How to Increase Libido

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Libido is your life force, a wellspring of heat, passion, and creativity that adds growth and color to all aspects of your life.

Depending on your state of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual health, you may be unable to feel or connect to your libido. Being disconnected from your innate libido is not healthy if sustained, and it can have long-term damaging effects.

The beautiful aspect of libido is that it’s easy to connect with at anytime with the rights information, tools, and experience. Libido is stimulated in the brain by the thalamus, which regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness. The thalamus is a sensory hub for the cerebral cortex, the decision making part of the brain. Without the activation of the thalamus, motor signals to the cerebral cortex are delayed or changed.

By reducing inhibition of the thalamus, the cerebral cortex is exposed to more information, and now realizing a greater amount of opportunities, consciousness is attuned to chose the best outcome. Sometimes the problem with failure to get aroused is the inability to see that the possibility exist.

As much society tries to make it normal, and it is, sex is a “taboo”. It touches the deepest parts of our body and energy. Sex is energy work, and unforeseen events can occur when creating energetic bonds with others at certain levels. Therefore any sexual act is a ritual of serious responsibility, and how it’s performed speaks a lot about who we are and how we are changing.

Sex may be “taboo”, but it’s the ultimate gift if done consciously, and when you’re more consciousness you’re more likely to take opportunistic riskier behaviors as you’re most self-assured of a favorable outcome. It’s this mindset that guarantees you have a healthy libido that can activate on command, if the situation presents itself and it’s to your benefit.

Libido isn’t just an important aspect of sex, but an integral part of human willpower, creativity, and drive.

“Sex is energy work, it touches the deepest parts of body and soul”

I write this as a male in touch with my yin and yang nature, and it should resonate with everyone at some level as we each have a divine feminine and divine masculine part of ourselves. One reason libido shuts down and is one day realized lost by a lot of people is that they haven’t connected to any energy sources that feed the source of their libido, the root chakra. Is your root chakra open or closed, in what situations and with who? Is the energy of your root chakra being drained by your actions or energetic bonds you have with others? These are important questions to ask yourself and answer honestly when seeking to restore your natural libido.

Energy connections at the root Chakra are the most rooted in the deeper energetics of the planet <2 Hz, and it’s there that you can begin to reclaim your sovereign root chakra energy. To create a 2 Hz or lower frequency at the root chakra, aka the hips, then you need to practice muscular exercises for that part of the body known as kegels.

Kegels for Increasing Libido

To make kegels easier, lay on a earthing sheet connected to the Earth. Contract your glutes, squeeze your rectum, breathe up into your diaphragm, and perform this pattern of breathing, contraction, and relaxation for the musculature you want at a slow rhythm of your choosing. Once you have a regular pattern going, explore the frequency range. Being electrically connected to the Earth, you will attune yourself to the electrical currents of the Earth known as tellurics at whichever frequency you are pulsing at. Change your frequency slowly around 0.5 to 3 Hz and find the cycles per second that’s easier to maintain unconsciously because that is where the Earth frequency is strongest. If you accomplish this, and it’s possible because I do it, you can turn your focus to breathing and visualization and let the magic happen all on its own. You may experience auto-orgasm if the stimulation enough, even without using your hands in any way. If this occurs consider it a crowning accomplishment of connecting to your libido.

I have been performing deep work on my hip to level it out, and I find that before I fall asleep I naturally begin to exercise with kegels, and it’s in this space that I have my best insights into sexual health and romance. When I lay down to sleep I keep my hands to the side as recommended with dream Yoga. When I practice kegels consistently and work deep around the sexual organs I find it is good for my energy metabolism, the endocrine system and having healthy hormone levels, sexual reproduction, and for stimulating creative energies.

Hormones and Libido

For men, a lot of libido boils down to prolactin levels. Having low prolactin levels means a stronger libido, harder and longer erections, a short refractory period (time in-between ejaculations), and determination/willpower. Dopamine can be high only when prolactin is low, and after ejaculation dopamine goes down while prolactin goes up. For women prolactin is elevated during breast feeding and is associated with breast development. The ideal arrangement for health and reproductive evolution is for women to have high prolactin levels and for men to have low prolactin levels.

Herbs that reduce prolactin levels over time are blue lotus flower and cannabis. More nuance on that in the following section. For men and women another very important aspect for having healthy libido is to have balanced testosterone and estrogen levels.

Beneficial hormone changes that are governed by behavior (engaging in manly or feminine activities, flirting and socializing, etc) are long lasting and stable, and when building those healthy habits there are herbs that can help the process greatly by changing your brain and hormone chemistry.

Herbs for Increasing Libido

There are various herbs that stimulate and enhance libido through distinct but overlapping pathways. Any of the herbs below can be used to increase libido, and I have a safe and synergistic natural libido enhancing stack I will describe how to use at the end that is comprised of these herbs.

Blue Lotus Flower

The African blue water lily Nymphaea caerulea contains rich plant pharmacology and was used by the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years as one component in an elixir of life known as didi.

How does it work? Blue lotus flower contains alkaloids apomorphine and nuciferine which modulate the parasympathetic nervous system, dopamine levels and transport, and serotonin levels and transport. Activates the thalamus and is a potentiator for psychedelics in my experience and as recorded throughout history. Lowers prolactin which helps in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Cautions: Blue lotus flower is sedative and liver produced metabolites from its alkaloids can be toxic to the kidneys. Do not consume in excess, pairs exceptionally well with the herb cistanche due to cistanche’s renal benefits and antioxidant nature as observed in the brain. Under conditions of stomach sensitivity, high consumption may trigger the urge to vomit.

Cistanche

Cistanche C. tubulsa, C. deserticola, C. phelypaea, sometimes referred to as the ginseng of the desert or in Traditional Chinese Medicine Rou Cong-Rong is a potent activator of the male hormonal system.

How does it work? Cistanche has a libido boosting effect through its interactions with cholesterol transport, cholesterol being the building block for all hormones. Cistanche boosts testosterone (free and total) by working directly with the gonads. Cistanche also have neurocognitive antioxidant benefits and protects the renal system, which as described above alleviates some of the renal stress created by blue lotus flower.

Using cistanche can make you horny, increase the frequency of erections, cause morning erections, and with long term use (1+ month) enlarge the size of the penis permanently.

Cautions: Cistanche powerfully activate the male hormonal system and for best health and wellness it should be used carefully, being cycled on and off at a 1:1 frequency. For example if you run a cistanche and cholesterol protocol for 2 months, cease using cistanche for 2 months afterwards before using again if desired. Since cistanche increase free testosterone so dramatically (>50% in my case), it can cause increased inflammation throughout the body as the testosterone molecule, like dopamine, isn’t the most stable. This can show as acne, and to help keep the circulatory system and blood free of inflammation I recommend concurrent usage of dandelion root powder. Flavonoids like apigenin found in herbs dandelion and chamomile also reduce the conversation of testosterone to estrogen via aromatase.

Cannabis

Cannabis C. sativa, C. indica, C. ruderalis contains cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN which influence brain chemistry and increase sensory awareness by acting on CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cannabinoids are sticky and are easily absorbed into the blood stream when dry-vaporized.

How does it work? As a mild-psychedelic, cannabis can connect you to parts of your being that you are currently only weakly connected to, like your libido and sexual nature. Cannabis use lowers prolactin and increases sensory pleasure of the sex organs.

Cautions: Heavy long-term cannabis usage can lead to brain changes that while not permanent take time to reverse. Video: Does Smoking Weed Permanently Mess with the Brain? Cannabis, specifically the cannabinoid THC increases heartrate by 10-20 bpm and reduces blood pressure. Cannabis has interactions with the thyroid and adrenal glands and long term usage may lower testosterone production (easily offset by cistanche usage if desired).

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga Mushroom Inonotus obliquus contains a wide variety of beneficial biologic compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects such as polysaccharides, beta-glucans, terpenes, mycoflavonoids, melanin, and other myconutrients.

How does it work? Chaga mushroom is an adaptogen and can slightly boost testosterone on its own in addition to the protective effects it has on the organs and the neuroprotective effects it has in the brain. Modulates the activity of the nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system, a critical component of the libido and sexual systems.

Cautions: Chaga mushroom in high doses can destabilize heart rhythms

Chamomile Flower

Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla is one of nature’s best herbs for overall health and wellness. Contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant phytochemicals.

How does it work? Chamomile guides the autonomic nervous system to increase parasympathetic activity, relaxation being a key requirement to arousal. Increases endogenous flow state alpha brainwave rhythms which have a frequency of 8-12 hz.

Cautions: Chamomile is a very safe herb and can be used in large quantities. Chamomile may trigger an allergic reaction if an existing ragweed allergy exist. Additionally since chamomile reduces platelet clumping, care should be taken with chamomile if already using a blood thinner.

Natural Herbal Aphrodisiac Stack

Cistanche | 200-400 mg daily. Can be split into two doses

• Why? Natural testosterone booster, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, and protects the kidneys

• Purchase Cistanche Powder from Nootropics Depot.

Dandelion root | 1 gram daily. Take it with the cistanche and at the same daily frequency

• Why? Blood purifier with broad antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, possible aromatase inhibitor (flavonoids)

• Purchase Dandelion Root Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Chaga Mushroom | 500 - 1000 mg. Take it with the cistanche and dandelion root powder

• Why? Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, endocrine adaptogen, normalizes the nervous system

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom Powder (course) from Mountain Rose Herbs. Good for brewing with coffee or into tea.

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom 1:1 Extract Powder (fine) from Nootropics Depot. Good for taking with tea/water.

Blue Lotus Flower | For tea use 1-2 grams of ground flower. For vaporization mix with other herbs, only a small amount (100 mg) is needed due to the highly efficient extraction. Can also be smoked.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, lowers prolactin and raises dopamine

• Purchase Blue Lotus Flower from Schmerbals Herbals.

Cannabis | The effect from blue lotus flower is felt the strongest when its bioavailability is increased when consumed alongside cannabis. The important alkaloids of blue lotus flower are highly lipid soluble and cannabinoids are sticky lipids and carry into the bloodsteam easily. Both cannabinoids and alkaloids pass the blood-brain barrier easily.

• Why? Increases dopamine and reduces prolactin, aphrodisiac, increases sensory awareness and pleasure

• Purchase CBD cannabis (in the USA) from Tweedle Farms.

• Purchase THC cannabis (if legal where you live) from a dispensary or grow it yourself ;)

Chamomile | Chamomile tea activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest, feed and breed) nervous system and is a good carrier for the cistanche, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, and blue lotus flower.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, stabilizes heart and brain rhythms, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory

• Purchase Chamomile Flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs. Blue Chamomile Essential Oil can also be applied topically where desired (forehead and pubic area is best for libido); highly effective!

*Aphrodisiac Tea | 2:1:1:1 ratio of chamomile flowers, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, blue lotus flower. Add the cistanche powder to the tea after steeping. Course-grained chaga mushroom powder and dandelion root can be steeped with the chamomile flowers, or the fine-grained powders of each can be added after steeping the chamomile and blue lotus flower tea alongside the cistanche.

• Purchase Bodum French Press from Amazon.

*Aphrodisiac Dry-Vaporization Blend | 2:2:2:1:1 ratio of blue lotus flower, THC cannabis, CBD cannabis, damiana leaf, chamomile flower.

• Purchase Fury Edge Dry-Vaporizer from Healthy Rips.

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If you find the advice and science shared in this article useful, share it where it can also help others rediscover and connect to their natural libido.

If you use any of the herbs above, specifically if you try the who Aphrodisiac Stack, please share your experiences in the comments below.

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Ober C, Sinatra S, Martin Z. Earthing. Second Edition. Basic Health Publications, Inc.; 2014.

3. Emboden W. The sacred journey in dynastic egypt: shamanistic trance in the context of the narcotic water lily and the mandrake. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 1989;21(1):61-75.

4. Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.

5. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

6. Andre CM, Hausman JF, Guerriero G. Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Front Plant Sci. 2016;7.

7. González-Castejón M, Visioli F, Rodriguez-Casado A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70(9):534-547.

8. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Can Marijuana Help With ADHD?

All Questions Answered

Article by Jennifer Gallagher, edited by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition. It causes individuals to have trouble focusing, staying calm and sitting still when needed, and sometimes those with ADHD display impulsive behavior. Many people with ADHD are looking for natural methods of treatment, and the question often comes up if weed can help with ADHD symptoms, or whether it worsens them?

Cannabis has the reputation of relaxing consumers, which many believe could benefit those with ADHD. So, can weed have a positive effect on the condition? Should you plant cannabis seeds and grow your own medicinal batch to help with ADHD treatment?

Discover how marijuana interacts with ADHD and whether it has the potential to provide relief for patients with the condition.

Can Cannabis Help With ADHD?

There hasn’t been a lot of research regarding the effects of marijuana on individuals with ADHD. Due to weed’s Schedule I status, federal studies are restricted. However, some research is available that provides insights into whether marijuana helps with ADHD:

• A 2016 study (1) looked at online posts that discussed cannabis and ADHD. The results showed that 25% promoted a positive message about combining the two, while only 8% said it might be harmful.

• In 2020 a small study (2) of 112 ADHD patients who used medicinal weed took place. Researchers discovered that those who received a higher dose of cannabidiol (CBD) took less of their ADHD medication.

• A study in 2021 (3) of 1,700 students showed that those who used cannabis for ADHD enjoyed positive results. They reported improved symptoms and fewer side effects from their regular medication.

Despite most evidence pointing to the fact that weed might improve ADHD, more research is needed. Few states include the condition on their qualifying list for a medical cannabis card.

How Does Weed Interact With ADHD Medication?

Adderall is a common medication prescribed to patients with the condition. There’s limited research on how this medication for ADHD and cannabis interact, though. One 2015 study (4) found that when the two were taken together, the effects were unique in comparison to each by itself.

If you take medication for ADHD and consume marijuana, be upfront with your doctor. Cannabis is now legal in various parts of the US, and your healthcare provider can help you understand the benefits and risks when mixing it with ADHD medications.

CBD or THC: Which Is Better for ADHD?

The two main cannabinoids in weed, THC and CBD, determine the physiological and psychological effects you experience when using cannabis. THC is the compound that makes users feel “high” by producing psychoactive effects. Most users experience euphoria and heightened senses with strains high in this cannabinoid. CBD provides similar positive feelings and balances nervous system activity but doesn’t get you stoned.

Most consumers prefer to consume CBD for ADHD, so look for cultivars high in the compound. The calming and focused effects improve their symptoms, and they can continue their day as usual.

THC-V is an interesting cannabinoid in regards to treating ADHD because it is similar in effect to Adderall in increasing focus, but it’s a natural compound. THC-V is found in high concentrations in Durban Poison, a specific strain of cannabis that hails from South Africa.

Which Cannabis Strains Are Best for ADHD?

Many people are unaware of the sheer variety of marijuana strains on offer. Hundreds are available, categorized as indicas, sativas, or hybrids—a combination of both. How do they differ?

Sativa cultivars provide consumers with an energy boost and a feeling of euphoria. Some users report an increased ability to focus and get more tasks done.

Indica strains provide a sense of calm and physical relaxation. Patients with chronic pain claim to experience relief with these cultivars.

Instead of picking just an indica or sativa for ADHD, a hybrid is more suitable. This way, consumers enjoy balanced effects to potentially treat all symptoms of the condition.

The sativa genetics may help patients concentrate better, allowing them to accomplish more goals. The indica heritage could encourage individuals to sit still for extended periods and control impulsive behavior.

Because cannabis is such a diverse herb there are a lot of different factors to consider when selecting the right cannabis strain, learn how to select the right cannabis strain with our cannabis buyers guide.

Are There Any Risks of Using Weed for ADHD?

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) (5) warns that there may be long-term, adverse effects of using THC, especially in early brain development. The risks include:

• Slowed cognitive development

• Increased risk of depression and anxiety

• Lower IQ

• Attention, learning, and memory problems

For this reason, THC cannabis use for minors is extremely rare. However, there’s not a lot of evidence to support the same idea with CBD. Although more studies need to happen, anecdotal reports suggest CBD may help ADHD symptoms with minimal risk. The reason for this is because CBD has only a low binding affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors but it can still act as an antagonist for these receptors which is useful for treating nervous system and mental disorders.

Can a Child Safely Use Cannabis for ADHD?

ADHD is more common in young people, but marijuana isn’t legal for this age group. Even in regions where recreational cannabis use is allowed, users must be over 18 or 21. Medical marijuana use for children is almost non-existent—only those with a severe form of epilepsy can consume it at the moment. For now, kids with ADHD cannot access the potential benefits of CBD for their condition. Psychoactive cannabinoids like THC should never be consumed by minors.

What Other Herbs are Useful for ADHD?

If you’re still waiting for your state to legalize cannabis, there are some other herbs for those with ADHD to try. These natural remedies make an excellent alternative to prescribed medication and come with little to no side effects.

• Green oats: These are a version of unripe oats and get harvested before the crop matures. Anecdotal reports claim the herb boosts attention and concentration.

• Ginseng: This natural remedy has been used for centuries in China, and ginseng has a reputation for increasing energy and brain function. The “red ginseng” variety may also help calm restless ADHD patients.

• Pine bark extract: A 2021 study (6) of 20 kids with ADHD found this extract helped lower hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

• Brahmi: This herb, sometimes known as water hyssop, thrives in the wild in India. There, locals have used it for centuries to improve memory and brain function.

• Ginkgo biloba: This is another natural medicine long used to boost mental sharpness and memory. A study in 2014 (7) showed that children with ADHD who took the extract experienced improved symptoms.

• Herbal teas: These drinks are a safe option for children looking for relief from the effects of ADHD. Lemongrass, chamomile, and spearmint are all ideal for drinking before bed to encourage a good night’s rest and to calm hyperactivity.

One key way herbs help with mental health problems like ADHD is by improving the functioning of the gut-brain axis by shifting the gut microbiome towards greater symbiosis with you the host. Learn more about how herbal teas help with gut health by clicking the button below:

The Jury’s Still Out

So, can weed cure ADHD? With few research findings, it’s hard to say for sure. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence and a few studies to suggest marijuana may help ADHD symptoms, but more is needed. What is clear is that when used responsibly, cannabis increases consciousness, which is useful for all mental health conditions.

In the future, we hope to see further research on cannabis use for the condition. As laws surrounding marijuana consumption ease countrywide in the US and worldwide, there’s hope that soon you’ll be able to pop over to your local dispensary with a medical cannabis card and purchase your favorite strain to help ease your ADHD symptoms, or symptoms from other mental health issues.

If you live where weed cultivation is legal, nothing stops you from buying seeds and growing your own. Remember to speak to your doctor to understand how cannabis reacts to your medication and give it a try.

The potential benefits of marijuana are staggering, and you may find the relief you need from this natural herb. To learn more about all the herbal uses of cannabis and the science of it’s cannabinoids, visit the cannabis herbalism page.

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References:

1. Mitchell JT, Sweitzer MM, Tunno AM, Kollins SH, McClernon FJ. “I use weed for my adhd”: a qualitative analysis of online forum discussions on cannabis use and adhd. Lidzba K, ed. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(5):e0156614.

2. Hergenrather J, Aviram J, Vysotski Y, Campisi-Pinto S, Lewitus G, Meiri D. Cannabinoid and Terpenoid Doses are Associated with Adult ADHD Status of Medical Cannabis Patients. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. 2020;11(1).

3. Stueber A, Cuttler C. Self-reported effects of cannabis on adhd symptoms, adhd medication side effects, and adhd-related executive dysfunction. J Atten Disord. 2022;26(6):942-955.

4. Kollins SH, Schoenfelder EN, English JS, et al. An exploratory study of the combined effects of orally administered methylphenidate and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) on cardiovascular function, subjective effects, and performance in healthy adults. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2015;48(1):96-103.

5. NIDA. 2021, April 13. What are marijuana's long-term effects on the brain?. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-are-marijuanas-long-term-effects-brain on 2022, July 22

6. Hsu C, Hsieh L, Chen Y, et al. Complementary effects of pine bark extract supplementation on inattention, impulsivity, and antioxidative status in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder: A double‐blinded randomized placebo‐controlled cross‐over study. Phytotherapy Research. 2021;35(6):3226-3235.

7. Uebel-von Sandersleben H, Rothenberger A, Albrecht B, Rothenberger LG, Klement S, Bock N. Ginkgo biloba extract egb 761 ® in children with adhd: preliminary findings of an open multilevel dose-finding study. Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie. 2014;42(5):337-347.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Healing a Relationship with Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cannabis is an amazing plant with many profound qualities. Using cannabis responsibly can profoundly change one’s life and assist with an evolution in consciousness. Because of its powerful effects on human physiology and psychology, cannabis has held a prominent place spiritually and medicinally in human culture around the world for thousands of years. It is a very powerful herb capable of changing perception of time and reality, and though its use is most likely to cause an awakening of consciousness, it does possess some narcotic properties which have the potential to be abused.

I have gone through many different phases of using cannabis in my five years with the plant, from initial exploration to only using it spiritually and then overusing it on a daily basis, and in this article I’ll share what I’ve learned in the process of healing my relationship with cannabis back from overuse to conscious use.

Smoking the Devil’s Lettuce

The alternate label of “Devil’s Lettuce” for cannabis was coined sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century as an anti-cannabis movement sprung up. No doubt the abusive use of cannabis by some morphed into a widely held belief that cannabis had no valid recreational, medical, or spiritual use. Dark negative labels were placed onto the plant, casting a shadow over its potential to heal various ailments and awaken human consciousness. Cannabis (and psilocybin containing magic mushrooms) is still characterized as a schedule 1 drug under the United States Controlled Substances Act which states that “it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”

While cannabis does have a potential for abuse, it’s not a high potential, especially not when compared to the other drugs on the Schedule 1 list that deserve to be there like heroin and bath salts. Points two and three, that it has no valid medical use and a lack of accepted safety practices, are blatant lies by the United States government. Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years and has an extremely strong safety profile.

A further issue with classifying cannabis as a schedule 1 drug is that it’s changed the economics of growing cannabis. Cannabis cultivation was driven to the black market, and overtime high-THC strains became dominant. Whereas a 15% THC strain used to be considered very powerful, now local dispensaries in legal states regularly sell cannabis with THC concentrations above 30%. THC is the main psychoactive in cannabis, and when cannabis is not balanced in its cannabinoid ratios between THC, CBD, CBN, CBC, and others, the narcotic properties of cannabis are amplified. By labeling cannabis as a narcotic and criminalizing its usage, the United States government created the very thing they were seeking to destroy.

I lay out this history because in states and countries where cannabis is legal for use, or if someone has a hookup, they are usually at the mercy of the cannabis available for purchase. Most dispensaries I’ve gone to have at least one or two strains of cannabis that were grown outdoors and organically (and ideally it’s a 1:1 THC to CBD hybrid) but those options exist among dozens or even hundreds of other cannabis products that are out of balance in their cannabinoid ratios, may have been heavily processed and distilled, were grown with pesticides and fertilizers, and may have been grown under artificial lighting in microbiologically “dead” soil. Cannabis grown under unnatural conditions produces unnatural cannabis that has much greater addictive properties, can cause health problems, and may disturb mental health.

Cannabis and the Bioelectrical System

To understand how an abuse of cannabis can develop, and how to then heal that dysfunctional relationship to cannabis, it’s important to fist learn the basic of how cannabis effects the body.

Running parallel to the nervous system is the endocannabinoid system, and the two are both components of what’s known as the bioelectrical system. The bioelectrical system is what controls the flow of energy and information throughout the body, and its cannabis’s effects on the bioelectrical system that give it many of its healing abilities. For example consider how cannabis can stop epileptic seizures and Parkinson’s muscle spasms; epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease both being disorders of the bioelectrical system.

Cannabis’s activation and balancing of the bioelectrical system is also responsible for its ability to increase human consciousness. A person’s bioelectrical status is not the sole determining factor in their state of consciousness, but it’s typically the largest factor. The bioelectrical system has a very powerful influence on health, wellness, and consciousness, and cannabis along with magic mushrooms provide a pathway towards healing bioelectrical imbalances and then further evolving the bioelectrical system. The evolutionary path Homo sapiens has taken for millions of years now has been to further increase our bioelectrical abilities; our big brains prove that. This drive to evolve the bioelectrical system to better feel subtle energies is innate in us and encoded into our very DNA. In fact, bioelectric fields alter DNA expression and optimizing human bioelectricity has the ability to radically change a person inside and out.

Cannabis is Food for Human Consciousness

Humans have a strong evolutionary drive to increase their bioelectrical capabilities (as it has proven successful for our species) and cannabis is a herb that harmoniously activates the bioelectrical system when grown under biodynamic conditions.

The reason why so many people have broken and abusive relationships with cannabis is because they’re using low quality cannabis.

A certain amount of bioelectrical activation is required to reach certain thresholds of consciousness. This activation is dependent not solely on THC but also other cannabinoids like CBD as well as phytochemicals like terpenes. Cannabis that is grown removed from nature (sun, rain, soil microbiome, fungal networks, etc) is imprinted with less consciousness and energy than cannabis that is grown in harmony with nature. Even if grown in a poor environment, the genetics of cannabis still provides it some unique goodies like abundant terpenes and cannabinoids, and for people who instinctually are seeking out a way to evolve bioelectrically, lesser quality cannabis will still do more for them than a simple banana ever will.

Food allows us to draw the best parallel to what’s happening here. The nutritional quality of food has been declining for decades now as monocrop industrial agriculture has been destroying the soil microbiome and draining the soil of nutrients. The nutrient quality of a tomato from the 2010’s was remarkably less than the nutrient quality of a tomato from the 1850’s, and while the nutritional quality of most of our food has plummeted, our nutritional needs have remained the same. It might take eating two tomatoes to now receive the nutrition of eating one back in the day, and with some fruits and vegetables the number is much higher. Eating more and more food to receive the same amount of nutrition places unwanted stress on the body, which then can lead to inflammation, obesity, and disease.

Like our food supply, most cannabis now is heavily deficient in the nutrients the body desires except for THC of which there is now an overabundance. And so just like the overeating epidemic that we have, there is an overconsumption of cannabis epidemic that is occurring as people smoke/vape/ingest more and more in an attempt to reach those critical thresholds required for bioelectrical and consciousness advancement. More consumption that does less places a much greater stress on the body, resulting in physical and mental health symptoms. As cannabinoid receptors become overly activated, over time they downregulate in their action potential and the entire endocrine (hormone) system adapts in a way to encourage a cessation of use.

Armed with this knowledge it’s now clear to see how this unbalanced relationship with cannabis can be healed and again placed on the right trajectory.

Resetting Cannabis Usage

There are a few methods that are very useful in resetting a dysfunctional relationship with cannabis. I found my relationship with cannabis became dysfunctional when I began using cannabis once a day or more and I wasn’t using cannabis of the highest caliber. Everyone is different in how they use plant medicines, but in general I recommend that cannabis should be used sparingly and respectfully. Allow time in-between each use to really integrate the lessons realized from the prior use.

The first and most important thing to do in resetting cannabis usage is to completely stop using cannabis and cannabis derived products. This is known as a T-break, and where one person might require only a 2 week T-break, someone else might require a 3 month T-break or longer. Ceasing all usage of cannabis allows cannabinoid receptors to return to normal in their distribution and effect. If cannabis receptors are completely out of balance, even in someone switches from poor quality cannabis to high-quality cannabis, the system will still be overloaded and the beneficial effects of the good cannabis won’t be felt. Then if the effects aren’t easily observed, the person may think “bugger this, I’m not spending extra on this fancy weed! I’ll keep smoking my regular stuff, or even better let’s see if they have a higher THC strain available”. Only with a T-break can cannabinoid receptors and the entire hormonal system be reset to baseline, a necessary step.

After a t-break of sufficient duration, and you’ll have to be honest with yourself to know how long that will be, then the second step to healing a relationship with cannabis is to only use high-quality cannabis and to say no to everything else. The bare minimum as I see it is outdoor organically grown cannabis, and if it’s not possible to find a 1:1 THC:CBD strain, then get a hold of both a THC strain and a CBD strain grown organically outdoors without pesticides and mix them together for use. Being very mindful of pesticides is very important because smoking or vaporizing cannabis coated in pesticides volatilizes them and causes major health problems with continuous exposure.

After a successful T-break and now armed with high-quality weed, the next step is to break old habits by establishing a new intention behind using the plant and to create a ritual around that. Rituals are a powerful way to bring awareness into a situation, and for example you could create a ritual where you only use cannabis if surrounded in nature with plans to do yoga, grounding, or meditation (three bioelectrical activities themselves) during the high. Set an intention, say a few words about what you’d like the cannabis to help you do, whether that’s increase your level of consciousness or simply to help you relax, and then have a small amount. Wait and see how it feels, stay in the present and shift your awareness internally. If guided by spirit to have more, then have some more, but follow your intuition not past behaviors. By creating and following the right ritual, old behaviors can be broken and forgotten and in their place a new relationship to cannabis can blossom.

The final thing that can be done to help reset a relationship with cannabis is to change the method of usage. If you smoke cannabis then switch to using a dry herb vaporizer like those sold by Healthy Rips. Vaporizing is healthier and more efficient. If you vaporize excessively experiment with cannabis lotions and creams. Mix cannabis with other herbs like chamomile, lavender, or mint and see how they blend together synergistically. By changing the method of delivery you can experience new ways that cannabis can activate your bioelectricity which provides a new perspectives to examine your past usage from.

I hope you found this information useful, it’s a summarization of what I’ve learned about cannabis in my five years of use and how I reset my relationship with cannabis successfully where I no longer feel I “need it”. Please share your cannabis relationship stories in the comments below.

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How Athletes Benefit from Cannabinoids

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cannabis and its cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) have been used for thousands of years recreationally, medicinally, and spiritually. Cannabinoids exert effects on the endocannabinoid system in the body, which changes conscious experience, enhances the mind-muscle connection, increases heart rate while reducing blood pressure, and downregulates pain receptors. Used responsibly, the combined physiological and psychological effects of cannabis make it an effective plant medicine which can be used for a variety of wellness purposes. For athletes, cannabinoids can be used to heal from injury faster, reduce pain, modulate satiety, and increase athletic performance.

Athletes benefit from CBD and THC in a variety of ways. CBD and THC are anti-inflammatory compounds that activate the endocannabinoid system, a bioelectric pathway which runs parallel with the nervous system throughout the body. Because of this unique pathway cannabinoids deliver anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects to locations difficult to reach with other herbs or modern drugs. The anti-inflammatory and pain reducing effects of cannabis can be applied locally via creams and oils, or full body effects are possible with the use of tinctures, edibles, or dry vaporization. With the right dosing, combining local and full body application of cannabinoids has powerful therapeutic effects.

Table of Contents:

1. Use Cannabis to Heal from Injury

2. Use Cannabis to Increase Athletic Performance

3. Use Cannabis to Heal the Digestive System

4. Use Cannabis to Rest Better

5. How to Use Cannabis

6. Choosing the Right Cannabis

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Use Cannabis to Heal from Injury

The anti-inflammatory and pain reducing effects of cannabis is most useful for athletes when an injury is sustained. Cannabinoids help the body to heal better, and by reducing pain, restorative healing methods like muscle and joint flossing which regrow joint cartilage can be performed with less discomfort. Pain is the body’s way of bringing conscious attention to a problem that needs addressing, and in this manner it is helpful biofeedback as to what the problem is and how to fix it. When a muscle or joint injury is sustained, the fastest way to heal the affected area is to utilize a multi-faceted approach by eating an anti-inflammatory diet, utilizing heat therapy (via a sauna, bath, or heat wrap), and begin mobilizing the effected area slowly and safely. Mobilization is especially important as it increases blood flow to the site of injury, improves proper movement patterns (best done with the help of a professional), and broadens range of motion.

The degree of mobilization possible depends on the level of injury. Only a small amount of mobilization may be possible depending on the severity of the injury, for example just wiggling the toes after rolling an ankle may be all that is safely possible to start. Mobilization of an injured area done just to the edge of pain progressively and consistently will speed up the healing process and strengthen the weakened tissues. Utilizing cannabinoids, athletes can reduce pain signals to more appropriate levels while performing mobilization exercises and stretches, reducing stress and fatigue which increases the rate of healing. For optimal athletic performance, injury is to be avoided at all cost, and if an injury is sustained, then healing the injury as fast and completely as possible in order to get back to training and competition is of the utmost priority. Cannabis use can help prevent injury and if injury does occur, cannabis can speed up the healing process.

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Use Cannabis to Increase Athletic Performance

Because of how cannabinoids are transported and used throughout the body, cannabinoids increase the ability to perceive hyper-localized muscular contractions and proper movement patterns. For bodybuilders, being able to feel a muscle is known as the mind-muscle connection, and bodybuilders utilize enhanced muscular sensory awareness to better target certain muscle groups for selective growth to achieve better aesthetic symmetry. For athletes in other sports, the mind-muscle connection can be used to better connect with movement patterns important for that sport. This could be a golf swing or the throw of a ball. Proper mechanics will improve power output while reducing energy usage by increasing movement efficiency. Because cannabis enhances kinesthetic awareness, it can be used to better feel and therefore learn higher quality movement patterns.

Cannabis for many people also improves endurance. Lower blood pressure and a faster heart rate increases time to exhaustion and can allow an athlete to push beyond limits normally encountered. Another reason cannabis can increase endurance is due to its psychoactive properties. Cannabis high in THC changes brainwave patterns to make it easier to enter into a flow state. It is being able to enter into a flow state that separates the best athletes from their peers who may become distracted or anxious in the same situation. Cannabis can help an athlete learn how to enter into a flow state easier and how to maintain it for longer, and with practice this can be done naturally without the use of cannabis.

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Use Cannabis to Heal the Digestive System

Due to the stress of training and competition, and the need for ample fuel, it is common for athletes to suffer from gut problems like leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and food intolerances. Gut health problems are especially prevalent among weightlifters. Gut inflammation is one of the primary symptoms of a dis-eased gut, and the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis can be used to ease gut inflammation. The digestive system is a high blood flow group of organs, and when dry-vaporized or consumed via a tincture or an edible, cannabinoids exert some of their anti-inflammatory effects on the digestive system directly before circulating throughout the rest of the body. Oils and creams can also be applied to the skin of the stomach and navel area. Cannabis usage calms an inflamed gut and eases stress on the digestive system, allowing food to digest more regularly and completely. If suffering from gut health problems, combining cannabis and the FoodFast Method is an effective way to heal the gut and begin digesting food better, thereby improving overall wellness and athletic performance.

Cannabis can also be used to modulate appetite. For some athletes, eating more food may aid in building muscle and increasing strength, while for other athletes reducing appetite may help with cutting body fat and leaning out. Many people report an increase in hunger when using cannabis high in THC, though individual effect will vary. For cutting calories, the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is an effective appetite suppressant, reducing hunger and increasing satiety. THCV is a rare cannabinoid found only in certain strains of cannabis, Durban Poison being the most common high THCV strain, containing up to 1% or more of the unique appetite-suppressing cannabinoid.

In the context of athletic performance where layering on small 1-3% performance increases can make the difference between first and last place, athletes who use cannabis to take more direct control over their gut health and appetite are afforded an extra edge.

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Use Cannabis to Rest Better

Equally as important as training is resting. Without adequate rest and recovery, adaptations to the training stimulus will be impaired and more effort will have been expended for less effect than possible. If a training session was too stressful on the body, or an injury occurs, cannabinoids can be used to help the body self-regulate down into a less stressful parasympathetic state. While in a parasympathetic state the body rests and digests, assimilating new nutrients into the connective structures of the body, healing inflamed tissues, and performing cellular autophagy. When in a parasympathetic state long enough, cortisol lowers to healthy baselines which is necessary for proper hormone health and to avoid adrenal fatigue, a problem common to athletes who push themselves to the edge.

High CBD to THC cannabis strains or products promote relaxation and calm the body and mind down. For many people cannabis improves their sleep dramatically, and this is the most important parasympathetic state the body enters into on a daily basis. Improving sleep is the best way to enhance recovery and therefore one of the best ways to improve athletic performance. Tinctures, edibles, and topicals are the best way to use cannabis to enhance rest and recovery.

Note - Peak athletic performance can disrupt hormone health heavily, and any way an athlete can maintain a healthy hormonal system using safe practices is to be encouraged. Cannabis usage can lower testosterone levels if used in excess.

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How to Use Cannabis

There are many different ways to use cannabinoids and they all have differences in effect. Oral consumption will be the broadest in effect, have the longest duration, but will take up to an hour to begin feeling relief. When consuming cannabis orally it is very important to dose properly, as too many cannabinoids ingested especially of the THC variety can be very potent in their psychoactive effects. It is best to start with a small dosage (1-5 mg) and if zero to little effect is felt, consume more only after an hour or more has passed. Individual tolerance will determine how many milligrams of CBD and/or THC are required for medicinal effect, so start small until you know your individual limits.

Dry vaporization of cannabis flower provides instant relief and has a moderate body effect, though more condensed in the torso and head as the cannabinoids are absorbed into the bloodstream by the lungs. With dry vaporization the effect is shorter in duration than with oral consumption and therefore more easily dosed. I use and recommend dry vaporizers from Healthy Rips.

Healthy Rips sells many different handheld dry vaporizers which are very efficient in volatilizing cannabinoids, and all of their vaporizers are fairly priced. My personal favorite vaporizer is the Fury Edge. The smaller Fury 2 is also a nice product and more affordable.

Fury Edge features:

• 2300 mAh Battery, adjustable session timer between 3-7 minutes

• Temperature range of 280°- 430°F

• Chamber capacity 0.175g to 0.205g

Cannabis lotions and creams are absorbed transdermally and can provide localized relief. it can take up to thirty minutes to begin feeling the effects though the onset is usually rapid. CBD creams are fairly common and inexpensive, and while there are cannabis creams, lotions, and oils that contain THC, they can be hard to dose properly and are expensive. When combining cannabis topicals with other methods of consumption, it is my recommendation to only use CBD topicals in order to avoid dosing too much THC. CBD is the cannabinoid most responsible for pain and inflammation relief, and for this reason CBD topicals can be very helpful for any athlete looking to enhance performance via the reasons listed above.

Note - Smoking of flower is to be avoided as smoke contains many carcinogens and temperatures above combustion destroy cannabinoids. Oral consumption, topical application, and dry vaporization are healthier options for using cannabis and preserve more cannabinoids in the process.

The wellness effects of cannabis are best felt when a small amount of THC is used alongside CBD, and to minimize the psychoactive effects of cannabis and for best therapeutic effect, a ratio of 1:1 to 4:1 is ideal (CBD:THC).

The most powerful way to use cannabis is to combine them all for localized and full body effect. Depending on the dosage the effect can be quite strong so be well prepared with a place you can stretch and rest with no looming responsibilities and use your best judgement. The amounts given are generalized and should be adjusted according to your individual tolerance and body type.

Full Body Cannabis Healing and Pain Relief Protocol:

1. Ingest a 5mg CBD or 1:1 tincture edible.

2. Thirty minutes later apply 100% CBD cream to any painful or injured trouble areas as well as on the bottom of the feet and along the spine (areas of high nerve density). Any remainder on the hands rub in.

3. Thirty minutes after topical application dry vaporize CBD and/or THC flower as much as necessary for medical relief and relaxation. Dry vaporizing 0.1 - 0.2 grams is typically enough when combined with the edible and creams.

Note - This cannabis protocol is made more effective when combined with grounding. Grounding is a method of resetting the charge of your bioelectrical system to that of the Earth, which has healing and anti-inflammatory effects.

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Choosing the Right Cannabis

When choosing cannabis flower or a product to use, you must consider the energetics the plant experienced during its growth. Was the cannabis grown indoors or outdoors? With pesticides or without pesticides. Were fertilizers used? Was the plant told it was loved? The life a cannabis plant experienced influences the effect the cannabis will have on your body. This is true with all foods and substances, and for a plant with mild psychedelic properties like cannabis, these considerations are especially important. Cannabis grown biodynamically is the best option, with the second best option being organically grown cannabis. When buying cannabis flower or products confirm that zero pesticides were used as pesticide residue if ingested or vaporized can be dangerous.

Cannabis is an incredible plant medicine which has many wellness uses for regular people and athletes alike. Please use cannabis responsibly and not until brain structure is fully developed (>25 years old). Please consult with a holistic wellness practitioner before using cannabis.

Share your experiences using cannabis for rest, healing, or athletic endeavors in the comments below.

Disclosure: Healthy Rips affiliate links are in this article, from which I receive a commission. The purchase price remains the same if you use the affiliate link, and the commission is used to grow Wild Free Organic. Thanks for your support.

How to choose Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

With reality warping chemicals, it is very important to consider the energetics and how they affect the experience. Cannabis is one of the most popular psychedelics people use worldwide to raise their level of consciousness.

Cannabis is a gentle quick-growing plant which produces cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Cannabis plants can grow to 2 meters tall or greater, and have good root systems which are electrically coupled with the Earth. Cannabis flowers into buds, which is where the majority of the cannabinoids are concentrated. Cannabinoids interface with the endocannabinoid system in the human body. The endocannabinoid system runs parallel to the nervous system, and it is through this shared overlapping footprint that THC, CBD, THCV, and other cannabinoids have their time dilation and psychedelic effects on the human experience.

When choosing a cannabis flower to use, either through an edible or dry vaporized, you must then consider the energetics the plant experienced during its growth. Was the cannabis grown indoors or outdoors? With pesticides or without pesticides. Were fertilizers used? Was the plant told it was loved?

With these considerations in mind, biodynamic cannabis is the best choice for all reasons. Biodynamic farming methods are based outdoors, use zero pesticides, and use natural land-derived fertilizers like compost. The people growing the cannabis on the biodynamic farm are also more likely to be spiritually evolved and freer of stress. The closer the alignment of the cannabis growers to source-energy, the better the users cannabis experience will be. When using cannabis at a noticeable dose, reality will warp in the direction of the energetic imprint the overall environment imparted on the cannabis plant during it’s growth. Plants remember and have behavior. Chemicals and changes in the physical environment also imprint the cannabis plant with information.

The consciousness of the grower and the environment in that location will be the consciousness experienced by the user. Cannabis flower being grown biodynamically from a highly evolved spiritual person could lead to a spiritual awakening when used. On the other end of the spectrum, cannabis grown in darkness with heavy chemicals attended to by stressed and/or fearful workers will confer upon the user a radically different experience. More broadly, the energetics of an environment will affect the consciousness of everything in that environment.

With laws around the world changing as they are, cannabis is increasingly becoming available. If unable to grow cannabis yourself in your own energetic environment, then the user must be fully conscious when choosing which cannabis they purchase. Using bud grown in a low frequency environment will lead to a lower frequency vibrational state being experienced, with higher frequency being desirable. The benefit of outdoor growing is that the energetic imprint of mother Earth’s consciousness can have the biggest effect on the energetics of the cannabis. The Earth is superconscious compared to a human being, and the more wild yet abundant in resources (water, light, nutrients, etc) a growing environment has, the bigger the imprint Earth will have on the growth of the cannabis. In fact this is true for any organism.

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2021 Cannabis Crop (1 male 3 females) about 1 month before harvest

This is my best result growing cannabis thus far. I created a mini hügelkultur in the bottom of this large pot, starting with a layer of decomposed stump in the very bottom, then dandelion leaves, native mushrooms found in the nearby creek environment, then wood chips and topped with a composted 100% natural potting soil. This cannabis is being grown 100% biodynamically, with no fertilizers or pesticides being used. This was an extremely low maintenance grow, as I was away for the summer, and I was impressed by how well they all did considering all they were given were water. Using the hügelkultur methods and preloading the containers with natural resources was a big help in creating a self-sufficient ecosystem for the cannabis and other organisms to thrive in.

This guide can be applied to food, water, air, and other resources we all depend on. When stuck in a stagnant low energetic state, examine the environment, food, water, air, and people you surround yourself with to better understand what factors are dragging you down and then strategize how to change the energetics you consume and surround yourself with.

Experience From a Three Month THC Break

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

From the dates of August 20th, 2020 to November 14th, 2020 I took a break from all cannabis containing THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid. During this time I did consume small amounts (5-15 mg) of CBD here or there via gummies, and there was one CBD pre-roll I enjoyed, but I did not experience the effects of any psychoactive THC during this time. Having used THC regularly for the past few years, and then abstaining completely for 3 months, was a very enlightening experience.

Before I share what I learned from taking a 3 month THC tolerance break, I will share what I learned after four years of cannabis usage.

Four Years of Cannabis Experience

I first started experimenting with plant medicine around the age of 25. Before this I had never used cannabis or any other plant medicine because of the knowledge of how the brain is still developing until the age of 25. The brain still exhibits plasticity and the ability to change beyond 25, but most of the large structural changes are made from -9 months to 25 years of age.

At first I only consumed cannabis infrequently when with friends, and we burned our bud. Within a few months, I decided to pursue my understanding of cannabis further by purchasing a small oil vaporizer, which gives pre-measured doses of 2.5 mg and then shuts off. The quality wasn’t good like cannabis flower, but the ability to measure how different amounts like 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 mg made me feel was interesting and useful for a new user like myself.

Once that ran out, I began to consume cannabis more regularly. Knowing the benefits of vaporization over combustion I purchased some vaporizers from Healthy Rips, starting with the Fierce and then followed by the Fury Edge, both products I highly recommend. At times, I was consuming cannabis daily, sometimes many times a day, though never with huge amounts. I only used flower with my vaporizers, and dry herb vaporizers are so efficient at cannabinoid extraction that even with sometimes daily usage I never used more than 1 gram a week. I only purchased top shelf flower (the quality of which varies more than you’d expect), and as I learned the benefits of CBD I began to almost exclusively vaporize THC:CBD blends, from 4:1 to 1:4.

Exploring cannabis plant medicine and learning how to use it was a game changer for me for many reasons, and there were also some drawbacks.

Cannabis for Gut Health

When I first started using cannabis, I had serious gut health problems that I was actively working on healing. I had IBS, leaky gut, many food intolerances (with gluten being the worst), and a fructose intolerance. The anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis helped to soothe my gut issues and improved my digestion. Cannabis didn’t heal my gut…I was able to do that with a combination of mindfulness, dietary changes, fasting, and digestive supplements, but it did help to reduce uncomfortable symptoms and this allowed me to better address the bigger issues at hand (damaged intestinal tight junctions, pathogenic microbiome, inadequate vegetable intake).

Cannabis and Alcohol

Cannabis dramatically reduced my consumption of alcohol. Cannabis is stimulating and energizing for me, and I enjoy these effects much more than the depressing effects of alcohol. For social engagements, I began to use alcohol much less, instead using cannabis via dry vaporization. Removing alcohol from my life except in very rare circumstances has improved my mental health and has also dramatically helped with my gut health.

Cannabis opens the Third Eye

Cannabis opened my third eye and what was once a very slow spiritual progression began to increase exponentially. Pairing cannabis with meditation and yoga broadened my awareness, helped me to look inwards and discover my self. When used responsibly and with intention, cannabis can raise your consciousness.

Cannabis and Shadow Work

Cannabis opens spiritual “doors”, not only upwards but also downwards, and when I was using cannabis the most heavily, a light was shined on some inner work I need to do. This is often referred to as shadow work. Emotional trauma, dark truths about yourself, pain, fear, anxiety…all of this and more is hidden in our shadow selves. To become whole and fully aware of yourself, good and bad, and therefore to have more conscious awareness of your actions through life, it is important to explore both the light and dark inside. Shadow work cannot be ignored forever, and for the best healing results it needs to be done in a safe supportive environment.

Cannabis, specifically THC, can expose the shadow to the light, and if unaware or unprepared for this, it can be overwhelming, causing its own trauma and suffering. If I could go back in time I would caution my younger self to be aware of these effects and to use cannabis more responsibly and only in safe supportive environments.

Cannabis and Lung Health

For lung health, smoking cannabis flower is much worse than vaporizing it, but the inhalation of hot air below combustion temperatures (440 F) still can impact the health and function of the lungs. When consuming cannabis 4+ times a week, I coughed more and I had increased mucus production in the nasals. Vaporizing cannabis was therapeutic in that it was often the only time (before I started meditating frequently) I would take long deep breaths and enjoy that corresponding sense of calm, but vaporizing cannabis flower isn’t a zero impact event. It’s very important to have a regular breathing practice independent of any tobacco or cannabis usage.

Cannabis and Depression/Anxiety

Depending on your internal belief system, cannabis can make you more prone to be depressed or anxious. Because of its effects on time, using cannabis brings stronger awareness to the past and/or the future if the mind wanders there, and thinking about the future can be an anxious endeavor. Using cannabis daily definitely increased my anxiety, but it also made me more aware that I had anxiety, whereas before I was unaware of my anxiety and how I subconsciously changed my actions in order to avoid situations that made me anxious.

How cannabis is grown has an impact on the physical, mental, or emotional effects you experience. Outdoor, sun grown, biodynamic bud will tune you to a pleasing frequency as the plant itself experienced a pleasing life. Consume cannabis from a plant that had a stressful life under artificial lights, pesticides, and disconnected from the Earth, and your high may be stressful too.

Cannabis and Earth/Plant/Animal Connection

Using cannabis expands your awareness into the greater sphere of consciousness. Using cannabis over the past few years has made me more aware of the Earth and the fellow creatures we inhabit our beautiful planet with. All of us share and depend on the same resources. I now better understand the needs of plants, animals, and other humans and have grown much more empathetic.

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In 2022 I stepped away from cannabis quite notably and have cut back my usage dramatically. Now I use CBD cream for the occasional pain and inflammation sore spot, or I enjoy some THC cannabis if i’m guided to it and it is of a high quality. I wrote my thoughts on why I’ve created more space in my relationship with the plant which I know many habitual users of cannabis will find useful.

My Experience with a Three Month THC Break

I decided to take a long duration THC tolerance break for a few reasons. First, I was traveling to a state where cannabis is legal only medically, so instead of getting a medical card I saw the move as an opportunity to clear my system. I took a long step back from THC cannabis so I could more clearly see how it was effecting me physiologically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was also curious to see how fast cannabis cleared my system.

About a week after I stopped using cannabis, I took a five level THC pee test that showed that all THC had cleared from my system, which I was very surprised by. Since then I have taken other THC pee tests at various points during cannabis usage and after stopping usage and have noticed the following:

1. I clear cannabis from my system quickly, for others this may not be true

2. Vaporizing cannabis allows it to clear your system quicker as it’s not inhaled along with tars produced by smoke

Five faint lines meant I was below the detectable THC limit of 15ng/ml within a week of stopped usage. A previous test during regular cannabis usage placed me in the 50-100 ng/ml range.

For the first few weeks into the t-break, I noticed that while cannabis isn’t addictive like nicotine or sugar (and I didn’t experience any withdrawal symptoms), there was a longing for the state of mind it used to put me into. I had clearly created a groove in my brain by cannabis that I liked, and while these urges were never strong, there were there. Occasionally seeing cannabis related content didn’t help, though after a few weeks it didn’t trigger me any which way. This “longing” effect lasted 4-6 weeks, and for this reason a t-break shorter than a month won’t experience as strongly the benefits I am about to describe.

About six weeks in, I felt that I reached a point of complete desensitization to THC. I no longer missed cannabis in the way that I did prior, and I felt more strongly rooted in the present. I had a CBD pre-roll at the halfway point which contained no THC, and overall the pre-roll was a fun and calming experience, though a little hard on the lungs. It didn’t affect my t-break in any way I could tell.

The biggest benefit to going through a long THC break was that it improved my ability to be present and in the moment. While drifting into future possibilities can be fun and enlightening, and THC consumption makes this easier for me, no longer did these future possibilities create a sense of anxiety. My mind was less distracted and worried and I was better able to clear my mind and fully utilize all my senses to be more receptive to what is happening around me. Overall I’m happier! Consistent cannabis usage for me created a sense of tunnel vision, and while this can be used to increase focus, enter into a flow state, and get a lot of work done, it clouds your peripheral vision. There are many many things I missed when I used cannabis more regularly than if I had been in a more balanced state.

After not using THC for nearly 3 months, I discovered I am much more confident and no longer have any anxiety. I began meditating almost daily during this time, so the effects of this are partially due to my meditation practice. My period of cannabis sobriety made me more aware of the importance of eye contact and the confidence behind it, and now I enjoy direct and long lasting eye contact with others as it lets us understand each other’s mental and emotional state better. I can form stronger connections with people faster than before.

If struggling to break usage of THC or cannabis in general, then using a dry vaporizer to vaporize other herbs can ease the transition. The habit of smoking or vaporizing isn’t broken but cannabis is no longer used. Herbs good for vaporizing independent of cannabis include peppermint, chamomile, green tea, among many others.

Reintroducing Cannabis

After 3 months of not using any cannabis containing THC, I dry vaporized about 0.2 grams of a 2:1 CBD:THC blend using the Fury 2 by Healthy Rips. I vaporized this small bowl of cannabis flower twice, once at 365 F and again at 385 F. The first bowl I didn’t feel the effects of, and after the second higher temperature run I experienced a subtle psychoactive effect.

I was watching Hamilton (which is absolutely excellent), and I found I was better able to empathize with the characters and understand their struggles as if I was actually there. Using cannabis took me out of my present surroundings and immersed me into the late 1700’s. I also found myself relating that history and those experiences to the future and I was exploring the parallels of life across the ages. It was fun!

Overall I found my reintroduction to THC to be thought-provoking and enjoyable. It did cause me to completely lose track of time and I lost a lot of my awareness for the present, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. I don’t think this is purely a drawback as sometimes it is good to disconnect; it all depends on the frequency of usage. I also think that if used less frequently, the ratio of CBD:THC can be increased while still experiencing a similar psychoactive effect. This should cause less negative interactions.

The Fury 2 is Healthy Rips entry level herb vaporizer. It can heat herb from 320 to 430 F using convection and conduction technology. It has a stainless steel chamber and glass vapor path.

Overall I am very glad to have done an extended THC break, I found the whole process to be very illuminating and I have a much clearer understanding of how cannabis effects me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Going forward, I am going to be much more intentional with my cannabis usage, saving it for purposeful explorations of spirituality, time spent in nature, or for healing activities like cannabis yoga. While I won’t impose upon myself a strict schedule of when I can use and can’t use cannabis, I don’t see myself using cannabis daily going forward. I want each experience to be maximally potent while also not being frequent enough for any long term effects such as brain chemistry changes or general haziness to develop.

A THC-break is just one way of incorporating discipline into ones life. Practicing abstinence builds emotional maturity, whether you are temporarily abstaining from alcohol, sex, cannabis, sugar, technology, or much more.

If you are currently a heavy user of cannabis, or you’ve never taken a long t-break after you first began using cannabis, I highly recommend you take a long THC fast, record your experiences, and reflect on what you learn from it all. Remember cannabis is a powerful plant medicine best used responsibly and not by anyone under the age of 25.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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More Articles on Cannabis

Cannabis for Raising Consciousness

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The cannabis herb (also known as hemp, weed, marijuana, ganja) has been used across the world for spiritual elevation for thousands of years. Just as evidence exists for tool usage and hunting to have increased brain size, there is ample evidence to suggest that psychedelic herbs and mushrooms used over the course of evolution of the Homo genus helped to increase our ancestors consciousness. It is very likely cannabis co-evolved with Homo sapiens, helping to transform our brains into the neural powerhouses they are today.

Elevating consciousness and spiritual evolution go hand in hand, as spiritual growth paves the way for truth to be discovered, and absolute truth is what allows for higher states of consciousness to be achieved. Cannabis is a mild psychedelic that can be used to elevate consciousness and bring awareness to states of reality, ideas, and truths that otherwise are obscured by the constant distractions and wants of modern society.

Note - The human brain still developing up to the age of +/- 25. I would highly caution against using any consciousness altering substances like cannabis until then. Regular cannabis usage at any age alters brain recruitment and gray matter density in ways that have yet to be understood. Cannabis should be used responsibly.

Meditation can also be used to achieve these higher states of consciousness, no psychedelics required. The advantage of responsible cannabis usage to achieve higher states of consciousness is that it can take you there quickly and then softly float you back down, creating a reference point for your meditation practice in the process.

“What you don’t know exists won’t prompt you to discover it. ”

Personally, without cannabis I am unsure I would have ever begun my spiritual journey towards self-realization. Conscious cannabis usage opened up the door to spirituality and I’m glad I walked through. As I have grown spiritually, I have used cannabis less but more mindfully.

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Use Cannabis with Intention

Elevating consciousness means raising awareness, increasing focus, and having intentions. Cannabis used “just to get high” and to escape from reality is not how you use cannabis for raising consciousness. The quality of the cannabis you use, how you use it, and the intentions you set are all very important when using cannabis for spiritual development. The goal is elevating consciousness is to better perceive truth, and using cannabis in a way that clouds and dulls the mind works against that ambition. If cannabis is being used for reaching higher states of consciousness, it must be done so cleanly and at the minimum effective dose. It is recommended for these reasons that only biodynamic cannabis is used, either through dry vaporization of flower or ingestion. Smoking or usage of any distillates is not recommended.

When using cannabis for a spiritual activity like meditation, yoga, intimacy, or a walk/hike through nature, set your intentions before consumption. Ask yourself what you would like the cannabis aid to help you accomplish or realize. Be emotionally calm and in a relaxed state of mind. Have your mantras or meditation practice prepared. Then, after consumption, use your breath and state of mind to manifest that which you seek. Raising consciousness is a journey that requires patience, so if expectation aren’t met, more cannabis isn’t the answer, nor will it help you achieve your aspirations faster. If it has been a while since you have last consumed, it will take just a little bit of cannabis to adequately activate the endocannabinoid system and raise your consciousness.

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How to Use Cannabis for Elevating Consciousness

Cannabis has been used for spiritual purposes for thousands of years, and before the advent of modern technology, this was either through smoking of the cannabis plant or ingestion. Now with vaporizer technology, cannabis flower can be heated precisely anywhere below the minimum combustion temperature of 230°C (445°F). Compounds found in cannabis that vaporize into a gas at various temperatures below combustion include water, terpenes, and cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Smoking cannabis can release 100+ dangerous compounds whereas vaporization only vaporizes water, terpenes, and cannabinoids out of the plant material. Combustion temperatures also destroy the cannabinoids and much more plant material is required for the same effect. Waste not, want not! It is for these reasons that I do not recommend smoking cannabis.

Healthy Rips manufactures excellent vaporizers which maintain a plastic-free air path. The Fury Edge is portable, has excellent battery life, and produces great vapor and flavor.

Vaporizing cannabis will be the fastest in effect because the cannabinoids are absorbed quickly by bloodstream via lungs, and creates more of a head high. For a longer duration but flatter effect that effects the body and mind equally, cannabis can also be consumed. Cannabinoids will still need to be heated in order to activate into their bioavailable forms (THCa to THC, CBDa to CBD), and this is most often accomplished by creating a cannabis infused oil over light heat. Cannabis that is ingested takes a minimum of 1 hour to first be felt, so be very patient and cautious when consuming cannabis this way. 2.5 or 5 mg is a good starting dose which can be increased by the same amount if the effects aren’t felt after an hour.

A protocol I like to follow which puts me into a great clear head space while increasing my connection to my body is to consume cannabis just at the minimum dose, and then an hour later to vaporize an equivalent amount to create a full body and mind experience. Using cannabis at a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD is recommended. Unless you’re large in size, 5-10 mg of cannabinoids should be enough to enter into that state of clear higher consciousness. If you need to take more than that and you’re a regular cannabis user, consider taking a break, resetting your tolerance and reevaluate your relationship with cannabis in the process. Every cannabis tolerance break I have taken has been a growth experience and has helped me.

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Cannabis Quality Matters

The way cannabis is grown will impact how it affects you upon use. Cannabis grown outside with rich soil and lovingly cared for will be much different in its effects than cannabis grown indoors with synthetic chemicals under artificial lights. Cannabis grown holistically is much different than cannabis grown for maximum THC extraction.

The cannabis plant houses hundreds of unique phytochemicals like cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, amino acids, esters, and many more. When cannabis is grown biodynamically, these chemicals all synthesize and balance in the right ratios for maximum entourage effect. The “whole is greater than the sum” entourage effect is disrupted when the plant is grown under artificial conditions. Cannabis is a plant that requires an ecosystem like any other, and when cannabis is grown monoculture with limited nutrients and only under certain wavelengths of light, the plant won’t develop properly. Biodynamic growing methods ensure cannabis is grown to it’s highest holistic potential.

Cannabis Grown with Love: Biodynamic

• Outdoors

• Full spectrum sunlight

• Natural seasonal day/night cycle

• Rich nourishing soil composted naturally from the land’s organics

• Spring water, rain

• Grown polyculture

• Natural pest control methods are used

• Grown with enrichment in mind and in practice

Cannabis Grown for Greed: Conventional

• Indoors

• Narrow-spectrum high frequency lights

• Artificial light and dark cycles which are changed to induce vegetative or flowering growth

• Inert soil that nutrient cocktails are added to regularly to sustain growth

• Tap water

• Grown monoculture

• Pesticides are used

• Grown with extraction in mind and in practice

The energy of the cannabis you use will be the energy that you experience. Cannabis grown under stressful conditions for maximum extraction is not cannabis that you want to consume at all, let alone as an aid to spiritual development. Likewise, when cannabinoids like THC are singularly extracted from cannabis and used, the entourage effect won’t happen at all. Cannabis used this way is solely an intoxicant, and creates a negative experience.

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The Responsible Spiritual Usage of Cannabis

If you live in a locality where cannabis is legal and you are interested in discovering yourself and exploring your spirituality, then cannabis might be a plant medicine worth experimenting with responsibly. Everyone is as different on the inside as they are on the outside, and your experience using cannabis for spiritual development and to reach higher states of consciousness is uniquely your own. Cannabis plant medicine might be a great spiritual tool to use, or it might have zero effect. The quality of the cannabis and how it is delivered to the body matter greatly, so until you’ve ingested or vaporized biodynamically grown cannabis, reserve your judgement.

Cannabis usage is not spiritual development, it is merely a tool which can be used. Breathing, meditation, and practicing mindfulness are the main tools at the disposal for the spiritual seeker, use them regularly, and maybe occasionally use cannabis to reach new heights.

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Dangers of Pesticides

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The human body, the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the planet we live on are made up of millions of chemicals. Water, with the chemical formula of H2O, is the main chemical that our bodies are comprised of, being necessary for thousands of essential chemical reactions, and without water you die. Still, water intoxication is possible though. With any chemical, the dose determines the poison, as does the length of exposure to it. For some chemicals like water, multiple gallons of water consumed very quickly is required to reach a median lethal dose (LD50), while some chemicals can be fatal at even less than a gram. Other chemicals like pesticides might not kill you directly, but will affect your health in more insidious ways, and 90% of Americans have been found to have pesticides and byproducts in their bodies (1).

Pesticide usage in agriculture is widespread, being used on 90% of agricultural lands in the US. Herbicides are a type of pesticide.

Exposure to chemicals overtime is very important to consider for this reason. A small dose of a chemical like a residual herbicide might acutely cause no apparent harm, but over time and with consistent exposure to many different herbicides, chronic health conditions can arise which severely impact overall health and wellness and ultimately lead to fatal outcomes. Reducing exposure to chemicals that harm human health over long periods of time as much as possible is a very important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Herbicides are so widespread in their use that limiting exposure to them can be difficult and requires lifestyle modifications. Therefore consciously voting with your dollar and purchasing foods and products that aren’t contaminated with pesticides is important. Once food and product changes have been made, monitoring your chemical exposure doesn’t require any conscious thought more than an periodic check-in.

One class of chemicals that is out of sight and out of mind for most are pesticides. Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests and weeds, and include all of the following: herbicide, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, rodenticides, and insect/animal repellents. Herbicides like glyphosate and chlorpropham are the most commonly used pesticide in the United States, and they trace their origins back to the military industrial complex of World War 1 and 2.

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Increased Usage of Herbicides

Herbicides were first synthesized in the early 1940’s, and originally researched for use during WW2 as a warfare agent. The primary intention of herbicidal warfare was to destroy the plant-based ecosystem of an area. Fiction turned to reality with Vietnam when herbicidal warfare was carried out to thin the thick jungles of Vietnam, and thousands perhaps millions have suffered the effects of this massive herbicidal warfare campaign. Herbicidal warfare has been forbidden since 1978, yet the chemical and agricultural industry increasingly wages herbicidal warfare on the civilian populations of the world through the broad usage of herbicides on agricultural crops. Millions of acres are now heavily contaminated with herbicides that take up to decades to break down.

90% of agricultural cropland is treated with chemicals each year, and an estimated 300 million acres are treated with pesticides each year (also about 90 percent). In the U.S., cropland receives on average about 3 pounds of active ingredient per acre, equating to nearly a billion pounds of pesticides used in total per year. Divide that by the U.S. population and that equals pounds of pesticide active ingredient used for every woman, man, and child (see image 2). Pesticides are commonly used on urban lands too, and at a higher rate of usage (2).

Notice the massive increase in the use of herbicides (red bars) . Also notable is the increase in fumigants/nematicides for nematode control.

In 1997, 17.4 lbs of active pesticide ingredients were used per person in the united states. Much of that ends up in the soil and our water supply, and the rest ends up in you.

By the end of the 20th century, pesticide usage had increased three fold from the early 1930’s.

The data above compiled by the Center for Integrated Pest Management only goes up to the year 2000. Since 2000, world pesticide usage has gone up, with some countries decreasing their pesticide usage while others have increased their pesticide usage (3). Pesticide usage in the United States is at the highest its ever been from 2010 onwards.

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Mechanisms of Action as Weed Killers

There are many plants labeled as weeds and sprayed with herbicides that are in fact helpful native plants that create beneficial habitat and food for many different insects, birds, and animals. The term weed is incorrectly used very broadly and to the detriment of holistic ecological understanding.

There are many different mechanisms of action that herbicides take to kill plant life. There is significant overlap and interdependence in biology, and it is through the same or similar mechanisms as below that herbicides cause health issues in humans and negatively affect the human microbiome.

• ALS Inhibitors: Acetolactate synthase is the first step in the synthesis of the branched-chain amino acids leucine, valine, and isoleucine. ALS inhibiting herbicides starve plants of these amino acids, inhibiting DNA synthesis and causing death. The ALS pathway does not exist in animals, but many organisms in animal microbiomes utilize the ALS pathway.

• EPSPS Inhibitors: Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase enzyme (EPSPS) is used in the synthesis of the amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine via the shikimate pathway. Glyphosate (Roundup) is a systemic EPSPS inhibitor.

• Photosystem I and II Inhibitors: Photosystem inhibitors affect electron flow, ultimately causing oxidation reactions in different cellular structures which can kill a plant.

• Synthetic Auxins: Synthetic auxins mimic plant hormones in various ways. Growth of plants can be controlled via their hormone systems, with synthetic auxins exerting their effects by docking on the membrane of cells.

• HPPD Inhibitors: 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitors affect the breakdown of the amino acid tyrosine, the breakdown products of which are used to make carotenoids. Carotenoids protect chlorophyll from damage by sunlight, and without protection plants that have inhibited carotenoid production turn white as chlorophyll die and then the plant dies.

The general way herbicides function is through affecting biochemical processes involving amino acids, oxidative systems, and hormonal systems of plants. These are very important foundational biologic systems that when disrupted kill plants and other organisms like bacteria. To introduce into your own biochemistry any of these chemicals can affect your health and the health of your microbiome over long periods of time.

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Glyphosate (aka Roundup)

Glyphosate is used as a herbicide because it is very effective at killing plants. Glyphosate is an herbicide which disrupts the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway used by bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, some protozoans, and plants. The shikimate pathway consists of seven-steps, and is used by these organisms, but not animals, for the synthesis of folates and certain amino acids. Animals instead must obtain these essential amino acids through their diet, and it is for this reason that agrochemical companies say that glyphosate exposure is okay for humans.

Glycine-Glyphosate Substitution

The interactions of glyphosate in the human body are more complex than claimed by the agrochemical industry. Glyphosate is composed of the amino acid glycine, an important amino acid that is commonly deficient in humans (4), and a phosphonomethyl group that replaces one of the hydrogen atoms. Glycine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning the body can produce it, but its synthesis requires other nutrients, and depending on the biochemical situation, the body might decide to not synthesize glycine. Glycine then could be pulled from connective tissues, where it is the dominant amino acid, and then utilized throughout the body (but to the detriment of joint health), and/or glyphosate could be substituted in. This swap can happen because glyphosate is similar to glycine, and the process is known as glycine-glyphosate substitution (5). Most of the health effects of glycine-glyphosate substitution are still unresearched.

A common glyphosate side effect is poor gut health. Since glyphosate targets the shikimate pathway, it acts as an antibacterial to the microbiome, and this can lead to problems like food allergies and intolerances, IBS, IBD, leaky gut, and malabsorption of food. Glycine can be synthesized internally, but it is easier to acquire via diet by eating the connective tissues of animals or by eating glycine rich foods like pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc). Glyphosate through its mechanisms disrupts the health of the digestive system, weakening digestive tight junctions, in the process reducing the ability to absorb glycine from dietary sources. Through this insidious effect the body begins to start glycine-glyphosate substitution, and the process gradually worsens while other bodily system that have incorporated glyphosate into their protein structures instead of glycine become newly stressed.

Glycine-glyphosate substitution is bad news because glycine is a very important amino acid throughout the body. Glycine has been shown to improve sleep (6, 7), is an integral component of connective tissues, helps heal injuries (8), and has anti-inflammatory effects (9). Some common glyphosate side effects include poor sleep, digestive problems, brain fog, skin issues, joint problems, thyroid issues, and fatigue.

Glyphosate can be a contributing factor to gluten intolerance. I personally have had gluten intolerance, and it took me many years to heal my gut to perfect health. Take it from me, determining whether gluten or glyphosate is the problem is difficult, so when making dietary modifications it is best to remove both.

The foods which are the most contaminated with glyphosate are GMO products. GMO crops like wheat, soybeans, and corn have been genetically modified to better resist the effects of herbicides like glyphosate. Now with better herbicide resistant GMO crops, the agricultural industry can spray glyphosate and other herbicides in much greater quantities, contaminating the food supply in even greater amounts. When tested non-gmo crops were found to have glyphosate residues at 0.07 mg/kg to 0.09 mg/kg. For a GMO crop, the range was found to be between 3.3 and 5.7 mg/kg (10). This is approximately a 100x difference. Look for the Non-GMO Project verified label on foods, and for your health and the health of the Earth don’t buy GMO foods. Buying only GMO can be difficult, especially if you live in a food dessert.

Finding glyphosate free flour or glyphosate free oats, two commonly contaminated foods, is difficult, though it is becoming easier as more organic and non-gmo products are brought to market. Non-GMO and gluten-free bread products are readily available now in most grocery stores, and these will be much less contaminated, or even free, of glyphosate residues. Finding oatmeal, buckwheat, cereals, and beers without glyphosate is possible when shopping for Non-GMO gluten-free products, of which there are many…and they are very tasty! For the best chance of buying foods without glyphosate, purchase organic, non-gmo, gluten-free products.

If you are unable to buy foods free of glyphosate contamination, focus your diet on whole unprocessed foods and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Glyphosate residues can be washed off on some fruits and vegetables using a dilated mixture of baking soda and water, which is an effective surface pesticide rinse (11). Growing your own fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure you’re no exposing yourself to the dangerous herbicide glyphosate among many other pesticides.

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Chlorpropham and Propham

Propham and chlorpropham are synthetic herbicides and plant growth inhibitors most commonly known for their ability to stop potatoes from sprouting. Chlorpropham applications are also used on spinach, blueberries, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, onions, soybeans, and much more. Chlorpropham’s mode of action is by altering microtubule structure and function in plants resulting in the inhibition of cell division (12). Once potatoes are harvested and ready for storage, chlorpropham dust or propham dust is applied to potatoes via a method known as hot fogging. The potato growing industry will store potatoes for up to 9 months, and during this time chlorpropham will be hot-fogged many times to keep sprout suppression under bay.

During storage, mean concentrations of chlorpropham in tubers decreases with time, with 25% gone in a month and 40% gone in two months. Chlorpropham primarily resides in the peel of potatoes, washing potatoes will remove approximately 40% of the chlorpropham while peeling the potatoes will remove 95% of the herbicide. If the potatoes are boiled or fried, chlorpropham residues can be found in the water and oil used (13).

A naturally grown potato will sprout after some time, like shown here, as it’s still alive and able to perform cellular division.

Through chlorpropham’s growth inhibition characteristics, it has been shown that mice, rats, and beagle dogs feed chlorpropham for short periods of time become anemic, undergo weight fluctuations, and have altered thyroid function, with the hematopoietic system being the main toxicological target found with chlorpropham exposure (14). The hematopoietic system is the bodily system involved in the creation of the cells of blood, with the blood cell genesis sites being bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

Chlorpropham has low mammalian toxicity, but it can bioaccumulate and begin to affect major systems of the body.

The EPA assessed the dietary risk posed by chlorpropham (15), and based on a reference dose not believed to cause adverse effects if consumed daily over 70 years, they found chlorpropham to be safe. 42% of the U.S. population is exposed to that much chlorpropham daily, and while the short chlorpropham studies lasting no greater than 24 months showed very troubling health concerns for the animals involved, 70 years of chronic exposure has been signed off by the EPA as OKAY. The fact that chlorpropham is used in great enough concentrations to cause a physiological effect in potatoes, inhibiting their natural life cycle and stopping sprouting, is reason to believe that chlorpropham is used at great enough concentrations to cause long term health effects in humans with regular ingestion.

Through these mechanisms and how often exposure occurs, chlorpropham and propham can be classified as endocrine disruptors. Just as these herbicides affect cellular growth and reproduction (mitosis), low doses over time can threaten thyroid, lymph node, and hematopoietic health. Thyroid conditions affect ~20% of the U.S. population (16), and this percentage is increasing. There are a lot of diseases of the hematopoietic system (17), and some of them could be caused or affected by chronic herbicide exposure.

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How to Avoid Herbicides

There are four steps that can be taken to limit your exposure to herbicides. Each step will reduce your exposure, and if all three steps are followed then your herbicide exposure risk will be close to zero.

1. Wash Fruits and Vegetables: Washing and/or soaking fruits and vegetables with a 1% baking soda and water mixture can remove pesticide residues. Some pesticides that only coat the outside of produce will break down or bind to the baking soda and be rinsed away, whereas this method is less effective with pesticides that penetrate deep into fruits and vegetables. To create the pesticide rinse, mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda into a gallon of water.
   

2. Buy Non-GMO Food: With the advent of gene editing technology, genetically modified organisms have been created and are now abundantly in the food supply. Through selective breeding has influenced plant and animal genetics for thousands of years, direct genetic modification can insert genetic code from a other organisms such as a worm into the DNA of a plant. The long term health effects of consuming genetically modified organisms is unknown, and the larger concern comes from how GMO crops are managed compared to non-GMO crops.
   

3. Buy Organic Products: The organic certification is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (18), and while it is a step in the right direction, it has many loopholes. It only takes 36 months to transition from regular production to being organic certified by the USDA. Since hazardous chemicals can contaminate soil and water for years, there is still risk of herbicide contamination with organic products. Additionally, animal manures from conventional feedlot and confinement systems are allowed in organic production, and so is manure from animals that have been fed genetically engineered feeds (aka highly herbicide contaminated feeds).
   
   With that said, organic farms use techniques such as composting, soil building, chemical free pest management, crop rotation, and many other holistic agricultural techniques. The variability within the organic standard is wide ranging. There can be an organic farm which uses no chemicals or contaminated materials, and there are organic farms which skirt the edge of the regulations. It’s the same product same quality fallacy. As an informed purchaser it’s your responsibility to research the companies you purchase food and products from, and to only support those who practice ecologically safe and sustainable farming practices.
   

4. Shop at Local Farmers Markets: Sourcing your food from local farmers markets, or growing it yourself, is the final and best way you can distance yourself from herbicides and other chemicals. If you grow your own food, you can complete control from start to finish, and there is no reason to use chemicals when environmentally friendly methods of soil building, weed management, and pest management exist and are easy to apply at a small scale.
   
   If you don’t have space for a garden, or during the seasons where growing without a greenhouse is difficult, shopping at a local farmers market is an excellent solution to the problem of where to acquire high quality contamination free fruits, vegetables, and animal products. When shopping at a farmers market, you can speak with the grower and find out how they grow their food. Additionally, produce at farmers markets is typically less expensive than found in a grocery store, and every dollar spent goes directly to a member of the local community.

Engage with the community, save money, and buy interesting and unique foods at your local farmers market.

There are also micronutrients which can internally help protect you from pesticides. Boron protects against the oxidative stress from pesticides (19), as do powerful antioxidants like anthocyanins found in elderberries.

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Your Health is Your Responsibility

Agroindustrial chemical companies will argue that herbicides and other pesticides are not harmful to human or animal health at the limits required by law, and while a lot of research has been done, it has not been conducted across the right time scales or with the right combinations of pesticides. Chemical producers have betrayed the trust of the public many times through faulty science, redacted data, chemical pollution, cover-ups, lobbying, and millions have died from the chemicals produced by these large multinational corporations formed during WW1 and WW2.

Your health is your responsibility, and when there are food alternatives not contaminated by hundreds of pesticides and herbicides which are easily accessible at a local farmers market, the right choice is easy to make. The risk of eating conventional produced grains, meat, and produce is simply too great, and the only short term reward from purchasing food from the agroindustrial complex is a few dollars saved. The long term effects could be chronic health conditions that untreated could lead to death.

Find a farmers market near you, support your local community farmers, and thrive.

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References:

1. Chiu, Y., ., Williams, P. L., Mínguez-Alarcón, L., Gillman, M., Sun, Q., Ospina, M., Calafat, A. M., Hauser, R., & Chavarro, J. E. (2018). Comparison of questionnaire-based estimation of pesticide residue intake from fruits and vegetables with urinary concentrations of pesticide biomarkers. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 28(1), 31-39.

2. Arnold L. Aspelin. Pesticide Usage in the United States: Trends During the 20th Century. CIPM Technical Bulletin 105

3. Max Roser (2019) - "Pesticides". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/pesticides' [Online Resource]

4. Adeva-Andany, M., Souto-Adeva, G., Ameneiros-Rodríguez, E., Fernández-Fernández, C., Donapetry-García, C., & Domínguez-Montero, A. (2018). Insulin resistance and glycine metabolism in humans. Amino Acids, 50(1), 11-27.

5. Brewster, D. (1991). Metabolism of glyphosate in sprague-dawley rats: Tissue distribution, identification, and quantitation of glyphosate-derived materials following a single oral dose*1. Fundamental and Applied Toxicology, 17(1), 43-51.

6. Yamadera, W., Inagawa, K., Chiba, S., Bannai, M., Takahashi, M., & Nakayama, K. (2007). Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes: Effects of glycine on polysomnography. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 5(2), 126-131.

7. Bannai, M., & Kawai, N. (n.d.). New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: Glycine improves the quality of sleep. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 118(2), 145-148.

8. Zhang, Z., Zhao, M., Wang, J., Ding, Y., Dai, X., & Li, Y. (2011). Oral administration of skin gelatin isolated from chum salmon (oncorhynchus keta) enhances wound healing in diabetic rats. Marine Drugs, 9(5), 696-711.

9. Zhong, Z., Wheeler, M. D., Li, X., Froh, M., Schemmer, P., Yin, M., Bunzendaul, H., Bradford, B., & Lemasters, J. J. (2003). L-glycine: A novel antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cytoprotective agent. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 6(2), 229-240.

10. Glyphosate-tested. (n.d.). Healthy Traditions.

11. Yang, T., Doherty, J., Zhao, B., Kinchla, A. J., Clark, J. M., & He, L. (2017). Effectiveness of commercial and homemade washing agents in removing pesticide residues on and in apples. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 65(44), 9744-9752.

12. Paul, V., Ezekiel, R., & Pandey, R. (2016). Sprout suppression on potato: Need to look beyond cipc for more effective and safer alternatives. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 53(1), 1-18.

13. Lentza-Rizos, C., & Balokas, A. (2001). Residue levels of chlorpropham in individual tubers and composite samples of postharvest-treated potatoes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49(2), 710-714.

14. J. van Engelen. Pesticide residues in food 2000 : CHLORPROPHAM. Centre for Substances and Risk Assessment, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands.

15. Chlorpropham. EPA R.E.D Facts. October 1996

16. The Endocrine Society. Endocrine Facts and Figures: Thyroid. First Edition. 2015.

17. Michael T. Busch, Amy L. Dunn. Diseases of the Hematopoietic System. Musculoskeletal Key. July 2016.

18. Agricultural Marketing Service. Organic Certification and Accreditation. USDA

19. Coban FK, Ince S, Kucukkurt I, Demirel HH, Hazman O. Boron attenuates malathion-induced oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase inhibition in rats. Drug and Chemical Toxicology. 2015;38(4):391-399.

Three Ways to Inhale Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Until the advent of vaporizers, there was only one way to inhale cannabis flower for recreational and/or therapeutic effects, through combustion. Inhaling smoke from burning plant matter can be dangerous (more on that below), though with smoking cannabis the risk of developing lung cancer appears to be the same as if you didn’t smoke. Once vaporizers were developed, there existed three methods for inhaling cannabinoids.

Vaporizers are a type of device which heat up a small chamber, just like an oven except much smaller, to a temperature of the users choice. Vaporizers are limited in their top temperature range, unable to reach the temperatures required for combustion of plant matter. In the context of cannabis, vaporizers heat plant material without igniting it. At different temperatures below combustion, terpenes and cannabinoids vaporize out of the flower and phase change into their gaseous state. Typically vaporization is used for cannabis, but other herbs such as chamomile, lavender, and even tobacco can be also be vaporized.

That process is true for what could be called a dry vaporizer. There are also oil vaporizers, which we will refer to as wet vaporizers.

There exist big differences in the health and psychoactive effects of cannabis that is inhaled from either a combusted, wet vaporized, or dry vaporized source.

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Dry Vaporization

Dry vapes heat up materials like herbs or cannabis flower to the point where various compounds in those herbs sublimate out into an inhalable vapor. Examples of compounds that vaporize at various temperatures from cannabis material would include water (100°C, 212°F), terpenes like A-Pinene (155°C), and cannabinoids like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, 157°C) and CBD (cannabidiol, 170°C).

While the plant matter loaded into a vaporizer might change in color and texture, dry vaporizing does not combust any plant matter, as the minimum combustion temperature of 230°C (445°F) is never reached.

One of the big advantages of dry vaporization is almost all the cannabinoids and terpenes are preserved. When cannabis or other herbs are combusted, the high temperatures destroy most of the cannabinoids and terpenes, while also creating smoke, tar, benzene, carbon monoxide and other known toxic compounds (1)

When cannabis is dry vaporized, 95% of the total mass of the vapor consists of cannabinoids, with the other 5% consisting primarily of water vapor and terpenes.

As far as we currently know, the only risk to dry herb vaporization is the inhalation of hot air. Typical vaporizers, like the Fury Edge by Healthy Rips allow the user to adjust the temperature from 320°F - 430°F (160°C to 220°C). If you are concerned about the risk inhaling heated vapor, there are several ways to cool down cannabis vapor significantly by using glass accessories or water bubblers.

Note - Don’t use a dry herb vaporizer that doesn’t have a 100% food grade isolated stainless steel & glass only vapor path. Heating and inhaling plastic fumes is not good for your health.

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Wet Vaporization

Wet vapes heat up oils to the point where the oil vaporizes, turning into a gas, ready for inhalation into the lungs. Wet vapes typically are sold in smaller pen form factors in which oil cartridges can be easily attached or swapped for use. Wet vapes can heat oils from 270°C to 420°C (520°F to 790°F), well within the combustion range.

For those concerned about the risk of severe lung disease, the risk appears to stem from improperly manufactured cannabis or tobacco oil cartridges which are cut with vitamin E acetate. It’s been found that some off-the-street cartridges cut costs by adding less cannabinoids, resulting in a recognizably less viscous oil, so then vitamin E acetate is added to increase the viscosity of the oil to make the end product appear higher quality.

Cannabis oils typically have two different solvents they use to suspend cannabinoids and terpenes in, propylene glycol and liquid carbon dioxide. Propylene glycol is a byproduct of both the petroleum and biofuel industries. If the propylene glycol is derived from biofuels, then it will be contaminated with herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. These chemicals, the most well known being glyphosate, pose a serious health threat when inhaled, and might be partially responsible for rapid lung disease we see with oil vaporizer use.

If you decide to purchase cannabis oil, either in larger quantities for a high-quality vaporizer or in a cartridge format, make sure to only purchase cannabis oils which use CO2 for the solvent and not propylene glycol, as propylene glycol carries a larger health risk. CO2 can still be derived from contaminated sources.

Keep in mind that intensive refining is needed to create cannabis oil from cannabis plant matter. Cannabis is known for the wide range of therapeutic compounds the plant creates, and a blend of distilled cannabis compounds cannot match the therapeutic potential of the cannabis plant itself. Wet vaping purposely and misguidedly skips out on what is known as the Entourage Effect (2) in order to cut cost and provide a cheaper product to the end user.

Wild Free Organic only recommends dry vaporization for all health and recreational uses of cannabis. Oil vaporization, either of cannabis or tobacco, presents a serious health risk.

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Combustion

Combustion is when plant matter is ignited and burned in order to produce smoke. Smoke is a combination of compounds, from water vapor to organic pollutants and carbon monoxide. The combustion of cannabis versus vaporization has been researched by many, and while vaporization appears to be safe, combustion of cannabis creates and releases over 100+ different compounds, with only ~12% of the total mass of the smoke consisting of cannabinoids. Studies and anecdotal evidence show that dry herb vaporization eliminates the delivery of toxic byproducts associated with the use of smoked cannabis.

Vaporization also gets you more high, and we know Jimi here would have appreciated that! Since cannabinoids are not destroyed during vaporization unlike combustion, you can feel the entourage effect from the cannabinoids and terpenes from less cannabis material than you would need if smoked (3).

The high from combusted cannabis is different though, due to the fact that many of the toxic compounds found in smoke also can exert psychoactive effects such as drowsiness.

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Choose Cannabis Vaporization instead of Combustion

There are reduced respiratory effects for cannabis users who choose vaporization over combustion (4), and this is very important to consider for your long term health and wellness. Dry herb vaporization is the healthiest way we know of other than oral consumption (which is different than inhalation mechanistically) to enjoy the therapeutic and/or recreational effects of cannabis.

Whether you’re new to cannabis or a regular user, a dry-herb vaporizer like the Fury Edge is a great cannabis and yes, even health investment. There is a common misconception that cannabis usage is unhealthy, but it is a merely a tool like any other that can be used for good or bad. I encourage the responsible usage of cannabis.

Cannabis usage for me, through the practice of cannabis yoga, enabled me to discover and connect to my body in ways I didn’t know were possible. Cannabis usage brought to me conscious awareness of the endocannabnoid and bioelectrical system which we all possess.

Dry vaporization is a 180-degree experience compared to traditional smoking. Here are twelve advantages of dry vaporization of cannabis over smoking:

1. No Coughing - Without the smoke, cannabis vapor is easily inhaled and at lower temperatures is highly unlikely to cause a fit of coughing. Only lung bursting hits might cause you to cough.

2. No Mess - Grind up some herb and load up the vaporizer chamber or dosing cap and that’s it. No worrying about ash or disgusting bong water. Overtime cannabinoid resin is created in the chamber or glass pathway, and this is easily cleaned with rubbing alcohol. Dosing caps like you can use with the Fury Edge make cleanup very easy.

3. No Munchies - Cannabis vaporization is much less likely to cause the infamous “munchies”. THC-V, a cannabinoid that vaporizes at high temperatures has an appetite suppressive effect. A strain that contains a lot of THC-V is Durban Poison.

4. Smoother High - Dry vaporization lifts you up and floats you back down, whereas smoking cannabis drops you into a mental valley that needs to be climbed back up. With dry vaporization you can enjoy the sensation but continue to function as normal.

5. No smell - Vaporization produces steam, not smoke. Any scent from the vaporizer is negligible so there is no worrying about anything smelling like cannabis, or you yourself smelling dank.

6. Zero Drowsiness - Vaporization of cannabis flower isn’t dulling and doesn’t cause drowsiness like smoking will. In fact your brain activity might accelerate, so be wary of vaping too late in the evening.

7. No waste - When vaporizing cannabis flower, nearly all the cannabinoids are extracted from the bud and none are destroyed by the heat of combustion. With vaping a lot goes a long way.

8. Inexpensive - There is an upfront cost to a quality dry-herb vaporizer like the Fury Edge, but since cannabis usage compared to smoking is 1/4 to 1/5 as much for the same effect, expect to save lots of money in the long run. Use less bud and get more out of it.

9. Normal Function - Vaporization provide a nice buzz, and connects you to your body more intuitively, but normal activities and though patterns are still the same as ever. Unless someone is very discerning, or you make it obvious, no one will suspect you might be high.

10. Reduced Paranoia - With smoking cannabis it is much more common to be left having feelings of paranoia, fear, or anxiety. With dry vaporization these negative feelings are typically replaced with the feeling of euphoria. Be aware that heavy long-term usage might still cause some symptoms of anxiety.

11. Better Relaxation - After vaping some flower, it’s easier to kick back, unwind, and let go of things. Cannabis vaporization is great way to relax and enter a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state.

12. Stop When you Want - With dry vaporization is is fairly easy to end a high when wanted. Drink more water, take a shower, or eating some food all do the trick. With smoking, the high ends when fat cells soak the THC up, which can take a while.

There are still limits to vaporization and what is safe. You should not do any activities which place you in a greater state of danger or operate heavy machinery. Use common sense and be sensible, safe, and sober when it is the responsible thing to do. For individuals under the age of 25, wait until your brain fully develops before any experimentation with cannabis, it’s not worth the risk of long-term brain alterations.

As a first time user, it’s normal to be scared of the potential psychoactive effects of cannabis. With vaporization, the process is smooth and not scary. Start with a small amount of 1:1 (THC/CBD) flower or 1:1 blend and only vaporize to the lower temperatures. Trust yourself and your body.

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Cannabis Vaporization Guide

First Time: Start with a cannabis-infused tea! Cannabis teas, or a small 1:1 edible are a very gentle way to first experience the effects of cannabis while also maintaining a good connection to your sober mental state. I personally use Kikoko teas, which have great flavor and have various levels of cannabis infusion. Their Sympa-Tea is a great cannabis product for your very first time use containing 20 mg of CBD and 3 mg THC per serving, and their Positivi-Tea is a bit stronger and more uplifting at 10 mg THC and 5 mg CBD.

Second Time: To feel the effects of cannabis stronger and faster, I recommend dry vaporization next, starting with a 50/50 mix of CBD and THC cannabis. Start vaporizing at 345°F and halfway through your session (most vapes have a session timer) increase the temperature to 365°F to vaporize out more and different cannabinoids.

Third Time: After experiencing the effects of cannabis dry-herb vaporization at lower temperatures, I recommend trying a THC dominant strain and increasing the temperature of your vaporizer beyond 365°F. I find the temperatures of 380, 405, and 420°F all provide nice differences in feel and effect.

For Experienced Users: 1 hour before vaporization, apply CBD lotion on your forehead, nape of your neck, and navel. Ingest a 5-10 mg cannabis brownie. After an hour, vaporize a small amount of cannabis flower, do not rush into this. Since cannabinoids have been applied topically, ingested, and vaporized, the effect can be quite strong. It was when I used cannabis in this method that I experienced a transformative connection and understanding of the bodies bioelectrical system. I could feel the electricity!

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About the Potential Side Effects

If at any point you experience paranoia or other unpleasant effects, ground yourself with a meditating posture and breath deeply to find calm. Eating a light meal, a luke-warm shower, or sleeping can also help.

The potential negative side effects of cannabis are much more common with combustion. Additionally the use of THC exclusive strains without CBD to balance can exacerbate negative symptoms such as paranoia and dizziness. Some people are also predisposed to not being able to handle higher amounts of cannabinoids. You can heavily reduce or eliminate the potential negative side effects of cannabis through dry vaporization over combustion (no toxic compounds, no carbon monoxide inhalation, etc) and also by mixing CBD dominant strains into your mix. CBD helps to balance out the endocannabinoid system and promotes calming relaxing effects. I personally use mix CBD with THC strains almost every time I use cannabis.

Disclaimer - If you’re under the age of 25 do not consume cannabis in any way. Since cannabis interacts with the brain and body so thoroughly, use of this herb can cause deviant psychological and physiological changes at young ages (5). Wait until roughly the age of 25 when your brain structure is probably fully developed before considering using cannabis. There have been studies showing long term usage of cannabis can change patterns of brain activity at all ages, be responsible with your usage. The science here is still unclear so an abundance of caution is recommended, and daily use is discouraged.

Updated September 2020

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References

1. Loflin M, Earleywine M. No smoke, no fire: What the initial literature suggests regarding vapourized cannabis and respiratory risk. Can J Respir Ther. 2015;51(1):7-9.

2. Russo EB. The Case for the Entourage Effect and Conventional Breeding of Clinical Cannabis: No "Strain," No Gain. Front Plant Sci. 2018;9:1969.

3. Spindle TR, Cone EJ, Schlienz NJ, et al. Acute Effects of Smoked and Vaporized Cannabis in Healthy Adults Who Infrequently Use Cannabis: A Crossover Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(7):e184841.

4. Earleywine M, Barnwell SS. Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize. Harm Reduct J. 2007;4:11.

5. Wilson W, Mathew R, Turkington T, Hawk T, Coleman RE, Provenzale J. Brain morphological changes and early marijuana use: a magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography study. J Addict Dis. 2000;19(1):1-22.

Cannabis Yoga

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Pairing the consumption of cannabis and movement together has been practiced for thousands of years. Movement and cannabis are synergistic to each other, and together can create a powerful experience which draws awareness to the present moment and elevates consciousness.

What makes yoga and cannabis such a powerful experience physically, emotionally, and spiritually, is the endocannabinoid system. Running parallel to your nerves, sending signals from the body back to the brain, the opposite of normal. Both yoga and cannabis activate the endocannabinoid system, creating transformative experiences when used together.

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What is Yoga?

It's hard to describe yoga. In the western world, yoga is mostly thought of as a fitness modality, and treated as such.

Yoga is more than just a type of fitness, it is an eight limb path developed to be a guide for how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. Yoga will transform your life. Yoga is challenging yet easy, peaceful but also uncomfortable. The practice of yoga calms the mind but also poses challenging spiritual questions. Yoga is the ultimate tool for inward reflection and self-realization. Think of yoga as the equivalent of a cat discovering it is the cat on the other side of the mirror.

In terms of the physical, yoga is the best way I’ve learned to communicate with my body.

Yoga enables you to feel more than just musculature but also my connective tissues, fascia, joints, ligaments, and the skeletal system. Due to the way the brain and nervous system works, it is inherently difficult to feel and communicate with these deeper levels of your body because it can be dangerous. The improper application of stress on small areas can cause damage, and for this reason the connection between body and mind is initially dulled as a preventive safety measure.

Through the interactions of the endocannabinoid system, both yoga and cannabis increase the ability for the mind to connect with smaller and smaller sections of the body, and the practice of yoga is a way to responsibly learn these new feeling connections.

To understand how this works you must first learn and understand the endocannabinoid system.

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Connect to your Body with Cannabinoids

The endocannabinoid system is a biological system composed of cannabinoid receptors that runs parallel to the central and peripheral nervous system. Endocannabinoids are lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters produced by the body which bind to cannabinoid receptors.

Fury Edge vaporizer by Healthy Rips. Vaporization of cannabis flower or consumption are the healthiest ways to consume cannabis.

The endocannabinoid system helps the body connect to the brain (1). This natural cannabinoid system is activated when cannabinoids are created or consumed, sending retrograde signals back to the brain along the nervous system using cannabinoid receptors (2).

To the uninitiated, this is very powerful because typically it is the brain which is sending out signals to the body to control bodily functions, motor patterns and more. Retrograde signaling provides feedback and enhanced connectivity from the body to the brain.

How you consume cannabis, and the quality of the flower used are very important for ensuring you create an experience which elevates your consciousness, and not intoxicates it.

Breathing exercises stimulate the endocannabinoid system, as does the consumption of cannabis. The practice of yoga is very breath focused, so when breath work and exogenous cannabis are combined together into one experience, the endocannabinoid system is highly stimulated, pushing tons of feedback from the central and peripheral nervous system to the brain.

Because the endocannabinoid system is closed related to breathing, it is involved in the many functions throughout the body. These include:

• Motor learning

• Appetite

• Pain-sensation

• Mood

• Memory

• Cognition, cognitive development

• Fertility

• Physical performance

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My Cannabis Yoga Experience

When I first tried yoga in the past sober, it was fun, but not a revolutionary experience. I definitely was not convinced of the benefits of yoga. It struck me as being a subpar workout.

Back then, my head was a storm, pulling my attention away from what is really important in yoga, which is syncing the breath to the flow of the body; clearing the mind, and being present. With more classes eventually I would have made the connection, but I didn’t take more classes because at the time the experience wasn’t anything special.

Cannabis yoga is best practiced with a trained professional

A couple years later at the invitation of a friend, I participated in a cannabis yoga class. I was newly experimenting with cannabis, so I found the concept interesting and thought why not.

After vaporizing a small bowl of cannabis sativa, we started the Yin Yoga class, and immediately I began making the connections between movement, breath, and the benefit of calming the mind. That first cannabis Yin Yoga class was an evolutionary experience, and really was the catalyst for my journey of spiritual development.

Now that I have had the initial “wow” experience, I don’t need cannabis in order to enjoy the incredible benefits of yoga. At the time though, cannabis helped me to cut down on the high frequency noise constantly humming through my head, enabling me to focus and experience a clarity of mind unlike ever before.

My first cannabis yoga class was an incredibly enlightening experience. Cannabis elevates consciousness, and the clarity of mind and connection to body that I experience every time I practice cannabis yoga helps to ground me in the present moment, relieve stress, wipe clean my anxiety, and fosters a deep sense of peace.

Due to the retrograde nervous system actions of yoga and cannabis, and the mental and physical awareness that brings, cannabis yoga can be a tremendously powerful experience for many people, and something few people in western society have experienced. Our modern world is endlessly distracting and creates a barrier between behavioral consciousness and elevated consciousness, and cannabis yoga under the guidance of a professional yogi can shift your consciousness out of a distracted information-rich environment.

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Experience Yourself

If you wish to experience cannabis yoga yourself, follow the guide below:

1. Create your environment: Find a quiet secluded place free of distractions. Silence or turn off your electronics. Set aside one hour for yourself to intuitively feel and discover your body as never experienced before. A yoga music playlist, quiet in the background and without ads, can help create the mood for self exploration. Otherwise the sounds of your environment are also ripe for conscious exploration.

2. Consume some cannabis: If using a mild edible, consume it 1 hour before the cannabis yoga session. If inhaling cannabis, do that a few minutes before, breathing deeply to ensure zero irritation to the lungs. Use a 50/50 mix of THC dominant cannabis flower and CBD dominant cannabis flower for a more well-rounded, paranoia free experience

3. Begin by Breathing: sitting cross-legged or in lotus posture, spine upright and head forward, begin taking slow deep breaths and find your natural rhythm. Expect your breath to change throughout the course of this yoga session, follow your instincts and don’t overthink.

4. Begin Moving: self expression through movement. Start with small movements. You can begin with your head, circling it and looking side to side to release built-up tension. Explore your shoulders, shrug them up and down, roll them, forward and back. Twist, bend, splay open! No matter your shape or body type, let go of your preconceptions and you’ll be amazed as your body begins move where it needs and wants too. Like a leaf floating down a river, follow the current and enter into a flow state of pure intuition and expression.

5. Meditate: when movement comes to an end, either because you’re tired or because it is time to recover, resume your starting seated posture or enter shavasana and return to slow deep breaths. Movement can be incredibly healing because it breaks up stiff tissues and improves circulation throughout the body. This can create a cellular mess that needs to be cleaned up by the immune system, kidneys, and liver. Practicing meditation for 10 - 20 minutes at the end of cannabis yoga starts the recovery process, lets you enjoy the bliss of the moment, and gives you time to understand the experience you went through.

If you want a more structured movement plan, then follow the simple beginners flow below:

• Lotus Pose - Starting position

• Table Pose - Engage your body

• Cat Cow Pose - Loosen up the back

• Child’s Pose - Open the Hips

• Pigeon Pose - Feel Your Legs

• Rabbit Pose - Contract Your Spine

• Cobra Pose - Stretch Your Spine

Please share your cannabis yoga experience, or any you have had before in the comments below.

Updated October 2020

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References:

1. Pacher P, Bátkai S, Kunos G. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev. 2006;58(3):389-462.

2. Russo S, De Azevedo WF. Advances in the understanding of the cannabinoid receptor 1 - focusing on the inverse agonists interactions. Curr Med Chem. 2019;26(10):1908-1919.

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Stefan Burns

“My wellness journey has evolved many times, and throughout this process there have been constants I’ve deeply realized. These truths form the foundation of a healthy and balanced lifestyle which anyone can build on. It’s through Wild Free Organic that myself and others share the wellness practices we’ve learned through our experience and backed up by science. Thank you for being here, and bless you.”

🙏 Namaste