Some Foods, Activities Can Stimulate Your Endocannabinoid System

Weedmaps.com

Kyle Jeager

Jan 24, 2019

Pro tip: you can get more out of your marijuana experience by doing simple things such as eating chocolate, drinking herbal tea, or getting a massage.

That’s according to Dr. Dustin Sulak, a Maine-based integrative medicine osteopath and cannabis expert. While one might assume that marijuana basically works the same for everyone, that’s not the case. Certain foods, drinks, and activities can bolster the endocannabinoid system, a complex network that responds to components of cannabis, and enhance the plant’s overall effects.

Ingredients in various foods and drinks can stimulate or inhibit CB1 and CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system, Sulak wrote in an email. In other cases, foods can influence the production of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) enzyme, “which breaks down anandamide, one of our endocannabinoids.”

Dustin Sulak on Cannabis as a Healing Therapy

by Amber Lanier Nagle

Natural Awakenings 

Jan, 2019

Dustin Sulak on Cannabis as a Healing Therapy

Dustin Sulak, D.O., opened a private osteopathic manipulation, hypnotherapy and integrative medicine practice in Hallowell, Maine, in 2009, the same year the state’s voters expanded its medical cannabis law. At that time, he was one of the few physicians in Maine willing to certify patients to use cannabis legally.

As of this writing, 33 states now allow medical marijuana, and 10 of them allow its recreational use. Cannabis initiatives continue to find their way onto state ballots with each election cycle.

Today, Sulak’s practice serves thousands of patients who use cannabis for authorized medical purposes. He educates medical professionals and patients on its safe, clinical use, while continuing to explore its therapeutic potential. Visit Healer.com to learn more.

EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT WEED STRAINS IS (KINDA) BULLSHIT

Dr. Dustin Sulak

MelMagazine.com

Nov, 2018

Everything We Know About Weed Strains Is (Kinda) Bullshit

When it comes to levels of THC and CBD, they’re all basically the same. So why do some strains hit you differently than others?

The cannabis industry — and before its more official, legal incarnation, your friendly neighborhood weed dealer — has forever suggested that different weed strains yield different overall effects. Their logic goes something like this: Each individual strain contains distinct levels of THC and CBD, and therefore, each generates a unique high, based on that blend.

What Is Microdosing?

BY KASANDRA BRABAW

Dec, 22, 2018

MedMen

Many of us grew up hearing the old cliche “less is more,” applied to all sorts of situations; though, few actually believed it (sometimes, more is more, when it comes to, say, a delicious chocolate bar or delightfully over-the-top outfit). Yet, the philosophy seems to hold out when it comes to marijuana. For people who want the medical benefits of THC without the high, less is certainly more—and it’s called microdosing.

What is microdosing with cannabis?
Microdosing is exactly what it sounds like: People taking tiny doses of marijuana — doses so small that they don’t even get you high. Dustin Sulak, D.O., a doctor who prescribes cannabis, describes it as “precision dosing.” If you do it correctly, you can take just enough cannabis (either a combination of THC and CBD, or solely THC) so that it offers some health benefits but doesn’t affect your mental clarity or focus.

Can Legal Cannabis Help Slow the Opioid Drug Epidemic in the U.S.?

by Kinsey Grant

The Street

Aug, 2018

Can Legal Cannabis Help Slow the Opioid Drug Epidemic in the U.S.? More research is needed, but medical experts agree that cannabis plants have immense potential to slow opioid drug overdoses, which claim 115 lives every day in the U.S.

Imagine stopping 115 needless deaths in the U.S. every day. It’s not a guarantee, but with recent developments in cannabis research, experts believe it could be on the horizon.

Opioid drug overdoses claim those 115 lives every day in this country. About 60% of opioid addictions are rooted in prescription drug use for a number of ailments, ranging from chronic pain to sports-related injuries to personality disorders. That’s where many see cannabis products coming in to help.

Getting off opioids with medical marijuana: Patients turn to pot over pills

 

By Nadia Kounang, CNN

April 29, 2018

CNN’s Chris Gajilan contributed to this report.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/29/health/medical-marijuana-opioids/index.html

Watch Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN Special Report “Weed 4: Pot vs. Pills” on Sunday, April 29, at 8 p.m. ET.

(CNN) In 2016, opioids killed more Americans than breast cancer. The drug overdose epidemic has become one of the most concerning public health issues of recent time, and in an effort to stem the tide, more patients and doctors are turning to pot over pills.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Letter to Jeff Sessions: Medical marijuana could save many addicted to opioids

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/24/health/medical-marijuana-opioid-epidemic-sanjay-gupta/index.html

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent

April 24, 2018

Dear Honorable Jeff Sessions,

I feel obligated to share the results of my five-year-long investigation into the medical benefits of the cannabis plant. Before I started this worldwide, in-depth investigation, I was not particularly impressed by the results of medical marijuana research, but a few years later, as I started to dedicate time with patients and scientists in various countries, I came to a different conclusion.

Cannabis Edibles Dosing Chart | How to Use Cannabis

FIND YOUR OPTIMAL DOSAGE & FEEL YOUR BEST

Dr. Dustin Sulak’s publication | Leafly Cannabis Dosage Guide Chart – April 20, 2018

Edible forms of cannabis, including food products, lozenges, and capsules, can produce effective, long-lasting, and safe effects.  These forms of cannabis are also the most likely to produce unwanted effects and overdose symptoms, which can be very unpleasant.  The difference is, of course, the dose.

Here, you’ll find a chart that describes typical effects felt at different ingested doses. However, there are factors to consider when choosing the right dose for you, which you can read more about below.

cannabis_edibles_dosing_chart_healer.com_doctor_dustin_sulak

The Right Dose Varies Between Individuals

Every person has a unique internal physiologic environment and can therefore experience different results with various medications. One person’s response to a dose of edible cannabis can vary significantly from the next, even more so than other medications or herbs. Why?  Several factors are involved, including the previous history of cannabis use, gastrointestinal factors, and the function/sensitivity of one’s endocannabinoid system. Approximately 3% of my patients are ultra-sensitive to THC and do well with very low doses (e.g. 1mg).

Understand CBD and THC Contents

Adding CBD to THC can enhance the medical benefits, such as pain or anxiety relief, while decreasing the adverse effects, such as impairment and elevated heart rate. CBD partially blocks the intoxicating effects of THC, so consumers who wish to experience the medical benefits of cannabis without as much impairment can best achieve this with products that contain both CBD and THC.  It’s important for consumers to know the content of each of these components, and the ratio of CBD to THC.

Products with a CBD: THC ratio of 1:1 are powerfully therapeutic and produce less impairment than a THC-dominant product. Excessive doses of these products can still produce classic cannabis overdose symptoms.

As the CBD: THC ratio increases, the likelihood of unwanted intoxicating effects decreases, and the quality of the medical effects will also change. At a 4:1 ratio or higher, adverse intoxicating effects are unlikely unless one takes a very high dose. For example, a person who feels impaired after taking 5mg of THC will likely feel less or no impairment when taking 20mg of CBD + 5mg of THC.

NEW TO CANNABIS? DOSING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BEGINNERS

Dosing Recommendations for Consumers New to Cannabis Edibles

Starting dose: 1-2.5mg of THC (plus CBD if available/desired)

To avoid the potentially erratic absorption via the gut, I recommend starting with an edible that can be held in the mouth and absorbed primarily through the oral blood vessels under the tongue and in the cheeks.  Tinctures, oils, lozenges, mints, troches, dissolving tablets, and gummies are all good options. Cookies, chocolates, and other food products can also be used if they are intentionally held in the mouth for 1-3 minutes before swallowing. Tinctures and oils are usually the easiest to use for precise dosing and gradually increasing the dose to find what works best for you.

I encourage those new to cannabis edibles to wait two hours before taking an additional dose of cannabis. The most common mistake in cannabis dosing occurs when a person doesn’t feel any effect from an edible after one hour and decides to take another dose; two hours later, the individual experiences the unpleasant effects of an overdose.

If you’re unsure if a particular dose of cannabis is affecting you, I recommend learning Healer’s “Inner Inventory,” a fast and simple self-awareness tool that can be used to determine if you’re feeling the effects of a particular dose of cannabis. For strategies to methodically increase your dose of cannabis to achieve optimal results, see Healer.com/programs.

More Tips for Consuming Infused Edibles

  • If you don’t feel any effects from an edible after one hour, try eating a snack like an organic apple to turn on the digestion and absorption in your gut.
  • Some people who are new to cannabis require 2-3 doses before they feel anything at all, so it’s often best to try the same low dose three times with 8 to 24 hours between trials before increasing the dose.
  • I’ve infrequently met patients who seem unable to absorb any significant amount of THC through the gut. In these individuals, absorption via the oral blood vessels or the lungs is the best option.

Tips for Relieving an Edibles-Induced “Overdose”

  • A calm, safe environment and gentle reassurance that everything will be okay is the primary treatment.
  • Stay hydrated.
  • A large 50-200mg dose of CBD (without significant amounts of THC) can act as a partial antidote. Lemon oil, found predominantly in the rind and in lower amounts in the juice, has also been used historically for this purpose.  Grate a tablespoon of lemon zest and chew it up before swallowing.
  • Most people do not need emergency medical care unless they have pre-existing heart disease or other serious medical conditions. For ongoing vomiting and diarrhea, intravenous rehydration may be necessary.

Recent Posts

Q&A: Dr. Dustin Sulak Touts the Healing Power of Pot

SASHA GOLDSTEIN

April 05, 2018

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/qanda-dr-dustin-sulak-touts-the-healing-power-of-pot/Content?oid=14407337

More than two decades after California legalized medical cannabis, the debate still rages about its health benefits. On one hand, nearly every state in the country has legalized some form of a medical marijuana program. And several states — Vermont included — have legalized recreational adult use of the drug.

But on the other hand, the federal government still considers weed a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Dr. Dustin Sulak is a firm believer in medical marijuana.

What’s the Deal With Athletes Using Cannabis During Training?

Lauren Bedosky

Livestrong.com

March 28, 2018

https://www.livestrong.com/article/13710520-whats-the-deal-with-athletes-using-cannabis-during-training/

Until recently, cannabis (aka marijuana) was considered the illicit drug of choice for lazy teenagers. But since marijuana is now recreationally legal in nine states, it’s gaining popularity among one of the most active and focused populations out there: endurance athletes.

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