Pickleball has become the new hot thing in the summer months! Nine million Americans head to the court and over a million Canadians grab a racket all to play the sports fad. While it started in the mid-60s, since Covid it is becoming very mainstream. It is an easy, fast “ish” paced game for all ages that are mobile. But for some who aren’t usually as nimble and athletic – it can be a bit of challenge.
Because pickleball players swing paddles, the upper extremities — shoulder, wrist, elbow — are also prone to injuries. Those include:
Tennis and golfer’s elbow (tendinitis involving the forearm muscles)
Wrist tendinitis
Rotator cuff tendinitis and tears
Labral tears
Many of these are inflammation or topical injuries that can be treated with marijuana or cbd. For serious injuries like tears or breaks – it can help you with pain before and after you see a physician. Increasingly, professional athletes in sports ranging from football to bicycling to long-distance running have turned to using cannabis to reduce pain from post-game injuries and to help speed recovery.
People unfamiliar with marijuana aren’t usually aware that it has so many healing properties, mainly its anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation can result after an injury either on the field or due to conditions like arthritis. Using cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive component of marijuana, may be more effective (and practical) for treating sprains and injuries. In fact, it can take the place of ice completely. CBD is simply more convenient since you can carry topicals for spot treatment as well as oral CBD products for when you have an accident. It also has the added benefit of being free from THC, which is an advantage for athletes.
So if you are picking up the racket and head out, know that marijuana can be helpful if something goes wrong on court.
Every five seconds, at least two hospital residents need blood transfusions, Charles Richard Drew, an African-American surgeon and medical researcher helped create them, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. Tens of millions of lives have been saved thanks to him. But recently, donations have plunged and lives have been put in jeopardy. More need to give, but can marijuana consumes donate blood?
“In the last 20 years, we’ve seen about a 40% decrease in donors overall to the Red Cross,” shared Eric Gehrie, MD, the executive medical director of the American Red Cross. “The earlier that we can connect with someone, and they donate in high school, they typically will become lifelong donors.”
Eligibility to donate blood is regulated the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is the same agency considering reclassifying marijuana and acknowledge the cannabis plant has medical benefits. The FDA is clear cannabis does not disqualify an individual from blood donation, but potential donors cannot give if their use of cannabis impairs their memory or comprehension. It is the same rule for alcohol. Some regional blood centers require you not to be under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or prescription drugs. Most also require you don’t use aspirin for 2 days prior to giving.
Consumers of synthetic cannabis are placed on another pedestal. You can not donating blood if you regularly consume synthetic cannabinoids like Spice, also called K2. K2 is an artificial laboratory-discovered marijuana product that has been flagged as being unfit for human consumption.
Donating blood is good deed and worth considering.
Cannabis and sleep go together like pillows and blankets. Here’s a few things you should keep in mind when using the herb to help you rest.
The Fresh Toast – Medications have side effects, so what about something natural. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when using cannabis for sleep
Despite being used as a sleep aid, NyQuil is not one. It is a popular assistant, but even with a virus it shouldn’t be used more than 7 days. While roughly 50–70 million Canadians and Americans have ongoing sleep disorders, a little help is needed. Melatonin is also popular, if you are the someone where it works, you can take it nightly for one to two months. Melatonin can also take up to 1-2 hours to kick. Prescribed medications have a high potential for causing dependency. This not only can lead to addiction, but can stop working and leading to more insomnia. So what about something else natural.
Marijuana can be a great tool for sleep. While more research is being done, there is evidence people with varying degrees of insomnia shows how effective marijuana can be for sleep. But even for the occasionally sleepless night do to stress, minor pain, or other issues. It can work. And it doesn’t need to be built up into your system, it works and then fades away. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when using cannabis for sleep.
Dosage
Dosage, along with your level of experience with marijuana, matters when it comes to using the herb before bed. If you smoke too little, you might feel no effects. If you smoke too much, you might find yourself tossing and turning with weed-induced paranoia. If it’s your first time using marijuana for sleep, try your best to create a relaxing environment and avoid overstimulating yourself with too much screen time or alcohol. Pace yourself with your marijuana intake and be aware of your body and its cues; you’re better equipped to jump into bed once it feels right.
The way in which you consume marijuana will affect how fast or intense your reaction will be. If you consume an edible, be sure to give your body time to experience effects. If you’re vaping, smoking or using an oil, there’s more control and less planning necessary.
The type of cannabis matters
Whether you’re consuming a product THC or CBD based, or you’re consuming sativas or indicas, it’s important to know all the types of cannabis provide different effects. Indicas are the strains which tend to affect the body in relaxing and heavy ways, producing sleepy effects. Still, it doesn’t mean a sativa strain or a hybrid won’t make you feel sleepy. Marijuana is a trial and error type of substance; try different options and keep track of what works for you and what doesn’t.
Marijuana hangovers
If you’re not much of a night time marijuana consumer, the groggy feeling you might experience when you wake up can be puzzling. Although not as strong or common as regular hangovers, weed hangovers exist. Although not completely understood, these are more likely if you’ve been consuming low quality marijuana. To cope with them, be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy goods and monitor your cannabis intake through the day.
One of the most noticeable effects cannabis has on sleep is the lack of dreams. This is due to cannabis limiting REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep where dreams are likely to occur. Scientific studies have found REM sleep is important for learning and resting. There’s much we don’t understand when it comes to the relationship between cannabis and sleep. It’s important to monitor your marijuana usage and your sleep habits, especially if you feel like the sleep you’re having is not restful or good for you.
A product can claim to contain large amounts of THC or CBD and that it will provide powerful benefits. But while this may be true, it doesn’t explain the complex process of how cannabis ends up absorbed through the bloodstream, which is known as bioavailability. When it comes to CBD and THC oils, the amount of that ends up absorbed in your blood is usually very little.
Bioavailability isthe proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect. Itcan be influenced by the body’s make up, physiological processes and, importantly, the method in which you consume. While recreational cannabis is more lax and can be adapted as needed, bioavailability is vital for the plant’s value as medicine. The more bioavailable the product is, the more accurate the dosage, and the less amount of it you’ll need for it to produce its intended effect.
When ingested in oil form, the effectiveness of CBD and THC becomes compromised. Roughly, about 6% of the THC or CBD present in these products ends up absorbed by the bloodstream.
One reason is the body is made up of 60% water. When compounds are presented in oil form, their potency is affected since the water in our bodies and the oil in the product have trouble mixing. It is the proverbial oil and water. This is further increased by the fact oil is usually ingested orally, absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and later making its way to the liver, where it’s metabolized. After so many stops, the amounts of useful compound ending up in your bloodstream is limited.
There are some ways to trick your body into making the cannabis more effective. You can supplement your cannabis with healthy fats, such as hummus, coconut oil and avocado. You can also try butter and ice cream if you’re not feeling all that health conscious and are just looking for a good time. Another way is to supplement with herbs. Similar to foods, certain herbs can also increase the bioavailability of CBD.
Cannabis contains fat soluble compounds, which means they break down more effectively in fat instead of water. This is why most edibles are high in fat: cookies, brownies, fudge, etc. Coconut oil has been demonstrated to be one of the best fats for absorbing THC molecules.
With legalization and popularity, the most popular forms of consumption are vaping, smoking and edibles (primarily gummies). The next round includes dabbing, applied topically or absorbed through suppositories. While there’s pros and cons with each, products that are smoked work well since the lungs are highly permeable. Suppositories, even if they’re a little weird, produce among the strongest and longest lasting effects. Topical compounds, which are usually medicinal and for pain relieving purposes, work well since there are plenty of cannabinoids located under the surface of the skin.