CBD Health

Genetic mutation enhances the functioning of the endocannabinoid system, which blocks pain

Some rare and very happy families have inherited insensitivity to pain. From cuts and burns to usually painful hand surgeries, some people experience no pain. In the case study, “Microdeletion in an FAAH pseudogene identified in a patient with high anandamide levels and insensitivity to pain,” a 66-year-old woman with this rare disorder was examined and the researchers were amazed at what her DNA revealed.

The woman who feels no pain

In this case, it was found that the pain-insensitive patient has a genetic disorder that causes a deficiency in the function of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Doctors were surprised after she underwent hand surgery and had no post-operative pain. Also, in her previous medical interventions, including hip replacements and dental work, she did not need pain relievers (analgesics) and had quick healing without pain when it came to cuts and burns. She could even eat extremely hot peppers with no discomfort! Even more surprising is that she has not experienced any anxiety or depression and says that she does not panic in dangerous or anxious situations.

FAAH Mutation Enhanced Endocannabinoid Signaling

The researchers decided to examine the patient’s DNA and found that a deletion mutation on chromosome 1 was inherited from her father, who also had no pain sensation. This inheritable DNA deletion means that your FAAH enzymes won’t break down complex molecules into simpler ones as they should. FAAH normally breaks down fatty acid amides (FAAs) like anandamide (AEA), which are part of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). AEA is like the natural version of the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and also affects how the ECS sends messages about pain and fear to the body.

New goals for drug development

The ECS helps regulate body functions such as pain perception and fear perception. Mice that lack a functioning FAAH, like the patient, have increased AEA blood concentrations, improved endocannabinoid signal transmission, rapid wound healing and a poor sense of pain. This has made FAAH inhibitors an exciting target for drug development. Previous attempts were unsuccessful, but this new genetic information may allow researchers to make progress in the future.

Picture: https://unsplash.com/photos/NFvdKIhxYlU from the National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

References

1. Habib AM, Okorokov AL, Hill MN et al. Microdeletion in an FAAH pseudogene identified in a patient with high levels of anandamide and insensitivity to pain. British Journal of Anesthesia. 2019; 123 (2): e249-e253. doi: 10.1016 / j.bja.2019.02.019 Accessed on April 5, 2021. ‌https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007091219301382

I heard differently CBD stories but none is as convincing as this for Leni Acosta Knight. This is a story of courage, healing, and hope despite the fortuitous curve balls of life.

Before we learn how Leni handled CBD and what she’s currently doing with it, here is some information to familiarize you with the main character of the story.

Leni’s story is fascinating and she can rightly be called an iron woman. In 2010 she moved to Sierra Leone to do a work assignment. There she rolled the dice and teamed up with some locals to look for gold. It took two years of hard work and sheer grit to go beyond the coyote hole and actually develop real nuggets. Needless to say, this venture was capital intensive and the iron lady Leni Knight happened to be the financier. At this point, it’s important to mention that she was the only woman on the mining team who was otherwise made up of black macho men.

You guessed right?

A lot of money was lost and Leni had to return to the USA in 2012 empty-handed. After Leni had lost almost all of her financial fortune, she was ready for a fresh start, which she had, but life had even more shockers ahead of her.

Leni withdrew prematurely from the financial world and was forced by a close friend to rekindle her passion for art painting.

Leni sold her first painting in 2015; Then she got into real business. She took the time to find a genre that she loves and that turned out to be an expression of her real life. Her art focuses on abstract expressionism and classical realism.

Art & symbolism

And then there was this special work of art.

There was a figure of a man and a woman hugging, and then later it erased the man and left the woman. The female had a red dot on her right breast.

Leni couldn’t think of a suitable way to get rid of the stubborn red dot.

So she wanted to throw the canvas away, but her husband urged her to hold on to it.

The painting is preserved, as is the red dot.

A month later, she did her regular mammogram and “the red dot” reappeared in the form of a lump on her right breast. A month later, her worst fears were confirmed – she had breast cancer. Being the brave woman she is Leni didn’t take much persuasion to perform an almost instant double mastectomy.

Looking back, she thinks the botched painting is a premonition.

Fortunately, by the end of 2018, all of the cancer cells were eliminated and she didn’t have to undergo chemotherapy. However, she was given cancer drugs, the side effects of which were so severe. In her opinion, the experience was worse than chemotherapy. She couldn’t get up or do anything for herself. After a while, she asked her doctor to stop the medication.

Leni’s CBD trip

When Leni stopped taking the hard medication, she had to find a replacement to keep going.

Eating properly and exercising regularly will drive you on the path to healthy recovery.

Back at the hospital, Leni had joined a self-help group for women that invited various doctors. It’s in this group that she got introduced in CBD that has less than 0.3% THC.

Marijuana is illegal in Hawaii, but CBD is not.

Leni quickly started with CBD. She reports that CBD relaxes her and leaves her with no side effects, so it’s much better than the medications she’s been on before. For Leni, CBD is all about relaxation and restful sleep. It’s a great substitute for the cancer drugs that would keep you in bed all day.

Leni also admits that art was a big part of her healing.

Lacosta CBD chocolates are born

Leni always wanted to do something with her brother, who is a professor of culinary arts. At first she wanted to get him to make some fancy recipes, and she wanted to design beautiful boxes for the recipes. But after starting with CBD, she came up with the idea of ​​making CBD with chocolate infusion. The ones she took were amazing, but she wanted to go a step further and make gourmet CBD chocolates.

Yes, this is Leni Acosta Knight for you.

As the driven siblings that they are, they moved quickly with the Lacosta chocolates. When their first order was announced, it was sold out within minutes.

Leni reports that the pralines are so delicious that she ate four bars at once when she first sent them! Each bar contains 200 mg of CBD and Leni fell asleep immediately after enjoying this. This is what you can expect from a culinary maestro!

Of course, Leni’s brand has an artistic touch. Each box of chocolates contains a characteristic work of art such as Desiderata or “Bring him home”, which has a war theme. Her original Desiderata painting was donated to the Hawaii Women’s Cancer Center.

The Lacosta chocolates are already causing waves in the market.

Leni’s story is inspiring in every way. Her resilient mind is insatiable and it’s no wonder she is already a force to be reckoned with in the CBD market.

What the law ensures is not a guarantee of what companies insure. That is, just because medicinal cannabis is legal in 33 states, just because the majority of states allow residents to buy and use medicinal cannabis, just because the majority of studies draw the same conclusion that medicinal cannabis can improve health and well-being does not mean that every insurer in these states will reimburse patients who use medicinal cannabis. However, there is a cover. Policies are available, premiums affordable, providers accessible or: what is legal is insurable, although this fact deserves more attention.

Whether the party in need is a person or a private company, whether the person needs medical cannabis to work, or whether a company needs insurance for workers using medical cannabis, individual or group insurance is real.

More importantly, medical cannabis is no longer an excuse for insurers to charge higher premiums. Whatever stigma this or that person ascribes to this subject, whatever the stigma persists, despite numerous tests and extensive testimony from patients, the stigma is false.

The link between medical cannabis and health is too strong to be dismissed and too significant to be denied. The connection between medical cannabis and wellness is also too believable to reject and too compelling to reject. However, this connection is a disclosure requirement of an insurance professional.

This duty is a duty to inform: to act, not to react, so that people who need help – people who deserve help – can not only live better, but can also live well; Live with the knowledge that medical cannabis is not a vice; Live with insurance to buy good medical cannabis, the virtues of which are multiple and verifiable; Live more active and productive lives thanks to doctors, scientists, activists, lawyers, and insurance agents.

This duty is a matter of communication.

By investing the time to explain why insurance complements health in general, and the value of medicinal cannabis in particular, insurance professionals expand the possibilities. Parent with Parkinson’s, father with PTSD, mother with MS, coworker with cancer – if one or all of them can benefit from medical cannabis, no one should have to go bankrupt to get better. Everyone should know that insurance removes the cruelty of this wrong choice.

Then where do we go from here?

What can we do to promote health and wellbeing with the understanding that the cannabis industry is at the forefront of science and technology?

What we can do, what we have to do is: lead.

By leading the public to a solution, by showing the public that a solution is neither elusive nor expensive, by explaining to the public why a solution is essential, the public wins.

This victory is attainable provided knowledge and action are one. In other words, awareness is a recipe for planning – and acting. That we realize how medical cannabis can help people, that we realize that people need help, that we realize that we can help, that realizing these things requires us to do something. Not anything, but something.

Meritorious because it is right and right because it is moral, we must defend medical cannabis insurability. This defense promotes health and wellbeing, and increases support through education and ongoing public outreach.

This defense is a solemn cause.

That defense is our call to glory.

Thanks to them 2018 Farm BillHemp production has been legalized and is now different from other cannabis plants. Not only does this mean more protection for hemp farmers under the federal law on crop insurance, but it is an exciting opportunity for companies in the hemp apparel industry.

Hemp is still defined as a cannabis plant, but cannot contain more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). As such, the plant cannot cause psychoactive experiences in those who consume it and its compounds.

However, hemp is much more than just a plant to eat. The plant has long been used for industrial purposes. Today, consumers can find numerous products made from hemp, including clothing and shoes.

Hemp: An ideal textile for sneakers and clothing

There are many materials currently used to make clothes and shoes, some better than others. However, hemp has many properties that make it an ideal material for making clothes and shoes:

• Hypoallergenic. The non-allergenic properties Hemp means that it won’t irritate the skin.
• Thermoregulation. Your feet won’t sweat as easily thanks to the ability of hemp thermoregulate.
• Antibacterial. Shoes tend to smell and hold on to odors. But if made from hemp, that antibacterial nature of the fabric means that bad smells are not kept as easily as with other fabrics, especially synthetic materials.
• Strength. Hemp fibers are known to be extremely strong, which can help shoes last longer.

Those who value the environmentally friendly nature of hemp for clothing and trainers will also find hemp as an attractive material. In particular, hemp has the following properties:

• Sustainable. There is no need to use harmful pesticides or herbicides to grow hemp, which makes it a sustainable crop.
• Bio. Hemp is grown and manufactured in such a way that it becomes an organic fiber.
• Light decomposed. Since hemp is a natural material, it has a very small carbon footprint compared to artificial materials.

Hemp-based clothing and shoe brands

Here are just a few of the hemp-based apparel and shoe brands:

• Sanuk
• Virblatt
• Bohemia
• Jungmaven
• Rawganique
• Patagonia hemp clothing collection
• Recoverers
• Hempy’s
• Tact & stone
• Valani
• Outerknown

Consumers looking for an organic, natural textile that is sustainable and non-polluting will find hemp-based clothing and shoes an attractive alternative to other fabrics, especially synthetic ones.

Image source: StockSnap from Pixabay

One of the problems with cannabis use is the decreased semen quality in men and the increased risk of testicular germ cell cancer.[1] Researchers at the University of Denmark are conducting studies to answer some of the questions about how cannabis affects male fertility. The use of cannabis products creates pharmacological effects in our body by acting on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). To gain more information about the interaction between plant cannabinoids and the endocannabinoids produced in our bodies, researchers examined the expression of components of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the tissues and cells of the human testes. This included cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), the enzymes that produce the endocannabinoids, and the enzymes that break down endocannabinoids. [2] The aim of this study was to investigate at which stages of sperm production the ECS components begin to express and to determine whether other reproductive cells contain components of the ECS.

Using specific antibody staining techniques, the researchers were able to map where the various components of the ECS were located in human testis tissues. This allowed for a visual representation of receptors and enzymes that are present in developing sperm. By examining both germ cells in various stages of spermatogenesis and somatic cells, we know that the ECS components are expressed in a stage-specific manner during the maturation of the sperm. The most robust expression of the ECS components was demonstrated in postmeiotic spermatids. [1]

Previous reports had highlighted the presence of CB1 receptors in human spermatogony, but this was the first study to highlight the presence of both CB1 and CB2 receptor expression. Several detection methods confirmed this. Questions remain as to which isoforms of the cannabinoid receptors are present due to specific methodological restrictions. Both enzymes responsible for the production of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerin (2-AG) were detected in the tissue of the testes, but only the 2-AG molecule was seen in the samples and in very low concentrations . 2-AG needs to be removed from a specific duct to facilitate fertilization of the sperm. The enzymes that remove 2-AG were also detected in spermatogonia, but not in early-stage spermatocytes, suggesting the involvement of the ECS in reproductive cells prior to meiosis. [3]

Remarkably, the expression of the synthesizing and degrading enzymes of the ECS was not continuously expressed in the reproductive cells. Instead, the expression patterns were different depending on the stage of growth of the sperm. This suggests that endocannabinoids are likely involved in the regulation of spermatogenesis and therefore a disruption of normal ECS functions could lead to impaired sperm production.

photo::

https://pixabay.com/photos/sperm-egg-fertilization-sex-cell-956481/

References:

[1] Nielsen JE et al. Characterization and localization of the endocannabinoid system components in the adult human testis. Sci Rep. 2019; 9 (12866): 10.1038 / s41598-019-49177-y. Times quoted = 17th Journal Impact Factor = 3.998.
[2] Lu H et al. An introduction to the endogenous cannabinoid system. Biol psychiatry. 2016; 79 (7): 10.1016 / j.biopsych.2015.07.028. Times quoted = 509. Journal Impact Factor = 12,095.
[3] Miller MR et al. Unconventional endocannabinoid signals control sperm activation via the sex hormone progesterone. Science. 2017; 352 (6285): 10.1126 / science.aad6887. Times quoted = 140. Journal Impact Factor = 41.845.