Cannabis Indica, great for couch-lock and pain relief

Cannabis Indica

Indicas are typically darker, and have broader leaves. This is to catch sunlight in more temperate zones; indicas have grown all over the earth, with a concentration in the Mideast and India, where hash is smoked even more than the bud itself. Each plant is fairly resistant to cool weather, flowers early, and grow only 6ft-8ft tall. Indica buds are often characterized as having a pungent “armpit” sort of smell, and often have purple leaves.

The Indica effect is relaxing. Smoking an indica throughout the day, however, will most definitely cause burn-out. The head becomes heavy and many patients go to sleep; many bake indicas into brownies and nibble a bite before bed. Indicas have a high amount of CBD (and typically CBN, depending on quality), which both assist in alleviating pain naturally. There have also been several stories published regarding high CBD and treatment for epilepsy.

Cannabis Sativa, Great for Focus and Energy

Cannabis Sativa

Unlike their short cousins, Sativa plants can grow up to 25 feet tall! Most get up to at least 8ft, and are far lighter green in color, due to their natural environment. Since sativas have long-grown in equatorial regions, their flowering periods may take longer. Buds can be purple in cool climates and orange or reddish in warmer areas. They are typically more feathery than indica buds, longer and thinner against the stem. Because of the longer harvest time and lower yield, many growers will choose a sativa-indica hybrid rather than a 100% sativa.

Sativa buds are fruity smelling, and very “Cerebral.” Some patients feel energy or body buzz, but rarely feel lethargic. If anything, Sativas are known for inducing panic or anxiety people prone to panic or OCD. Patients have noted success in maintaining day-to-day activities much easier with Sativas than other prescription pain meds, such as Oxycontin or Vicodin. Patients must be warned that some sativas may have extremely high THC, which may cause hallucinogenic side effects, or possible space-out. We suggest waiting a half-hour between doses or puffs, to best determine how a new sativa will effect each patient.

Note that many hybrids combine the best, or sometimes, worst, of each type’s signature characteristics. Since each person, strain, hybrid and seed company are different, we strongly suggest experimenting with initial dosaging to best determine efficient and practical use of each batch.

Should you store your cannabis in the freezer?

Patients often ask how to store cannabis, especially during these hot months. Although Serenity Moon sells larger bulks in plastic bags, we strongly recommend against storing meds long-term in plastic. To begin, the material causes static cling, which pulls THC from the bud like a magnet. Medicine kept in plastic also dries and quickly turns to shake.

Prescription bottles or pop-top jars work well because they are mostly air-tight, and protect bud from breaking. The THC falls to the bottom and collects more accessibly than in a bag. However, amber or dark jars are best for keeping out UV rays (which break down THC).

Glass jars make the best containers for cannabis storage, especially when kept airtight and opened rarely. Cool and dark areas with humidity are best. Some people freeze their bud. This is wrong. Frozen bud, whether handled or slightly moved, is covered in frozen trichome glands. These freeze and pop off like icicles easily, quickly decreasing the potency of the bud. Any cannabis that must be frozen should at least be kept in a jar.

Alternatively, cannabis can be kept in the refrigerator. If it is too dry, a slightly damp cotton ball makes a good humidifier. Put the meds in a brown or dark-colored paper bag (sack-lunch and grocery bags work well) and then re-bag in a large ziploc or air-tight plastic. Remove all air and seal. Remove the medicine in batches if possible, rather than dipping into one big sack from time to time. Any cool area will do if your refrigerator is full!

For the traveling patient, we recommend doob-tubes for joints, and turkey-bags to keep bulk medicine from stinking.

Myth: Marijuana causes permanent mental illness.

Truth: No scientific study has ever proven that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness. On rare occasions–most often when marijuana is ingested orally–users reported increased anxiety, panic or paranoia (most associated with sativa strains). Marijuana is not known to cause behavioral changes.

Myth: Marijuana is very addictive, and heavy use can lead to physical dependence, withdrawal, or necessitate professional drug treatment to quit.

Truth: Less than 1 percent of Americans smoke marijuana daily. An even smaller percentage develop a dependence. Studies show that each person is different; some can medicate daily and stop effortlessly, while a small amount will need treatment to quit. Withdrawal symptoms are absent to mild.

Myth: Marijuana offenses in America are excused with a slap of the wrist.

Truth: Tens of thousands reside in our country’s prison due to marijuana offenses. An even larger number are penalized with tickets, probation, civil sanctions, seizure of property or driver’s license, terminated employment and permanent records. Medical marijuana users can even be denied student loans or benefits from federally-funded programs.

Myth: Marijuana hurts your lungs more than tobacco.

Truth: Marijuana smoke does contain irritants and carcinogens. However, the typically marijuana user smokes much less often than tobacco smokers and inhales less smoke over time. Marijuana has never been a sole link to any reported cases of lung cancer; in a famouns 2006 American Thoracic Society study showed that heavy marijuana users showed no signs of increased cancer of emphysema risk.

Myth: Marijuana doesn’t really have any medicinal purpose.

Truth: In fact, Cannabis has been shown to reduce nausea, stimulate appetite, and reduce the intraocular pressure of glaucoma. Evidence also shows that muscle spasticity associated with neurological disorders can be alleviated with cannabis use. Pure THC–marijuana’s main medicinal ingredient–has been synthesized into oral capsules, such as “Marinol,” which may produce more unpleasant psychoactive effects than traditionally-smoked marijuana.

Myth: It’s the gateway drug.

Truth: Marijauna is not the direct cause of hard drug use. Because it is the most popular illegal substance in the United States, people that have used harder, less popular drugs have usually also used marijuana. However, most cannabis users do not use any other illegal drugs.

Myth: Science has proven that marijuana is harmful.

Truth: The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse concluded in 1972 that although marijuana was not 100% safe, its dangers had been completely exaggerated. Thousands of studies followed over the years, but none concluded otherwise. After compiling over 30 years of information on the subject, the medical journal Lancet reported that “the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health.”

Myth: Marijuana causes an increase of crime.

Truth: Government commissioners and academics–especially those in medical marijuana states–have closely inspected the correalation between marijuana and crime. The large marjoity of “marijuana crimes” were simply crimes of possession. And among users who did commit crimes, marijuana played no causal role in the act; almost all studies showed that cannabis drastically decreases aggression.