Wednesday, July 29, 2020

How to Get Weed In California Without a Card

Since legalizing cannabis in 2016 it has been possible to buy recreational cannabis legally in California. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) legalized marijuana making it legal to buy cannabis and cannabis products without the need for a medical marijuana identification card.

Prior to this Californias medical marijuana laws allowed medical patients and their primary caregivers to buy legal cannabis or grow their own cannabis plants but medical cards were needed to prove they had a doctors recommendation and the weed was for medicinal use.

Since the passing of the act into state law, adults over the age of 21 are allowed to cultivate, possess and consume recreational weed with possession limits set at one ounce of cannabis or 8 grams of concentrated cannabis, and cultivation limited to six plants. There are still strict rules around consumption, protecting children and transporting cannabis, especially over state lines, but cannabis can now be consumed for recreation without breaking the state laws.

And any adult who is a resident of California can purchase recreational cannabis legally from licensed dispensaries providing they have their state id cards and do not need specific medial cards. California even opened America's first cannabis cafe being the first restaurant in the United States where weed can be openly consumed. However, there are two types of licensed dispensaries and not all are able to sell weed to recreational customers.

As well as purchasing dispensary California residents can have weed delivered to their doorstep. Curbside cannabis delivery can be a convenient way to buy recreational and medical cannabis, especially in cities and counties where there are fewer dispensaries, as the local government still have the final say as to whether or not they allow cannabis to be sold.

Once you have bought your legal weed you also have to be careful where you consume cannabis. While it may be possible to legally purchase marijuana in California marijuana laws do not allow residents to consume in public spaces, meaning that legal smoking can only happen in private homes or specially licensed smoking areas.




Regulation of the Cannabis Industry

The Bureau of Cannabis Control is the lead agency responsible for regulating the cannabis industry for both medical and recreational cannabis. They are responsible for issuing the licenses needed to be a medical or recreational dispensary, as well as licensing distributors, testing laboratories and temporary cannabis events.

Legal recreational marijuana can only be purchased from a licensed dispensary that has been specifically granted the license to sell recreational marijuana. However, there are many more marijuana dispensaries licensed to sell medical marijuana and it is therefore much easier to buy legal weed with a medical marijuana card.

Benefits of Having a Medical Marijuana Identification Card

Prior to legalizing cannabis for recreational use, California legalized marijuana for medicinal use with the passing of the Compassionate Use Act in 1996. This act permitted doctors to recommend medical cannabis use to patients in California with a qualifying condition.

The change in cannabis regulations not only allowed doctors to recommend cannabis and CBD products to medical patients but also gave patients the right to grow cannabis plants, possess dried cannabis or and buy marijuana legally.

Access to medical marijuana is largely controlled by the California Department of Public Health's Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program. This medical marijuana program requires voluntary registration by medical marijuana patients and their primary caregivers allowing law enforcement easy verification of patients and primary caregivers right to grow, possess, transport and use under California medical marijuana law.

Only a doctors recommendation letter is required to buy marijuana. Medical marijuana recommendations from licensed physicians are available online in minutes. There are many qualifying conditions that would allow you to consumer medicinal cannabis in California including chronic pain, anxiety disorders, seizures, nausea and loss of appetite, migraine, arthritis, insomnia and many inflammatory conditions.

Applying for a marijuana recommendation is a simple process which will give you a letter you can use alongside your state identification card to access Californias medical cannabis dispensaries. As well as a letter you can also purchase a laminated marijuana card. This is not the same as a medical marijuana id card issued by the departments of public health.

As well as giving access to a higher number of retail outlets, having a medical marijuana id card will also save you money as medicinal cannabis is exempt from certain taxes, saving you between 20 and 40% on your purchases. Start saving by applying for a medical marijuana card online today.

On top of better access and lower taxation medical marijuana users are also entitled to possess and cultivate larger quantities of cannabis than recreational users. A patient with a doctors recommendation can carry up to 8 ounces and grow up to 12 plants, with the option to apply for a growers recommendation and grow up to 99 plants.

Things to Watch Out For

Although you can buy legal weed in California, California cannabis laws are still fairly strict as to where legal weed can be consumed and how it can be transported.

Cannabis regulations state that it is illegal to smoke, vape or otherwise consume in public spaces, within a certain radius of schools and in vehicles. This essentially limits use to private homes and specially licensed premises.

Traveling with an open container of weed is also not legal in California and neither is crossing state lines, even if you are traveling to another state where cannabis is legal.

It is also worth noting that federal cannabis laws cannot be over-ridden by state laws, meaning that although there is a legal recreational market under local law it is still strictly prohibited to possess or sell cannabis in California under state law. However, the federal government has tended to take a fairly relaxed approach providing certain criteria are met.

If you need a marijuana recommendation you can apply for your medical marijuana identification card online today and get approval in minutes. Having a doctors recommendation makes it easier to buy legal cannabis as you have access to medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries.

 


Tuesday, July 28, 2020

How to Pass a Drug Test in 24 Hours – Getting THC Out of Your System

Although both medical marijuana and recreational marijuana have been legalized in California, marijuana laws still give employers the right to maintain a drug-free workplace. Tests for marijuana, alcohol and other illicit drugs are therefore still fairly common to prevent people from being intoxicated at work.

Many employers will require you to be drug tested as a condition of employment. Pre-employment drugs tests are legal providing they are properly conducted, and the courts have upheld employers rights to refuse to hire an applicant that tests positive even if they have a medical recommendation.

There are also other reasons why you may need to take tests for marijuana and other types of drugs at short notice. Although random employee drug testing in California is highly controversial there are certain professions where there are particular safety issues that random drug testing is maintained, as well as certain federal authorities that require it. Employers are also allowed to test with reasonable suspicion of drug addiction or abuse.

Although both alcohol and marijuana are legal for adults to use, testing for marijuana is different from testing for alcohol as the drug screen is testing for THC metabolites rather than actual THC levels. You can test for alcohol abuse at work to determine if someone is under the influence but in the case of cannabis, a urine drug abuse test will not show if someone is currently high.

Drug tests detect drug metabolites that are produced by the body as part of the natural detoxification process. A marijuana drug test, most commonly a urine drug test, will usually be testing for the presence of THC-COOH a metabolite of THC that shows up in urine for several days after use. Therefore a drug test result may be positive even if the person is not under the influence at the time of the drug screen.

Whether you use cannabis as a recreational drug or smoke weed medicinally it can stay in your system and is detectable by various types of drug test from anywhere between a couple of hours to several weeks or months.

Urine tests are most common, especially as pre-employment tests, as they have good accuracy and are cost-effective but blood, hair or saliva tests may also be used.

In order to pass your drug test, you need to have not been using for long enough that the metabolites will not show up when tested. Depending on how frequently and heavily you use this detection window could be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, which can be especially difficult for medicinal users.

Home drug testing can be a useful way to determine your chances of passing, and there are some things you can do to help increase your chances by flushing your system and supporting your body while it is naturally detoxing.




How Drug Tests Work

Drug tests detect drug metabolites left behind in your system after the drug breaks down. THC metabolites can be detected in your hair, blood, saliva, and urine and the detection window varies depending on the type of test. Drugs and their metabolites stay in the system for varying lengths of time before naturally passing through. How quickly you would be able to pass a drug test will, therefore, depend on the type of test, how frequently you use and how well your body is able to metabolize the THC.

Because THC is fat-soluble, body fat also plays a role. THC is stored in fat cells and released back into the body when fats are broken down by the body. As fat is an energy store for the body this process, known as lipolysis, occurs when the body is low on glucose stores and can be triggered by both exercise and stress.

The amounts of time that tests results will come back positive for a urine test could vary from 1-3 days for an occasional user, to up to a month for a chronic user with a high level of body fat.

Types of Drug Tests

Whether or not you are likely to get positive drug tests is dependent upon the type of drug test. Urine drug tests are the most common workplace tests, but blood tests, saliva testing or a hair follicle test could be used to test for illicit drug use.

Hair Drug Test

A hair drug test or hair follicle test tests hair for the presence of metabolites embedded in the hair shaft and can detect cannabis use for around 90 days or however long the hair has been growing.

You might think you could pass a hair follicle test by shaving your head, but body hair can also be used and to remove all your body hair before a test is likely to cause suspicion.

Mouth Swab Drug Test

A mouth swab drug test is essentially a saliva drug test. These tests test for the actual presence of THC rather than it's metabolites. A mouth swab test might be used by law enforcement officers to determine if someone is driving under the influence which remains illegal.

Mouth swab testing generally has a shorter detection window but may be able to detect low levels of cannabinoids in the saliva for up to 72 hours after use.

Urine Drug Test

Urine testing is the most common test used by employers. Urine drug tests are cost-effective and rarely if ever give false positives assuming the lab is properly carrying our the urine testing.

Testing urine shows cannabis metabolites naturally passing out of the body. Testing urine will generally show positive results for anywhere between 1 and up to 30 days depending on the individual's metabolism and frequency of use. If you are an occasional user you would be likely to pass the test within 3 to 4 days but chronic users should abstain for several weeks to give themselves the best chances of passing.

Blood Tests

Blood tests can also be used to check for cannabis use. Like saliva tests a blood tests checks for the actual drug rather than it's metabolites and will generally give positive results for up to 24 hours although this can increase to up to a week for heavy users.

Blood testing is more invasive than other types of testing so is not generally used by employers but may be used by law enforcement when investigating accidents or to confirm if someone is driving under the influence.

Passing the Test - Getting THC Out of Your System

You body starts naturally detoxing as soon as you consume a drug, this detoxification process will take different amounts of time depending on the type of drug, how much has been consumed and other factors such as your metabolism, weight, and general health.

Your chances of passing increase with the amount of time since you last smoked marijuana, and will also be higher if you are an occasional user rather than a habitual user. If you are looking for work or planning on changing jobs and know that a pre-employment drug test is likely then your best option is to stop using as soon as possible.

However, if you do get caught out with last-minute tests for marijuana there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of passing the test including using detox products or home remedies that support your body to detox naturally.

Once you have stopped smoking, tips to pass include drinking a lot of water, exercising, eating healthily including plenty of fiber and supporting the liver. All these actions can help rid your body of THC by supporting its natural processes.

Although there is little scientific evidence to back up the claims of using a detox drink, detoxification products can support your body in naturally passing THC metabolites through your system. Detox kits can be used just a few hours before the test and may increase your chances of passing although there is no guarantee and giving you body time to naturally detox is always preferable.

Other Ways to Pass

If you are pretty sure you are not going to pass your drug test there are a number of things you can consider.

It could be a good idea to buy a test kit and perform home drug testing on the day of the test. If you test positive the best option might be to try and rearrange the test. Also, you need to be aware that home drug testing is not 100% accurate and so it is possible to get an inaccurate drug test result.

As urine tests are the most common there are a couple of options available to try and pass your test and beat the system. Diluting your urine to lower the concentration of the metabolites and hide evidence of substance abuse is one option.

Marijuana users may wish to flush their system as much as possible on the day of the test and drink plenty of water an hour before the test. However, diluting your urine too much can lead testing centers to be suspicious so some people recommend taking b vitamins to color the urine.

You might want to avoid exercise the day of the test. Avoiding exercise can help to minimize metabolites in the urine as exercise releases cannabinoids that are stored in fatty tissue.

The other option is to use fake urine. You can buy synthetic urine or powdered urine that can then be substituted on the day of the test. Tips to pass using this method include making sure that the fake urine is heated to body temperature and making sure you do actually urinate in case the testing centers staff are listening.

Postponing your test could also be a good option as this will give your body longer to

What Happens if You Fail Your Test

If you fail a drugs test that is part of a pre-employment check you might find you don't get the job. Although some employers will be more understanding if you have a medical marijuana card which is simple to apply for online.

Failing a drug test while employed may result in the need to attend addiction treatment programs.

 


Sunday, July 26, 2020

Long Term Effects of Marijuana on the Brain – What to Know


Do you know that marijuana is the most commonly used psychotropic drug in the United States, right after alcohol? Numbers show that in 2018, 11.8 million young adults in the U.S. reported marijuana use in the past year. The use of marijuana is more common in men than in women. Even though cannabis consumption keeps increasing, most people are not aware of all the effects this plant has on the brain. In this post, we discuss what effects marijuana could have on brain health with long-term use. Are there any risks? Scroll down to find out.



Short-term effects of marijuana 
We’re going to start with a brief rundown of short-term effects on brain and body associated with marijuana use. They include:
·         Impaired memory
·         Lower anxiety
·         Disrupted motor control
·         Bigger appetite
·         Faster heart rate
·         Sleep pattern changes
·         Decreased pain
How marijuana affects cognitive functions long-term?
Despite the ever-growing use of marijuana, the effects of long-term use are still not thoroughly elucidated. The reason is simple; a vast majority of studies on cannabis focused on short-term effects and results that people can experience. 
However, some long-term effects of marijuana are short-term carry-over effects. 
Why does that happen?
The body fat attracts THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid responsible for the “high” effect. Since the cellular walls in the body are comprised of fat, it’s easy for cells to absorb THC. What happens next is that THC is re-released gradually over a certain period of time. 
If you’ve ever wondered how a person can test positive for marijuana even when not using it for several days now, you know the reason. Traces of THC persist in the body for up to a month after you stop smoking. This also explains why some short-term effects of marijuana use may last for a while.
Before you start thinking this is just a theory, it’s worth noting the scientific evidence confirms it. For example, a study from the Addictive Behaviors showed that people do experience some effects of marijuana for a while even after they stop using it. The main objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine relationships between recent and past cannabis use on neurocognitive functioning. 
For this purpose, the scientists enrolled 158 subjects into the study. Of these, 68 participants were recent users, 41 were past users, and 49 subjects were non-users. Past users were those who haven’t used marijuana for more than 28 days or four weeks.
Results showed that recent marijuana users demonstrated significantly worse attention and working memory performance than non-users. Their information processing speed and executive functioning were also worse than in people who have never used marijuana. Interestingly, there was no statistically significant difference between recent and past cannabis users in terms of neurocognitive performance. 
Although cognitive functions were the worst in recent marijuana users, past users performed more poorly on measures of executive function than non-users. This implies that the effects of cannabis on the brain don’t go away once a person stops using it; they remain for a while. 
These findings dictate that as long as you have THC in the body, marijuana will continue to affect the brain. 
While it’s evident that marijuana can impair cognitive functions, the effects on the brain itself and its structure and functions need more attention and further investigation. This subject is not totally clear, but several studies have inspected it, and we’re going to discuss their findings below.
Long-term effects of marijuana on the brain
As the rates of marijuana use increase, so do the questions about its influence on the brain. The research mostly focuses on short-term effects, as mentioned above, but studies on the long-term impact of cannabis are emerging, and we can expect even more of them in the future.
study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that marijuana use can change brain structures, but further longitudinal study approaches are necessary to uncover more on this subject. The research included 110 participants, of which 62 were non-users, and 48 people were cannabis users. Marijuana users were enrolled in the study if they currently use marijuana regularly at least four times a week over the last six months.
The findings showed that heavy, chronic marijuana users have lower orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) gray matter volume compared to their counterparts who don’t use cannabis. The orbitofrontal cortex is the area of a prefrontal cortex that sits above the eye sockets. It is located at the front of your brain. This part of the brain has extensive connections with sensory areas and limbic system structures that are involved in memory and emotion. The OFC also receives information about the sight of the objects.
The effects of marijuana use on OFC aren’t as shocking if we bear in mind that OFC is the main area in the reward network. Moreover, OFC is abundant in cannabinoid receptor CB1, and it’s significantly implicated in addictive behaviors. Since CB1 receptors, which are a part of the endocannabinoid system, are positioned on excitatory terminals of cortical projection neurons, then downregulation of these receptors negatively affects the plasticity of OFC. While scientists couldn’t identify all the mechanisms through which marijuana use decreases OFC gray matter volumes, they theorize it could be down to changes in cell size, neuronal loss, and reduction in CB1 density. 
In other words, the PNAS study confirms the unfavorable effect of marijuana on OFC connectivity but also emphasizes the complexity of this problem. You see, greater functional connectivity of OFC was linked to an earlier age of onset of regular use, while chronic marijuana use led to slower connectivity. This relationship only paints a picture of how complicated the effects of marijuana on the brain really are. Although some evidence shows that CB1 receptor down-regulation may return to normal values with marijuana abstinence, scientists concluded that more research is needed to confirm that.
Evidence also shows that marijuana use can affect white matter, and the younger a person is when he starts smoking cannabis, the greater the damage. This study showed that marijuana use had no impact on cortical volumes.
The journal PLoS One published a study which found that morphological brain alterations are observed in adults and adolescents who use marijuana. These alterations are especially pronounced in the medial temporal and frontal cortices and cerebellum. The effects are associated with the amount of exposure to cannabis.
When we’re talking about brain volume and cannabis use, it’s important to mention that evidence shows people with psychosis are more prone to these changes. However, the impact of marijuana on the brains of people with psychological problems and risks of psychosis should be further elucidated. 
However, not all studies on this subject agree that marijuana is responsible for brain changes. For instance, the JAMA Psychiatry published a study which showed that exposure to marijuana was related to smaller changes in the left amygdala and right ventral striatum volumes. That being said, these changes weren’t that significant. They were within normal variations, scientists explain. This led the scientists to conclude that differences in amygdala volume in marijuana users could be attributed to common factors ranging from genetic to environmental origin. The causal influence (of cannabis use on changes in amygdala volume) has little support. 
Just a reminder, the amygdala is an important part of the brain, and it plays a key role in emotion and behavior.
Brain development changes with marijuana
Human brain changes and develops throughout life, but it is the most malleable in a period between birth and the 21st birthday. Since many teenagers start smoking marijuana and continue to do so well into adulthood, it’s impossible not to wonder how cannabis affects developing brains. A study from the Brain journal attempted to answer that question. 
A team of researchers compared MRI scans of subjects who have started using marijuana in adolescence with the scans of participants who have never used cannabis. In marijuana users, the neural connections between the right and left brain hemispheres were decreased. This finding means that internal communication in the brains of marijuana users is lower than in non-users.
Despite the importance of the study and its results, you still need to keep in mind a few things. Like a vast majority of studies on the effects of cannabis, this one also doesn’t show what happens when a person stops using marijuana for a certain period of time. In other words, this research doesn’t show whether internal communication in the brain improves once a long-time marijuana user decides to stop. Some impairments could have been in the brain before marijuana use in the first place.
On that note, another study found that people who started using cannabis in their adolescent years had lower IQs in their 30s compared to childhood. The frequent cannabis use is associated with a loss of six to eight IQ points measured in mid-adulthood. 
The greatest drop in cognitive performance was among people who started using marijuana the youngest and who smoked most heavily. The weak cognitive performance was independent of their socioeconomic status and other parameters. Interestingly, this study showed that abstaining from marijuana doesn’t fully restore neuropsychological functioning. In other words, those subjects didn’t restore the lost IQ points after abstaining from marijuana. 
Another piece of evidence shows that young marijuana users experience a significant decline in verbal ability and general knowledge between the preteen years and late adolescence or early adulthood. That being said, those who started using cannabis at an older age already had low scores at the beginning of the study. More precisely, they had low scores on the brain functions even before they started using cannabis.
Can long-term marijuana use harm my brain?
The influence of marijuana use on the brain is a subject of many studies, but many of them have conflicting results. Several studies have shown that marijuana can, indeed, affect cognitive performance and induce some structural changes in the brain. 
But, this doesn’t mean marijuana can destroy the brain entirely. 
Long-term and heavy cannabis usage (e.g., from adolescence to adulthood) can slow down the brain, but won’t scramble it. 
The negative effects of marijuana on the brain are more pronounced in adolescent cannabis smokers who continue using it into adulthood. 
A lot more studies are necessary to determine just how much marijuana use can impair the brain’s functions. 
One of the greatest obstacles that prevent scientists from learning all the short- and long-term effects of marijuana on the brain is that study participants often use multiple substances. Data about the participants’ health and mental functioning before the study is limited. This also doesn’t allow scientists to take a look at the broader picture. Changes in brain and cognitive functions can occur due to a wide range of reasons, including another illicit drug, but without enough data, it’s difficult for scientists to rule out other potential factors.
How marijuana affects memory?
As seen throughout this post, marijuana can have a significant impact on brain function and cognitive abilities, including memory. 
But have you ever wondered why smoking marijuana could impair your memory and make you forgetful?
Memory impairment from cannabis happens because THC changes the way the hippocampus processes information. Don’t forget that the hippocampus is an area of the brain responsible for the formation of memory.
As you age, the number of neurons in the hippocampus decreases. As a result, it becomes more difficult to learn and store new information. Chronic exposure to THC could accelerate the age-related loss of neurons in the hippocampus. In turn, this area of the brain can’t form memory properly. 
Conclusion
In this post, we discussed the long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Evidence on this subject is still conflicting, but scientists agree that early onset of marijuana use can induce structural changes in the brain and lower IQ scores. A lot more research is necessary to learn more about this subject.
References
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-scope-marijuana-use-in-united-states
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4032061/
https://www.pnas.org/content/111/47/16913.full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4925620/
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055821
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474956/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26308883/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22669080/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22927402/
https://www.pnas.org/content/113/5/E500
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-are-marijuanas-long-term-effects-brain


Thursday, July 23, 2020

Detox Your body from Weed Fast – How-To


Do you want to remove all traces of THC? Do you need to flush marijuana out of your system, but have no clue how to do it? 
Smoking weed for recreational use can leave plenty of THC in the system. This compound can have psychedelic effects and show up on drug tests. For a proper cleanse, you need the right detox process.
Here, we will show you exactly how to do it. We’ve compiled all the handy tips on detox from weed, including how long it stays in the system, what options to use, and what tactics to implement to avoid dependency. So, let’s get right to it.  



Why Are Marijuana Detoxes Necessary?
Consuming marijuana for extremely long periods can create dependency. When the system becomes used to getting THC, it starts to crave it. When you stop using it abruptly, it will stimulate withdrawal issues. 
Marijuana withdrawal is a typical reaction when the body is struggling to readjust. Regardless of the reason you are using weed, you need to flush it out of the system completely. Based on medical reports, this approach will give your body a tolerance break. 
With frequent uses, the system creates a high tolerance for THC. So, even if you are using the weed for medicinal purposes, you won’t feel the same effects of marijuana. The healing impact will drop, and you won’t be able to use the weed to its full potential. This is a typical problem for marijuana users who take too much of this plant. 
If that happens, the therapeutic properties will slowly dissipate, and you won’t notice any positive results. To avoid this outcome, the first step is to detox. You can choose to do it naturally and wait out the body to flush it out, or you can take it in your hands and cleanse your body by yourself. But, the sooner you do it, the better. 

How Long Will Marijuana Stay In the System?

According to Medical News Today, the duration this plant remains in the human system greatly depends on what you use it for. Some people use it on the hair, consume it orally, or smoke it. Here is how long it takes for THC detox to flush out naturally:
·         Blood – 36h
·         Hair – 90 days
·         Saliva – 48h
·         Urine – 3 days to a month (or more)
In many cases, the cannabinoid will leave traces in the sweat that last for more than a week. But, how the THC impacts the system, it will vary from person to person. Some people may notice more impactful strains than others. 
How to Detox THC The Right Way?
Do you have urine drug tests coming up, and you feel uneasy about the whole thing? No biggy! There are many ways you can overcome the problem and be on your merry way. Here are a few methods you might want to try. 
1.Flush Out the Weed Naturally
If you smoked weed, wait for the system to naturally detox the body. With the body’s natural digestion process, you can do a proper drug detox anywhere. 
If you got the time, you don’t need kits, programs, or pills. If you follow a proper diet, are physically active, and stay hydrated, the weed will leave the system in 4 to 6 weeks. 
For people with a quick metabolism and low water retention, the process can go a lot smoother. While it isn’t the fastest method, it is definitely the most natural approach and it works just well.  
2. Have Plenty of Water
The high water intake will be the key to flushing out all the THC metabolites. In fact, no matter what you are trying to flush out, you will need water. This drink is a natural cleanser. The body needs it to dilute the urine and make the residual metabolites harder to detect. This technique cleanses the urine in 24 to 48h

3.Try a Detox Drink

Sometimes drinking a lot of water can get boring. That’s why you can crank it up a notch with detox drinks. These beverages have a neck for expelling metabolites from the system. They also have potent compounds that replenish all the nutrients in the body and force the urine to pass more frequently. 
A typical choice would be cranberry juice. Feel free to make your own juice from whatever ingredients you prefer. 
4. Include Zinc Supplements in Your Meals
If you have urine tests coming up, you might want to consider adding a zinc supplement to your diet. Based on studies, taking zinc orally can interfere with THC detection in the urine for about 12 to 18h. Due to its fortified effect, zinc can be useful for masking the presence of THC. 
However, it’s not a full-proof method. More research is necessary to figure out the full extent of these kinds of supplements. 
5. Get Some Activated Charcoal
A lot of people are using activated charcoal for its rejuvenating capabilities. But, there is more to it than you might realize. Some people believe this is a great alternative for stimulating the body to remove difficult substances. Plus, medical experts use charcoal to manage overdoses. 
The way it works is relatively simple. The charcoal binds to various substances and triggers the body to get rid of them. The key is in the negative electric charge of the charcoal molecules. When they stick to substances, they use a positive charge. That’s how they trap the drugs and work on the metabolites. 
With the THC metabolites is the exact same case. The charcoal moves through the liver, then the bile, and ends in the intestines. Once it gets to this part of the body, it starts to affect the bloodstream and stimulate the body to flush it out. 
If you also drink water with it, you can speed up the process. This is a handy detox tip you should consider giving a try.
6. Stop Taking Cannabis
No matter what kind of detox method you try, if you don’t stop consuming THC, you are in a world of trouble. All your detox tries will be in vain. What you need is to completely purge the system of any psychedelic effects. The sooner you stop using it, the better the odds of passing drug screening. 
Yes, it will be difficult to control the smoking habits. You might have decreased appetite for some time, but that is completely normal. The body needs time to adjust, and you need to provide the perfect environment for a THC-free system. 
If you don’t think you can handle it alone, you might need addictions treatment. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. A proper treatment center can help you stay on track and live healthily. 

Final Thoughts

Many people think they can immediately get rid of the effects of cannabis after using it. Some even believe once the psychedelic effects pass, you are good to go. But, that’s not the case. 
There is no “miracle” formula that will purge the THC in minutes. It takes a very long time to clear out the system before a drug test, so you have to plan your time accordingly. Of course, even if it takes a while, it doesn’t mean you are out of options. 
There are plenty of methods you can try that have excellent results. We listed all the options here. They can show you exactly how to speed up the whole process and pass your drug test with flying colors.
  
References
https://cleanandhealthyme.org/blog/4-reasons-to-detox-from-marijuana.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327306#how-long-does-marijuana-stay-in-the-system
https://potguide.com/blog/2015/september/18/how-to-flush-marijuana-out-of-your-system/
https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/blog-how-to-get-thc-out-of-your-system-n687
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21740689/





Sunday, July 19, 2020

Cannabis and Migraines – Does it Help or Cause Headaches?


In almost 1 in 4 American households, there is a person living with migraines. It’s such a widespread problem that over 12% of the entire population, including children, suffer from this chronic health disorder. 
For individuals who regularly have to deal with it, life can be very challenging. Even the simplest stimuli that might be harmless to others can trigger a migraine attack. Anything from potent aromas, loud screeching, to bright lights can be a serious trigger. The worse the trigger, the more crippling the pain is. 
Though conventional drugs for migraines can help ease the symptoms, they don’t work that well for all patients. Plus, they expose people to serious side effects. For a healthier treatment choice, people often turn to cannabis. 
The question is, does it help or cause these headaches? Can you rely on cannabis treatments for chronic head disorders? Here, we will take a closer look at cannabis and migraines, including all the practical info you need to know.



Using Cannabis for Headache Disorders
The concept of using cannabis for headaches is nothing new. Based on historical records, cannabis was the go-to treatment for headache and migraine pain for many decades. Plenty of prominent doctors between the late 1800s and mid-1900s relied on this medicinal herb to curb the symptoms. 
Its compounds proved incredibly effective for soothing the pain and controlling the triggers. But, when medications became widely available, they seemed to show a lot of promise for managing chronic pain. The attention slowly shifted to conventional medicine. 
Can Cannabis Help or Cause Headaches?
There are many treatments for migraines that promise remarkable results. But, not all of them create the effects you might expect. Cannabis can topple most of them. 
According to clinical studies published by Washington State University, inhaling cannabis can have innumerable benefits for soothing migraine symptoms. 
In fact, it cuts the migraine pain by nearly 50%. Based on their reports, inhaling its medicinal properties can reduce the severity of self-reported headaches by 47.3%. While for migraines, it can reduce it by 49.6%. For migraine patients, this can prove immensely beneficial.  
Another research published the same year showed similar results. Out of the 279 patients evaluated, 88.3% reported a reduction in headache pain after taking cannabis. But that’s not all. Almost 50% of them dropped the headache rates, while 38.3% stated they noticed a significant improvement in their quality of sleep. 
The Impact of the Endocannabinoid System on Migraines
Experts believe that medical marijuana has a major effect on the nerves, and it is all thanks to its endocannabinoid system. Enough evidence supports the effect of this system on migraine treatments. 
Once medical cannabis is ingested, the body will naturally start to process it. Eventually, it will reach the nervous system and emit all its therapeutic properties. 
The medicinal compounds in the cannabis plants will search the body for the receptors. When they find them, they will infiltrate them and soothe the pain signals. The smoked cannabis will decrease the inflammation in the matter tissue and minimize the damage of migraine triggers. This is why cannabis users quickly start to feel migraine relief.  
Because of how beneficial it actually is, plenty of states permit the use of medicinal cannabis. It is a proven method for successful headache treatment. 
·         When Is the Right Time to Dose?
Even though plenty of evidence supports the effects of cannabis for migraines, there is still not enough practical information yet. Guides on how much, when, or how to take this treatment are lacking. That’s why it’s crucial to figure out the best approach before you decide to use the cannabis flower. 
Some people use the plant as a prophylactic, mainly to stop the onset of migraines. With this method, the body relaxes the muscles and eases the stress. Others prefer to use it as a treatment that deals with nausea and pain. 
According to experts, it might be best to use cannabis at the first sign of trouble. The moment you think you are noticing the symptoms, you should take a dose. This tactic can come in handy when trying to reduce or eliminate the triggers, particularly when focusing on dealing with the first signs of pain. 
But, in many cases, the plant can work for both treatings and preventing these chronic issues. Since it’s much easier to control the triggers with a cannabis concentrate, it can overcome the cluster headaches.
The problem is that this health disorder has a complex set of triggers, causes, and symptoms. For some patients, it can be best to take a dose as a preventive measure, while for others, it would be ideal for treating the issue after the first symptoms. 
The medicinal plant can have a diverse impact, which could affect its potency. That’s why it might be best to experiment at first and see how the plant works for you. That way, you can tailor the treatment to your needs. 
·         What’s the Most Effective Delivery Method?
Plenty of studies have evaluated the effects of inhaling and taking oral medicinal marijuana. Even though right now, we need more evidence that compares the two methods, we could guess which is the better alternative. 
Smoking might not be best for everyone. If people have inhaling difficulties or health conditions that put a strain on their lungs, it will make the treatment process very difficult. In cases such as these, oral delivery might be the better alternative. But, it doesn’t mean it’s the most effective one. 
The complex nature of the health condition makes it difficult to pinpoint the most efficient delivery method. There are many variables. For example, some patients may find inhalation to be better than oral consumption. 
But, if you really want to make the most of it, many people settle for vaping. It gives excellent dose control and better bioavailability. 
Conclusion
Cannabis could be an excellent option for managing migraines. While it isn’t a conventional treatment method, it has plenty of beneficial properties. For people who are considering to try alternative medicine, it can be worth it. 
References
https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304395998000335
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191125100353.htm
https://n.neurology.org/content/92/15_Supplement/P3.10-015.abstract
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/how-cannabis-can-help-migraines
https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/qa/how-does-marijuana-work-to-treat-migraines
https://www.cannabisclinics.ca/medical-cannabis/migraines/