East Bay Express | Best of the East Bay 2011 | Goods & Services | Best Medical Marijuana Lab.

]]> http://steephilllab.com/2011/07/07/jorgecervantes-tv-blog-jorge-cervantes-with-steep-hill-laboratory/feed/ 0 http://steephilllab.com/2011/06/13/weed-dealings-separating-the-weed-from-the-chaff-viceland-today/ http://steephilllab.com/2011/06/13/weed-dealings-separating-the-weed-from-the-chaff-viceland-today/#comments Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:55:51 +0000 admin http://steephilllab.com/?p=2036 I started this column by talking about the cannabis industry as an alternative to the incumbent economy in this country, and the last couple of weeks have been devoted to the general public’s perception of cannabis and how that perception needs to be revised. Steep Hill laboratory is, in many ways, at the intersection of these two concepts. They are not only helping to legitimize cannabis—they’re blazing the trail in an entirely new economy.

A Quick Look At CBD-Rich Cannabis. Click to enlarge

Medical cannabis is now widely recognized as an effective alternative treatment to a number of conditions, but its reputation of causing adverse, mood altering and psychoactive effects make many potential medical cannabis patients skeptical as to whether the benefits outweigh the side effects.

What many people do not know is that cannabis is made up of many different compounds called cannabinoids, and they are not all created equal Cannabidiol, (often referred to as CBD) is a compound prevalent in some strains of cannabis that is not psychoactive and provides many medicinal benefits. The intoxicating effects of cannabis are most closely connected to tetrahydrocannabinol, most commonly known as the cannabinoid THC. CBD is thought to counter the intoxicating and sometimes sedating properties THC.

The realization that CBD-rich cannabis products provide relief to patients without experiencing the effects of “being high” is a tremendously important development. CBD has been a hot topic within the industry for a while but there are still a great number of people who are unfamiliar with the benefits of CBD-rich cannabis.

ProjectCBD is non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the medical utility of CBD. On their website they say, “The reduced psychoactivity of CBD-rich Cannabis may make it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety and/or anti-spasm effects without disconcerting euphoria or lethargy.”

Recently at the national NORML Conference in Denver, Doctor David Bearman of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine suggested that CBD is an antidepressant which can have fewer side effects than pharmaceutical depression medications. He also claims that CBD can reduce the invasiveness of cancer cells and credits it as a therapy for epilepsy, inflammation, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis.

If you are interested in the benefits of medical cannabis but are not seeking the psychoactive effects associated with “being high,” it may be time to search out some CBD-rich cannabis.

Most strains of cannabis currently available to patients are high in THC as opposed to CBD but due to increased cannabinoid analysis by laboratories, CBD-rich cannabis is being more frequently identified. As a result breeders and growers are seeking out CBD and breeding strains specifically for this compound. Also, through their potency-testing programs dispensaries are helping to discover new CBD-rich strains every day. The fact remains that CBD-rich strains are rare, but are becoming more available as word travels about the benefits of this unique cannabinoid.