Ruth Fisher, THC-P, and Newbies

Soul D'licious Infused

Ben and Stephanie interview Dr. Ruth Fisher, author of The Medical Cannabis Primer. Ruth shares her story of how she went from cannabis skeptic to cannabis advocate. Then, she provides insight on why the endocannabinoid system is so revolutionary, why doctors know so little about cannabis, and who should avoid cannabis. Finally, we talk about the newly discovered THC-P, guidelines for first-time cannabis consumers, and news on our infused spices.

Cannabis Science – THC-P

You may not know it but your body actually has a system designed to process cannabis. Yes! Really! It’s called the endocannabinoid system. According to Wikipedia, the endocannabinoid system is “a biological system composed of endogenous lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors and cannabinoid receptor proteins that are expressed throughout the vertebrate central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.”

So far, scientists have discovered two main receptors in the systems… They are known as CB1 (in the brain), and CB2 (in the body). Every time we discover a new cannabinoid, we learn more about the cannabis plant. The newest discovery is THC-P.

Scientists tested its ability to bind to the cannabinoid system. It seemed to affect the mice tested in a more intense way than standard THC (aka Delta 9). In fact, it binds around 30X better than THC to the CB1 receptors, and 6X better to the CB2 receptors. However, we are not sure how THC-P affects humans. Additionally, we’re not sure if the increase in binding potential necessarily relates to the potential for greater strength of the chemical. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about the human application of THC-P soon.

Nugs of Knowledge – Newbies

This week, we discuss cannabis newbies – those people who have yet to try cannabis but may be canna-curious. New cannabis users will likely have 3 options to try. Flower, edibles, or extracts/concentrates. Depending on the strains of cannabis a user consumes, they may experience different results. Sativa and Indica deliver different results.

For those who are new to cannabis, the best practice is to start small and work your way up. Flower and extracts will kick in faster so it’s easier to know how strong of a sensation you’ll feel during your high. However, edibles take longer to kick in. In fact, some may take hours to feel. Therefore, it is best to start with a small dose. If necessary, you can always take more later on or at a later date. But you can’t take less. So be smart and be cautious. After all, you wouldn’t try alcohol for the first time by drinking half a bottle.

Hash It Out!

Today we interview Dr. Ruth Fisher; author of The Medical Cannabis Primer. Ruth Fisher is an economist with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Additionally, she is the co-founder of CannDynamics – a technology company dedicated to making cannabis metrics meaningful and accessible for medical cannabis patients.

Ruth Fisher was introduced to cannabis in college. However, it wasn’t really her thing; mainly because she bought into the stigma. After doing a lot of work in the healthcare industry, Ruth became aware of cannabis use for medical patients. It came to prominence in the 90s when AIDS patients began using it. Again though, she doubted that cannabis did anything besides getting them high.

Later on, she changed her mind after her brother began suffering from MS. After his neurologist recommended he look into cannabis use to treat his pain, Ruth reconsidered her position. However, she noticed that both doctors and patients were operating blindly. There was little information available for both parties. So her brother asked for her opinion. Ruth began to delve into the world of cannabis and she completely changed her tune.