HempTalk - Business Blogs and Press Releases

Industrial hemp has a wide range of uses, including: Textiles: Hemp fibers are durable and strong, making them an ideal material for making clothing, rope, and other textiles.Building materials: Hemp fibers can also be used to make a range of building materials, such as insulation, roofing, and drywall.Paper: Hemp can be used to produce high-qualit...

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in the hemp plant that has become popular among athletes as a potential aid for sports recovery. Here are some ways CBD may be used for sports recovery: Pain relief: CBD has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties, which may help to alleviate soreness, inflammation, and...

The CB2 receptor is a type of cannabinoid receptor that is primarily expressed in immune cells, although it is also found in other types of cells throughout the body. It is one of two known types of cannabinoid receptors, the other being the CB1 receptor. CB2 receptors are activated by cannabinoids, which are compounds found in the cannabis plant, ...

Hemp and cannabis are two varieties of the same plant species, Cannabis sativa. However, they differ in their chemical composition, cultivation, and usage. Hemp is typically grown for industrial use and contains very low levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound that produces the "high" associated with cannabis use. In fact, i...

It has long been known that resinous cannabis flower tops are infused with robust therapeutic properties. But there are also pharmacologically active components in other parts of the plant that shouldn’t be ignored when assessing the health benefits of cannabis.

The earliest reference to the therapeutic use of cannabis dates back to 2700 BC in ancient China, “the land of hemp and mulberry.” Cannabis (“Ma”) was subsequently included in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing, humankind’s first pharmacopeia, which had been assembled by Emperor Shen Nung, the legendary father of traditional Chinese medicine, who is credited with introducing the custom of drinking tea. Ma was recommended for more than a hundred ailments, including gout, rheumatism, malaria, constipation, beri-beri, and absent-mindedness.

The Shennong Ben Cao Jing called Ma one of the “Supreme Elixirs of Immortality.” It was said to confer longevity and good health. If consumed over a long period of time, Ma could “enable one to communicate with the spirit light and make the body light. It mainly supplements the center and boosts the qi [chi]. Protracted taking may make one fat, strong, and never senile.”1

When consumed in excess, however, “it may make one behold ghosts and frenetically run about.”

Seeds of Health

In traditional Chinese medicine, protein-rich cannabis seeds figured prominently both as a food source and a remedy — apparently more so than resinous cannabis flower tops. The seeds don’t contain CBD, THC, or any other cannabinoids. But modern science confirms that cannabis seeds are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are indispensable biochemical building blocks for a healthy endocannabinoid system.

This is first of an occasional column that updates developments pertaining to articles previously published by Project CBD. We start with some positive news from the Golden State. Then a follow-up on our investigative report about Curaleaf, the world’s biggest cannabis company. And freedom of expression takes a hit when it comes to cannabis advocacy in the Czech Republic.

Plastic Pollution in California

Inspired by Project CBD’s exposé, “Bag the Tags” (June 29, 2022), California state senator Ben Allen has introduced a bill to end the onerous requirement to apply a plastic tag to every cannabis plant grown by licensed cultivators, as is currently mandated under the state’s track-and-trace program. Sponsored by CannaCraft, Inc., a major cannabis producer (and longtime friend of Project CBD), and supported by several organizations including the National Product Stewardship Council and the California Cannabis Industry Association, Senate Bill 622 seeks to mitigate unnecessary labor and operational costs for cannabis cultivators, while eliminating the creation of millions of pounds of plastic waste that can’t be recycled.

As Project CBD reported last year: “With over 2,000 acres licensed to grow cannabis, California cannabis farmers put between 30 and 55 million plants in the ground every year. The tags are the definition of ‘single use’ – they can only be used on one plant and never re-used during subsequent growing seasons. That’s a lot of plastic tags for an industry with green pretensions.”

The ostensible purpose of imposing the tag rule was to monitor cannabis grown in California to make sure that it would not end up in the illicit market within or outside the state. But the factsheet summarizing SB 622 emphasizes that “individual plant tags are completely ineffective in preventing diversion.” Why? Because cannabis can’t be diverted until the plants are harvested! And the tags are removed and discarded after they are pulled from the ground.

The SB 622 factsheet asserts: “In a state that prides itself on championing environmentally sensitive initiatives designed to stop climate change and improve the environment, it is antithetical and irresponsible to continue to mandate plastic plant tagging, which does nothing to prevent diversion.”

In the first part of this series, we reviewed recent research into the role of the CB2 cannabinoid receptor in cancer proliferation. This week we turn our attention to another fascinating aspect of CB2 function: its impact on psychiatric and mood disorders despite not being concentrated in the central nervous system (CNS).

After all, the CNS is the domain of its sibling, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor — the primary target of THC and the mediator of cannabis’ intoxicating effects. CB2, by contrast, is more prominently expressed in the peripheral nervous system, where it regulates inflammation, pain, and neuroprotection. CB2 is found to a much lesser extent in the brain, where it modulates dopamine signaling, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis.

The CB2 receptor was of particular interest to visionary cannabinoid scientist Raphael Mechoulam. In the year prior to his recent passing at age 92, Mechoulam was still actively involved in research investigating CB2 in a variety of disease models. Here we look at a couple of his final papers on CB2 and mental health, as well as two related reviews published in the same timeframe.

CB2 & Schizophrenia

First comes a paper on CB2’s role in schizophrenia, a condition related to psychosis whose symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, social withdrawal, decreased emotional expression, and apathy. Coauthored by Brazilian scientists affiliated with the University of São Paulo, it appeared in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry1 in July 2022.

“The CB2 receptor modulates dopaminergic neurotransmission, which is abnormally enhanced in schizophrenia patients,” the authors explain. That much is clear. Given this, they wanted to know, how might “HU-910,” a synthetic research compound that selectively activates the CB2 receptor, affect behavior in a rodent model of the disease?

If you’ve been to our website before, you’ll see it’s much easier to navigate now, thanks to the talented folks at Blue Dream, Ganjapreneur’s in-house creative agency.

You’ll also see that we have significantly increased our medical conditions-related content.

“The new Project CBD website is designed to make their educational content more accessible and discoverable,” explained Noel Abbott, CEO of Ganjapreneur and strategic advisor for Blue Dream. “It also includes an updated marketplace for ethical CBD brands to showcase their products.”

Migrating from another content management system and rebuilding our entire website was a huge job, encompassing our Japanese and Spanish language platforms, as well as more than 750 original articles in English.

The Project CBD team knows a lot about the cannabis plant but very little about website design and search engine optimization. The Blue Dream team has been a fantastic partner with much-needed expertise in those areas. 

CBD, or cannabidiol, has been shown to have potential benefits for relieving nausea and vomiting in some people. Nausea can be caused by a variety of factors, including chemotherapy, motion sickness, anxiety, and certain medical conditions. Research has shown that CBD can interact with the body's endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in regula...

The cannabinoid receptor CB1, primary target of THC in the brain, is known for mediating the cannabis high. And its counterpart CB2, mainly expressed in immune cells throughout the body, is understood to play an important role in inflammatory processes. These abstractions are accurate as far as they go, but as with anything related to the endocannabinoid system, reality is far more complex.

Project CBD’s recent article on the passing of Raphael Mechoulam noted that the esteemed scientist believed CB2 should be a focus of future cannabinoid science. The CB2 receptor interacts with THC, CBD, endocannabinoids, and other compounds in a multitude of organs including skin and bone.

Recent research — including papers co-authored by Mechoulam well into his 80s — has confirmed that aberrant CB2 signaling is implicated in a raft of autoimmune, neurodegenerative, metabolic, and psychiatric disorders. CB2 is also an increasingly hot topic in cancer research.

In this two-part series, Project CBD will explore some of the latest studies and what they reveal about what we know — and still don’t know — about this ubiquitous, somewhat mysterious cell receptor.

This week: cancer. Next week: cognitive and mood disorders, including some of Mechoulam’s final work before his death in March at the age of 92.

Hemp can be used as a building material in a variety of ways. Here are some ways hemp can be used as a building material: Hempcrete: Hempcrete is a mixture of hemp hurds, lime, and water that can be used as a building material. It is lightweight, strong, and insulating, making it a good choice for walls and roofs.Insulation: Hemp fiber can be used ...

Bioavailability is a measure of how much of a substance is absorbed and available for use in the body. In the case of hemp, the bioavailability of its active compounds, particularly CBD (cannabidiol), can vary depending on the method of administration. Here are some general bioavailability percentages for common methods of consuming CBD: Inhalation...

Water-soluble CBD is a form of cannabidiol that has been modified to dissolve in water, making it easier to mix into beverages or other liquid-based products. Regular CBD oil is hydrophobic (repels water), which makes it difficult to mix into water-based products. Water-soluble CBD products are made by using special technologies that break down the...

Hemp, also known as industrial hemp, is a plant that has been used for thousands of years for a variety of purposes. Here is a brief history of hemp: The first recorded use of hemp dates back to ancient China around 2800 BCE. It was used for making paper, rope, and textiles.By the 16th century, hemp had spread to Europe, where it was used for simil...

Recently my wife returned from a night out with a ringing in one ear and significantly diminished hearing. It was a sure sign of injury caused by standing too close to a speaker. She was upset with herself for being so careless and concerned that the condition would persist. For the next couple days, she got extra sleep to aid recovery, and for good measure took an extra dose or two of CBD.

For many other people of all ages, tinnitus is indeed a chronic condition that has nothing to do with loud ‘80s cover bands in small clubs. Risk factors span a wide range of physical and psychological conditions including concussion, smoking, certain medications, ear infection, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and, most commonly, age-related hearing loss.

And it’s not just ringing. Technically, tinnitus (pronounced tih-NITE-us or TIN-ih-tus) is the perception of sound originating from within the nervous system that’s unrelated to external stimulation. Tinnitus can also be experienced as buzzing, whirring, humming, whooshing, clicking, and hissing. Whatever the precise nature of the phantom sound, it often comes with a constellation of symptoms related to the disruption such a condition can bring: sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, low mood, etc. Estimates vary, but tens of millions of people in the United States alone likely suffer from chronic tinnitus.

My wife’s ringing tinnitus did fade, and her hearing gradually improved over the course of a few days. The CBD she took may or may not have helped, but according to a recent survey of tinnitus patients, she wasn’t alone in trying — or at least in being interested in cannabis as a potential remedy.

Auditory & Other Symptoms

The survey, whose findings were published in February 2023 in the Journal of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery1 evaluated cannabis perceptions and consumption among 45 adult tinnitus patients randomly selected and recruited from an outpatient ear, nose, and throat clinic in Ontario, Canada.

Pinene is a terpene found in many plants, including cannabis. It is named for its distinctive pine aroma and flavor. There are two isomers of pinene: alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. Alpha-pinene is the most common and is found in many strains of cannabis. It is also found in coniferous trees such as pine, fir, and spruce. Beta-pinene is less common b...

I was fortunate to cross paths with Raphael Mechoulam, “the father of cannabis research,” at several science conferences over the years. The most memorable occasion was the 22nd annual meeting of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) in Freiburg, Germany, in July 2012. Mechoulam delivered a plenary speech at the symposium, addressing the future of cannabinoid research and key areas of study that should be pursued.

It was exactly fifty years earlier, in 1962, when Mechoulam launched his scientific investigation into the chemistry of cannabis. In 1963, he and Yuval Shvo first reported the molecular structure of cannabidiol (CBD). And the following year Mechoulam coauthored a paper that elucidated the molecular structure of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although he didn’t know it at the time, Mechoulam had lit a slow burning fuse that would detonate a revolution in medical science.

As a young scientist, Mechoulam set out to understand how cannabis works; he ended up unlocking a treasure trove of information about how we work. Known affectionately as “Raphi” to many of the scientists he mentored, Mechoulam tirelessly promoted cooperation between researchers around the world to advance the study of the body’s “endocannabinoid system,” which produces chemicals similar to THC, CBD, and other plant cannabinoids, and mediates their effects.

In 1992, Mechoulam’s research group at Hebrew University in Jerusalem discovered an endogenous THC-like compound that activates receptors in the mammalian brain. He named it “anandamide,” the bliss molecule. And in 1995, Mechoulam and his team identified a second endocannabinoid compound, 2-arachidonoyglycerol or 2-AG for short. Anandamide and 2-AG are part of an internal lipid neurotransmitter system that regulates a wide range of physiological processes, including appetite, mood, pain perception, and immune function.

“Planning Research for the Next Half Century”

“It’s time to plan ahead for the next half a century,” Mechoulam, age 81, told the Freiburg ICRS attendees, who had gathered to honor his 50 years as a pioneer cannabis scientist. Mechoulam cited three specific areas that should be research priorities: CBD, the CB2 cannabinoid receptor, and a cluster of endogenous fatty acid compounds in the brain that he referred to as FAAA’s.