Endocannabinoid

System,
Herbs,
And Healing
By:

Dr. Christopher L Bowe DC, DIHom

 Table Of Contents

➢ INTRODUCTION - The Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

➢ Understanding The Endocannabinoid System

➢ Natural Ways to Enhance Your Endocannabinoid System

➢ How THC Kills Cancer

➢ Healing Herbs

➢ CBD And It’s Benefits

CBD Oil
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INTRODUCTION -

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

When people hear about all of the different health conditions that cannabis can help with and all of the different benefits of cannabis,
it's almost too hard to believe. How can one herb have so many powerful medical properties without having any dangerous side effects?
This question led researchers to discover a system of physiology that we all have inside of us that is constantly maintaining balance at
a cellular level. It was named the endocannabinoid system. Now we know that the endocannabinoid system is active in everyone all the
time, from even before you are born to the end of your life, helping promote health and balance physiologically.

This system is present all through the body and all the different tissues. That's why it can help with disorders of the brain, of various
organs like the liver or intestines, with musculoskeletal problems, with inflammatory and immune issues. Your body is making cannabinoids
all the time. These molecules function a lot like THC, CBD and other cannabinoids found in cannabis, and your body knows when to make
these and how to make these, to keep you healthy. For a straight-forward explanation, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive
compound present in cannabis that gives you the high sensation. CBD (Cannabinol) is the non-psychoactive compound found in trace amounts
in the cannabis plant. It carries most of the health benefits. THC and CBD are the two major compounds in marijuana.

Some people need a little help or their endocannabinoid system may not be functioning at its optimal level and you can address this
by adding in the right dosage of cannabis from the plant. Ultra low dosages of cannabis can be health promoting and also relieve symptoms.
Ultra low dosages of cannabis can be used to promote health and to keep people resilient to all the toxicities and changes in their environment.
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Understanding The Endocannabinoid System

I know the following might sound a little geeky, but you should try to understand. In the mid-1980s a receptor for THC was discovered
in the brain and the central nervous system and it was called CB1 or cannabinoid receptor number one. However, the questions still remained
- Why is there a receptor in the brain specifically for accepting the THC compound in cannabis? And could it actually be that the cb1
receptor is actually there for receiving chemicals naturally present in the body?

So the research expanded from just studying the cannabinoids in marijuana to looking for cannabinoid-like compounds that were produced
in the body itself, that also acted on the cb1 receptor. Because the body's own self produced cannabinoids were endogenous, they were
actually named endocannabinoids. Now it took a couple more years of research before the first endocannabinoid that actually binds to
the cb1 receptor was found and it turned out to be a neurotransmitter which was called Anandamide, which is also known as the ‘Bliss
compound' because it acts as a mood enhancer and it stimulates sensations of joy and happiness. While Anandamide doesn't actually have
the same chemical structure as THC, it does bind to the cb1 receptor and it does exhibit exactly the same effects as THC, although in
a much smaller concentration.

The second receptor was also found and it was called the cb2 receptor. Unlike cb1, this receptor wasn't so abundant within the brain.
It was actually found in a much higher concentration in the periphery of the body, and it had a particular affinity with the immune system,
so, it was found mostly within the membrane of immune cells and very densely located in immune tissues and organs like the spleen, and
the bone marrow.

It's not just THC that acts on these two receptors. There are many different cannabinoids in marijuana that act either directly or
indirectly on these two receptors. There is still a vast amount of research yet to be done on the 100 or so other phytocannabinoids
that are in the cannabis plant and all of the numerous self-produced chemicals in the body that have the same effect. So, it's likely that
there's going to be a lot more receptors and a lot more endocannabinoids yet to be found and our understanding of the endocannabinoids
system is going to evolve over time.

Your Endocannabinoid System

Did you know that your body is naturally designed to respond to cannabinoids like CBD? It all starts with homeostasis - or balance
- and the human body’s continual search for it. When your body systems are in balance, your overall health increases. One of the systems
most responsible for homeostasis within the body is the endocannabinoid system.

Think of the endocannabinoid system as a bridge between your mind, body, and various organ systems. Comprised of endocannabinoids
- which are both produced naturally and obtained from organic compounds - the ECS communicates with other systems in your body to
regulate everything: from your skin to digestive processes to your cardiovascular system and beyond. When your endocannabinoid system
is out of balance, the rest of your body could experience far-reaching negative effects.

When you ingest cannabinoids - in the right amounts - you can help activate your endocannabinoid system yourself, instead of leaving
the quest for homeostasis to chance. You help your body to achieve balance, without the side effects of traditional treatments and
medications. It doesn't get much better than that. In short, your body's endocannabinoid system is absolutely essential for optimal
functioning and balance. It is proven by science and it's inside each of us: your body is literally designed to use compounds found in cannabis
plants for its own good.
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Natural Ways to Enhance Your Endocannabinoid System

We all know that humans and animals have various bodily systems that work together to enable life. The cardiovascular system delivers
nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to cells, the nervous system enables cells to communicate, etc. All vertebrates have another system which
helps connect the other systems and enable seamless integration - the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The ECS was only discovered in the early '90s, but over the past two decades, thousands of research articles have illuminated its
role in hundreds of major biological processes. Its overall role is to maintain homeostasis or stability in the face of external changes. For
example, if neurotransmitters are firing too quickly, endocannabinoids are released to slow that neurotransmission. When energy levels begin
to deplete, endocannabinoids encourage the organism to start eating. Studies show that deficiencies or overactivity of the ECS is linked
to virtually every major disease.

Having a healthy ECS is critical to maintaining optimal health. If you are out of balance, you will not feel good. Therefore, using techniques
to naturally enhance your ECS is critical. The most powerful techniques involve nutritional and lifestyle changes.

One of the chief roles of the ECS is to fight inflammation. Excessive inflammation is a significant or root cause of many progressive
disorders, including Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and even some forms of cancer.

The ECS can be overwhelmed when there is too much inflammation to deal with. Since food is the biggest contributor to inflammation
in most people, eating an anti-inflammatory diet is a powerful way to enhance your ECS. Such a diet includes lots of fruits and vegetables,
nuts, seeds, yogurt, olive oil, and minimally-processed meats. Or just take CBD! It has the anti-inflammatory, anti-insomnia, anticonvulsants,
anti-stress - and many other - properties you’ll be seeking from various diets. You’ll get to know more about the benefits of CBD soon.

The ECS is activated during stress so excessive stress can become a burden on the system. Meditation, yoga, and exercise are three
of the most powerful and simple practices that anyone can reduce to crush stress. Meditation has even been shown to directly change
brain structures and turn on protective genes. A safe and faster way of relieving yourself is by ingestion of CBD.

Combining stress-relieving activities with ingestion of CBD is a surefire way to kickstart your ECS, which may help curb the onset of
disease, increase energy, and improve mental clarity.
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How THC Kills Cancer

At the microscopic level, our bodies are made up of trillions of cells. Cells are continuously dividing and replicating themselves and as
new cells develop, old ones die. Cancer cells, however, are different. They don't die a natural death but continue to divide and grow. The
challenge to cancer researchers has always been to find a way to selectively kill cancer cells without killing healthy cells. So far, medical
science has failed, but nature has provided us with a substance that can accomplish what laboratory scientists cannot. That substance
is THC, the active ingredient in cannabis sativa - marijuana.

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the most active of the chemicals known as cannabinoids that are present in all of the plants of the
genus cannabis and in greatest abundance in the species cannabis sativa. It is the ingredient that produces the marijuana "high."

While cannabis has been used throughout the world for thousands of years to treat dozens of illnesses, with the passing of the Marihuana
Tax Act in 1937 it abruptly became unavailable to either the general public or the healing professions in the United States. At the same
time, medical schools in the U.S. terminated the study of all plant-based medicines in favor of the study, promotion, and application
of synthetic, laboratory-produced drugs.

In 1974, the NIH (National Institute of Health) gave a team of researchers at the Medical College of Virginia funding to study THC
in order to find evidence that it damaged the immune system. While they failed in their appointed mission, they did discover the startling
fact that THC shrank tumors in their laboratory mice. The news briefly surfaced publicly before the FDA abruptly ordered the team to
halt their research and confiscated the results of their findings. In 1976, President Nixon signed a law prohibiting research into the therapeutic
benefits of all cannabinoids except by pharmaceutical companies. Since that time, the only research done in the United States has been
in attempts to produce synthetic THC that has no psychotropic effects.

In 1998, researchers at Complutense University School of Biology in Madrid, Spain undertook studies on mice in order to determine
how THC accomplished the task of killing cancer cells without also damaging other cells in the body. They discovered that it does so by
two means:

1) It acts to inhibit angiogenesis or the formation of new blood cells in tumors. Solid tumors, such as cancers, require a blood supply in
order to grow. When the blood supply is cut off through the anti-angiogenesis effects triggered by THC, the cancer cells die.

2) THC promotes cancer cell death by a process called autophagy. Autophagy literally means "self eat" and that, along with other processes,
is essentially what happens. Instead of dividing and replicating, the cancer cells undergo a process of virtual self-digestion and recycling
into harmless waste matter.

Because of the ongoing prohibition of cannabis research, very little clinical research has been conducted on human volunteers, but what
research has been done has shown promise. The anecdotal evidence, however, is more than just promising. Aside from the well-known palliative
effects of marijuana in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy, self-administered THC has been very successful in treating a variety
of cancers and other diseases in individuals who have been courageous enough to risk incarceration in order to find a cure for cancer.
 5 Endocannabinoid System, Herbs, And Healing

Healing Herbs

The name says it all. Healing herbs can help the body with healing. Healing isn't all they do though. These herbs can really drastically improve
your wellness. There are varieties of healing herbs with different purposes to serve in our body. In this section, we'll be talking about
Marijuana - also known as cannabis - and Hemp and how they can be used to improve our well-being.

Marijuana

The neglected marijuana has been used right from ancient times in treating various conditions. Now, people are starting to recognize
the health benefit of this powerful herb and are beginning to add it in local and non-local medical practices. There are even legalized drugs
with THC and CBD as their active ingredients now.

Cannabis helps with:

✓ Fighting Cancer: Everyone has been talking about this one. It's believed to be the most important benefit of the cannabis plant. The
federal government and a good number of renowned scientists have produced substantial pieces of evidence of cannabis fighting certain
types of cancer. It also helps reduce nausea and vomiting in cancer patients who develop these side effect when undergoing chemotherapy.
It can be taken in an oral form to help with chronic pains in cancer patients. It provides better pain-relieving effects than a placebo.

✓ Nerve Pain: Studies shows that neuropathic pain (pain caused by damage to nerves) can be greatly reduced with marijuana. A study
was conducted in 2010 on 23 patients with neuropathic pain after a trauma or surgery and it was concluded that patients with this
condition have less pain and sleep better after smoking marijuana. A study of 39 people in 2013 proved that vaporized cannabis helps
patients with this condition reduce neuropathic pain too.

✓ Pain Relieving: The above point tells you that marijuana can help with neuropathic pain, that's not all though. It helps to minimize
all sorts of pains including pain felt by patients with multiple sclerosis. Marijuana reduces feelings of numbness, tingling, burning sensations
and pain from muscle spasms in these patients. It helps reduce pain in patients with arthritis.

✓ Diabetes: The use of marijuana as a healing herb can help regulate and prevent diabetes. It has to do with its ability to regulate insulin.
You can prevent or keep diabetes in check with this amazing herb.

✓ Losing Weight: Ever noticed that most cannabis users are slimmer in appearance than non-users. Just as I said earlier in the previous
point, it helps to regulate insulin. Marijuana allows more efficient caloric intake in the body.

✓ Improving Lung Health: You probably didn’t see this one coming. Smoking is greatly associated with lung problems. Little do people
know that smoking marijuana doesn’t affect your lungs, instead, it improves it. Lots of studies have shown that cannabis users don’t
have lung problems by smoking cannabis. Marijuana regresses lots of lung conditions including emphysema and lung cancer.

✓ Lowering Blood Pressure: Ingesting marijuana helps with hypertension and many other blood pressure conditions.

✓ Regulating Seizures: Cannabis is medically used to regulate seizures especially in patients with epilepsy.

✓ Crohn’s Disease: Marijuana might be helpful in curing this disease. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder. It causes vomiting,
diarrhea, weight loss, pain, and many more. A study in Israel showed that smoking cannabis reduced the symptoms of this disease
in 10 out of 11 patients. There was complete disease cancellation in 5 of the 11 patients.

I can list over 50 ways marijuana can be used as a healing herb, but, that will be too long a list.

Hemp
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Hemp is from the cannabis plant and most time isn't processed. A lot of the CBD is extracted from here. Both hemp and marijuana
come from cannabis sativa. Yet, they are quite different. Hemp is said to be the male plant of cannabis and marijuana the female one
with a higher THC level. Marijuana farmers breed cannabis plants to have high levels of THC. Hemp farmers need not modify their plants
and use these plants to create the CBD oil. The Romans have been using hemp for a very long time for lots of medical benefits especially
ear pains, burns, stomach-related problems. The need for hemp, hemp seeds and oil for medicinal use by people is increasing daily. Hemp
is used for:

➢ Treating epilepsy.

➢ Decreasing anxiety.

➢ Reducing seizures.

➢ Pain relief.

➢ Treating inflammation.

➢ Treating Alzheimer's disease.

➢ Gut protection.

➢ Balancing the immune system.

➢ Serves as anti-nausea.

➢ Sedation

➢ Reducing symptoms of PMS and Menopause.

➢ Aiding digestion.

➢ Reducing the risk of heart disease.

➢ Treating skin disorders.

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CBD And It’s Benefits

We’ve talked a little bit about CBD. It is the short form for cannabidiol. CBD is an essential phytocannabinoid found in cannabis (gotten
from hemp) and known to assist and support the mind and body in different ways.

What Makes CBD Work?

How does CBD get to work? Our body contains a large network of constituent receptors, along with the system of endocannabinoids,
which is critical to maintaining the overall wellness and assisting the support systems for lots of physical and chemical processes in the
human body. CBD and other cannabinoids bind with these receptors to help our body with the processes of maintaining ‘body' and ‘mind'
wellness.

Better Health With CBD

With CBD, you can enjoy a calm, more-focused body and soul. This affects your learning and other assessment processes. It is also
helpful in reversing the symptoms of different kinds of disease like Alzheimer disease. With the use of CBD, you can get a healthier heart.
There are lots of benefits that it brings to the heart, benefits like the ability to lower high levels of blood pressure. Stress-relief in your
daily life is another benefit of CBD. CBD is known for the provision of therapeutic cures for anxiety and stress. It also has anti-depression
benefits.

The Miraculous CBD

CBD is not a miracle but a molecule. Thousands of people can reap these significant benefits of CBD if they are given legal access to
wide varieties of remedies of cannabis - the uses of THC or THC products included. CBD alone, might not always be enough to get the
work done. There are lots of strong evidence proving that CBD functions best when combined with other cannabinoids like THC.

Trying to optimize the therapeutic application of cannabis has been the driving factor of many great medical experiments these days.
The result of these experiments is what begets ‘medical marijuana’. This has been observed from one state or country to another.

The development and increasing popularity of the very potent oil concentrates of cannabis (CBD oil), CBD rich non-intoxicating products
and highly innovative and smokeless systems of delivery have changed the therapeutic area. Now, this Is leading to a new perspective and
a huge change in the public conversation about cannabis. The debate is not more about the merit of cannabis as a potent herbal medication,
it is now about understanding the utilization of cannabis to get maximum therapeutic benefits.

Benefits And Uses Of CBD

Analgesic: Thanks to the distinctive means in which CBD interacts with the receptors within the brain, it will act as a natural analgesic.
CBD reduces pain throughout the body by obstructing pain signals from reaching the brain through the system. For this reason, many
folks have faith in CBD to treat chronic pain conditions.

Anti-anxiety: One of the well-known use of CBD is to counter-attack anxiety. Lots of studies have shown how CBD tackles anxiety and
severe stress. There are things called ‘terpenes' in CBD that can relax the nervous system and give a calm state of mind. CBD is not
 8 Endocannabinoid System, Herbs, And Healing

known to be addictive, unlike many anti-anxiety medications prescribed by doctors. Because of this, countless anxiety sufferers have chosen
CBD for daily relief.

Anti-depression: CBD has lots of unique effects on the endocannabinoid system. It has the capacity to regulate serotonin levels in the
human brain. Various studies have proved that CBD has great anti-depressant properties. It is widely accepted that low serotonin levels
result in depression. With low serotonin levels, one can hardly feel optimistic and energized. Our ability to secrete serotonin is restored
by CBD due to the way it interacts with our brain's neurotransmitters.

Sleep Aid: CBD deals with insomnia in lots of different ways. The endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating our sleep cycle. If
this system gets depleted, the human body won't have the capacity to secrete the hormones necessary to help it fall asleep. Due to the
calming ability of the nervous system, it gets easier to fall asleep after a stressful period. Lots of studies have shown CBD's ability to
perform the role of a natural sleep aid. Unlike many popular sleep medications, CBD is unlikely to give you a drowsy feeling the next day.

Anti-Inflammatory: CBD has powerful anti-inflammatory properties coming from its significant chemical composition. Due to these
anti-inflammatory properties, it has great potential to treat a wide range of chronic inflammatory conditions.

Brain Injury Remedy: CBD is currently being studied for its great potential when it comes to reversing damages caused by traumatic brain
injuries. At this point, there isn’t a known treatment for a concussion, but, CBD damages in the brain may be reduced due to CBD’s
neuroprotective properties (It protects the damaged neurons in the brain when the head gets injured).

Stimulate Appetite: People struggling with the loss of appetite can also benefit from the use of CBD. Apart from boosting appetite, CBD
can make eating much more enjoyable. There are lots of conditions that can cause people to lose their appetite, resulting in a loss of
dangerous amounts of weight. But, with the ability of CBD's to stimulate appetite, this can aid a person to reduce the risk of becoming
unhealthily underweight.

Helps Pets: With enough researches, we've got to know that all mammals have an endocannabinoid system. This means domestic animals
like cats and dogs can benefit from the use of CBD. If your pet seizures, chronic pain, digestive troubles or even anxiety, CBD may be
an excellent natural treatment. Many CBD brands today, are producing CBD products specially formulated for pets.

ADD And ADHD Treatments: Elevated cortisol levels and decreased dopamine levels in the brain causes both ADD and ADHD. CBD has
the capability to treat both of these conditions due to its natural ability to lower cortisol levels while increasing dopamine levels. CBD
may be a useful and safe treatment option for children with ADD and ADHD.
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CBD Oil

CBD gives you the ‘calm’ without the ‘high’. That’s right! CBD is medically safe and also doesn’t get you high. CBD is a great option
for those looking for something to calm them without the mind-altering effects of marijuana or some pharmaceutical drugs.

So, CBD Oils are oils that contain certain concentrations of CBD. Simple, isn't it? The concentration and kind of oil used vary. CBD
is being extracted from the cannabis plant, then diluted with a carrier oil like hemp seed oil or coconut oil.

How Does CBD Oil Help You?

In general, CBD oils help you relax. It takes off that pressure you feel in your day-to-day life as a worker, business owner or college
student. Let's look at the advantages of taking CBD oil.

✓ It is anti-anxiety. CBD oil keeps you calm and anxiety-free. You might be anxious before taking a test, before a presentation or interview
at your place of work or school. Taking CBD oil with that coffee will give you a long-lasting, calming effect. It helps to reduce the
anxiety behavior in people with anxiety disorders like general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and many more!

✓ It relieves pain. Surely, you can’t take coffee to relieve pain. Taking CBD oil with your coffee can help you reduce or even eliminate
body pain, headaches, etc.

✓ It helps reduce stress and pressure. CBD oil take away stress and pressure, making you feel calm.

✓ It is non-addictive. You don’t need to be worried about being addicted to CBD oil. It isn’t addictive and can be taken anytime with
coffee.

✓ It interacts with your body receptor systems to provide balance. Taking coffee along might give an over-driven feeling. If supplemented
with CBD oil, you get a very good balance, instead of an over-driven feeling.

✓ Can help you sleep faster. At low doses, CBD oil will help elevate your mood just like -or better than- Caffeine. At high doses, CBD
will cause a sedative effect and make you sleep faster and better.

If I should keep on going with the benefits of CBD oil, this book might turn out to be pretty long. I almost forgot! There are no adverse
effects! Great, isn’t it? Now that we’ve known some of the benefits of CBD oil, we can now see that taking coffee alone isn’t enough
to keep us calm and relax.

Ways You Can Use CBD Oil

➢ Vaping CBD oil: With a vaporizer pen, you get the maximum possible effect and without the harsh feeling in your throat and lungs
compared to smoking CBD oil.

➢ Topical Applications: You place it on your skin in the form of ointment or balm. It's an easy method of application and can help with
migraines, skin conditions and sore muscles.

➢ Sublingual (under the tongue): Apply few drops under your tongue and hold for about 30 seconds, before swallowing.

➢ Ingestion: Adding CBD oil to your food or eating CBD edibles is another way to consume CBD oil. We have CBD gummy bears, lollipops,
butter, pasta and many more. The effect from these edibles can take 2-4 hours to kick in. Wait a few hours to see how you feel
before eating more.
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Forms Of CBD

➢ Gummy bears.

➢ Lollipops.

➢ Butter.

➢ Pasta.

➢ Balm.

➢ Ointment.

➢ CBD-Infused Coffee.

➢ CBD fruit smoothies.

So far, you’ve learned a lot about the Endocannabinoid System, Cannabis, and Healing.
Put it into use. Good luck!!