John O’Sullivan: A Journey Towards Embracing Hemp Health
Cannabidiol (CBD) sales are booming as governments relax laws. Users say hemp-derived natural supplements offer solid health benefits. The science literature seems to back them up. Herein is an account of my personal journey.
Due to the overblown pandemic, interest in natural health is growing as confidence in media reporting on medical matters falls. A shift in awareness is taking place. For the prevention of COVID-type ailments we are increasingly opting to boost natural immunity with supplements versus injecting problematic vaccines.
In the few short years CBD has been legally available, sales have skyrocketed. Anecdotally, more users report it is successfully treating ailments such as depression, anxiety, pain, and sleeplessness.
History tells us that from at least 2,900 BC humans were using cannabis, as written in the pharmacopoeia of Shen Nung, one of the fathers of Chinese medicine. The hemp plant and the medical cannabis plant are different varieties of the same plant species. Modern CBD is mostly derived from hemp and is found legally in a range of consumer products, including foods, beverages, cosmetics, topical creams, as well as dietary supplements.
While usage goes back thousands of years, the key ingredient, cannabidiol (CBD) was not discovered until 1940.
It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but CBD does not have the same psychoactivity as THC.
Legal CBD has virtually all the THC removed (content < 0.3 percent). So, no ‘high’ just better health, say satisfied customers.
This is confirmed by BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research which found:
“…. consumers are seeking out just CBD products with no THC; it also found that CBD customers, on average, are 40 years old, have completed higher education, and are more likely than non-CBD users to be employed full time. These aren’t teenagers or college students seeking a ‘buzz’ – most of the market for CBD products is coming from older, educated customers seeking natural alternatives to conventional prescription drugs.” [1]
The boom in CBD was triggered in the United States by the 2018 Farm Bill which removed hemp from the list of controlled substances and retail sales of CBD consumer products in the US were soon at between $600 million and $2 billion.
First-hand reports from friends and colleagues piqued my interest to check the relevant scientific literature on Google Scholar.
Peer-reviewed studies affirm that not only maintaining a strong immune system through better nutrition mitigates disease, but an increasing number of scientists concur that CBD likewise shows real promise.
One study which really catches the eye as an overview of what’s ‘out there’ in the medical literature – it is ‘Cannabidiol: A Brief Review of Its Therapeutic and Pharmacologic Efficacy in the Management of Joint Disease.’ [2]
The authors undertook a review of PubMed Medical Subject Headings searching from 2000 to 2020 and using the terms “Cannabidiol” and “Joint Diseases.” Their search yielded 11 articles, and after assessing each for accuracy, the focus was narrowed onto eight with the exclusion of those that did not involve CBD.
Additionally, they scoured Google Scholar using “cannabinoids, joint pain” as key phrases.
The authors found scientists reporting that CBD:
“has shown promise in arthritic animal models by attenuating pro-inflammatory immune responses” … “CBD is effective when dosed orally or intraperitoneally,” ….” without any noticeable adverse psychotropic effects.” [id.]
Spotlighting the Education of Cannabidiol System
It turns out that the CannabidIol System is a powerful adjunct to the human bodies’ endocannabinoid system. Interest grew from 1964 after renowned Israeli researcher Dr. Ralph Mechoulam and his colleagues first isolated and identified the psychoactive cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
For a more in-depth scientific analysis of the human body’s cannabidiol system I recommend reading ‘The Role of CBD in Maintaining the Endocannabinoid System and HPA Axis Balance’ (Clifford Morris). [3] Inter alia, Morris explains that:
“CBD can assist the body in maintaining homeostasis – the fine art of balancing hormones, immune functions, metabolism, sleep, and stress responses.”
Morris, a PhD candidate, Chief Chemist and Research Scientist with clear opinions stemming from his findings, tells us:
“Society is plagued by chronic stress and inflammation caused by poor health and diets, overworking, low quality sleep and negative environmental impacts. It is a global pandemic that must be addressed, as it exacerbates the pathology of cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, heart attacks, diabetes, obesity and many more. The majority of these contemporary issues could be a consequence of the prohibition of hemp and cannabis under the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.7 For thousands of years, humans have epigenetically coevolved a dependence on hemp, but in 1937, Americans experienced a sudden and total starvation of cannabinoids due to the prohibition of hemp.8 Is this endocannabinoid crisis one of the major causes of modern chronic illness? It certainly could be.” [id.]
Providing some useful additional background is Talk Business, which reports:
“CBD has been credited with many therapeutic properties, including pain relief, the ability to mitigate the symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression, and even anti-ageing properties. Most importantly, because CBD is not psychoactive, it is not subject to the same stigma as other cannabis-related ‘medicines’, and its sale is quickly being legalized in many countries across the world. Currently, most CBD business sell CBD products in oil/tincture form, although it’s also increasingly being infused into household products like coffee, lipstick, and dog treats, as well as bootleg cartridges for e-cigarettes.”
“Cannabis has been used to treat pain for thousands of years …The major psychotropic component of cannabis is ∆9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of some 120 naturally occurring phytocannabinoids …. Natural phytocannabinoids and synthetic derivatives have produced clear activity in a variety of models of joint pain in animals. These effects are the result of both inhibition of pain pathway signalling (mostly CB1) and anti-inflammatory effects (mostly CB2) … the preclinical and human data that do exist indicate that the use of cannabis should be taken seriously as a potential treatment of joint pain.” [id.]
A 2016 study from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health reports:
“These studies demonstrate transdermal administration of CBD has long-lasting therapeutic effects without psychoactive side-effects. Thus, use of topical CBD has potential as effective treatment of arthritic symptomatology. At present, one in five (21%) adults worldwide are diagnosed with some form of arthritis by their physicians (Helmick et al., 2008). The data presented suggest transdermal CBD is a good candidate for developing improved therapies for these debilitating diseases.” [4]
Impressed by the scientific literature and assured anecdotally by friends and colleagues, I decided to buy my first batch online not long before the first pandemic lockdown in March 2020 to see the impact on my sports-related injuries.
New Study Shows CBD Also Works on COVID-type Disease
(update: October 18, 2021) It turns out there is emerging evidence from scientists that Cannabidiol Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Promotes the Host Innate Immune Response.
Published in the National Library of Medicine (Preprint. 2021 Mar 10.doi: 10.1101/2021.03.10.432967)the authors of the study report that:
“Our results suggest that CBD can block SARS-CoV-2 infection at early stages of infection, and CBD administration is associated with a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans.”
Buyer beware (caveat emptor) is what we stress at Principia Scientific International when it comes to any claims by pharmaceutical companies. The same holds true regarding alternative medicine reporting on CBD. Certain standards are required for legal growing, cultivating, and producing the hemp plant, but there are no federal standards for quality being enforced in the hemp industry. Certain state regulations are in place but vary state to state. [5]
While CBD is a naturally sourced product above all it is critical to ensure there is impeccable quality control in place. As todayshealthscience.com found new sellers are constantly springing up and reliability is a major concern, reporting:
“There are many questions regarding the use of CBD. However, first and foremost is the question of trust. Morning Consult conducted a survey. It revealed that around a third of people think that it is somewhat similar to marijuana. Moreover, a lot of people thought it was illegal, and some were not even aware.”
Like many people, I tried a few suppliers with mixed results till I found one I could rely on. I was mindful that the FDA has issued warning letters to numerous manufacturers of cannabis-derived CBD products marketed as dietary supplements because several did not contain CBD levels claimed on the label.
Three years on and the American CBD boom remains unrelenting as Brightfield and Hemp Business Journal expects the US industry to be worth $22 billion by 2022.
In Europe and the UK, the trend follows the same direction. Lots of CBD online start-ups catch the eye but for me, as a UK resident, my preferred supplier is Hempura CBD UK. I have been a regular customer of theirs for well over a year.
Hempura CBD UK perform strict lab tests on each batch they sell – something very few other online sellers do.
This was my concern because a study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that nearly 70 percent of online CBD products tested contained CBD levels that were either lower or higher than indicated on the label. Tests also indicate that some CBD products contain harmful contaminants. [6]
Hempura CBD UK has a five-star rating on Trust Pilot for quality. I have been extremely satisfied with their service and products and have no hesitation in recommending the company to our UK and European readers. As for my sports-related injuries, I’m feeling great and sleep really well while my mood is generally better.
Unfortunately, my preferred supplier cannot currently ship outside the UK and EU. So, if you are a CBD user in North America and have tips for users there, we welcome any feedback you wish to share in comments section below.
Disclaimer: This article was written unpaid and without any inducement. The above is my personal experience. I am not a doctor and do not offer expert medical advice.
References:
[2] Published online Mar 23, 2020,doi: 10.7759/cureus.7375
[3] https://physicianslab.com/cbd-and-the-endocannabinoid-system/
[4] Published online 2015 Oct 30. doi: 10.1002/ejp.818Eur J Pain. 2016 Jul; 20(6): 936–948.
[5] “Cannabinoid Clinical | Cannabinoids Research, Effects, and Uses”. CannabinoidClinical.com
[6] https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10391 Under ‘Continued Regulatory Uncertainty’ (page 2, para. 2).
About John O’Sullivan John is CEO and co-founder (with Dr Tim Ball) of Principia Scientific International (PSI). John is a seasoned science writer and legal analyst who assisted Dr Ball in defeating world leading climate expert, Michael ‘hockey stick’ Mann in the ‘science trial of the century‘. O’Sullivan is credited as the visionary who formed the original ‘Slayers’ group of scientists in 2010 who then collaborated in creating the world’s first full-volume debunk of the greenhouse gas theory plus their new follow-up book.
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John Nicol
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Hi John,
You had set up a very good and useful blog discussing global warming ideas which I have followed very closely for a long time. However, the relatively recent inclusion of very meaningless and in most cases quite wrong commentary on COVID 19 has completely ruined your blog from the point of view of me and others who have now declined to waste time looking for the very few and now lesser articles on climate. I just thought it was fair to let you know my thoughts before unsubscribing from your email reminders.
However, I would also like to thank you very much for the many interesting articles on global warming which you have presented over the many years since the Slayers.
Kind regards and best wishes,
John Nicol
John Nicol
60/50 Coriander Place, Forest Lake, Queensland, 4078, Australia.
Phone: 07 3879 8848
Mobile: 0409 761 503
Email: [email protected]
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Robert Beatty
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Hi John Nicol,
If your only interest in life is AGW then you have probably read all there is to know on that subject. It is an international fraud. Right?
Covid19 is topical right now and very important to those who have to choose between getting infected permanently with spike proteins, or relying on Mother Nature – with a little technical help from prophylactics which John O’Sullivan has usefully tracked down, for all who want to know.
PSI is compulsory reading these days as the MSM have abrogated their responsibilities in so many important ways.
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Charles Higley
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First, there is nothing wrong with the various and comprehensive items your blog has included regarding C-19. If one reads them all, one can gain a very good feel for the science as well as the scam and alternatives to the scam. The above critic is not reading with an open mind. Being dyslexic, I read carefully and that has proven to be an advantage.
That said, as a biochemist, I wanted to describe my journey over the last 20 months. As the multitudinous information came out during the scamdemic, with everyone chipping in, from my molecular genetics/biology/virology background, I was able to detect friend from foe.
My greater gain from all this was sifting out how one can best avoid or best fight a flu-type illness (FTI), C-19 included, because that is all it is/was (loss of smell and taste are not new to the flu season), regardless of its origin. As C-19 is basically undescribed and even the delta variant never been isolated and described, all of this is mostly based on the fact that all of the FTI of the flu season have been renamed C-19. I could go on for pages in this direction.
How to not get an FTI: From my health and personal viewpoint, I have gleaned that, first, one should take multivitamins + minerals every day (I take two). Unfortunately, minimal doses of the constituents are provided here, as it is 100% of the minimal dose, and not optimal doses.
So, vitamin C can easily be at around 3 grams or more (its harmless at twice this dose). It is water soluble and the excess will enter the urine. The recommendation is 75–90 mg a day, which is insanely low, as that really is based on avoiding scurvy. Two g a day is known to shorten colds and flu and fruit-eaters get more than that and are healthy.
Vitamin D3 is at 400 units in multivitamins (to prevent Ricketts), but to be healthy, we need more like 6–10,000 units, particularly as up to 5% of our genes respond to Vit D3. There is good reason that Dr. Fauci takes 8–9000 units a day and does NOT get the jab.
Magnesium is a stabilizer of the ribophosphate backbone of DNA and having a decent level is always good. I take 500 mg a day (250 mg/tab) myself as, again, it is water soluble, excess is pee’d away, and it’s cheap. Look up for yourself what that should be.
ZINC (Zn) is the key here as it is the reason that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) works. It is an ionophore that helps Zn ion enter our cells. Zn ions are involved in the control of gene expression (up to 5% of our genes) as the binding force in DNA structures called “zinc fingers” which can sequester and control certain genes.
The reason HCQ + Zn works on C-19, and likely all FTIs, is that it aids in moving Zn ions into one’s cells and optimizes the cell’s response to viral attack. So, if one takes 25–50 mg of Zn a day, one would never need HCQ. The secret is to be already up on Zn and Vit D3.. Italian autopsies showed that most of the dead were low on Zn and Fit D3.
While teaching for over 36 years, I was sick once or twice every year (while getting the influenza vaccine when it became available). Since I was sick in January 2019, with all the requisite C-19 symptoms, I instituted what I had learned, I have not been sick since and I get out and about a lot. Period.
No guarantee here that one cannot get infected by any FTI, but it is less likely and provides the best ability for resistance and recovery.
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MattH
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Charles. Bless you my son.
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John O'Sullivan
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Charles, Thanks, your expert input on this adds to a growing body of helpful insights emerging from independent scientists, medical professionals and researchers – the perfect antidote to the incessant fakery and claims from Big over the non-existent pandemic.
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Robert Beatty
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Very interesting Charles,
One question. If I use 200ml of tonic water to help swallow my Zn tab, will that provide sufficient quinine (legal substitute for HCQ) to enable the Zn to enter the cells?
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Lit
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Cannabidiol Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Promotes the Host Innate Immune Response
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7987002/
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John O'Sullivan
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Lit, Thank you very much for the link. Much appreciated! Now added to the above article and reported in a follow up article.
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MattH
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Hey John O’Sullivan. How come you have superimposed your head on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body. I am going to tell Mr. Trump about the fake news. (satire)
Matt
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