If you’re on fairly intimate terms with cannabis, chances are you’ve wondered what happens to weed as it ages. Could it be likened to the aging of fine wine or cheese? Or are antiquated stashes best trashed?

As it conspires, your old weed might be worth holding on to (so long as it’s not moldy). Curiously, a new cannabinoid forms when the THC present in cannabis is exposed to air, light, or heat. Meet cannabinol, or CBN. Cannabinol represents one of more than 100 cannabinoids present in cannabis. CBN occurs in small quantities in most cannabis strains but really comes into its own when THC degrades and oxidizes. It’s psychoactive, but with a fraction of the intoxicating effects of THC.

Cannabinol has also helpfully uncovered the extent of humanity’s long-standing relationship with cannabis. 2500-year-old graves exhumed in Western China turned up wooden braziers and burnt stones with ancient cannabis traces. Of all the cannabinoids detected on the braziers, cannabinol was the most prominent. This finding suggests that cannabis was used for ritual purposes, and the kind of cannabis favored by the ancient Chinese was THC rich–thanks to cannabinol leaving its calling card.

CBN occurs in small quantities in most cannabis strains but really comes into its own when THC degrades and oxidizes.

Aside from its fascinating archaeological uses, cannabinol has a whole bundle of other claims to fame. CBN was the first cannabinoid to be isolated, way back in 1940. With nearly eighty years of accumulated knowledge, cannabinol boasts an impressive therapeutic resume. Some of its medicinal gifts include:

Sedative qualities

Although CBD has garnered abundant coverage in recent years as a sleep aid, unfortunately, it doesn’t facilitate slumber for everyone. At specific doses, some individuals may actually find that CBD makes them more alert and awake.

Cannabinol, on the other hand, has been hailed as the cannabinoid that best promotes deep, longlasting sleep.  Synthesis seems to be the key to releasing CBN’S sedative properties, however. Anecdotally, users claim that CBN is most effective when teamed with THC or CBD,  which help it to act as a potent sedative.

This claim has been substantiated by research on human participants who found that THC combined with CBN left them feeling “drunk, drugged, dizzy, and drowsy” but with no adverse effects on perception, emotion, sociability or thinking processes. Other research, admittedly on mice, suggests that CBN can prolong sleep time (therefore helping you get in more of those nourishing deep-sleep REM phases that tend to occur later in the sleep cycle).

CBN’s pain and inflammation-reducing properties (read more below) may also remove physical barriers to a good night’s rest.

Alleviation of pain and inflammation

Like all helpful therapeutic cannabinoids, CBN can alleviate nerve pain and inflammation via the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is one of the body’s critical systems for regulating pain and inflammation.

Specifically, CBN can soothe nerves sensitive to capsaicin, thus influencing the body’s pain signaling. Capsaicin is found in chili peppers and often added to topical pain relief. Again, the combination of CBN in tandem with THC is key to its efficacy. CBN appears to be most useful in banishing pain when coupled with THC.

However, for those who wish to reap the benefits of pain relief without psychoactive effects, there’s also evidence that cannabinol alone can alleviate inflammation. Studies have demonstrated that cannabinol alone or in combination with other non-intoxicating cannabinoids can relieve chronic muscle pain. CBN could potentially be a game-changer for disorders such as fibromyalgia.

Anti-bacterial benefits

Antibiotic resistance is real. The more we rely on antibiotics, or more accurately, abuse them, the harder it becomes to treat bacterial infections. Cannabinoids represent an exciting new frontier in banishing bacterial infections.

Cannabinol has already demonstrated its potent activity against MRSA, a particularly tricky strain of bacteria typically resistant to antibiotic medicine. Who knows–the future may see doctors prescribing tinctures of cannabinol in place of antibiotics.

Interested in trying CBN? Here are our recommendations

Cannabinol is already generating a lot of buzz with many enthusiasts eager to uncover all it has to offer. CBN tinctures and oils that provide sleep support are already weaving their way into the market.

If you’re keen to sample CBN for yourself, opt for organic products. Both clinical and anecdotal evidence indicate the benefit of full-spectrum or broad-spectrum cannabis products, which include other therapeutic cannabinoids for the entourage effect.

CBN/CBD blends, in particular, provide potent sleep-inducing benefits, without the trademark THC high.

Brands you may wish to try to include Treeline Organics CBN/CBD Epic Sleep Tincture, or Plant People’s Drops + Sleep Oil which also blends CBN with CBD.

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Never before has creativity been so prized in work, in cooking, or in between the sheets. We live in a time where divergent thinking and a disruptive approach to life is applauded. Creativity signals that you’re entrepreneurial, and original. You’re innovative. You’re the opposite of staid.

So, with creativity universally agreed to be a quality we all want, the question is: how do we get more of the good stuff? The process can be slippery. While tapping into the creative reservoirs is as easy as sliding into a warm bath for some, for others, a blank page or canvas is an intimidating prospect.

Enter the humble joint (or edible). It’s no secret that cannabis has been used to stoke creative fires since time immemorial. Maya Angelou, Willie Nelson, Steve Jobs, Lady Gaga, and astrophysicist Carl Sagan (a.k.a. Mr. X) have all acknowledged cannabis as paving a path to renewed perspective. For Angelou, cannabis provided access to a new way of seeing and being. “I learned new postures and developed new dreams. From a natural stiffness, I melted into a grinning tolerance,” she writes. Sagan reflects flippantly about epiphanies in the bathroom. “I can remember one occasion, taking a shower with my wife while high, in which I had an idea on the origins and invalidities of racism in terms of Gaussian distribution curves.”

So, weed’s creative power has been endorsed by bohemian thinkers, astrophysicists, and tech geniuses. But what does the science say? Research into cannabis and creativity is still a work in progress. There are a handful of theories, however, about how the two interact.

For starters, cannabis boosts blood flow to the brain’s frontal lobe, the region associated with creativity. Weed has also been found to significantly improve verbal fluency (great news for the aspiring poets out there). Another study suggests that cannabis is only helpful in stoking creativity among those who are not naturally creatively inclined. Other researchers have found that dosage really matters: potent hits of weed may actually impair divergent thinking. A little goes a long way.

At the end of the day, weed-smoking individuals around the globe are convinced that the plant does help to fill the proverbial blank canvas. For Heidi Keyes, founder of Puff Pass and Paint, cannabis and creativity have always been complementary.

“Cannabis has always been something that I’ve used, not only medically to help with stress and anxiety, but as something to help me relax and assist in my own creative process,” says Keyes, an artist based in Colorado. Keyes started Puff Pass and Paint in 2014, after a friend jokingly suggested she set up art classes with a twist.

“I had no idea it would take off the way it did, and we now have 13 locations around the U.S., with another starting in Puerto Rico soon,” Keyes says. Students partake in a two-hour class where they indulge their artsy side with the help of cannabis, and Keyes’ guidance.

“Puff Pass & Paint is all BYOC, so students can bring whatever they want to eat, smoke, and share,” Keyes comments. “Some people smoke a lot during class, some smoke a little, some pass joints, some don’t. We always remind you to start low, go slow… you don’t need to smoke everything that’s passed to you! It’s a judgment-free zone, with all levels of experience and skill, in both art and cannabis.”

Keyes believes cannabis helps release creative potential by encouraging people to chill out. “Weed helps people relax into themselves and enjoy the moment, instead of focusing on being perfect, or the end result.” If you’re keen to get acquainted with your muse at a Puff Pass and Paint class near you, check out Cannabis Tours.

For Dani Garner, a graphic designer and brand-identity specialist, cannabis infuses all aspects of her life with creative goodness. “Cannabis flips a switch where ideas just flow. No highdea is a bad idea — I just need to fine-tune it sober,” she laughs.

“Cannabis flips a switch where ideas just flow. No highdea is a bad idea”

Garner believes cannabis helps her fully embrace herself, which in turn allows her to access her creative potential. “I feel 1,000,000 percent me with cannabis. It takes all my anxiety, insecurity, and tosses it out the window. Words and actions are easier to process, and I am always quick for the wit or response to whatever situation I am in.”

For Garner, creativity is enhanced by not smoking too much. Her preferred method of accessing the muse is a glass bong. “I only smoke out of large glass artsy pipes,” she confides. “I’m not against joints; I just can’t roll.”

When it comes to strains, sativa is Garner’s go-to. “Green Crack is number one—that also aids in cleaning my house. Then XJ13 and Blue Dream,” she reflects. There you have it: cannabis is a plant that boosts creativity… and helps you clean your house.

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One moonlit summer evening last year, a group of friends and I sat around a campfire, passing a joint back and forth until the early hours of the morning. A few hours later, I woke up with a hunger so fierce it almost derailed me. Doritos, my brain commanded. Salsa flavor. Now. I was instantly fixated on one objective: get the Doritos as quickly as humanly possible, and consume the entire bag.

When I had satiated that craving, it was replaced by another, equally unhealthy, equally specific desire: cheesy NY-style mushroom pizza. My veganism lapsed that day, and the day will be forever etched in memory as my first proper encounter with the munchies. Suffice it to say, I was awed by their all-pervasive power, and literally incapacitated by my ravenous appetite.

The munchies are one of the tropes most commonly associated with cannabis consumption. Most of us who have gotten high are familiar with the insatiable desire to snack, minutes or hours later. What’s the science behind cannabis fueling a desire to eat everything within sight? The main culprit is THC.

THC: Hello, appetite!

“THC is an appetite stimulant,” explains Dr. Patricia Frye, cannabis expert and chief medical officer at HelloMD. THC works to partially activate the brain’s CB1 receptors. “When the CB1 receptors are activated, they stimulate areas of the brain that produce appetite, or the desire to eat,” Frye says. “Any mode of delivery that delivers THC to the bloodstream and brain, including inhalation, oromucosal methods, or edibles, can increase the user’s appetite.”

It’s no coincidence that medicinal cannabis offers so many benefits to individuals living with cancer or undergoing chemotherapy. Cannabis can help to boost appetite, whereas cancer and its treatments often dampen it.

The munchies are also beneficial for those who are so busy doing life they forget to prioritize eating. Alexis Rosenbaum, of Rosebud CBD, reveres the munchies for this particular reason. “I love them,” she reflects. “They’re my favorite side effect of cannabis.”

Alexis Rosenbaum by Rosebud CBD – CC BY

Rosenbaum says that, as a busy Type A personality running a business, food tends to be last on her priority list. “Cannabis is a tool that helps me intentionally eat, and eat a lot,” she says. Rosenbaum has a long list of preferred post-cannabis snacks, including pancakes, bacon, vanilla cupcakes (icing optional), French toast, donuts, and ice cream.

How THC stimulates the appetite

According `to a 2014 study on mice, neuroscientists discovered that THC connects with receptors in the brain’s olfactory center, enhancing the user’s ability to smell food. Sense of smell and taste are closely linked, so when the scent of food is enhanced, taste becomes heightened as well. The natural outcome is increased appetite.

The researchers also found that the feeling of hunger driven by THC is comparable with the feeling of hunger experienced when fasting. When the mice were forced to fast for 24 hours, the cannabinoid levels in their olfactory lobes increased. The fasting mice were more attuned to smell, and therefore taste. What this means is that THC essentially fools the brain into believing that the body is starving, even if it’s not.

Other research has found that cannabinoids may also enhance the sweet taste of foods, which explains the heightened sugar cravings some experience when they consume cannabis.

Fun facts about the munchies

Not everyone who consumes cannabis will get the munchies. Those with less endocannabinoids or cannabinoid receptors in the olfactory region of the brain are less likely to have their appetites stoked by THC. Equally interesting (and probably a source of great relief to many) is that research indicates that regular cannabis use and post-cannabis snacking doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to break the scales.

“Studies show that people who use cannabis tend to consume more calories, but have lower body fat percentages and are less likely to be obese than non-users,” explains Frye.

That being said, it’s probably advisable to feed your hunger with some nutritious, satisfying snacks, rather than loading up on junk food, sugars, and carbs. If you’re planning on getting high, be sure to stock your pantry and refrigerator with plenty of guacamole, hummus, nuts, whole-grain crackers, and raw treats to complement the inevitable Dorito and donut binge.

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Cannabis is the botanical gift that keeps on giving. A veritable plant powerhouse, cannabis is packed with more than 500 different compounds, at least 100 of which are cannabinoids. Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past two years is likely acquainted with the major cannabinoids, THC and CBD. The other ninety-eight though? Most would be hard-pressed to name even one.

Climbing the ranks of lesser-known cannabinoids, however, is cannabigerol, or CBG.

“CBG is a minor cannabinoid from the cannabis plant,” says Dr. J Matthew Andry, MD and Assistant Clinical Professor at Indiana University School of Medicine. “It’s minor, not in terms of its abilities to impact health, but rather because it exists in small concentrations in the plant compared to CBD and THC.”

CBG has piqued the interest of both scientists and cannabis aficionados alike because of its  distinctive composition and array of benefits.

“CBG is currently receiving great attention,” observes Andry. “There are many reasons for this; one is that CBG is the mother of all cannabinoids. The acid form of CBG (CBGA) is the parent compound that gets converted into various other cannabinoids, including CBD, THC, CBC, CBN, and others.” Rest easy that CBG doesn’t convert into those cannabinoids when consumed or applied, though. The human body lacks the necessary enzymes for the conversion.

“Another reason for the interest is that there is a bit of what I would call “concept fatigue” around CBD. The supernova explosion of products and businesses into the CBD space has many people feeling they know all they need to about CBD already,” muses Andry.

How CBG works

CBG represents an exciting new frontier in cannabinoid science, because its composition and interaction with the body’s endocannabinoid system is so unique.

“CBD attaches to what’s called the allosteric (peripheral) site on the CB2 receptor. CBG attaches to the orthosteric (active) site of CB2. So what?” remarks Andry. “The allosteric site is a modulation site, while the orthosteric site is the main site for the receptor. Think of the allosteric site as the “side door” while the orthosteric site is the “front door”.” In other words, CBG attaches to the active receptor site directly, whereas other cannabinoids do not. This could lead to quicker or more effective relief from inflammation.

CBG also acts as a GABA reuptake neurotransmitter, which leads to greater GABA levels in the brain. The GABA neurotransmitter exerts significant effects on sleep, anxiety, pain, and muscle relaxation. When it comes to increasing GABA levels, CBG may in fact offer more pronounced relief from pain and muscle relaxation than THC or CBD.

CBG benefits

The upshot of this research is that there is evidence that CBG offers unique health benefits in the areas of pain management, sleep, blood pressure, neuro-inflammation, anxiety and intriguingly, gut health. With the gut now recognized as the body’s second brain contributing to mood, cognitive function, and overall health, optimizing gut health has never been more critical. CBG has been proven to exert preventative and curative effects in some forms of colitis, and protects the intestine from inflammation by boosting ROS production.

“We’ve already seen a number of patients experiencing a dramatic improvement in conditions including abdominal bloating and distinction, constipation, blood pressure, sleep, muscle, and joint pain,” Andry reflects.

“We’ve already seen a number of patients experiencing a dramatic improvement in conditions including abdominal bloating and distinction, constipation, blood pressure, sleep, muscle, and joint pain”

CBG can be consumed in the same way as other cannabinoids. Topical applications, tinctures, edibles, and inhalation are all viable methods of reaping its abundant benefits. “I do urge caution with vaping, as there are of course very significant concerns about lung health at present,” warns Andry.

Where can I find CBG?

Given its myriad therapeutic applications, why aren’t CBG extracts and tinctures currently flooding the market? Well, up until recently, few growers have had any interest in growing CBG-rich strains of cannabis. As a minor cannabinoid, many cultivars have less than 2 percent CBG volume, which renders CBG extraction an intensive process.

But the CBG landscape is rapidly changing—novel hemp strains rich in CBG and improved cultivation techniques are facilitating extraction. Currently, however, there are still few CBG extracts available, so it’s worthwhile researching CBG products before you purchase them.

“Many companies are trying to capitalize on the buzz and simply add CBG to the lave on their product,” cautions Andry. “Some have very minute amounts of actual CBG, sometimes little more than was in the same company’s so-called CBD oil.” Andry recommends UltraCell CBG for his patients. The product is highly absorbed and has a meaningful concentration of CBG present. “Clinically, it’s very effective for sleep, pain, blood pressure and gut health,” he affirms.

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The morning after I smoked my first joint, I woke up choking. Not because it was the first time I’d exposed my lungs to smoke, but because my saliva glands seemed to have vanished overnight. I assumed I’d caught some weird virus that dried my mouth out.

Later, when I chatted to the benefactor who’d given me the joint, I was assured that this was no virus, but my first-ever case of xerostomia, or cannabis cottonmouth. Cottonmouth occurs because cannabis causes saliva secretion to decrease. The most common symptoms are a persistent thirst, and uncomfortably dry mouth and throat.

While the name of the condition is enough to make you laugh out loud (cottonmouth sounds like a PG13 insult from a Nickelodeon show), its symptoms aren’t really a laughing matter. Gagging for water when emerging from slumber is less than ideal, and somewhat stressful.

Not only is cottonmouth unpleasant, but it’s also super common. About 68.9 percent of those who use cannabis frequently experience it. According to Dr. Hervé Damas, cannabis expert, and director of Grassroots Wellness, cottonmouth can happen to anyone who uses cannabis. “Those who have certain conditions like Sjogren’s [syndrome] or scleroderma tend to be more susceptible, though,” says Damas.

What causes cottonmouth?

While many assume a dry mouth is provoked by smoking, cottonmouth can occur after you ingest cannabis in any form. The cannabinoids (what’s excreted from the cannabis plant, like THC or CBD) present in cannabis interact with receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system. This interaction can produce an assortment of reactions including feeling high, feeling hungry, or having a dry mouth.

“Cannabinoids decrease salivation caused by the neurotransmitters methacholine and norepinephrine,” explains Damas. “On a molecular level, these receptors cause a change in cellular signaling, causing a decrease in saliva production.”

The majority of saliva production takes place in the submandibular glands under the mouth. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD bind to receptors in the salivary glands. Once the cannabinoid has attached itself to a receptor, it causes the glands to stop receiving messages from the nervous system. The result? The nervous system reduces saliva production, and your mouth becomes as dry as the Sahara.

Is cottonmouth dangerous?

Saliva serves the function of protecting the teeth and mouth from bacteria. When saliva production is interrupted for too long, common side effects like a sore throat or dragon breath can show up. That being said, cottonmouth doesn’t present any real danger — except one.

“Cottonmouth is usually harmless and transient,” says Dr. Damas. “In some cases, people have had difficulty swallowing food. This can lead to increased choking risk in certain people — those with Sjogren’s or scleroderma, the elderly, and those with medical conditions that affect their ability to swallow.”

Tips to avoid cottonmouth

If you like to consume flower regularly, chances are you’ve already figured out that plentiful hydration is essential to avoiding cottonmouth. Water is best. Tea, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages should be avoided when smoking as they will only dehydrate you further.

“Alcohol is also an inhibitor of salivary gland activity, so try to cut down on the booze while consuming cannabis,” recommends Damas. “Chew gum too, as mastication can lead to increased saliva production.”

Stay away from tobacco, as it contributes to a dry mouth. Salty foods and snacks are also an obvious no-go as they only make you thirstier.

And if all else fails and you need some quick relief, here are some go-tos:

1. Sour foods fire up the salivary glands. Candies like Sour Patch Kids are perfect. If you’re really game, try sucking on a slice of lemon.
2. Spicy and sweet foods like dried chili-spiced mango are also perfect triggers to kickstart saliva glands into working order.
3. Get chewing. If gum’s not your thing, try dried fruit, or anything chewy that sends your jaw into overtime.

The post Dry mouth after cannabis? Here’s why appeared first on Flowertown.

If fire came first, yeast came second.

Yes, yeast. You know, the fungi used to harvest energy from sugar without oxygen in the fermentation process. It gives us beer. It gives us wine. It gives us bread. It gives us kombucha. And perhaps soon, it will give us even more.

That’s right. Though it’s been helping us get drunk since the early days of ancient Egypt, thanks to new breakthroughs in research conducted by synthetic biologists in California, yeast may soon be getting us high as well.

Yeast Manufactured Cannabis

For thousands of years, humans have been using yeast in baking and brewing. During fermentation, yeast produces carbon dioxide (which makes bread rise and gives beer bubbles) and ethanol (which is responsible for producing the many alluring flavors not found in the barley, grapes or wheat.).

On February 27th of this year, UC Berkeley chemical engineer Jay Keasling published an article in Nature, detailing a new technique that uses it to do something unlikely: produce cannabinoids.

The main aim of Keasling’s research was to dissect the cannabis plant, and recreate its compounds in an attempt to better understand their true potential.

However, Keasling and his colleagues were able to successfully modify several genes found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the type of yeast that brewers use to convert sugar into alcohol, and transform galactose into inactive forms of THC and CBD.

By introducing five types of bacteria from the cannabis plant and making 16 genetic modifications to the yeast, they were able to turn the sugar-loving fungus into a cannabinoid factory.

In simpler terms, they took the genes in cannabis that are responsible for making cannabinoids, and put them into yeast. The yeast produces CBGA, a cannabinoid that turns into THCA or CBDA, depending on the enzyme, in a process that is not unlike what happens in the cannabis plant itself. “CBGA is this kind of central cannabinoid that’s the mother of all the other cannabinoids,” writes Keasling.

CBDA and THCA are the inactive forms of the compound, but are easily converted to CBD or THC with the application of heat in a process called decarboxylation.

In total, the team produced roughly 8 milligrams per liter of THC and slightly lower levels of CBD.

Craft-Brewed Cannabis?

Does this mean we’ll soon be hit with an explosion of craft strains of cannabis being pumped out of yeast factories in California, Colorado, Canada and beyond?

Not necessarily.

Jason Poulos, chief executive of Librede, a company in Carlsbad, CA that holds the first patent on a process for making cannabinoids from sugars in yeast, claims the yields would need to increase one hundredfold for costs to be competitive with traditional, plant-based extraction methods.

In fact, it could take up to another two years before yeast-produced cannabinoid yields are cost-effective enough to sell to the general public.

Release the Yeast

Of course, if (and when) they get it right, there is no doubt that yeast could be the future of cannabinoid production.

Researchers and cannabis companies are interested in finding alternate ways to produce cannabinoids, because extracting specific cannabinoids from flower can be complicated and inefficient.

The idea is that this fermentation process could eventually allow cannabis manufacturers to produce THC, CBD, and other specific cannabinoids more directly, efficiently, and cost-effectively than traditional plant-based extraction methods. And while the research is still in its infancy, the economic forces are in place for them to get this right.

“For the consumer, the benefits would be high-quality, low-cost CBD and THC: you get exactly what you want from yeast,” said Keasling. “It is [potentially] a safer, more environmentally friendly way to produce cannabinoids.”\

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