Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Matt Collogan, the education director at Hemp Farmacy in Wilmington, says industrial hemp and marijuana are like a wolf and a poodle: same species, different creature.
Or, to use a closer analogy, same plant, different strains. Hemp and marijuana are both cannabis sativa, but the two are cultivated for different reasons.
Hemp has been grown in a way that over time encouraged a tall plant, producing the long fibers used in textiles and other applications. Marijuana has been cultivated as a shorter plant, grown in a way that encourages the concentrated production of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol and its analogs, often referred to collectively as THC. In essence, the height of hemp comes at the expense of THC.
While there are numerous distinct strains of cannabis – and some grew areas between hemp and marijuana – there has increasing been legislation to recognize the difference between the two. A major factor in discriminating between the two is recreational use: you can’t get high on hemp because only produces a minuscule amount of THC.
Both hemp and marijuana are subjects of intense interest in North Carolina these days. Legislation in 2015 legalized industrial hemp production as well as the sale of hemp products. As a result, hemp farms and hemp stores such as the Hemp Farmacy have sprung up around the state.
In the last six months, two bills were introduced—one in the House, and one in the Senate— that supported the legalization of medical marijuana. Neither advanced, but one of the bills will be reconsidered in 2018, pending a court amendment that’s included in the bill. That’s house bill 185, “The North Carolina Cannabis Act,” said Tim Lounsbury, the deputy director of North Carolina NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“It’s our best hope,” Lounsbury said. “Things are unfavorable, but we’re trying to put our best foot forward.”
At least the populace seems to be on their side, he added, citing a survey in which 76 percent of North Carolinians favor the legalization of medical marijuana.
Hemp: the return of a native plant
“Hemp used to be a major crop in North Carolina,” Collogan said. “The British Crown required we grow it for food and nutrients before we were a nation.”
That’s because it was cheaper and more efficient to grow than pine timber and cotton, Collogan explained. The back of the $10 bill in 1914 even featured hemp being harvested in the fields, and it was used for a variety of products, including rope on ships and paper products.
Hemp eventually lost out to pine timber because of financial interests. The process of turning pine into paper had already been discovered as a lucrative one, which ultimately led to the prohibition of growing hemp in the 1920s.
In 2014, U.S. Congress overturned that, including a section in the Farm Bill allowing for the growing of industrial hemp, both for research and market purposes. The legislation had to be enacted state-by-state.
In North Carolina, this has meant the return to farming a native crop by at least a handful of groups that are farming hemp, doing research on it and selling it. Hempleton Investment Group is one of five aggregators in the state doing hemp work, Collogan said. The Hemp Pharmacy where he works is an affiliate.
Collogan gives weekly classes on hemp at the store’s downtown location. They’re well-attended, by a variety of people, from gardening clubs to church groups, he said.
Most people are curious about the various uses of the plant, and how it could make them feel better.
Hemp: from clothes to cosmetics to creams
There are three main types of hemp: industrial hemp, which comes from the long, fibrous part of the plant and is used to make clothes and auto parts; the medium-tall part of the plant used for food and cosmetics; and the seeds and flowering part of the plant used for medicines.
At the Hemp Pharmacy, they mostly sell food and medicine. These can include topical creams for eczema, tinctures to reduce anxiety and chronic pain, food products like hemp hearts to add to smoothies and salads, and even treats for dogs. The products range from $10-150, and they’re not covered by insurance.
“We are not doctors. We cannot make recommendations, and we can’t take prescriptions,” Collogan said.
That being said, word-of-mouth is also starting to come from the healthcare community, he said. “There have been occasions where people showed up in the stores, and a doctor might have mentioned us.”
More typically, people come in on a friend’s recommendation—and they’re either frustrated with traditional medications, or simply curious about hemp products, Collogan continued.
“We see people who have tried a lot of other things that haven’t helped, who are more interested in a holistic approach,” Collogan said, adding that parents will bring in kids with autism. Veterans with PTSD also come in, along with people who have had car accidents, or those with auto-immune diseases and digestive disorders.
“There’s something in here for everyone, and you’re not going to get high,” Collogan said, adding that all hemp products contain below the THC threshold of 0.3 percent that categorically makes them hemp. “You might feel a reduction in anxiety,” he added.
The reduction in both pain and anxiety make cannabinoids a good alternative to opioids as well, he said, adding that’s particularly important in a state such as North Carolina, where opioid addiction and deaths from overdose are epidemic.
“Opioids are killing people,” he said, adding that last year, North Carolina had twice as many opioid deaths compared to heroin deaths—and zero cannabinoid fatalities. “Here, you have something [cannabinoids] that can treat pain but doesn’t have the same side effects.”
One step further: medical marijuana
That argument—that cannabinoids are a much healthier alternative to opioids—has resonated in the 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, which have legalized medical marijuana. Studies have shown as much as a 32 percent decrease in opioid addiction in such states, Lounsbury said.
“It makes perfect sense to pass [legislation legalizing medical marijuana],” he added. There are 40 different ailments for which medical marijuana helps with symptom alleviation, including PTSD, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Medical marijuana contains a slightly higher amount of THC than hemp, and that qualifying amount varies by state, Collogan said. In North Carolina, the range is between 0.3 and 0.9 percent.
In North Carolina, the House Bill also called for a University of North Carolina research cohort called the North Carolina Cannabis Research Program to conduct studies on the safety and efficacy of cannabis treatments.
“We need more openness and willingness for human trials,” Lounsbury said, adding that without an open, regulated system, many people will and have already turned to the black market.
NORML, which has chapters in Charlotte, the Triad area, and hopes to soon open a chapter in Wilmington as well, is trying to provide educational opportunities for people to learn more about the benefits of medical marijuana.
“Too many people are afraid to talk,” he said, adding that plenty of people in the medical community endorse medical marijuana, but are afraid to go on the record about it.
The silence has also trickled down to patients, who are secretly using medical marijuana—mostly cancer patients, and veterans with PTSD, Lounsbury said.
“The veterans say, ‘It’s the only thing that helps me, but I can’t say anything,’” for fear of losing their coverage, he added.
The Senate Bill, called “The Catherine A. Zanga Medical Marijuana Bill,” was inspired by the story of a woman who had died of ovarian cancer, and was in extreme pain and wanted medical marijuana, but she could not have access to it.
Such stories are all too common, Lounsbury said. He has a relative with cancer who would like to try medical marijuana for pain relief, but if it shows up in his urine, he could lose his health coverage.
“They treat cancer patients like drug addicts. They are punished and silenced,” Lounsbury said. “We want to be a supportive place where patients can speak their minds freely.”
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: From hemp to marijuana: the medicinal qualities in an ancient plant | Port City Daily
Author: Kristine Crane
Contact: About Us | Port City Daily
Photo Credit: Getty
Website: Port City Daily | Your source for free news and information in the Cape Fear region
Or, to use a closer analogy, same plant, different strains. Hemp and marijuana are both cannabis sativa, but the two are cultivated for different reasons.
Hemp has been grown in a way that over time encouraged a tall plant, producing the long fibers used in textiles and other applications. Marijuana has been cultivated as a shorter plant, grown in a way that encourages the concentrated production of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol and its analogs, often referred to collectively as THC. In essence, the height of hemp comes at the expense of THC.
While there are numerous distinct strains of cannabis – and some grew areas between hemp and marijuana – there has increasing been legislation to recognize the difference between the two. A major factor in discriminating between the two is recreational use: you can’t get high on hemp because only produces a minuscule amount of THC.
Both hemp and marijuana are subjects of intense interest in North Carolina these days. Legislation in 2015 legalized industrial hemp production as well as the sale of hemp products. As a result, hemp farms and hemp stores such as the Hemp Farmacy have sprung up around the state.
In the last six months, two bills were introduced—one in the House, and one in the Senate— that supported the legalization of medical marijuana. Neither advanced, but one of the bills will be reconsidered in 2018, pending a court amendment that’s included in the bill. That’s house bill 185, “The North Carolina Cannabis Act,” said Tim Lounsbury, the deputy director of North Carolina NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“It’s our best hope,” Lounsbury said. “Things are unfavorable, but we’re trying to put our best foot forward.”
At least the populace seems to be on their side, he added, citing a survey in which 76 percent of North Carolinians favor the legalization of medical marijuana.
Hemp: the return of a native plant
“Hemp used to be a major crop in North Carolina,” Collogan said. “The British Crown required we grow it for food and nutrients before we were a nation.”
That’s because it was cheaper and more efficient to grow than pine timber and cotton, Collogan explained. The back of the $10 bill in 1914 even featured hemp being harvested in the fields, and it was used for a variety of products, including rope on ships and paper products.
Hemp eventually lost out to pine timber because of financial interests. The process of turning pine into paper had already been discovered as a lucrative one, which ultimately led to the prohibition of growing hemp in the 1920s.
In 2014, U.S. Congress overturned that, including a section in the Farm Bill allowing for the growing of industrial hemp, both for research and market purposes. The legislation had to be enacted state-by-state.
In North Carolina, this has meant the return to farming a native crop by at least a handful of groups that are farming hemp, doing research on it and selling it. Hempleton Investment Group is one of five aggregators in the state doing hemp work, Collogan said. The Hemp Pharmacy where he works is an affiliate.
Collogan gives weekly classes on hemp at the store’s downtown location. They’re well-attended, by a variety of people, from gardening clubs to church groups, he said.
Most people are curious about the various uses of the plant, and how it could make them feel better.
Hemp: from clothes to cosmetics to creams
There are three main types of hemp: industrial hemp, which comes from the long, fibrous part of the plant and is used to make clothes and auto parts; the medium-tall part of the plant used for food and cosmetics; and the seeds and flowering part of the plant used for medicines.
At the Hemp Pharmacy, they mostly sell food and medicine. These can include topical creams for eczema, tinctures to reduce anxiety and chronic pain, food products like hemp hearts to add to smoothies and salads, and even treats for dogs. The products range from $10-150, and they’re not covered by insurance.
“We are not doctors. We cannot make recommendations, and we can’t take prescriptions,” Collogan said.
That being said, word-of-mouth is also starting to come from the healthcare community, he said. “There have been occasions where people showed up in the stores, and a doctor might have mentioned us.”
More typically, people come in on a friend’s recommendation—and they’re either frustrated with traditional medications, or simply curious about hemp products, Collogan continued.
“We see people who have tried a lot of other things that haven’t helped, who are more interested in a holistic approach,” Collogan said, adding that parents will bring in kids with autism. Veterans with PTSD also come in, along with people who have had car accidents, or those with auto-immune diseases and digestive disorders.
“There’s something in here for everyone, and you’re not going to get high,” Collogan said, adding that all hemp products contain below the THC threshold of 0.3 percent that categorically makes them hemp. “You might feel a reduction in anxiety,” he added.
The reduction in both pain and anxiety make cannabinoids a good alternative to opioids as well, he said, adding that’s particularly important in a state such as North Carolina, where opioid addiction and deaths from overdose are epidemic.
“Opioids are killing people,” he said, adding that last year, North Carolina had twice as many opioid deaths compared to heroin deaths—and zero cannabinoid fatalities. “Here, you have something [cannabinoids] that can treat pain but doesn’t have the same side effects.”
One step further: medical marijuana
That argument—that cannabinoids are a much healthier alternative to opioids—has resonated in the 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, which have legalized medical marijuana. Studies have shown as much as a 32 percent decrease in opioid addiction in such states, Lounsbury said.
“It makes perfect sense to pass [legislation legalizing medical marijuana],” he added. There are 40 different ailments for which medical marijuana helps with symptom alleviation, including PTSD, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Medical marijuana contains a slightly higher amount of THC than hemp, and that qualifying amount varies by state, Collogan said. In North Carolina, the range is between 0.3 and 0.9 percent.
In North Carolina, the House Bill also called for a University of North Carolina research cohort called the North Carolina Cannabis Research Program to conduct studies on the safety and efficacy of cannabis treatments.
“We need more openness and willingness for human trials,” Lounsbury said, adding that without an open, regulated system, many people will and have already turned to the black market.
NORML, which has chapters in Charlotte, the Triad area, and hopes to soon open a chapter in Wilmington as well, is trying to provide educational opportunities for people to learn more about the benefits of medical marijuana.
“Too many people are afraid to talk,” he said, adding that plenty of people in the medical community endorse medical marijuana, but are afraid to go on the record about it.
The silence has also trickled down to patients, who are secretly using medical marijuana—mostly cancer patients, and veterans with PTSD, Lounsbury said.
“The veterans say, ‘It’s the only thing that helps me, but I can’t say anything,’” for fear of losing their coverage, he added.
The Senate Bill, called “The Catherine A. Zanga Medical Marijuana Bill,” was inspired by the story of a woman who had died of ovarian cancer, and was in extreme pain and wanted medical marijuana, but she could not have access to it.
Such stories are all too common, Lounsbury said. He has a relative with cancer who would like to try medical marijuana for pain relief, but if it shows up in his urine, he could lose his health coverage.
“They treat cancer patients like drug addicts. They are punished and silenced,” Lounsbury said. “We want to be a supportive place where patients can speak their minds freely.”
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: From hemp to marijuana: the medicinal qualities in an ancient plant | Port City Daily
Author: Kristine Crane
Contact: About Us | Port City Daily
Photo Credit: Getty
Website: Port City Daily | Your source for free news and information in the Cape Fear region
