Vincent Van Stoned

Nothing on Earth Helps More for Mental, Physical and Environmental Good Health!

Cannabinoid Defficiency is Responsible for Most Illnesses, These Nutrients have been denied for US in our Diets and the Evidence is overwhelming.

First we must have an educated society before WE may move forward. We all should be eating hemp seeds and fresh plant material for optimal health. Cannabis is the Healthiest food on Earth for all mammals.
WE co-evolved eating it, it is a part of Our physiology, to prove it, there are 4 Cannabinoids found in Mothers Breast Milk & the Cannabis Plant and No where else on Earth! The 100+ cannabinoids in pot, fit our bodies Receptors better than anything Western Medicine can create. The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is mandatory for good health and the Fact that Politics have been keeping it from being taught in USA's medical schools is way beyond acceptable.

Changes in the endocannabinoid system can gravely impact your mental health for the Better!

Mental health no longer hides in the shadows of medicine.  As our understanding of the human brain increases, gaps in knowing about how and why people become mentally ill closes. Your mental health has never been more invested upon.

The Endocannabinoid System and Mental Health

Multiple studies give focus to the possible involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in mental health. The ECS helps maintain a balance within the human body, called homeostasis.

The ECS consists of these three components:

1)  endocannabinoids,
2) receptors and
3) enzymes that break down or build up endocannabinoids.

Mental health will be impacted by a change in any one of these three.

Changes in CB1 Receptor Associated With Mental Illness

Several human studies show that changes in ECS activity are linked to major depression. For example, the number of CB1 receptors is increased in certain brain regions for patients with major depression. For the same patients, CB2 receptor levels remain unchanged.

One of the biological reasons why these changes happen is due to mistakes in genes coding for the CB1 receptor. Researchers have discovered several different kinds of these, ‘single nucleotide polymorphisms.’

The Importance of Proper Endocannabinoid Levels

Circulating endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachydonylglycerol (2-AG), are not necessarily reflective of the amounts in the brain. Even still, studies suggest that serum anandamide and 2-AG may be faithful biomarkers to assess your mental health.

Patients with PTSD have low levels of serum anandamide and 2-AG . The same was found in schizophrenic patients, post-mortem. This same study also revealed that the use of antipsychotic medications decreased the endocannabinoid content. This raises caution about the therapeutic potential versus the negative impact on the endocannabinoid tone.

What Does This Mean for Treatment with Cannabis?

Presented studies in humans highlight the importance of a properly functioning ECS for good mental health.  Different mental illnesses experience different alterations in ECS function. It’s important to remember that functional changes in one area likely to lead to alterations elsewhere.

A few of the studies demonstrated reduced endocannabinoid tone as a key component of mental illness. Cannabis can provide cannabinoids to correct for this.  But, as is the present case for cannabis, more research is necessary because it has been illegal to research since 1937! We are over 80 Years behind in RESEARCH!

Gene Mutations and Your Mental Health

One of the genetic mutations is common to individuals with major depression whom also have psychotic symptoms. Another type seems to be protective against major depression in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

And still other mutations are associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Indeed, one study underlined that proper CB1 receptor-mediated signaling is crucial in protection against PTSD. Neuroimaging of people with PTSD showed abnormal  CB1 receptor function.

Interestingly, even though CB2 receptor is generally not linked to balancing mental health, one study found that a mistake in a gene encoding CB2 receptor is associated with higher incidence of depression in the Japanese population. This same variant, in other studies, was described as associated with development of eating disorders and schizophrenia. The CB2 receptor has significance that still needs to be examined.

ECS, Enzymes and Mental Illness

Enzymes are crucial to maintaining proper ECS function. Any change in enzyme levels can alter how receptors function. For example, too much anandamide (AEA) can lead to desensitization of the CB1 receptor. This leads to overactive postsynaptic neuron activity.

In fact, depression and anxiety (in patients exposed to childhood trauma) can result from a reduction in an enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).  This is because reductions in FAAH translate to increased levels of anandamide. This is bad because it will lead to desensitization of CB1 receptors. And this causes increased neuronal signaling.
No "One thing" could Help the EARTH as much as the "Cannabis Plant"!