New Research Shows How Women Are Coping With The Pandemic
It’s a stressful time for everyone right now. But women specifically are using this to cope with their anxiety. Maybe a little too much.
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It’s not that he’s against legalization (though he is). Cannabis measures tend to lure more anti-Trump voters to the polls—and he knows it.
The post Why Trump doesn’t want cannabis on the ballot appeared first on Leafly.
In the world of weed, people usually think of sativas as the energizing head high strains, while indicas are the potent, sedating body high strains. While these generalizations of effects may have been applicable once upon a time, the truth is that very few 100% sativa or 100% indica genetics are available to the public — or even exist at all anymore.
Most of us are just smoking hybrids.
Hybrid cannabis strains are the result of cannabis breeders spending the past few decades crossing pure sativa genetics with pure indica genetics in the hopes of creating the “perfect” cannabis strains that every consumer could enjoy. Because of this, we now have thousands of strains that can make us feel a whole spectrum of ways. With so many hybrid options, choosing the right ones based on effects can be pretty overwhelming.
To ease the stress of browsing dispensary menus for hours, here are seven of the best hybrid cannabis strains ever.
Since its birth in the 1990s, Original Kush, better known as OG Kush, has been the backbone of California cannabis culture and genetics. As a result, there isn’t a strain out there that hasn’t been crossed with it; and usually, no matter the cross, those Kush attributes tend to be pretty dominant. Despite its fame, none of us really know for a fact which exact genetics created OG Kush. All we know is how it should make us feel.
OG Kush is known for providing potent effects suited best for those who can tolerate a high THC content. The high is generally a hard-hitting cerebral euphoria that leaves consumers feeling relaxed and goofy (i.e. stoned for hours at a time). While a heavy high, OG Kush isn’t thought to be a sleepy strain, though you can definitely smoke yourself into the couch with large doses.
In the same breath as OG Kush and its influence on modern hybrids, we also have to mention Sam the Skunkman’s Skunk #1. It’s a classic cross of Afghani, Acapulco Gold, and Colombian Gold and is world-renowned for producing a pungent funk that smells like a skunk. Additionally, since the 70s, it’s been used to create many of the world’s favorite strains, UK Cheese being the most popular.
Past the skunky terpenes, the Skunk #1 high usually leaves people feeling happy, relaxed, and uplifted. If you need a daytime strain that can help push you through a typical Monday, this might be the hybrid for you.
Gas. When we see Chemdog, all we think is gas.
This legendary strain, whose story began as some bagseed found at a 1970s Grateful Dead concert, is the reason why we all love cannabis flowers that produce a diesely flavor profile. Like most old school strains, no one really knows its genetic history. What we do know is that famous chemmy terpene profile and the extremely potent high that follows.
Chemdog is the definition of couch-locking cannabis. Just a couple hits may leave you too high for activities. Because of its mind-numbing effects that quickly spread throughout the body, it is often best to consume this hybrid towards the end of the day — or night, for that matter.
White Widow is so fun to smoke. It’s truly one of my go-tos when I want a strain that’ll make me feel happy and care-free. And the flowers are beautiful with a thick, white coat of trichomes.
White Widow was bred by crossing a Brazilian landrace with a South Indian landrace. It’s the perfect hybrid in terms of a long-lasting experience with effects that won’t bog you down. Anyone looking for a relaxed yet social high can probably stop right here.
To know cannabis in 2020 is to know Cookies; it’s genetics are virtually inescapable at this point.
Formerly known as Girl Scout Cookies (but changed to GSC for legal reasons) this strain is the pride and joy of the Bay Area’s famous Cookie Fam. It’s a cross between Durban Poison and OG Kush that produces incredibly high THC percentages and long-lasting cerebral effects that apply to any time of day, much like OG Kush.
Another strain, another name change due to legal reasons.
Original Glue is the artist formerly known as Gorilla Glue #4. It’s a hybrid with a complex mix of Chem’s Sister, Chocolate Diesel, and Sour Dubb genetics. It tends to have an earthy and somewhat diesel aroma.
If you came here looking for a hybrid that’ll lock you down for the next few hours, Original Glue was literally named for having effects so potent that consumers are left glued to the couch.
Wedding Cake seems to be the newest people’s champ of hybrid cannabis strains. It’s a phenotype of Seed Junky’s Triangle Mints strain that was named for its supposed vanilla frosting taste. Unfortunately, many of us just think it tastes like earthy dough.
The effects tend to follow the road paved by OG Kush and GSC, as anytime hybrids that produce a potent, long-lasting euphoria that often hits hardest in the mind.
Find thousands of strains on Weedmaps
Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
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Cannabis use has long been associated with memory loss. But until now, this notion was largely anecdotal. As researchers begin to look into cannabis and the effect that it has on human health, they’re beginning to better understand the effect it has on the human brain – and whether cannabis really does impair memory.
Memory is divided into both short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory is where immediate events are temporarily stored, whereas long-term memory is where information is stored indefinitely.
Current evidence shows that cannabis intoxication may temporarily alter or distort short-term memory processing. This seems to be caused by compounds in cannabis that disrupt neural signalling when binding to receptors responsible for memory in the brain. Interrupted short-term memory can indeed impact on learning, and may also cause loss of interest or problems with concentration.
However, early research also shows that cannabis could have a positive impact on neurodegenerative diseases that affect memory, such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington Chorea, and epilepsy. In mainly animal studies, when researchers used components found in cannabis, they found it could slow or even prevent the advance of these diseases – essentially through the creation of neurons.
These apparently paradoxical effects from the same drug are best explained by two chemicals found in cannabis. Namely delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). We all have naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors in our brains. THC is able to effectively bind to these receptors, creating euphoric effects. However CBD can interfere with this binding process, which dampens the feeling of euphoria.
Different ratios of these two chemicals are found in various types of cannabis. Consuming a cannabis product with THC but no CBD increases the risk of developing mental health problems, such as psychosis. However, CBD could actually be used to treat psychosis.
Cannabis with higher levels of THC and lower, or negligible, amounts of CBD appear to have a detrimental effect on short-term memory, particularly in adolescents. The main problem is their ability to retain and recall information. Fortunately this is not permanent.
But these recent discoveries about the role of THC and CBD in cannabis show that we can no longer simply say cannabis itself causes psychosis, or is detrimental to memory. Rather, it might be the type of cannabis, and the compounds it contains, that may have specific risks or benefits.
And while there’s little doubt that some people who use cannabis do experience impaired memory, establishing that cannabis is the cause is tricky. One reason for this is because it’s difficult to rule out the impact of other drugs that people may have used – and whether these drugs contributed to this memory impairment. For example, alcohol misuse can also cause brain damage and memory loss. Another obvious problem when researching this is when asking people with impaired memory to recall their past drug use and any associated problems. Their ability to recall these details could be compromised.
Recent research even suggests that any memory impairment associated with using cannabis can be reversed when people stop using cannabis. This effect was seen mainly in those who used cannabis at least once a week.
Just as higher doses of alcohol can potentially cause brain damage, higher doses or more frequent use of cannabis may also cause long-term memory problems – the ability to learn effectively and the ability to concentrate on a task for example. Some people will use both alcohol and cannabis, often at the same time, which may both worsen the potential impact on memory.
New research also suggests that it’s cannabis, rather than alcohol, that’s responsible for damage to developing teen brains. Though alcohol can destroy or severely damage brain neurons and their signalling functions, this study showed cannabis actually changes the neural brain tissue responsible for memory. But this change can be reversed within a matter of weeks if a person abstains. Though surveys suggest fewer young people are using both cannabis and alcohol, those teenagers that do use cannabis use it twice as frequently.
Research shows that young, frequent users of cannabis have thinner temporal and frontal cortices, which are both areas that help process memory functioning. Memory is a critical aid to learning and study – but cannabis doesn’t just effect memory, it can also reduce motivation to learn. This dual influence reduces a young person’s engagement in education and their ability to perform.
However, using cannabis later in life (age 50 and over) appears to have only a moderate impact on cognitive functioning, including on memory. These modest declines are not fully understood, and there is a lack of high quality research in this area. That will need to change as it’s not just young people that use cannabis. As more countries legalise cannabis, older people might also want to try it.
While there is likely to be no great harm to a person’s memory if they experiment with cannabis, current research seems to agree that the more frequent the use, the greater the risk. Though there is still a lot that researchers don’t yet know about cannabis use on memory, current evidence suggests that any memory impairment can be reversed if a person abstains from use.
By Ian Hamilton, Associate Professor of Addiction., University of York and Elizabeth Hughes, Professor of Mental Health, University of Leeds.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
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Why Isn’t Cannabis Being Prescribed For COVID Survivors?
Why aren’t doctors prescribing medicinal cannabis to treat long-haul post COVID symptoms?
The post Why Isn’t Cannabis Being Prescribed For COVID Survivors? appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
Don’t Assume You Have The Complicated Cannabis Industry Figured Out
The cannabis business is a sprawling, unfriendly hydra, destroyer of serious men with good intentions.
The post Don’t Assume You Have The Complicated Cannabis Industry Figured Out appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
Even in recreational states, it doesn’t always feel like Black Lives Matter when you head to the dispensary.
The post Why I feel guilty shopping at weed dispensaries appeared first on Leafly.
The governor will decide the fate of the bills.
A classic strain, loved by novice and veteran consumers alike, Blue Dream is a high-THC hybrid with a fruity and piney aroma.
The post Blue Dream by Aurora appeared first on Leafly.
How To Stay Sane While Living With Your Family
Thinking of moving back in with your parents? Here are some tips that could help you stay sane and make the most of this transition.
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