What's in Your CBD?

Note:  I don't mean to single out any ONE company, as several "CBD" samples have been found to contain these dangerous chemicals.  But Diamond CBD has been caught in the act & is well-known for shilling & making excuses for their actions on Reddit & other forums.

Hemp-derived CBD has become popular in the last few years as a safe, legal tonic for many ailments including anxiety, insomnia & certain types of pain.  But for some shady companies, it is merely a vehicle for their synthetic cannabinoids.  Diamond CBD was caught red-handed spiking their CBD Gummies with 5-fluoro-ADB: a dangerous mind-altering chemical implicated in multiple deaths.  Here are the lab results.  Judge for yourself:

 This is extremely troubling, as CBD is used by sick people ranging from children with seizure disorders to elderly cancer patients.  How do you know which CBD products are safe?  Well, there is no way to be 100% certain since CBD is not regulated by the FDA, but the best way to vet a product is to request a third-party lab test.  If a company is not forthcoming with this info, shop elsewhere.  

If you're still not convinced, ask around on forums to see what people have to say about the product.  Reviews are very telling.  

In general, it's considered less safe to buy CBD in headshops, gas stations or other places attempting to sell them to young folks wanting to get high.  These are the same places Spice & bath salts were sold; now that those drugs have been largely banned, scandalous companies are switching to CBD as a medium for their poison.  Lastly, look at the name & packaging of the product--is it professional-looking, or does it appear to be marketed to kids looking for a high?  

None of this is foolproof, but taken together these tips can help you avoid a dangerous or deadly reaction.  Companies that disguise a deadly synthetic cannabinoid as CBD--a largely benign substance--should be called out & boycotted full stop.  They put lives in danger & draw unwanted attention to the entire industry of hemp-derived CBD.  If you're looking for a high, choose actual marijuana which is infinitely safer than these alphabet chemicals.  These substances might allow you to pass a drug test, but none of that matters much if you're dead or disabled.

Strain Review: AC/DC

CBD Content:  6%

Total Cannabinoid Content:  8.8%

Hybrid

Grown In:  Tahoe, NV

AC/DC is a strain known for its soaring CBD content--generally in the 18% range.  For whatever reason, this batch only had 6% but I grabbed it up since I live in a state without much choice or variety.  It also contains 1.8% THC, which is appealing to me for obvious reasons. 

Upon opening the bag, I was met with a moderately strong smell of lemon-lime & pine.  Very different from the Cherry Wine I've been smoking.  It has a sweet scent to it that's very inviting but not overpowering.  I'd guess there's a good dose of limonene & smaller amounts of pinene.  The plant material itself isn't all that impressive to look at--bone dry & full of shake.  But I knew that's what I was getting when I bought it so no loss there.  

After a few hits from my pipe I already feel a light, uplifting sensation.  Again, this is different than the Cherry Wine strain that's more relaxing & heavy.  My head feels clear even though I took half a Valium a few minutes ago..  No paranoia from the small amount of THC yet.

---------------

Just took another big toke and am really feeling it now.  Still no anxiety or rapid heart rate like I usually get from even tiny amounts of THC.  This stuff is nice!  Doesn't drag you down or make you feel foggy in the least.  I could see it being useful for ADHD, cognitive disorders like dementia or depression.  I'm curious if the higher CBD variant of this strain would feel as light & airy.  What it lacks in looks it makes up for in effects.  I just realized I've had a stupid grin on my face ever since I sat down to write this 😀

AC/DC is a hybrid strain with a CBD to THC ratio of 20:1 when grown properly, meaning it generally has no psychoactive effects.  (Yeah, well.  Tell that to my jazzed-up brain right now).  Don't get me wrong: if you have a weed tolerance you're NOT gonna get a buzz from this strain, but if you're a new smoker or someone who's sensitive to THC like I am, this should be right up your alley.  It's a great introduction into the world of cannabis for those who just want to dip their toes in before diving in the deep end of super-potent pot.

(As stated, I live in an illegal state & didn't purchase this at a dispensary but on the internet from a friend/vendor.  The operate privately but if you're interested in obtaining a list of their strains & prices email me at welpharecheeze@gmail.com)  

Flashback: 1970s Marijuana

While many amazing drugs have come & gone since the 1970s (ahem *Quaaludes*), there's one substance that's only improved with time--marijuana.  Or at least according to 90% of the potsmoking public.  There's no question that today's pot blows the grass of the '70s out of the water in every way:  THC content, CBD content, manicure, terpenes & overall beauty.  But there's still that 10% of older heads who claim weed from the '60s & '70s was superior to today's stuff.  You know, the grass that looked like literal grass streaked with dog shit.  Some of it looked more like hay.  Today it would be considered bottom-of-the-barrel schwag that would be laughed out of any dispensary or legit dealer's stash. 

Still, I find it mildly entertaining-bordering-on-addictive looking at old photos of the strains of yesteryear.  I hear story after story from old heads about how mind-blowing these ugly strains were & how today's pot doesn't compare.  Is it all nostalgia & tolerance talking, or is there really something to it?   Most of the landrace strains were pure Sativas grown in South America, Mexico or islands like Hawaii or Jamaica.  Were they uplifting?   Did they cause as much paranoia as today's Sativas?  DID THEY EVEN GET YOU HIGH?

According to ProCon.org, the average THC content of weed in 1978 was around 1%.  For reference, that's the same amount found in today's high-CBD strain ACDC, which is said to have no real psychoactive effects.  And yet people were clearly getting all giggly, hungry & red-eyed from weed in the hippie days.  I'm sure they were smoking larger amounts, such as fat joints & spliffs, but still. 

(Side Note: I'm not a fan of the super-potent sticky icky of today that's more like a hallucinogen than a relaxing way to unwind.  I didn't start smoking until the early 2000s so I'm a relative n00b.  I enjoyed being able to smoke a whole joint without having a freak-out, so I now smoke mostly hemp with very low THC content.  I like a balance of CBD with my THC and am thankful breeders are starting to focus on other cannabinoids besides the infamous one that stoners love).


Anyway, here are some pictures I found while scouring the interwebs.  ENJOY!  😜

 

Santa Marta Gold

Highland Thai

Various

Various

Panama Red

Puebla

 Various

Guerrero

Pak-Afghan "Gold Stamp" Hash

Nepalese Hash

Various (Hash)

 Various (Hash)

Texas teens smoking weed circa 1973

If any "mature" smokers are reading, please share your experiences with weed & weed accessories from the 1970s.  (Below is a short video of Jorge Cervantes breaking down the differences between today's weed & the strains of yesteryear).  I'm borderline obsessed with this topic & would love to hear your $0.02!  Sound off in the comments.

What's the Deal With: Black Seed Oil?

 Nigella sativa seeds (magnified)

Nigella sativa--commonly known as "Black Seed"--is an ancient remedy in the East that's quickly gaining steam here at home.  Its health-promoting qualities are seemingly boundless, including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, immune stimulating, anti-diabetic, blood pressure/cholesterol-lowering effects & antioxidant effects.  It's not often that an alternative herbal health remedy is referred to as a "miracle" in scientific studies, but that's just what the authors of this study have labeled it.  Black Seed has powerful effects against H. pylori bacteria that cause stomach ulcers & helps prevent gingivitis & dental cavities when gargled. 

But it wouldn't be on this site if it didn't also have psychoactive effects =)

The active compound in Black Seed is thymoquinone, a unique molecule that sort of resembles that of propofol.  Its psychoactive effects are subtle but noticeable, including relaxation, anxiety relief & other benzo-like properties.  It is also said to potentiate opiates including kratom.  (I've used it for this purpose & it definitely has a nice synergy).  The day following Black Seed use, users often report increased energy levels & mental clarity.  Black Seed Oil acts on GABA & has been used traditionally to treat anxiety, depression, epilepsy & other CNS disorders. 

My first few forays into Black Seed territory were pretty remarkable:  I actually thought it might be adulterated with a benzodiazepine because the effects were THAT similar.  I felt sort of sad (like I do on benzos), relaxed & even went on an eating binge like I do on Valium or Xanax!  The more I used Black Seed, the less noticeable the negative effects became & the benefits grew more pronounced. 

I now only use it on weekends to save money, but I feel it's had a great effect on my GABA system overall.  I've always reacted VERY poorly to alcohol, benzos, Ambien & other downers, but since starting Black Seed supplementation I no longer get such horrid comedowns from those drugs.  The oil is more concentrated but you can also eat the whole or ground seeds for the beneficial effects.  The taste?  It's impossible to describe as there's nothing like it in the American spice cabinet.  But I really like it.  If I were to explain the flavor, I'd say it's spicy + exotic with a hint of antiseptic after-taste.  Must not be too bad since it's used in Egypt & other countries to flavor various dishes.

This is the brand I use:

When buying Black Seed products, make sure to get genuine Nigella sativa.  Black Seed also goes by several slang names including "Black Cumin" & "Black Onion" & "Kalonji".  True Black Cumin is not the same substance, so narrow your search by typing "Nigella sativa" when shopping.

The Wonders of Coca: Leaf of the Incas

Coca leaves are a favorite traditional food & supplement in Bolivia, Peru & other South American countries.  They contain the "forbidden" cocaine but also a number of nutrients & minerals that promote good health.  Coca has been used for centuries to treat altitude sickness in high-elevation parts of the world where it grows naturally (coincidence?) & is the sole source of all cocaine on the streets of America & other nations.  Coca leaves are rich in calcium & protein as well as potassium, fiber, vitamins A, B1, B2 and B3, iron, vitamin C & antioxidants.  Did we mention cocaine?

But coca leaves have a very different effect than pure cocaine.  When brewed into tea, chewed whole or eaten in candy or other preparations, coca produces a mild stimulation--milder than coffee or yerba mate--as well as a feeling of warmth & relaxation throughout the body. Coca helps open capillaries to improve blood flow, which is responsible for its effect on altitude sickness.  Other health benefits include weight loss; easing digestive symptoms like gas & bloating; regulating blood glucose & increased alertness/energy.

I've tried both the whole leaves & tea, and the leaves are definitely more potent.  You simply stuff some dried leaves in your mouth--being careful to remove the pointy stems--& add a tiny sprinkling of baking soda to bring out their natural alkaloids.  (Seriously, go easy on the baking soda or you will end up puking for hours.  A tiny pinch will do).  Traditionally, a substance called Llipta--a mixture of lime & ash--is used instead of baking soda but any alkaline substance will work.

Llipta

Within minutes, you begin to feel a numbing sensation in your mouth & a slight sharpening of your vision & hearing.  As you chew, you feel a combination of stimulation & relaxation that's both pleasant & subtle.  Coca leaves go great with cannabis or hemp/CBD--the synergy between their energizing effects of coca and the relaxation of cannabis is beautiful.  When brewed into a tea, the effects are more subtle but still noticeable.  Comparable to white or green tea.

I used to chew the leaves before work at 6:00 a.m. & spit them out when I arrived.  Sometimes I'd keep chewing & no one was the wiser.  Brands I've tried include Herbi tea, Delisse tea bags & plain leaves.  I go for the highest quantity for the money.  I've also tried a liquid coca extract product that I wasn't too impressed with for the price, but perhaps I was using it wrong. I haven't had a chance to try the coca flour or other powdered forms.  Brushing your teeth or using an alcohol-based mouthwash before chewing can help with absorption for some people.

Prior to 1903, Coca-Cola used whole coca leaves in their soda.  Each 7-ounce glass contained about 9 mg of cocaine plus a significant amount of caffeine from the kola nut (Get it?  Coca-Kola).  It was marketed as an "Ideal Brain Tonic" that eased headaches & relieves mental/physical exhaustion".  They still use coca leaves for flavoring but strip them of the cocaine & healthy vitamins/minerals.  But there are some energy drinks & sodas in South America that are using the whole coca leaf to bring back the magic of original Coke.  A few of these include Coca Colla, Coca Sek, Inka Cola & Coca Brynco. 

Original Coca-Cola ad.  Sounds delish!

There are a variety of South American-based vendors of coca tea & other coca products online, Mysterious Bolivian being the most well-known (we wrote about them in one of our first blog posts).  There's also:  Coca Natural, Peru Exporta, Andean Leaves & many others.  Sometimes these products can be found on sites like Amazon as well.  Make sure to check the laws in your state/country & do your research before spending money on a new vendor. 

Proud Native chowing down on some leaves.

Kratom Krisis

Alright folks.  If you follow my Twitter posts at all, you're probably sick to death of hearing about the impending attempt to ban/schedule kratom.  I apologize for the myopic tunnel vision, but once again the FDA/DEA are clamping down on the right of consenting adults to ingest safe, legal plants in the privacy of their own homes.  And we can't have that.

Around September of last year, the DEA backed off their plan to emergency schedule kratom after being flooded with public comments on how the plant has saved & transformed lives.  This was an unprecedented event in DEA history--never before had they changed course on a proposed ban & taken feedback from actual users of a substance.  Since then, the only thing that has changed is that kratom has become even more popular & more people have discovered its benefits.  But you wouldn't know that from listening to mainstream media.

Suddenly there were two reports of deaths caused by kratom--one involving a police officer who died of pulmonary edema (bleeding of the lungs, which could've only been caused by kratom if he inhaled a lot of it)  Within weeks, this number had climbed to 36 deaths directly caused by kratom!  Very little information was given about the alleged victims--their names & autopsy reports remain difficult to track down.  But the common thread is that all involved drugs other than kratom and/or serious underlying health conditions.  Any death in which kratom is present in the bloodstream is being attributed to kratom alone, something the American Kratom Association blames on a "shadow campaign" between coroners, the media & other entities who wish to demonize the plant.  (Coroners are elected officials; not unbiased medical professionals).

Sure enough, a week or so later we get an announcement by FDA sleeze Scott Gottlieb that the FDA is stopping imports of kratom & plans to work with the DEA to get the plant scheduled in the near future.  You may have heard about Gottlieb's ties to GlaxoSmithKline as well as Cephalon: the company that manufactures fentanyl lollipops & played a large role in flooding the legal Rx market with the drug during the height of the "Prescription Drug Epidemic".  Fentanyl is active in microgram amounts, making it more deadly than oxycodone, morphine, Dilaudid or even heroin.

So what could be Gottlieb's motivation for banning a benign plant like kratom?  Could it be the same reason that cannabis & other plant-based substances have been placed in Schedule I & other restricted classes over the years?  Not because it's deadly & has no medical benefit, but because you can't patent a plant.  What you CAN do, however, is tinker with the alkaloids found in kratom, switch them around a bit & patent whatever Frankenstein drug you end up with.  Like they did with Marinol, a synthetic form of THC that causes hideous side effects & has even killed 4 people.  Or how they isolated morphine & codeine from the opium poppy, banning the poppy/opium itself when it's far harder to overdose on whole opium than from one of its pure isolates.  Or how they placed the iboga root in Schedule I when it's been proven to alleviate serious drug addiction after only 1 or 2 uses.

The list could go on & on.  Bottom line:  If you're going to treat pain, addiction or any other ailment, you're going to do it with one of their synthetic, patented medicines.  Case closed.  Not the cheaper, superior & safer plant from which it was derived.  Kratom is a threat to their bottom line.  It directly competes with a number of their drugs currently on the market, including the following:

- Pain medications (opioid-based drugs like hydrocodone; NSAIDs like Celebrex)
- Addiction drugs (methadone, Suboxone, Antabuse, Bunavail, etc)
- Antidepressants (Prozac, Cymbalta, Trintellix, Latuda)
- Anxiety medications (benzodiazepines like Xanax & Ativan; "others" like BuSpar & Vistaril)
- Sleep aids (Ambien, Lunesta, Seroquel, Trazodone, tricyclic antidepressants, etc)

If that wasn't enough, kratom also competes with alcohol, tobacco & (legal) cannabis for the recreational market, which probably doesn't make those guys too happy.

Folks, I'm extremely angry that my government would take away things that are a basic fundamental human right.  Banning plants, which are a natural resource available to all, is the height of sociopathic narcissism.  Our country has been taken over by Mr. Burns-esque corporate overlords who care only about profits.  I use kratom daily to treat pain caused by endometriosis, chronic migraine & several mental health disorders including depression & OCD.  Not that kratom's a cure-all.  I still take prescription meds for these conditions, go to counseling & try to live healthy on a day-to-day basis.  It's not easy but I'm proud of the progress I've made with the help of kratom.  I work a steady job, pay my own bills, pay taxes & contribute to society instead of being a drain on it. 

But if you take kratom away from me, I will be back on opiates & on welfare/disability again.  You can't work a job that drug tests when you use opiates that aren't prescribed to you.  But you also can't function with chronic pain so severe it's a struggle every day just to avoid shooting yourself.  If you take away my kratom, you will leave me with these two gruesome options.  You will be taking the stability that I've worked so hard to achieve.  And I know there are thousands, if not millions, of other people in the same boat.  It appears that you also want to place CBD back in Schedule I for some godforsaken reason, which just proves how ridiculous this whole crusade is.

It's time for people to wake up & stand up for their rights.  We cannot let them turn this great nation into a giant prison yard full of well-intentioned mentally ill, drug addicts & chronic pain sufferers just trying to make it through the day.  If you'd like to get involved in the fight for this fundamental personal liberty, you can do so in a few ways:

- Donate to the American Kratom Association or Botanical Education Alliance.  These are two well-organized lobbying groups that have done much to keep kratom legal for this long.  Every dollar helps.

- Call your senators & congressmen & and tell them why you are AGAINST a ban on kratom.  (If you don't use kratom, just inform them of the current situation & why you oppose a ban).  Don't be nervous--just write out a short list of things you want to say & give them a call.  It's what they're there for.  😁

- Sign the many online petitions to keep kratom legal.

- Join the AKA's social media campaign using the hashtags #iamkratom & #keepkratomlegal.

- Write respectful, intelligent refutations to online articles that contain falsehoods about kratom, such as those claiming that kratom has caused 36 deaths.  Remember to avoid using curse words or slang & stick to the facts.  

We need all hands on deck for this, as it is looking like a concerted effort to ban kratom for good.  Even if you don't use it yourself, it's the principal of personal liberty that's at stake.  Many good people will revert to drug abuse, disability, suicide & other horrific avenues if kratom doesn't remain legal & accessible to all.  

Thanks for reading this far.  

/steps off soapbox (for tonight)...

Product Review: Cherry Wine Hemp

Grown in:  Nevada

CBD content:  14-15%

Cost: $20 per gram

Okay, in my last post I scratched the surface discussing industrial hemp, which is pretty easy to find these days on the legal online market.  It's usually grown in Lithuania or other far-flung locales and averages about 2-3% CBD overall, which is not that impressive.  What we've got here is a whole other beast.  This is medicinal-grade hemp bud grown for its high CBD content--not for industrial uses (fiber, seed oil, etc) like the Lithuanian stuff.

It doesn't take long to figure out why this strain is called "Cherry Wine."  The pungent aroma of cherries & skunk hits your face & fills up a room rapidly upon opening the bag or pouring some onto a tray.  It smells every bit as potent as top-shelf marijuana, but remember it's LEGAL!  The THC content is under 0.02% & actually shows as "undetectable" on the lab analysis, so no worries on that front.

When smoked, Cherry Wine hits the back of your throat & chest just like any other high-grade cannabis strain.  You feel your bronchioles expand, you cough & any pain you were feeling just melts away.  The effects are mild but noticeable.  It's a great source of full-spectrum CBD with an amazing terpene profile.  It's at least as effective as the CBD capsules & vape juices I've tried and definitely more enjoyable due to the beautiful smell & taste.  The buds are packed tightly & manicured to perfection.  There are maybe 1 or 2 seeds in every gram, if any.  Each gram comes in a resealable baggie with a printout of the CBD/THC content.

This is the real deal, folks.  Dispensary grade hemp for those of us who don't have dispensaries in our state.  Hence why the price is a little high.  I paid $20 for a gram but the vendor was kind enough to throw in some extra ground bud material + leaf & shake for free.  I actually prefer the finely ground buds sold in teabags, as you can just pack it right into your pipe or vape without breaking it up.  All of their stuff is A1 quality & I hope to see more like it on the market in the coming years.

Since the vendor doesn't wish to have their contact info posted here publicly, you can inquire about this product at welpharecheeze@gmail.com or message me privately on Twitter @BannedintheUSSA