreading to other plants. Some common DIY methods to use include diluted apple cider vinegar, a baking soda solution or a milk and water mixture. Also remember to provide plenty of “breathing room” for your plants and remove any plants with excessive contamination immediately.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus

  • Identifying TMV: The Tobacco Mosaic Virus is a virus that affects many plants including cannabis, tomatoes, spinach and marigolds and can spread easily through pollination, contaminated soil or insect carriers. It can be tricky to identify because of its resemblance to nutrient deficiencies like yellow, wilting or distorted leaves.
  • Problems Caused by TMV: Aside from stunted growth caused by the plant’s inability to efficiently process UV light, TMV, like any virus, can quickly spread causing an abundance of cross-contamination. The virus can remain dormant for years in soil, carpet, seeds, tobacco products or infected plants and may only begin showing signs after the plant has experienced some form of stress (transplanting, pruning, light or nutrient problems, for example).
  • How to Remedy/Prevent TMV: Unfortunately, once a plant has TMV it will always be contaminated which is why it is important to grow in completely sanitary conditions when possible (like washing hands after a smoke) and to always keep an eye out for signs. Should a plant show signs of TMV, it is imperative that the plant be removed from the grow area immediately. If you are unsure whether your plant has TMV, place it in quarantine while running other tests like flushing out the soil and cleaning the foliage. If your plant does not recover, dispose of it immediately.

Nutrient Deficiencies

  • Identifying Nutrient Deficiencies: Like all living things, cannabis plants need proper nutrition to thrive. This often involves supplementing nutrients with cannabis-friendly fertilizers and soil modification, but can still leave plants weak and unattractive if administered in improper amounts. Nutrient deficiencies are characterized by the yellowing or browning of leaves, red stems, spots or otherwise inconsistent coloring. On the flip-side, over-fertilized plants may display signs of burning or yellowing, as well.
  • Problems with Nutrient Deficiencies: When plants don’t receive proper nutrients, growth may be slowed, plants may become susceptible to infection or may just die off completely.
  • How to Remedy/Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies: Nutrient deficiencies are often the result of an improper pH balance. For example, while most nutrients are more readily absorbed in soil with a neutral pH, others like iron, manganese, copper, zinc and boron prefer more acidic soil. If nutrient deficiencies are an issue, adjust your pH and nutrient regimen promptly. If the issue is over fertilization, simply flush the soil with pure water, wait for your plant to regain strength and try again at a lower level.

Stress-Related Problems

  • Identifying Stress-Related Problems: Three common stress-related problems cannabis plants experience include root rot (which is caused by overwatering), root bound (which is caused by growing plants in containers that are too small) and heat stress. These issues can be identified by foliage discoloration, curling leaves, brown roots or fowl-smelling run-off water.
  • Problems with Stress: Not only can stress cause plants to wither and die, it can turn female cannabis plants hermaphroditic (you’ll get seedy weed). If your girls show signs of stress, calm them down immediately.
  • How to Remedy/Prevent Stress: To avoid root rot, grow your plants in well-draining soil and make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom. Prevent or remedy root bound plants by transplanting in large pots (preferably with a three-gallon capacity minimum for the full cycle) and prevent heat stress by maintaining a grow environment temperature at roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s not just critters who want a place with your pot. Many contaminants can ruin a good cannabis grow, too. To avoid a wasted crop and produce the highest yield, keep your eyes peeled for these common cannabis contaminants in your marijuana grow.

Should Cannabis Be A Real Cure For Pediatric Epilepsy?

Little did everyone knows but cannabis has been used as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy for decades though much of the public conversation started with the story of Charlotte Figi, a 6-year-old Dravet Syndrome sufferer whose seizures were greatly reduced after taking large doses of cannabidiol, or CBD, derived from the cannabis plant.

Charlotte’s story, as told by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, inspired numerous parents to try medical marijuana to treat their children’s epilepsy (with seemingly great success), often forcing them to leave behind their homes, families and careers in the process. But are these “marijuana refugees” really curing their children’s debilitating conditions or are they simply following the hype and falling victim to the placebo effect?

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures. It may be caused by brain injury, family history or other unknown reasons and can affect people of all ages. Though many types of epilepsy can be controlled with medication (albeit with unfavorable side effects half the time), some sever forms of epilepsy like Dravet Syndrome (which is caused by a gene mutation in the brain) are less receptive to treatment. Children with treatment-resistant epilepsy often also suffer have developmental disabilities, sensitivity to infection, frequent triggers (such as light, stress or emotional situations), growth and nutrient problems and reduced mobility.

Is the cure cannabis?

Cannabis’s effectiveness in treating epilepsy has been well documented. Aside from Charlotte Figi, numerous others have experienced a significant drop in epileptic symptoms shortly after beginning cannabis therapy. Though relapse seems common a few days after ceasing cannabis medication, one study shows continuous use of cannabis to significantly improve both motor and cognitive functions in epilepsy patients. The study found CBD to be most effective when used in conjunction with other anti-seizure medications.

Unfortunately, research into the effectiveness of CBD and other cannabinoids in seizure mitigation is few and far between (largely due to its federally-illegal status) with much of the research being performed as open-label (meaning the patients knew what they were consuming – no placebo is used to test the authenticity of their claims) which often result in biased answers. For example, a 2015 study from the University of Colorado revealed that families of patients who moved to Colorado for medical marijuana witnessed improvement 47 percent of the time. Compare that to families already living in Colorado who witnessed improvement only 22 percent of the time and it’s easy to see how simply wanting the treatment to be effective can be enough to sway the masses into believing.

Nevertheless, it is apparent that more research needs to be done to determine the efficiency of cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy. Research is currently underway in Colorado to test cannabis’s effectiveness at treating pediatric epilepsy (among other things) and is currently in Phase III at the Children’s Hospital Colorado where researchers hope to determine CBD’s exact role in epilepsy treatment using a pharmaceutical grade CBD oil called Epidiolex.

Parents pushing for cannabis therapy

It’s difficult for some parents to attain the medical-grade cannabis they need to treat their children’s epilepsy because of limited research and thus the inability of physicians to recommend it. Anecdotal evidence supporting cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy is abundant, however, and has inspired thousands of parents across the nation to push for more lenient medical marijuana laws. In an article published by NBC News, one parent explained that:

“This is something that needs to happen across the country so that every child who might need this would have access…Why should the state lines be the factor as to whether my child can get help or not?”

In other words, because of varying laws across the nation regarding cannabis as medicine, the location of an epileptic child may literally be a matter of life and death.

While we wait for cannabis legalization to sweep the nation (at least for medical purposes), many parents are taking their children’s health into their own hands. Armed with countless blogs and Facebook stories about the effectiveness of cannabis in treating pediatric illnesses like autism and epilepsy, these parents are either moving to 420-friendly states or traveling across the nation to acquire their children’s medicine — and they’re breaking all sorts of federal laws in the process. Though there is concern about contaminants and a lack of regulatory oversight concerning cannabis products, many parents feel it is their right – neigh their duty – to take back the right to make healthcare decisions concerning their children. There are even support groups to help parents navigate the process of (sometimes illegal) pediatric cannabis therapy.

Opinion improving regarding pediatric cannabis treatment

The idea of ‘experimenting on children’ can leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth, but that is essentially what many parents are doing when they choose to medicate their children with cannabis without a doctor’s consent. However, because research is so limited (and government funding for medical cannabis so difficult to come by), many parents are left with no other options than to try cannabis in a last-ditch effort to save their children. The good news is that growing public support for these parents has inspired the need for more research into the matter. As stories like Charlotte Figi’s spread across social media (and word of mouth), public perception about pediatric cannabis use will continue to improve, rousing a movement by the people for the people and our rights to medicate ourselves – and our families – however we see fit. Further research into the matter will solidify the concept of cannabis as medicine.

Pediatric epilepsy has long been an arguing point for medical cannabis, but research into the effectiveness of cannabis as pediatric medicine is hard to acquire due to the morality of medicating children with an illicit substance. But with time – and a boat load of government funded research – we’ll soon be able to tell our suffering children that the help and support they need to lead full lives is finally growing.

Cannabis Curing Diabetes

     Do you have a Diabetes? If not, it is an illness for a group of metabolic disorders characterized by prolonged high blood glucose levels. Diabetes affects almost 400 million people worldwide, resulting in up to five million deaths per year–and its prevalence is rising. Substantial evidence indicates that cannabis may prevent and treat the disease.

Preventative

Diabetes is associated with high levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance, as well as low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In 2013, the results of a five-year study into the effects of cannabis on fasting insulin and insulin resistance were published in the American Journal of Medicine. Of the 4,657 respondents, 2,554 had used cannabis in their lifetime (579 were current users and 1,975 were past users) and 2,103 had never used the drug.

The researchers found that current users of cannabis had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than respondents who had never used cannabis, as well as having 17% lower levels of insulin resistance and higher levels of HDL-C. Respondents who had used cannabis in their lifetime but were not current users showed similar but less pronounced associations, indicating that the protective effect of cannabis fades with time.

The researchers also ran analyses on the data that excluded individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Even after excluding diabetics, current cannabis users were found to exhibit reduced fasting insulin and insulin resistance levels, indicating that cannabis can help prevent the occurrence of diabetes as well as controlling symptoms in diagnosed cases.

Lowers insulin resistance

Insulin resistance (IR) is a condition that causes cells to reject the normal mechanism of insulin, a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and is fundamental to the regulation of glucose metabolism. IR is associated with type 2 diabetes; in type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce insulin, while in type 2, insulin production is unaffected but the cells are unable to process it. When cells become insulin-resistant, they are unable to absorb the glucose needed to supply them with energy, and the unused glucose builds up in the bloodstream–leading to hyperglycemia.

The authors of the 2013 study found that current users of cannabis had a mean IR of 1.8, compared to 2.2 for past users and 2.5 for those that had never used cannabis. Current cannabis users were also found to have lower levels of blood glucose compared to past users and non-users. Current users had mean blood glucose levels of 99.7 mg/dL, compared with 100.6 mg/dL for past users and 103.5 mg/dL for non-users. However, the precise mechanism via which cannabinoids exert their effects on IR has thus far not been determined.

Helps to prevent obesity

Obesity, high body mass index (BMI) and large waist circumference are all linked to diabetes risk. Various studies have been conducted on the relationship between cannabis use and BMI, with conflicting results. A 2005 study on young adults found that cannabis use was not associated with changes in BMI, whereas two large national surveys found lower BMI and decreased levels of obesity in cannabis users despite higher-than-average daily consumption of calories. The 2013 study found that current cannabis use was  associated with smaller waist circumferences than in past or non-users.

While the mechanism underlying the complex relationship between the endocannabinoid system, obesity and diabetes has not been fully established, a 2012 study demonstrated that obese rats lost significant weight and experienced an increase in pancreas weight after exposure to organic cannabis extract. The increase in the weight of the pancreas indicates that the beta cells of the pancreas (which are responsible for the production of insulin) are protected by the presence of cannabinoids–in type 1 diabetes, the beta cells are destroyed by an autoimmune response, so providing protection to them may help to control the disease.

May treat diabetes-induced neuropathy

People with diabetes often experience nerve disorders as a result of their disease. Nerve damage often affects the peripheries such as the hands and feet, but may occur in any organ or region of the body. The damage may be symptomless, but in many cases, pain, tingling and numbness accompany the disorder. As with many f0rms of nerve pain, diabetic neuropathy can be hard to treat with conventional analgesics; however, there is evidence to indicate that cannabis may have a role to play here too.

A study published in 2009 investigated the antinociceptive (pain-reducing) effects of cannabidiol extract in cases of diabetes-induced neuropathy in rats. The authors found that repeated administration of CBD extract “significantly relieved” mechanical allodynia (painful response to non-painful stimuli) and restored normal perception of pain without inducing hyperglycemia. The treatment was also found to protect the liver against oxidative stress (which is believed to be a major contributing factor to developing neuropathy) and increase levels of nerve growth factor to normal levels.

However, studies on humans have thus far yielded less positive results. Also in 2009, a randomized controlled trial investigated the ability of GW Pharmaceuticals’ Sativex spray to ameliorate the symptoms of diabetes-induced peripheral neuropathy. 30 subjects were administered with either Sativex or placebo; pain scores improved significantly across the board, but the effect of Sativex was not found to be significantly greater than that of the placebo.

May treat diabetic retinopathy

Up to 80% of diabetes patients that have had the disease for over a decade acquire a complication known as diabetic retinopathy (DRP), in which the cells of the retina are progressively damaged. This condition is responsible for approximately 12% of new cases of blindness each year in the USA.

DRP is associated with glucose-induced breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, a network of tightly-packed cells that prevent unwanted substances in the blood from entering retinal tissue. This breakdown causes neural tissue to be exposed to neurotoxins, as well as increasing the chance of bleeding within the retina.

It is thought that the pro-inflammatory immune response and oxidative stress processes have a key role to play in the breakdown of retinal cells–and there is evidence that cannabidiol, with its known ability to combat both oxidative stress and inflammation, may be useful in treating the disorder. In a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Pathology, diabetic rats were administered with CBD and tested to determine the rate of retinal cell death. It was shown that treatment with CBD significantly reduced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity–including levels of tumor necrosis factor-a, a substance that is known to be involved in the inflammatory response–and protected against retinal cell death and the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier.