Guides
Guides
What Are Stomata And Why Should You Care?
The tiny holes can be found on the underside of the marijuana leaf (and just about every other plant.) They’re called “stomata” and they require a microscope or at least a magnifying glass to see. As far as the second half of the question, you don’t care. Think of stomata as the respiratory system of the plant. They breathe in CO2 and breathe out oxygen. That’s exactly the reverse of what animal life does. The stomata use a vacuum system to suck in gasses and to expel them. Different stimulation on the plant causes repositioning. In fact, understanding how stomata work can help you grow the highest quality cannabis and achieve the best yields. In this article we will cover: How do stomata work Stomata climate cycles Managing CO2 in your plants Blue light and stomata The importance of moistur Back to top How do stomata work Stomata open and close regularly. They open to absorb CO2. They close to retain moisture. Marijuana grows while maintaining this balance. To be a successful grower, you need to stay on top of the balance. It’s not as crazy as walking a tightrope after nine or ten rips from a pop culture decorated Pyrex bong but it’s still a balancing act you need to think about. Regulating the growing environment regulates the stomata and in doing so keeps the moisture where it should be and the absorption of CO2 where it should be as well. Each individual stoma is comprised of a guard cell and an auxiliary cell. The guards open and close the hole. It’s accomplished by absorbing or releasing water so they either fill up or drain out like a water balloon, closing and open the hole by filling up the space or taking the filling away. This whole process is called osmosis. Nutrients and minerals build up in their cells, which attracts water. This is mostly potassium and sugars and this is why proper nutrition is critical for pot. The auxiliary cells accomplish the opposite, pulling potassium from the guard cells and then attracting water. When the plant is low on water, a hormone sends a signal to close the holes. One thing to remember is that the stomata are vulnerable just like a human. If you walk into a room filled with tear gas and breathe it in, your body will be damaged. Stomata absorb CO2 just like the plant needs but if the environment has bad gasses like carbon monoxide, which ends up getting absorbed as well. If you want to know more about marijuana growing, make sure you download my free marijuana grow guide. Back to top Stomata climate cycles Ever thought plants sleep? They sort of do. Stomata has a cycle just like people. They’re usually open during the day to pull in CO2 and they’re usually closed at night to retain moisture. Managing the climate and the light your plants received thus becomes critical to success in growing. The stomata operate the respiration of the plant in a complicated cycle affected by a great many factors. Imagine drowning. That’s what it’s like for a plant if the stomata cycle gets screwed up. In a best case scenario, the plant stops growing. In a worst case scenario, the plant dies. Back to top Managing CO2 in your plants The plant wants a balance between external CO2 and internal CO2. Light and CO2 concentration in the air play a big roll. Light intensity impacts things because the more light, the larger the stomata open. On the other hand, light causes the plants to lose concentration of CO2 in the leaf. That makes the stomata open to absorb more. The light causes the plants to lose concentration of CO2 in the leaf. That makes the stomata open to absorb more. The light causes… If there is too much CO2 in the air, the stomata openings will be smaller. That’s what causes leaves to turn yellow. Essentially, the plants overheat, and that’s why cooling your plants by maintaining airflow is important. It you’re super dedicated and can manage CO2 levels, you want about 1500 ppm (parts per million). Download my free marijuana grow guide for more about CO2 and ppm's. Back to top Blue light and stomata You may have read that you can manipulate the stomata process with blue light. It’s true that blue light is far more effective than red and strongly impacts the stomata cycle. Don’t go buying colored lights! One of the wonderful things about pot is that it’s a naturally incredible plant. If you screw with the very carefully balanced system of water and CO2 management, you’ll end up hurting rather than helping. Stick with the best choices, HPI and HPS lamps, if you want to grow indoors. Back to top The importance of moisture Water is simply critical to effectively growing weed . If a plant gets low on water, the stomata close. Sure, that means photosynthesis stops but retaining moisture saves a plant from drying out and dying. Worse than the lack of photosynthesis, though, is that the plant will overheat. Opening the stomata is how a plant regulates its temperature. Closed stomata make the leaves get hotter. The heat causes evaporation even when stomata are closed. Low internal moisture becomes an ongoing vicious cycle. The cycle gets worse. Without the stomata and the cooling effects, the humidity in the environment gets lower. With less moisture in the air, the already overtaxed plant creates more issues. The good news is that constantly high humidity allows plants to keep their stomata open regularly because there’s no risk of losing moisture. ( Some Dutch scientists at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands figured that out.) Here’s the bottom line. Your plants need moisture and they need light. This is utterly critical, and you can’t screw with the cycle. Treat your plants right, and they’ll reward you. Many factors influence cultivation and your success is all about what you put into learning about it. The stomata represent a critical part of the picture, but it’s still just one part. For more tips on plant physiology, be sure to download my free Marijuana Grow Guide for a handy offline source or visit ilovegrowingmarijuana.com. Happy growing, Robert www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com
How Osmosis Helps With Nutrient Absorption
Osmosis is how your marijuana plants stay in the right position, retain the proper tension in their cells, keep buds performing well, and get all of the nutrients it needs. The best part about osmosis – it doesn’t use energy. This article covers: What is osmosis Nutrients absorption by osmosis Reverse osmosis Plasmolysis and turgor What is osmosis Osmosis keeps your plants from lying flat on the ground or wilting. It does this by maintaining the correct tension in the cells. This process happens not only in plants but also in most things in nature. One example is how a liquid with some sort of dissolved solid seems to ‘pull in’ pure water. You may have seen this when you have two containers with water in them that is sealed off by a semi-sealed membrane. What happens is: the water will go through the membrane, but the solutes (whatever they might be) do not. The science lesson here is that water moves to where the concentration of dissolved liquids is higher. The result is a dilution. This process does not require any energy and it will continue until an equilibrium is reached. Cells work in a similar manner. Just like their vacuoles inside of them, the semi-permeable membrane of the cell store and keep certain materials out. The cells store important sugars, nutrients and proteins while allowing water through and keeping most solutes out. The water will continue to flow in, being attracted to the high concentration within the cell, only stopping until equilibrium is met. The cells swell as a result. With all of this water flowing into the cell, the cell well must work hard to keep from popping. This causes a strong counter pressure that helps plants stand tall and better reach their light source. Osmosis also has another important function in plants – it helps with the opening and closing of the stomata. The stomata regulate how a plant “breathes.” Read more in the article The function of stomata in marijuana plants Back to top Nutrient absorption by osmosis In a cannabis plant, nutrient absorption occurs in the roots. This includes the absorption of the dissolved salts located inside the nutrients (which requires osmosis). With nutrient absorption, osmosis causes ions to move from an area of greater concentration to one of lower concentration. Its ability to this is referred to as its osmotic pressure. The process of osmosis is rather simple, what’s more important is the amount and type of substances you have on either side of the cell membrane. Some substances that you would typically find both inside and outside of a cannabis’ cells are potassium (K), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) ions. Keeping these at the right level are critical to a marijuana plant’s health. Here is osmosis’s role in nutrient absorption. If a marijuana plant has used up some of its nitrogen ions, for example, it will automatically pull in more nitrogen from the outside. Once equilibrium has been met, no more movement will occur. However, if any of the levels drop, either outside the cell or inside the cell, movement will occur again. For example, sometimes phosphorus could be pulled out of the plant and cause a deficit. This occurs when there are more phosphorous ions inside the plant than in the water outside. If you want to know more about nutrient absorption, make sure you download my free marijuana grow guide. Back to top Reverse osmosis Reverse osmosis is a different process. It is used to remove dissolved salts from water. Reverse osmosis is used in laboratories, kidney dialysis, and a little bit when making soda or beer. Guess what else – it’s also used when growing marijuana. Many people think about reverse osmosis in terms of their water. Most of the time, you won’t need to worry about how much dissolved substances are in your tap water. Even if the water you use for your plants has a high amount of chlorine, it isn’t that big of a deal. Of course, there are some growers who want to control everything that is put into to their plants, and there are ways to do that. Try using demineralized water and then add the necessary nutrients, but again, this is optional. So we know with osmosis that a semi-permeable barrier partition allows water to flow between liquids with different concentration of solutes. This is an automatic process that cannot be prevented, however, it can be reversed. The way to do this is by putting pressure on the more concentrated solution. This pressure will prevent water from going through the membrane. The amount of pressure needed for this to occur is called osmotic pressure. Download my free marijuana grow guide and learn to grow like a pro! With enough pressure, the flow can be completely reversed. Water molecules will start going to the less concentrated liquid instead of automatically achieving equilibrium. This is reverse osmosis. If you think about it like it was “clean” or “dirty” water, putting pressure on the dirty water can produce pure water on the other side. This is how many clean (or demineralized) water solutions are produced. On the other side, a liquid or brine with a very high amount of salts is produced. Pure water produced by this method will have a pH level of 7 and an EC that’s nearly 0. If you decide to use demineralized water for your plants, keep in mind, there could be a lack of magnesium or calcium. Find out by learning everything about your current tap water first. Many cities make this information publically available. (It’s referred to as the hardness level) Generally speaking, when you use tap water for your plants, it typically gives a high amount of magnesium and calcium. When you use reverse osmosis on tap water, it takes these important minerals out of the water. Back to top Plasmolysis and turgor Turgor is the amount of pressure exerted on a cell wall. This is caused by a cell’s ability to draw water from spaces between cells or other cells. When this pressure increases, it cause the cell membrane to expand and stretch until it touches the cell wall. Then, the cell wall gives counter pressure. Think of it like a box that is pushing back on a balloon being blown up inside of it. That balloon is only going to get but so big. Turgor causes the stiffness that we see in plants. When there is not enough water, there is less turgor (i.e. the osmotic value of the outside area is greater than what is inside). When there is not enough turgor, cell membranes begin to break off from the cell wall in a process called plasmolysis. Plasmolysis is very bad; mostly because a constant state of plasmolysis causes cell death. No one wants dead marijuana plants… at least not until their done growing. Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to download my free grow bible and happy growing! Robert www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com
What Is A Marijuana Plant?
Plants play a vital role in our ecosystem- we all depend on their presence. Simply put, we need them for our survival. Even though every plant goes through the photosynthesis process, they are not all created equal. The same goes for cannabis plants. So, let’s talk about how to recognize cannabis plants and how they operate. If you are planning to grow marijuana it is important that you understand the plant in its entirety. In this article we will discuss: Plant development The root system Stems: the nutrition highway The purpose of leaves Flowers on marijuana plants Plant development A plant grows through cell elongation and cell division. When the plant cells split in half and make imitations of themselves this is the division process, and elongation occurs as the cells broaden and get larger. Cell division happens on the ends of the roots, the crown, and the border of leaf nodes. You will know that cell division is happening rapidly in those places if you see the plant is growing. Once new cells are formed during cell division, they will go through cell elongation and take in water from the xylem and get much bigger. If a plant is in good condition and a great growing environment, it has the potential to grow as much as 3 inches per day. As baby cells grow they can serve many purposes for your plant, which is determined by what the plant needs. Several varieties of cells can be placed into groups of tissues. Cells can be divided into 3 main segments: vascular, ground, and dermal tissues. Ground cells also known as parenchyma make up the majority of cells inside of plants. This is the useful part of living things. For instance, leaf cells contain mostly parenchymal ground cells, except for the veins and stomata. The next ones are vascular tissues, which are cell systems that have to carry nutrients and water throughout the plant. The xylem moves minerals and water from the roots to the other parts of the plant, and at the same time phloem transports the output of photosynthesis from the leaves to wherever else it is required to be. For instance, various part of the plant need the energy of the sugars from leaves. And last but not least there is the dermal tissue, which is the external layer of plant cells. This part serves to protect it from pests, cold and hot temperatures, as well as parasites. The stomata, cell wall, and lustrous external layers make up the dermal tissue. This is what helps the plant to breathe and take in both CO2 and dissolving water. Back to top Root system There is so much more to a plant than most people consider. All we usually see is what lies at the surface. The root system can grow so large that it becomes about the size of the actual plant. The roots are how your plant endures dry conditions and also access additional nutrients in the soil. Your marijuana plant doesn’t require a large root system to grow well. It will do just fine with a small root system. You can grow it in pots or hydroponics, so long as you are willing to put in the necessary work to give it the light, water and nutrients it needs. Roots tips that are in good condition will be white with little hairs all over it. If you ever notice the roots have turned brown, most likely your plant is in bad shape. At this point, you will need to observe the soil for any signs of root problems. Read the article How to identify root problems for more information. Evaporation is the foundation for water and nutrient uptake in a plant. Extra water is evaporated through the stomae in the leaves while, below the ground, water presses up against the roots and creates pressure. The combination of root pressure below and evaporation above create a suction system in the plant that helps promote the flow of nutrients and water from the bottom to the top. Back to top Stems: the nutrition highway The main structural point of a plant is the stem. The stems are how water and nutrients travel all over the plant. They are the reason your plant can stand up vertically. The leaves connect to the stem at the node and the other part of the stem is called the internode. How tall a plant gets depends on the amount and how long the internodes are; how many internodes it has remains the same. Stems have phloem and xylem, which extend downward to the roots. The xylem moves water and minerals from the roots to the newer leaves. Starting inside the leaves, the phloem moves sugar and energy throughout the plant. It is important for a cannabis plant to have a very strong stems. A broad stem will enhance the movement of energy and make the plant solid so that it does not tumble over as it flourishes. You can make a solid stem through using air flow. Have a fan blowing on your plant at all times. That way the stimulation causes the plant to broaden the stem while it’s growing. More tips in my free grow bible at this link here Back to top The purpose of leaves The leaves are the most vital part of any plant because this is where photosynthesis takes place, making it a supplier of food. Plant leaves are made up of petiole (stalk), mesophyll and veins. The mesophyll is the leave’s flesh, and it is here that cells containing chlorophyll catch sunlight, along with CO2 and turn it into energy. The veins stretch from the leaf tips to the roots, which are made up of phloem and xylem. Xylem moves water and phloem moves energy. You can find the stomata on the bottom half of the leaf. These are the doors to the inside of a plant. They open and close when needed so that oxygen, water vapor, and CO2 can be transported. Leaves will definitely flourish best in the sun and produces an abundance of chlorophyll. The more chlorophyll a plant has, the more sugar, and since sugar is energy, the plant will be in better condition. Leaves that are in more dim areas will produce less sugar than those in sunlight. Download my Free marijuana grow bible and learn to grow like a pro! Nodes can found at the crossroads of leaf bundles. Nodes are a great way to determine how your plant is doing. The first nodes will grow single-fingered leaves, the second will have 3 fingered leaves and the 3rd 5 fingered leaves and it just keeps going on from there. If the plant is growing in good conditions, it will have more fingers on the leaves, which means a healthy plant. This is important to understand while pruning because plants can have preferences. Make sure you know what and why you are pruning. Having fans in your grow space to help keep the environment under control because different leaves may be experiencing different temperatures. Back to top Flowers on marijuana plants The flowers are the reproductive organs of a Cannabis plant. The flowers are rarely flawless because they are both male and female. The male flowers have stamen, which are a thin tube-like filament topped with pollen covered anther. The females have pistils, with a pillar-like stalk and a stigma at the end. Stigmas are generally sticky in order to catch pollen. Marijuana plants reproduce through pollination, which occurs through using pollen from the male’s stamen and moving it to the pistil of the female. The flowers also have CBD and THC in them. These are the two main active substances and the reason we want to grow and smoke the plant ;) You keep these substances at high levels by making sure the female flower never get fertilized. Fertilization causes the female plant to start adding resources to the creation of seeds. If the plant goes without being fertilized it will focus on giving to the creation of calyxes, teardrop nodules that usually have large amounts of trichomes. Those are what secretes THC, as well as other cannabinoids. Thanks for reading this article. Don't forget to download my free marijuana grow bible and happy growing! Robert Bergman www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com
Traveling With Marijuana Offers Extra Troubles From Legal States
While pot is currently legal in Alaska, Colorado, Washington and Oregon, traveling with marijuana across the border of any of those states while carrying your recent purchases makes you a felon in most cases. The difference of a few miles turns your legally purchased recreational substance into a Schedule 1 narcotic. This is comparable to a 12 pack of beer turning into heroin just because you happen to be a few miles further down the road. Unlike the repeal of the alcohol prohibition, which happened nationwide, marijuana legalization has been patchwork, piecemeal, and full of gray areas. Is there any 100% safe way to get your legal recreational marijuana products back home without becoming a criminal? In fact, there seems to be a paradox with coming of legalized marijuana. It seems to have grown more difficult and dangerous to travel around with it now that it's legal in some areas. Where once it was fairly easy to fly under the radar, the radars have gotten more sensitive. FLYING According to the Associated Press, 29 people were caught trying to board airplanes with marijuana last year in Denver. In all cases, no charges were filed and the passengers were allowed to board their planes after they disposed of their weed. Keep in mind, these were legally-purchased amounts (1 ounce for residents, ¼ ounce for non residents). Just as I was thinking of heading to the airport carrying a “MARIJUANA DISPOSAL” sign, it turns out the airport authority has already started an Amnesty Box program. A large green container advises travelers that taking marijuana substances onto airplanes is illegal. It has been reported that they are highly popular. And before you ask, the local Sheriff's are responsible for emptying the boxes. Originally there was said to be a $2500 fine and possible imprisonment for trying to conceal pot while boarding a plane or even bringing it onto airport property. But thus far, all cases the Denver TSA has turned over to the Pitkin County Sheriff have essentially been ignored. The only time local authorities get involved is when the case involves a minor, or looks to be large amount of marijuana packaged for distribution. Even if you get your products on the plane, there's no guarantee that you're home free. Although nobody has said it officially, incoming flights from Colorado could be monitored. Remember that Oklahoma and Nebraska are suing Colorado over their state's pot laws. Not unlike the angry neighbor calling the cops on the house party next door. What it comes down to is possessing any illegal substance in any airport is a federal crime. Proceed at your own risk. DRIVING If you travel to the Centennial State by car, once you cross a state line you are subject to the laws of that state. Of the seven states that surround Colorado, five of them still consider any type of marijuana or marijuana product 100% illegal. Thus, law enforcement can detain you for something as simple as failure to signal a lane change, call for a drug dog to walk around your car, and raise some revenue at your expense. NPR ran a story last year about B.J. Wilkinson, the police chief of Sidney, Nebraska near the border, lamenting how marijuana related arrests jumped 50% in the year after Colorado passed legalization. What isn't mentioned is how these arrests were initiated. Something that would be nice to know if you plan on sneaking some pot back home. There's no mention of profiling out of state plates, or if the suspects were speeding, or if they were doing dabs on Main Street, naked. The Deuel County Sheriff Department does report $18,067 in asset forfeitures for 2014. That's more than double what they reported the previous year, when legalization was just being passed in Colorado. While presenting themselves as protectors of the public from dangerous potheads, they are also filling county coffers to defray the cost of prosecution, buy new cars, and hire more personnel to seize more assets. But this is nothing new. Asset forfeiture for marijuana is still the favorite cash cow of law enforcement. If one was to ask a long time smoker from the prohibition era who's experienced in carrying illegal weed, he may tell you, “Only break one law at at a time. Don't drive under the influence while carrying. Obey all traffic laws. Make sure your vehicle has all headlights, taillights, signals working properly. Keep tags, drivers license, and insurance up to date. Act and look normal.” But truth be told, even carrying small personal amounts across state lines is still a risky business. OTHER STATES Washington State was the first to follow Colorado's lead on legalization. And although they haven't gone as far as the amnesty box policy, it seems most travelers caught trying to get small amounts of marijuana products on planes are simply asked to surrender them and proceed on their way. But try taking it into Idaho and you are likely to encounter the same scenarios as the states surrounding Colorado. But if you're traveling north to Canada, you could become subject to international law. And a warning to Canadian cannabis curious tourists, if you're caught trying to return home from Washington with a cannabis product, you could wind up being banned from the U.S. forever. In Alaska, as of right now, you can fly inside the state and take your stuff with you. However, crossing out of state jurisdiction turns the situation identical to Colorado's. Smile, you're breaking federal law again! The District of Columbia has the unfortunate circumstance of having a lot of senators and other legislative types living there who are threatening to dismantle their legalization laws. So at this time, weed is still subject to the draconian laws it has always suffered under. If you're a smoker used to traveling with your stash, none of this is probably news to you. You already have vast experience in covert transportation from the total prohibition days. But to you, the “cannabis tourist,” you're safest consuming all your purchases before you head to the airport or the state line. Educate yourself on the laws of the state you plan on visiting, as well as those of surrounding states before you travel. Bon voyage!
A Toke to Good Health: Benefits of Medical Marijuana
More unbiased, publicly available scientific research has been done in regard to the benefits of medical marijuana in the last decade in the United States than has been done in the plant’s history. Government red-tape has always made research into the illegal substance expensive and difficult, but perseverance and public support has helped to shed light on the plant’s many benefits. This information has become more readily available to both counter-culture supporters and the general public, resulting in an impressive 46% of the States adopting medical marijuana laws. At the current rate of increase, this number is set to gain traction every year. So let’s nip propaganda in the bud and reveal the burning truth in regards to marijuana’s potential benefits. We’ll start with one of the most commonly expressed medical uses, the treatment of glaucoma. Of course, when you first stumbled on your grandparents stash, they may have told you that it was to treat their glaucoma—and whether their statement was falsified or not is up to debate—but how much truth is there to the treatment itself? Let’s start with the basics. Glaucoma is an eye disease which increases intra-ocular pressure (IOP), which can cause damage and even loss of vision. Marijuana use can decrease this pressure substantially, leading to an increase in eye-health and a decrease in the disease’s damage creating potential. However, the biggest issue with marijuana as a treatment is the duration of decreased pressure, which lasts only a couple of hours during and after consuming THC. This would mean that for proper treatment, you would need to smoke every couple of hours, which may or may not be realistic for any given situation. This limits marijuana’s potential as a treatment, but it is still a viable option for those who react adversely to current medications on the market. According to the American Glaucoma Society, there is evidence that local administration (eye drops) containing marijuana’s active components could be effective, and even possibly protect nerve cells, but further research is needed. Slowing the Progression of Alzheimers A particularly interesting medicinal purpose for marijuana is that of slowing, or perhaps even stopping Alzheimer’s in its tracks. One of the effects of the disease, which diminishes mental capacity and degrades the mind, is that it creates a buildup of a specific protein, beta-amyloid, which becomes a plaque-like formation in the brain. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicates that THC may slow down the production of this protein. In low doses, marijuana’s active ingredient can prove to be an invaluable ally in the fight against the symptoms and advancements of Alzheimer’s. This is a low-risk high-reward treatment, and we can only hope that advancements in research and implementation can help to fight the disease which currently affects over five million Americans ages 65 and older. Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Post-traumatic stress disorder is an extreme anxiety condition created due to traumatic experiences, such as war or sexual assault. The symptoms often include flashbacks, nightmares, emotional disconnect or extreme emotion, increased anxiety, isolation, and avoidance. Researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel ran tests using a synthetic compound very similar to cannabis called WIN 55,212-2. Researchers administered electrical jolts to a group of rats as a simulation of trauma. One group of rats was then exposed to the synthetic compound, while another group was not. When both groups were shown reminders of the traumatic experience, those exposed to WIN 55,212-2 showed fewer signs of anxiety and pain recognition when compared to the other group. While this research is both preliminary and on non-human subjects, it does show an intriguing basis for further investigation of cannabinoids to treat traumatic experiences. Just as important as the long-term benefits marijuana may pose for PTSD, it can also provide symptomatological relief. The Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, through their work with those afflicted by PTSD, state that cannabis has greatly improved the quality of life for those who suffer daily battles inflicted by the PTSD. Naturally occurring cannabinoids help to regulate the brain functions that cause anxiety and fear, and it is thought that additional intake of similar cannabinoids can help to relieve many associated symptoms. Due to the lack of research done on humans, evidence is mostly anecdotal, but marijuana has been shown to provide a relief for the anxiety associated with the illness (and anxieties in general) and does so with fewer side effects than any other available medications. Stopping the Spread of Cancer Cells Cancer and marijuana use is a widespread topic of much debate, with more and more research coming to light every day. According to Cancer.gov, “Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis invasion and metastasis.” Molecular biologist Pierre Desprez and researcher Sean McAllister have done tests involving cannabidiol (a compound in marijuana) in which they mixed the compound with cells containing large amounts of 1D-1, the cancer spreading gene. The result was that the cells returned to normal, and the spread of 1D-1 was halted. Their intriguing research has concluded laboratory and animal testing, all of which reflected the above exciting results. The next step, human testing, has not been able to proceed as of yet due to government regulations, but the duo is hopeful that they can push forward in their research in the near future. Reducing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy While on the subject of the potential uses for marijuana and the treatment of cancer, we need to take a look at what it is doing for those who currently have the disease and are undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The benefits that marijuana can provide for the chemotherapy patient are vast. Chemotherapy is known to cause intense nausea, which marijuana use is able to calm. Marijuana is able to alleviate the pain associated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is known to decrease appetite, and marijuana can counteract this by increasing metabolism and stimulating one’s want for food (marijuana can also be used as an edible). Marijuana is able to do all of this without the side effects of additional medication, pills which a cancer patient has already been overwhelmed with. I have seen firsthand how the quality of life is greatly improved when marijuana is used to counteract the effects of chemotherapy. More importantly, the medical community’s research has shown that treating chemotherapy’s side effects is one of marijuana’s greatest uses. Treatment of Epileptic Seizures Unfortunately, as has been true in regard to cancer research and PTSD research, seizure research has been greatly limited by government restrictions. However, research that has been possible has been centered on cannabidiol (the marijuana compound that may also stop the spread of cancer cells) which has shown great potential. One report explored the compound’s potential with children who had treatment-resistant epilepsy. According to the report, Sixteen (84%) of the 19 parents reported a reduction in their child's seizure frequency while taking cannabidiol-enriched cannabis. Of these, two (11%) reported complete seizure freedom, eight (42%) reported a greater than 80% reduction in seizure frequency, and six (32%) reported a 25-60% seizure reduction. While this small sample size limits the effectiveness of this study, the percentages are certainly astounding, and the results should motivate additional research. Speak up (and don’t forget to vaporize and make edibles for added health benefits) All of these medical benefits raise one glaring issue—that medical marijuana research is being inhibited by federal restrictions. Twenty-three states, thus far, have medical marijuana laws. With support, that number will continue to rise, and eventually marijuana will be federally recognized. Of course, medical marijuana performs better, and with fewer side effects, than many of its pharmaceutical counterparts. Because of this, there will always be opponents whose interests do not align with medical marijuana, and it is up to the people to make their voices heard. With uninhibited research, many of the above medical uses will become much more than simple potential, to the benefit of everyone.
