Educational Spotlight: Medical Marijuana
Written for Shoot the Breeze Magazine: Volume 00 - July 2024
If you didn’t already know, the state of Oklahoma legalized marijuana for medical use in 2018. There was a bit of back and forth, but it led to where we are today. You can find a dispensary on just about every corner, though they are slowly being culled. Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional; none of this should be taken as medical advice. I have worked at a dispensary and currently hold a medical marijuana license. So, I do have first-hand experience. I will also be using the term marijuana broadly here, either referring to the whole cannabis plant or the individual flowers or ‘buds’ themselves.
This article aims to be honest about the effects, showcase the benefits, and educate the public.
Marijuana is often looked at as just another drug. Marijuana as a plant has been used for thousands of years. Early Greeks apparently used it in steam baths, and Daoists were said to have put it in incense burners. Fast forward to 2024, and we’ve got two categories: medical and recreational. ‘Recreational Use’ allows open use by anyone over a certain age, like alcohol. Recreational use, overuse, and idolization can paint this medicine negatively. Recreational use comes with challenges, just like alcohol does. There is plenty of potential for misuse and for dangerous situations to occur. Growing up in Colorado, I saw the challenges that came with it being one of the first states to legalize marijuana recreationally. Marijuana, like any other medicine, does have the potential for abuse, and for individuals with a high potential for addiction, moderation is key. Another factor that leads to a bad rep, is the idolization of it. There’s a certain type of person I see when I think about someone who ‘smokes weed’, that’s the stoner. A person just coasting through life, one high to the next. This can be a peaceful life, but you don’t get a lot done. This isn’t the case with everyone who uses marijuana, though; working in a dispensary, I had the opportunity to meet all varieties of people who use this as a medicine, and quite a few who use just a little too much. It’s not difficult to obtain a Medical Marijuana card in our state, and just like any other medication, you must do your research on its effects. We must dive into some science to showcase the medical benefits.
While this plant can create many products with a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, textures, scents, and tastes, its effects can be broken down into a few simple categories. I like to break it down into two categories: cannabinoids and terpenes. It can get a lot more complicated than that if you want it to; feel free to do more research! The two significant cannabinoids you’ve heard of are THC and CBD. We’ll talk about two more as well, CBG and CBN.
THC is the main component of most cannabis products. THC is the plant’s primary psychoactive substance, bringing the ‘high.’ Beyond this, though, THC has a wide variety of medical benefits, including pain and nausea relief, often helpful when undergoing chemotherapy. THC is extremely versatile, but the ‘high’ that comes along with it needs to be moderated. THC should be treated like any other impairing substance and not used before driving. Typically, consuming too much THC, though, will just lead to not getting much done and maybe a nap.
CBD, in contrast to THC, doesn’t cause a high and typically has a more calming effect. CBD is shown to be helpful with anxiety, inflammation, and even epilepsy. When paired with THC, the benefits of both are extended; this creates the Entourage Effect. It is widely believed that the different chemical compounds found within the marijuana plant work together to produce better medical benefits.
CBG and CBN are smaller players in the game but have significant effects. CBG stands out for anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety, which can often mellow out the effects of the THC. Searching for products high in CBG is recommended for people who struggle with anxiety, as THC can sometimes be a little overwhelming.
Our last cannabinoid, CBN, is helpful for a lot of people. CBN is associated with mild psychoactive effects like THC but also a sort of sedative or relaxing feeling. CBN is commonly seen in dispensary products for sleep, and when paired with the terpene linalool can give a nice calm evening.
I believe cannabinoids, especially THC, to be the driving force of the ‘high’ that comes along with consumption. The pilot if you will, while the terpenes, which contribute to the smell and taste, are like the navigator, guiding the direction.
There are over a thousand different terpenes in the world. They are naturally occurring in flowers, spices, tea, and most things that give off an aroma. Something you’ll notice if you consume marijuana is that the effect isn’t always the same. A significant amount of this comes from the terpenes in the plant.
Science has shown over the years that smell can affect our moods. Think about when you’re walking down the street and catch just a whiff of a restaurant nearby. Now, depending on several factors, this might smell amazing or awful. If you are hungry, if it’s a food you’re craving, or maybe even just a food your body is craving, the chances you’re drawn to this smell are way higher. This same idea plays into the use of marijuana. As a ‘budtender’ at a dispensary, we had a saying, “Your nose knows.”. This went a long way when it came to helping patients find the right strain, which would determine the level of THC, cannabinoids, and terpenes.
Our sense of smell is complicated and varies from person to person. A lot of this comes from genetics, but it can also vary depending on your mood and the environment. To simplify it, there are odorant receptors in the back of your nasal cavity, millions of them! These odorant receptors react to odorant molecules, sending signals to your brain through two olfactory bulbs. Each receptor is tuned to react to a certain molecule or smell. The sensitivity of these receptors can also vary; if you’ve been around a scent for a long time, we call this “nose blind.” This is due to desensitization or saturation of those odorant receptors. These receptors can also change depending on our environment, emotional state, and circadian rhythm. Even life events can change our sense of smell; for some, a smell can bring back memories, good or bad.
Terpenes play similar roles when they are consumed with THC. The scent of the lavender plant is often attributed to relaxing and calming. This flower has a lot of a terpene called linalool, which smells like lavender! Coincidentally, when you consume something from a dispensary high in this terpene, you’ll find a relaxing and calming feeling. Another common terpene found commonly in black pepper, and clove is beta-caryophyllene (carry-oh-fi-lean). Clove oil is known as a warming and stimulating scent when used in essential oils. Like the lavender, this shines through when combined with the cannabinoids mentioned earlier. Beta-caryophyllene, as a terpene, can help with anxiety, pain, and inflammation. There are infinite ways cannabinoids and terpenes can come together as this plant grows, and every person’s body responds differently.
Why is all this important?
Because this is a medicine that people are consuming in this state, and right now, people can grow and sell just about whatever they want. Sure, there are testing processes, and things are sent to labs, but ultimately, you must do your own research. You must talk to people and get an understanding for yourself of what this medicine is and how it can affect you. Cheaper products tend to be processed using many chemicals or cheaper processes to cultivate, cure, handle, and even package their products. When it comes down to it, these are businesses just as much as they are ‘pharmacists’, and very little training is required in the industry.
