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Researchers say cannabis may help treat Covid-19

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A recent review conducted by researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada concluded that cannabis may provide aid in each stage of the Covid-19 disease, from preventing infection to treating long-covid symptoms. 

Researchers have been investigating cannabis as a possible treatment for Covid-19 since the pandemic began in 2020. They directed much of their attention towards cannabis’ ability to dampen the immune system and quell cytokine storms, a dangerous and potentially deadly immune response that occurs in severe Covid-19 cases and leads to respiratory distress and organ failure. Since then, scientists have identified a variety of ways cannabis might be helpful in fighting the disease. 

Cannabis’s wide-reaching potential to combat Covid

Covid-19 is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Its symptoms are variable but often include fever, cough, headache, fatigue, and an altered sense of smell and taste. As noted above, it can also cause cytokine storms. Some patients develop the symptoms of “Long Covid” like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress injury, insomnia, pain, and decreased appetite. 

Early in the pandemic, researchers noted that cannabis has mechanisms which might help treat Covid-19—in particular, its ability to reduce cytokine storms. But population-based studies offered mixed results. Some studies suggested that cannabis use increased infection rates, or worsened Covid-19 survival rates, while later research suggested that cannabis users were less likely to get Covid-19, and had better outcomes in cases severe enough to require hospitalization. 

The researchers on this recent review found that cannabis may not only help reduce cytokine storms in the most severe phase of the disease, but also help prevent infection early on and lessen the severity of Long Covid symptoms.

Let’s break down its potential impact at various stages of the disease.

Cannabis for Covid prevention

Population-based studies have documented reduced rates of Covid-19 infection for those who use cannabis. And although these studies don’t offer much of an explanation as to why cannabis might help reduce infection, other research does:

The SARS-CoV-2 virus infects humans by binding to a particular enzyme receptor (called ACE2). But certain cannabinoids found in cannabis—such as CBD—have demonstrated the ability to lower the rate of expression for these receptors, and thus block or reduce the virus’ ability to infect. 

Courtesy of the study.

Cannabinoids CBDA and CBGA also reduce the potency of the enzyme TMPRSS2, which allows the virus to fuse with the host membrane and enter the cell. 

In other words, cannabis may be able to actively reduce the chance of Covid-19 infection by limiting some of the factors that increase infection risk. A similar approach has proven successful in preventing infection in diseases like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, and paramyxovirus. The strategy may work for Covid-19 as well. 

Related

The 7 most important cannabis research studies of 2023

Cannabis interventions during Covid infection

Cannabis may also help during active Covid-19 infections by reducing what is known as “redox and oxidative stress:” An imbalance between unstable atoms and antioxidants in the body.

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Research suggests that these stress levels increase during Covid-19 and other viral infections; in turn, they lead to more severe infection, cellular damage, organ damage and increased immune and inflammatory responses. Thankfully, CBD has been shown to reduce redox and oxidative stress, and thus may be able to reduce the severity of the disease.

Together, these results suggest a potential protective role for cannabinoids in mitigating oxidative stress.

Scott, Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024

Patients with severe infections of Covid-19 may experience cytokine storms that can cause inflammation and damage their lungs and other vital organs. But cannabinoids like CBD and THC have been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory effects, acting on the specific inflammatory markers seen in severe Covid-19,  such as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. Studies have demonstrated that cannabis can effectively reduce cytokine storms, helping to treat Covid-19 during the most severe phase of the disease.  

Cannabinoids for “Long Covid”

Cannabis may also be helpful for patients suffering from “Long Covid. As the Dalhousie University team points out, cannabis is already being studied to treat many of the symptoms of “Long Covid.” Ongoing research indicates cannabis’ potential to alleviate the symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, pain, and low appetite. 

Since our natural endocannabinoid system is integral in regulating our mood, stress response, pain, and appetite, modulating it with cannabinoids can impact these factors. 

Courtesy of the study.

We still need more research

While our current data suggests that cannabis has the potential to aid in all phases of Covid-19, the research is still in early phases. The authors of this recent study caution that more research is needed to draw firm conclusions, so don’t assume you can treat your own Covid-19 with cannabis, or at least cannabis alone. As always, make sure to consult with a doctor on any healthcare decisions. 



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Can CBD Oils Help With Anxiety & Depression

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War, relationships, political news, work at home or office, all adding to the stress of life.  For some, they can manage it and move forward, for others, it can be a pit of sadness…but most it seems experience anxiety and depression at some point. In a surprise, the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey finds  half (50%) of adults ages 18-24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms. It can causes sleep deprivation, loss of energy, and high blood pressure and general uneasiness.

It is tough to deal with it while maintain your life. It is always good to talk to a trained medical professional and there are prescriptions, but can CBD oils help with anxiety & depression?

california's absurd stance on CBD cosmetics
Photo by Anshu A via Unsplash

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol(CBD) can be extracted from cannabis plants, marijuana leaves, and hemp flowers. CBD products act as a natural remedy.  By consuming or using this product you will not get high or have any psychotic reaction. Numerous studies have been carried out on different products of CBD and a quality check has also been approved by the FDA.

Reports say that CBD has less than 0.3 % THC, which is very safe than a lot of other drugs and pills that are taken for mental health.

RELATED: How To Find High-Quality CBD Oil

CBD products are now legally consumed and distributed in many states and countries. The list includes countries like German, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, The USA & The UK.

Just like different brands of marijuana, there are also various brands of CBD oils available.

In the USA you can only use CBD products for medical purposes. It has to be prescribed by a licensed doctor for you to buy and consume it.

If your state has legalized the sale and consumption of cannabis products then it will be easier to find CBD oils in some particular cannabis clinics, shops, and online stores like CBD Oil Uk.

The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety

Stress is a short-term ailment that can happen regularly or once in a while and does not cause any serious damages. Besides, it can be managed easily.

If you face problems like frustration, exhaustion, muscle pain, digestive issues, and difficulty sleeping frequently then it is likely you are dealing with stress.

Anxiety is more severe than stress. It can not be alleviated easily. Instead, it is considered as non-stop excessive worry and fear even when everything is perfectly fine in your life.

Anxiety leads to a set of symptoms that are almost identical to stress but very serious. These include insomnia, difficulty in concentration, fatigue, and muscle tension.

It is important to differentiate the signs of stress and anxiety. Stress is a common cause of anxiety and to avoid anxiety symptoms, it is important to catch them early.

person holding amber glass bottle
Photo by Christin Hume via Unsplash

How CBD Products Can Help

Here are 4 ways CBD products can help reduce anxiety and depression-

1.CBD Improves Your Sleep Cycle

People suffering from anxiety often complain about the lack of sleep.

Excessive anxiety often interrupts your sleep cycle and lack of sleep can, in turn, result in more anxiety.

CBD has claimed to reduce anxiety levels. It has even shown positive results in clinical trials that is why the FDA has approved CBD in the first place.

RELATED: 5 Ways To Incorporate Effective CBD Products Into Your Everyday Life

CBD helps calm our minds and increases the chances of falling asleep naturally and without any disruption.

Also, studies have proven that little extra dosage of CBD creates a sedative effect on your body and helps to sleep and lets your brain rest. CBD products are now used to treat people with insomnia as well.

2.CBD Reduces Pain & Inflammation

Earlier we have discussed that stress and anxiety can cause muscle pain, headaches, and chronic inflammation.

CBD products are completely natural. The products have been proven to be a muscle relaxant and work better than any standard painkillers since it has no side effects.

CBD also works as anti-inflammatory drugs. It controls cytokine production which is generally responsible for various inflammatory diseases in our body.

This increased inflammation is also connected to higher levels of anxiety. Just like sleep and anxiety, this one is also a chain reaction.

Inflammatory diseases like psoriasis and arthritis can cause depression and anxiety in the long run. CBD oil helps to reduce inflammation and pain by reducing cytokine and affecting CB-2 receptors. This reduces pain and decreases the chance of getting an anxiety attack.

3. CBD improves mood

CBD is considered as a “Neuroprotective” material. “Neuroprotective” actually means it will protect nerve cells by keeping a safe functioning state of the nervous system.

Moreover, it decreases the oxidative stress of your brain.

By keeping your negative emotions in check, CBD helps you to improve your mood and keeps your brain calm and relaxed. It reduces unnecessary stress and anxiety.

4. CBD Helps Enhance Metabolism

If you have a poor digestive and metabolism system, it will affect your quality of life.

It will make you feel bloated and lethargic. Illness disrupts the natural functioning of your body and if it becomes more serious it causes stress and ultimately, leads to anxiety.

If you start consuming CBD regularly, it will improve your metabolism, burn unnecessary fat, and make you feel better.

Here Are The Most Popular Conditions CBD Can Treat
Photo by skynesher/Getty Images

How To Choose CBD Products

CBD has various types of products in the market including oil, tablets, edibles, beverages, creams, and vape. Although the overall vape sales slowed down during this year. Things are starting to look better.

But still, the CBD oils are the most popular ones by a large margin. Each of the types provides almost the same benefits with some unique advantages of their own.  CBD oils have to be consumed daily and provide the most health benefits. They are also the most concentrated ones.  CBD gummies are sweet and take a long time to take effect. CBD lotions are best for exterior physical discomfort.

Depending on your medical condition, you should consult with a healthcare professional who has experience with CBD to choose the right product.

 



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5 Best Ways to Break The Doomscrolling Habit

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It is hard to avoid some of the negative news lately, but too much can be rough for you…here is some help to not get trapped with Doomscrolling

In the past, it was fairly easy to avoid constant bad news.  But in today’s tech  media world, it is difficult. Not only do you have legit news companies, you have clickbait and it seems tons of people feel to share their every thought on everything on social media.  What happened to sharing happy cat photos? Getting trapped in the rabbit hole of doomscrolling can truly mess with your mind.

Doomscrolling is getting trapped in scrolling bad news and not able to break away. Constant or frequent doomscrolling can wreck havoc on your mental health and/or your mood.  It reinforces negative thoughts and feelings. If you already trend toward depression or anxiety or are working through a mental health issue, it can exacerbate the issue.  Doomscrolling can increase these issue far beyond expectations. Often it lead to irritability, lack of productivity, poor concentration and mental fatigue.

Here are the 5 best ways to break the dommscrolling habit.

Photo by Helena via rawpixel.com

Set boundaries

Some people want to see the news, what’s happening and just browse online. The issue is when the boundaries are ignored and you spend large amounts of time in a negative space.  In addition, with algorithms, you are fed more pieces around your focus. Thus, the more bad news you read, the more you will receive. It can make it seem there is nothing doom news.  It is important to set boundaries. Set a limit to scroll news for 20 minutes and look at at least X articles on positive/interesting news during the period.  At first it may seem hard, but it will help with perspective and change up your feed.

Seek good news

If you’re having a tough time staying away from social media, make sure you engage in positive things whenever you’re scrolling. Follow happy, interesting, enlightening accounts which lift you up and puts you in touch with things you enjoy. Start following your hobby or passion.  There seems to be an endless supply on Lego, cooking, pets and more online.

RELATED: 5 Tips That Can Help You Start Meditating Successfully

Limit triggers

If politics are making you anxious, try blocking these topics for a time, at least until you’re in a better headspace to consume them. Use all of the tools at your disposal – block push notifications, mute people who get intense on social media and avoid topics which rile you. One effective method of filtering out news is to subscribe to a newsletter and use it as your main source of information.

RELATED: 8 Ways to Enjoy Marijuana Without Smoking It

Socialize

Live interaction can totally change your mood. Even a 5 minute call or a short walk can lift your spirits and improve your mental health. The interaction engages parts of your mind which can calm your anxiety.  Talking with a live friend promotes a sense of belong and security and helps balance your

Meditate

If you’re feeling too caught up in negative feelings and need something to recenter yourself, try meditating. Use a guided app and disconnect from screens for a session which hopefully makes you feel present and can prevent you from going to an anxious place.



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New Covid Variant: BS 24.7 – Cannabis | Weed | Marijuana

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There’s a new covid variant out of Canada – BS 24.7.

Symptoms include loss of self-awareness, emotional de-regulation, lack of empathy toward those perceived as “other,” loss of self-resilience, healthy relationships, problem-solving skills, and basic autonomy.

Fortunately, like past covid strains, ample evidence suggests that raw cannabis (particularly CBDa) can prevent infection.

So, if you’re immune compromised and have legitimate concerns about new flu viruses, pick up some CBD flower and eat it raw.

Meanwhile, the rest of us must combat this new “study” claiming lockdowns, travel restrictions, and face masks “unequivocally” cut the spread of covid. As well as rumors that this crap is coming back for North America’s flu season.

New Covid Variant: BS 24.7 – Will it lead to Lockdown?

New Covid Variant: BS 24.7

If you’ve been on social media the past week, you’ve probably heard the rumor that covid restrictions are coming back. It stems from a TSA whistleblower giving an interview to Alex Jones.

The rumor is that a new covid variant out of Canada, which we call BS 24.7, is highly contagious and deadly. It will justify lockdowns, mandatory masking, and the return of vaccine passports.

Some of us may think there is no way people will fall for this again. Large groups may be insane, but they can’t be that insane. Right?

Maybe not in Florida. Or Texas, Sweden, or even Alberta. But in New York? Chicago? 90% of Canada? All of England?

If the propaganda is intense enough, people will obey. Saying, “I Trust the Experts,” is the modern-day equivalent of saying, “I Trust the Church” or “I Trust the Party.”

History is full of examples of people who will murder their neighbors if it means receiving external validation from authorities.

And who are these “experts?” Florida experts? Swedish experts? Some experts say lockdowns were worse than the disease and don’t recommend you give your kid this experimental jab. Why aren’t they given equal air time on CNN?

The Cochrane Study

What about the experts behind the Cochrane study? Until covid, Cochrane was considered the “gold standard” in scientific knowledge.

After reviewing the evidence for masking and other covid restrictions, they republished their rigorous meta-analysis study of randomized control trials.

The result? “Wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference to the outcome of laboratory-confirmed influenza/SARS-CoV-2 compared to not wearing masks.”

“There is just no evidence that they make any difference. Full stop,” Tom Jefferson, the study’s lead author, said in an interview. Even fitted N95 masks in health care settings, “It makes no difference — none of it.”

So, have people accepted these scientific facts and changed their opinion on masking? Of course not. The media attacks Tom Jefferson’s “eccentric” characteristics. Covid merely shows the “limitations” of the scientific method.

In other words, since the results didn’t fit our preconceived notions, we will pretend they don’t matter.

New Covid Variant: BS 24.7 – How to Save Yourself?

Covid Variant: BS 24.7

Do you want to combat the new covid variant BS 24.7? If you find yourself in one of these public health dictatorships, here are steps you can take to protect yourself:

Bug Out Bag

Going along with lockdowns and vaccine mandates reveals the stupidity of the masses. But this was plain for all to see in the early days of March 2020 during the so-called “Great Toilet Paper Shortage.” 

If it’s the end of the world, why are you stocking up on toilet paper? Use your hand or a leaf. There are more critical things to worry about.

Or avoid this situation altogether by having a bug-out bag. Stock it with a few non-perishable food items, bottled water, first aid kits, hygiene products, and some gold or silver coins. 

Supply it with essentials that will sustain you or your family for an extended period.

Do not trust supply chains.

If there’s any lesson from the past three years, it’s to build community. Corporate-state propaganda can’t successfully promote fear if communities are tightly knit and sustainable.

Establish connections with neighbors. Get to know your local farmer. Not just for food security but also for cannabis

As mentioned, raw CBDa blocks and prevents covid infections. Grind the flower, stuff it into a capsule and make it part of your daily vitamin regimen. 

Educate Yourself on covid BS 24.7

Corporate-state propaganda has successfully associated a negative connotation with the phrase “do your own research.” 

As if we are all ignorant hillbillies instantly believing whatever some sketchy website reports as truth without second thought or reason.

The people criticizing you for “doing your own research,” are the real hillbillies. It’s like that old Bill Hicks joke. “What are you reading for?” Not what are you reading? But what are you reading for?

Don’t you know the fact-checkers have already “debunked” the Cochrane study? Trust the experts and go back to watching sports and Netflix, pleb.

Energy

Educate Yourself on covid BS 24.7

Just as you shouldn’t rely on supply chains, relying on the power grid is also a rookie mistake. Invest in solar panels, generators, and other alternative power sources. 

If you stock up on fuel, do it safely. Now may be a good time to mention that hemp biofuel runs on an unmodified disease engine. 

Evacuation Plan

If they’re bringing lockdowns, masks, and travel restrictions back to your home country or state, now is the time to leave. 

Or, at least, have a route mapped out. If you’re a Canadian looking for greener pastures in the US, fortunately, the border is 5,525 miles across and mostly unenforced. Not to say you won’t get caught. And we’re not advising you to do anything illegal.

But a public health dictatorship is unlawful. And therefore, our natural Lockean rights come into play. 

Whenever the Legislators endeavour to take away, and destroy the Property of the People, or to reduce them to Slavery under Arbitrary Power, they put themselves into a state of War with the People, who are thereupon absolved from any farther Obedience, and are left to the common Refuge, which God hath provided for all Men, against Force and Violence. Whensoever therefore the Legislative shall transgress this fundamental Rule of Society; and either by Ambition, Fear, Folly or Corruption, endeavour to grasp themselves, or put into the hands of any other an Absolute Power over the Lives, Liberties, and Estates of the People; By this breach of Trust they forfeit the Power, the People had put into their hands, for quite contrary ends, and it devolves to the People, who have a Right to resume their original Liberty.

John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

Ham Radio To Combat covid BS 24.7 Propaganda

Don’t rely on the Internet for communication. Ham radio or satellite phones may come in handy. 

Home Security

Of course, if everyone stays inside to “flatten the curve,” home burglary rates drop. But who knows what kind of destabilized future the WEF creates by not understanding some of Hayek’s essential insights. (I.e. Elites try to plan society centrally, and free people revolt. It’s a tale as old as time).

Therefore, secure your home with sturdy locks, reinforced doors, and even reinforced windows. Consider security cameras, alarms, and motion-sensor lights.

Also, get out of the city. You don’t want to be surrounded by millions of people when the grocery store shelves are empty of toilet paper and food.

Self-Defense

For these reasons, it doesn’t hurt to invest in yourself. Learn self-defense techniques and look into tools like pepper spray, knives, and firearms. 

Skills

None of this means anything if you don’t have the skills to survive. Learn about permaculture, rainwater harvesting, and other methods for long-term self-sustainability.

Acquire basic first-aid knowledge. Learn to fix things. Cultivate a resilient mindset. 

New Covid Variant: BS 24.7

New Covid Variant: BS 24.7

Isn’t this a little much for a covid BS 24.7? And indeed, the potential backlash against the reintroduction of restrictions may have the elites back down. 

It could also be a rumor based on nothing.

But if it’s not covid, it’ll be something else. If you can’t get your family out of a public health dictatorship state, then at least do your best to get off the grid and become more self-resilient.

If the last three years have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t trust the institutions, nor should we. Powerful interests captured them decades ago. 

“Public Health” does not work for you and me. Whether it’s covid, cannabis, or something else. Not only are we morally justified in disobeying their orders, we’re morally obligated to.

That is, if you accept that freedom is the highest political value that must be protected at all costs.





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