Why Cannabinoids?
This is a topic requiring a more indepth observation. Many of us have heard of at least a few of the transmitter systems in our bodies. The sympathetic nervous system, which gives us our fight-or-flight response is one of them. However, you might not have heard of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is amazing! We are now understaninding that the ECS is critical for almost every aspect of our moment-to-moment functioning. Crazy right? “A system to rule them all” (Yes, we are fans of Tolkien) Some of the critical body functions that the ECS regulates and controls are our learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain control, inflammatory, immune responses, and digestion. This is why ECS is currently at the center of renewed international research and development and definitely the reason why we would offer products that maintain and enhance this transmitter system.
What is the ECS?
The ECS comprises a vast network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that are found densely concentrated throughout our brains and body. Surprisingly the "cannabinoid" receptors in the brain — the CB1 receptors — outnumber many of the other receptor types on the brain. They are the control systems in place that regulate levels and activity of most of the other neurotransmitters. This is how they regulate things: by immediate feedback, turning up or down the activity of whichever system needs to be adjusted, whether that is hunger, temperature, or alertness. This adaptogenic property of cannabinoids is inherent in many natural substances, and we aim to find them all.
How does it work?
To stimulate these receptors, our bodies produce molecules called endocannabinoids, which have a structural similarity to molecules in the cannabis plant. The first endocannabinoid that was discovered was named appropriately, anandamide after the Sanskrit word ananda which means bliss. So naturally, all of us have many cannabis-like molecules floating around in our brains. The cannabis plant, which humans have been using for about 5,000 years, essentially works its effect by integrating with this ancient cellular machinery.
Your Gut!
Another type of cannabinoid receptor, the CB2 receptor, primarily exists in our immune tissues and is critical to helping control our immune functioning, also playing a role in modulating intestinal inflammation, contraction, and pain/inflammatory bowel conditions. CB2 receptors are particularly exciting targets of drug development because they don't cause the high associated with cannabis that stimulating the CB1 receptors does (which is often an unwanted side effect). Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into the “Silent Killer” that contributes to cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and a plethora of other conditions.
The ECS's role in learning and memory. “Clearing your cache.”
We know that the ECS plays a critical role in our learning and memory. The most obvious observation is that one of the main side effects of high doses of cannabinoids is the temporary disruption of short-term memory. That’s a horrible thing when we are trying to improve our memory right? Well, in addition to our memory returning to normal with abstinence, the other benefits of “clearing our cache” are tremendous. Just like your devices running at optimal speeds once you delete the build up of supportive data you will find that your brain, a biological computer, is clearer, your processors are faster, your upload and download speeds improve and most importantly you can shut down for the day faster as you have already “closed out” all unnecessary background programs we call “The NOISE”.
There have also been some sophisticated studies of how humans acutely respond to the administration of THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) and the ways in which this alters both their ability to memorize things in the short term and the patterns observed on their functional brain imaging.
According to the popular writer Michael Pollan in his bestselling book THE BOTANY OF DESIRE (Free Plug ), cannabis is one of the plants that humans have cultivated, or co-evolved with, for thousands of years. This is in part, Pollan writes, because the act of forgetting plays a valuable role in the ability of our brains to function without being overloaded with data from our senses that we are continually bombarded with. Pollan hypothesizes that if we didn't forget, we wouldn't function, and cannabis helps us do this. The role that the ECS plays in forgetting also opens up opportunities for the treatment of PTSD, which revolves around unpleasant, intrusive memories that some continually experience, react to triggers that cause a re-experience to certain degrees, and which encourages a whole syndrome of troublesome and dangerous symptoms related to the pathological remembering.
DEMYELINATION DISEASES
All disease and ailments we experience are important but perhaps th e most promising benefit, is that cannabinoids have also been shown to help with demyelinating diseases, conditions that damage the myelin sheath, the protective coating around nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. This damage, called demyelination, disrupts the transmission of nerve signals, which can slow or stop and cause neurological problems such as Multiple Sclerosis.
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Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
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Transverse myelitis (TM)
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Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD)
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Leukodystrophy
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Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM)
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Ironically, this is where we here at Ozark Cultivars must curtsy to the FDA and well…
We do claim that although our products are tasty and might accidentally and or coincidentally, due to no “official knowledge” of our own, improve a vast number of ailments, improve your life dramatically, and or remove disease at the core, must also establish that none of our products are intended to "diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease" because according to the FDA, only a “drug” can legally make such a claim and we definitely do not sell drugs here. In fact, we emphatically say no to “Drugs”!
Enjoy!