Smoking a cannabis joint to fall asleep might not be a very good idea

A recent study conducted over more than a decade has delivered a novel conclusion. Indeed, it established a link between cannabis use and sleep disorders. Smoking cannabis would cause more difficulties to fall asleep, to stay asleep and would make smokers sleep too much.

Does cannabis impacts the quality of sleep?

Smoking cannabis in the evening to sleep better is a habit that concerns many people around the world. According to the followers, this plant would help to relax and would allow to sleep well. However, a study published on December 6, 2021 in the BMJ Journals states that this is just a preconceived idea. The study was conducted by the University of Toronto (Canada), in collaboration with various health organizations in the United States.

The researchers tried to understand the possible relationship between the use of cannabis on the moment and the duration of sleep by integrating no less than 21,729 volunteers between 2005 and 2018. They took into account many factors such as ethnicity, level of education, age, number of hours worked per week and other health-related criteria. Of course, the researchers also included information on sleep quality and cannabis use.

The study placed participants in three categories based on the length of their night’s sleep. The first category was for short nights (less than six hours), the second for “optimal” nights and the last for long nights (nine hours or more).

Smokers with sleep problems

The scientists asked the volunteers about their possible difficulties in finding sleep or staying asleep. They were also asked to find out more about sleeping for too long. Next, the participants were again divided into two groups: cannabis smokers who had used in the past month and those who had not. The 3,132 smokers in the sample included moderate smokers (less than 20 joints per month) and heavy smokers (more than 20 joints per month).

According to the results, 34% of moderate and heavy cannabis users reported sleeping less than six hours per night and 56% more than nine hours. In general, they reported having more problems falling asleep or staying asleep. Others also confirmed that they slept too long.

According to the researchers, heavy cannabis users are more exposed to both extremes of sleep duration. The study results are believed to be related to an unknown consequence of repeated exposure to cannabis. It may also be a reflection of underlying sociodemographic or health factors. The scientists believe that it is possible that as the body becomes accustomed to cannabis, it becomes more susceptible to sleep disturbances.

How can CBD help with anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling and emotion felt by most people, a fact further accentuated by the frantic pace at which our modern societies advance. An increasingly common ailment that can have different degrees of impact on our mental and physical health. It can, for example, cause depression. And when we know that Europeans, and more particularly the French, are among the top-consumer of anti-depressant, CBD comes to impose itself as a miracle solution much healthier. So what are the benefits of cannabidiol against anxiety? How to consume it to effectively fight anxiety? Tutoarduino answers all these questions below.

How to define anxiety?

First of all, it is important to describe a little more precisely how anxiety can manifest itself and impact an individual in his daily life. Anxiety is defined more as a feeling, as an emotion rather than as an illness. It results from an accumulation of conscious and unconscious stress. In more severe cases, it can manifest itself in the form of panic disorder, obsessive disorder, phobia, social disorders, as well as post-traumatic stress from an accident or shocking experience. More pronounced forms can cause breathing problems, aches and pains, dizziness, severe headaches, but also tachycardia or strong heat rises.

It is also interesting to note that anxiety can itself be a symptom of so-called higher illnesses. Anxiety known as secondary anxiety can result from bipolarity, hyperthyroidism, depression itself or even major psychiatric disorders or hypertension. So many symptoms and diseases on which CBD has had promising impacts since science has decided to focus on its virtues.

How can CBD alleviate anxiety

At present, a whole bunch of pharmaceutical drugs are marketed with the aim of alleviating anxiety in people who suffer from it. But their major problem is that these same drugs can have several side effects, but also, and especially, caused an addiction in its consumer. This is where CBD comes in as the safest and healthiest alternative for human beings. Because in addition to effectively fighting anxiety, cannabidiol has proven itself against certain serious skin diseases such as multiple sclerosis, but also on Parkinson’s disease, and even on certain forms of cancer.

Not to be considered as a full-fledged drug, CBD can be an excellent ally against anxiety. Indeed, it acts and dissipates completely in our body thanks to the natural presence of our endocannabinoid system, and thus on the CB1 and CB2 receptors. A process that generates the creation of serotonin and its influx into our brain. This hormone acts directly on the mood and on the feeling of well-being and happiness. A proven result, since proven by several international studies in recent years.

Benefits that have boosted its image among new consumers of legal cannabis. Because unlike its cousin THC, cannabidiol has no psychotropic effect. This could accentuate certain ailments such as personality disorders, bipolarity by promoting hallucinations and paranoia for example. But even if the CBD does not represent any danger for the health, it is important to dose its doses so that it acts in the most optimal way.

What dosage to choose ?

First of all, it is important to know that CBD will have a different degree of effects in each person, as they do not all react in the same way. For that, it is important to find the mode of consumption which pleases you the most. The cannabidiol in herbal tea remains surely the most adequate to the good and complete dissipation of the benefits of our magic molecule in our body. The e-liquids and the flowers consumed under specialized vaporizer are also an excellent way to take advantage of the CBD, even if the time of the effects will be less than those caused by the consumption of an herbal tea. CBD oils as well as massage balms are also a good way to benefit from the virtues of cannabidiol, especially when it comes to local applications. CBD honey can also be just as effective as infusions, since it spreads directly into the bloodstream, and therefore, impacting in a beneficial way the whole of our organs.

In short, it is important to find the right dose and the most pleasant way to enjoy CBD, it will take care of the rest. We advise you to consult your doctor beforehand to discuss the subject with him. An expert eye will surely help you make a more informed and serene choice.

CBD, an ally in the management of lung cancer?

As more and more physical and online stores offer cannabidiol (or CBD) for sale in recent months, research continues to determine whether this naturally occurring compound in cannabis has therapeutic benefits.

In addition to its relaxing and sleep-enhancing effects, studies have found that CBD may be effective against lung damage caused by Covid-19 infection or delay the formation of beta-amyloid plaques, which cause Alzheimer’s disease.

In an article published in BMJ Case Reports, researchers suggest that CBD oil could be used as a potential treatment for lung disease.

A 76% decrease in tumor diameter

The cannabinoids found in CBD oil can interact with signaling pathways in cells, including cancer cells. Although other studies have shown conflicting results about their effectiveness as a primary treatment for cancer, this new work is encouraging.

It results from the follow-up of an 80-year-old patient diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. She also suffered from mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), osteoarthritis and high blood pressure. She was a smoker and consumed more than a pack of cigarettes per week (68 packs per year).

At the time of diagnosis, the patient’s lung tumor measured 41 mm and could be treated conventionally with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. But the woman refused treatment. So she was placed under surveillance, with regular CT scans every 3 to 6 months.

The scans showed that the tumor was gradually shrinking, from 41 mm in June 2018 to 10 mm in February 2021, an overall reduction of 76 percent of the maximum diameter.

When contacted in 2019 to discuss her progress, the woman revealed that she had been taking CBD oil as an alternative self-treatment for her lung cancer since August 2018, shortly after her initial diagnosis: 0.5 ml of oil, usually three times a day, but sometimes two.

Other than loss of appetite, no other side effects have been reported. The patient also made no changes to her prescribed medications, diet or lifestyle. And she continued to smoke throughout.

More research needed

The researchers caution that this article is not a clinical trial. It is only a case report, with only one other similar case reported. They explain that they don’t yet know exactly what ingredients in CBD oil may have been effective in decreasing the size of the tumor. “Although there appears to be a relationship between CBD oil intake and the observed tumor regression, we are not able to conclusively confirm that the tumor regression was due to the patient’s intake of CBD oil.”

“Further research is needed to identify the actual mechanism of action, routes of administration, safe dosages, its effects on different types of cancer, and any potential adverse side effects when using cannabinoids,” they conclude.

How to vaporize your cannabidiol for maximum effects

There are many ways to consume CBD: orally by ingestion with oil, by inhalation with electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, topically with creams, etc.

There is also the method of vaporization, which allows you to enjoy the effects of plants without the inconvenience of combustion and with optimal efficiency.

What is a vaporizer?

A vaporizer, also called vaporisateur pour CBD, is a device that allows you to heat a plant material in order to extract its active and aromatic compounds. Vaporizers are different from electronic cigarettes; they do not work in the same way and are not compatible with the same products.

The principle of operation

The main principle of a vaporizer is to extract the active ingredients of plants through heat, but without burning them.

Unlike fumigation, vaporization does not create combustion and therefore no smoke or ashes. Without combustion, the quantity of harmful compounds absorbed by the body, such as tar or carbon monoxide, is drastically reduced.

The vaporizer produces vapor by slowly heating a plant to a specific temperature: the molecules are extracted from the plant in the form of vapor.

The various products you can vaporize

The vaporizer is designed to be used with plant material, most often in the form of dried plants.

These plants are chosen for their medicinal properties and are widely used in phytotherapy. Of course, this so-called alternative medicine cannot and should not replace traditional medicine: in all cases it is recommended to consult a doctor before using a plant to avoid any risk of allergy.

It is also possible to use concentrates in the form of resins, crystals or pastes. These concentrates contain a large quantity of active ingredient and must be heated at temperatures generally higher than for dried plants. Indeed, in order not to burn the herbs during vaporization, it is important to respect the temperature of each product and to always stay below the combustion point of cellulose located at 231°C.

Each product has its own temperature, so it is important to get information before vaporizing a plant or a concentrate.

How to choose your vaporizer?

There are different types of vaporizers that adapt to different styles of consumption; to be sure to make the right choice, here are the main characteristics to consider before you start.

Desktop or portable vaporizer?

Vaporizers come in two main families: lounge vaporizers and portable vaporizers.

As their name suggests, the first are vaporizers designed to be fixed, used at home for example. Quite large and requiring a connection to the mains, these devices are very efficient and have a fairly high selling price. Fixed vaporizers are made for those who wish to enjoy the benefits of vaporization at home.

Portable vaporizers are designed to be carried around easily and used at any time and on any occasion. A vaporizer of this type fits in the hand but can be more or less imposing depending on its autonomy and technical capabilities. Some devices benefit from an additional autonomy thanks to two batteries while for others it is the compactness and the practicality which is put forward.

Conductive or convective heat?

Not all vaporizers offer the same heating technology: some work by conduction, others by convection.

– Conduction heating: with this technique, the plant material is in direct contact with the heating element. With conduction, the temperature rise is generally faster; the heating is also more direct and requires special attention to avoid burning the plant material.

– Convection heating: the plant material is not in direct contact with the heating element. The air is heated upstream and then circulates through the material to extract the active components. With this system, the vape is often more qualitative but the price is proportionally higher.

Is the process healthier ?

According to various sources found across the web, vaporising your CBD or dry herbs seems to be a much healthier alternative to combustion for example. There is still not much data and many studies done on this topic to draw some conclusions. Feel free to visit this website to reach more on this topic!