Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
There are various forms of medical marijuana such as smoking, tinctures, vapors and edibles, but many people are still uncertain of which form is best for them personally. And that’s a critical question and more importantly, it’s why a certified medical marijuana doctor with extensive research and experience is your best option. The physicians at Certified Marijuana Doctors take great care to understand your condition and how best to dose your initial medical marijuana trial, or to tweak dosing for those that are already familiar with how it affects them personally.
Without an expert to guide you, you can end up having adverse side effects like nausea and paranoia. And because edibles are one of the most requested forms of medical marijuana, the fact that they can easily be overeaten, often leads to unpleasant effects. Being certain of if you specific dosing is essential.
It’s important to understand how and why medical marijuana works
The endocannabinoid system was discovered in 1992, yet most medical schools, and nursing programs have not added it to their curriculum. Studies showing the benefits of cannabis (marijuana) on the endocannabinoid system were mostly blocked by the Federal Government.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a group of endogenous cannabinoid receptors located in the mammalian brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, consisting of neuromodulator lipids and their receptors.
The endocannabinoid system can be found in nearly any mammal with a vertebrae. The endocannabinoid system is involved in regulating many key bodily processes, including blood pressure, immunity, stress, inflammation, neurotoxicity, and digestive functions. The endocannabinoid system within the human body is a network of cell receptors that respond to key molecules found in marijuana – THC and CBD in particular. CB1 receptors are most densely concentrated in parts of the brain and central nervous system, and less densely found throughout the rest of the body. CB2 receptors, on the other hand, are less densely located in the brain regions, and more concentrated in the peripheral nervous system and organs. The mapping of these receptors fits well with the diverse range of symptoms and conditions that are found to respond positively to medical marijuana.
In addition to regulating neuronal excitability and inflammation in pain circuits, the endocannabinoid system has been shown to play a regulatory role in movement, appetite, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis modulation, immunomodulation, mood, blood pressure, bone density, tumor surveillance, neuroprotection and reproduction. The endocannabinoid system has also been shown to affect sensory perception, cardiac output, cerebral blood flow and intraocular pressure.
A Note on Dispensaries and Vertical Integration
Since Florida’s medical marijuana programs inception, vertical integration has been the main force behind each dispensaries operation. What this means is that each dispensary is responsible all the way from seed to sale, making it extremely costly to get your feet wet in the industry. If you include the cost of obtaining a license as a medical marijuana business, the cost to get started can get into the tens of millions. This leaves us the question of “when will small businesses be able to flourish and profit from the industry alongside the conglomerates”?
Industry heavy hitters such as Trulieve, which currently holds the title for 54% of the entire market share in Florida, have completely taken over the state and leaves patients yearning for more options and better competition. Vertical integration inadvertently creates an uncompetitive environment as instead of having thousands of businesses compete for the top, there are about ten multi-million dollar firms coming in with millions ready to invest. Some argue it’s unfair but there is a reason behind this; liability. Florida has one of the stricter programs in the U.S. and as such, it was started with an extremely limited selection of products and the laws were made this way so that each company had 100% responsibility for every step of the process. This makes regulation easier for the governing heads in charge of such but ultimately leaves out opportunities for small business to get involved, leading to all the profit going straight into the pockets of companies already set up across the states.
What does this mean in 2020? Well, there is one underdog that has finally had its moment with its single brick and mortar location in Spring Hill, Florida and they go by the name “The Botanist”. While they aren’t a true underdog, with them being a state-wide company, they are still the smallest dispensary to successfully have operations in the state with products that are actually worth making the trip for. Patients from Miami have made the 10 hour round trip just to see the difference between products of theirs and the rest of the competition. While seeing high percentage flower isn’t too unusual in Florida (with Rise’s Velvet Glove coming in at a hefty 31.8% THC), it is unusual to see consistent 20% and higher strains with proper curing and high percentages of terpenes. A small glimmer of hope that will eventually set the standard for the rest as they open more stores and create a healthier competition of better product rather than micro efficiencies to squeeze every last dollar out of the process.”
Certified Marijuana Doctors
