Category: Medical weed

CBD oil for skin: can CBD oil cure skin problems?

People have long associated the use of CBD products with reducing pain, anxiety and insomnia. But what about skin problems? Can CBD oil help skin issues?

Recent research has shown that CBD can provide desirable results in the treatment of various skin problems. In this blog, we explore the growing popularity of CBD oil as a natural alternative for treating skin problems.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is a natural product derived from the hemp plant. It contains cannabidiol, a substance in cannabis that does not cause psychoactive effects, unlike THC. CBD oil is often used because of its potential health benefits. It can help reduce pain, anxiety, stress and insomnia. In addition, it is sometimes used to reduce inflammation and support the immune system.

CBD oil can be taken in a variety of ways, such as via drops under the tongue, added to food or mixed with skin care products.

Benefits of CBD for the skin

CBD oil offers several benefits for the skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce redness and irritation, making it suitable for people with sensitive skin or skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. CBD oil also contains antioxidants that can help fight free radicals and reduce signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles. In addition, CBD oil can regulate sebum production, which may be beneficial in treating acne. The oil also has moisturizing properties and can keep skin healthy and hydrated.

Trend in the skin care market

CBD has seen a remarkable rise as a major trend in the skin care market. CBD is extracted from the hemp plant and is known for its potential anti-inflammatory and soothing effects.

Many skincare companies have integrated CBD into their products because of its claimed skin benefits, such as reducing acne, soothing irritated skin, and moisturizing.

Consumers are increasingly interested in natural ingredients rather than chemicals. This has contributed to the popularity of CBD in skin care products. Although the scientific evidence is still developing, the CBD trend continues to grow.

CBD oil in skin care

CBD, or cannabidiol, is widely used in skin care products such as creams, lotions, serums and facial masks. It has several uses, including reducing inflammation, soothing the skin, reducing redness and moisturizing the skin. Here we discuss the effects of CBD oil on various skin problems.

CBD oil and eczema

Cannabidiol oil is often used to treat eczema, a common skin condition that causes itching, redness and inflammation. CBD has anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce the symptoms of eczema. In addition, CBD can moisturize and soothe dry skin, reducing itching and irritation.

Although there is limited research on the effectiveness of CBD for eczema, people with eczema report positive results.

CBD oil and acne

People also use CBD oil to treat acne. It is a popular choice since it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Thus, CBD can help reduce inflammation, regulate sebum production, and prevent clogged pores. Consequently, people with acne or oily skin are increasingly choosing skin care with CBD.

CBD oil and wrinkles

In addition, CBD oil is a common form of natural skin care in fighting wrinkles. CBD oil has antioxidant properties that can reduce signs of skin aging, such as wrinkles. It also hydrates the skin and stimulates collagen production. This provides improved elasticity and firmness to the skin.

Individual results may vary and further research is needed to better understand the exact role of CBD oil in reducing wrinkles.

How to choose the right products

When choosing the right CBD skin care products, there are some important factors to keep in mind.

First, it is essential to look for products made with high-quality, pure CBD extracts. Check the source of the CBD and make sure it comes from a reliable and certified source.
It is also important to look out for quality features such as independent lab tests and positive customer reviews.
Also, avoid counterfeit products by buying only from reputable sellers or directly from the manufacturer.

Is CBD skin care for you?

CBD skin care offers many benefits. It is anti-inflammatory and can help reduce inflammation associated with acne, eczema and wrinkles. It regulates sebum production and moisturizes the skin, and can reduce itching and irritation. Its antioxidant properties are said to combat signs of aging, such as wrinkles.

Want to try CBD skin care? Then pay attention to the quality of the product when you buy it and start with a low dose to monitor the effect on your skin.

Coffeeshop The Border

Rather not get started with skin care? Then stop by The Border for numerous types of cannabis and cannabis edibles that will give you the desired hash effects.

Our experts are happy to advise you in our coffeeshop on the edge of the Amsterdamse Bos.

Weed for pain relief: which type is best?

Cannabis is mainly used for recreational purposes. People often smoke cannabis for fun or to relax after a long day. However, in recent years another effect of cannabis has become very popular: the use of weed for pain relief.

The figures do not lie: 2 million people in the Netherlands suffer from chronic pain. Medical cannabis, cannabis produced especially for medical purposes, is increasingly used to combat pain when regular painkillers don’t have the desired effect. Medicinal cannabis may also be preferred when regular painkillers cause too many side effects.

How can medicinal cannabis relieve pain? What types of cannabis are available for pain relief? And what is the best cannabis for pain? We’ve investigated.

Why does marijuana help with pain?

If we want to discover how cannabis can help fight pain, it is important to pay attention to the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system plays an essential role in regulating various bodily functions, such as pain. Cannabinoids, which are found in cannabis, can influence this system. It is therefore not surprising that we are increasingly turning to cannabis for pain management.

For both acute and chronic pain, opiates are often administered in the regular health care system. Opiates, derived from opium, offer a narcotic effect that reduces pain. Yet opiates also have drawbacks. They cannot be used for a long time and have unpleasant side effects. These can have a significant effect on daily functioning and quality of life.

Cannabis, on the other hand, can relieve pain through the relaxing effect caused by its composition of cannabinoids and terpenes. With the right composition, you can be physically relaxed, yet mentally uplifted. Thus, you suffer less from fatigue or nausea and can perform your daily activities without pain.

Weed for pain relief reduces acute pain.

How does cannabis help relieve pain?

Although much is still unknown about the exact effects of medicinal cannabis, there is some reason to suggest that cannabis, such as medicinal cannabis oil, can help to manage pain. It is thought that cannabinoids work in a similar way in comparison to opiates.

Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC work as follows: when cannabis enters your body, these substances bind to receptors throughout your system. Once bound, these receptors are activated. As a result, the release of chemicals in the brain is either stimulated or inhibited. The effect of this can manifest itself in various ways, such as pain relief.

Weed for pain relief: THC

THC can contribute to pain relief in two ways. On the one hand, it binds to nerve cell receptors as described above. This causes less pain signals to be sent from the nerve cells to the brain. Less pain is then ‘felt’.

THC is the substance in cannabis that generally causes a ‘high’. During a high, you feel good, cheerful, and happy. This contributes to the way you experience the current pain. The pain is then often categorised as less severe. This is incidentally also the case with regular pain management. When a person feels good he or she is less affected by the pain.

Research has shown that cannabis with a high concentration of THC provides pain relief. With CBD, the findings are different.

Weed for pain relief: CBD

Through research, it has not been possible to prove that cannabis with a high concentration of CBD has an alleviating effect on acute pain. However, many people indicate that CBD does help in fighting chronic pain. Whether this can be demonstrated with research remains to be seen.

Which weed helps against which type of pain?

There are numerous types of cannabis available. So how do you know if you’re dealing with medicinal cannabis?

What distinguishes medicinal cannabis from cannabis for recreational purposes is the concentration of, and balance between, THC and CBD.

Marijuana with a high concentration of CBD often has a physically relaxing effect and, in some cases, can relieve chronic pain.

Marijuana with a high concentration of THC provides acute pain relief, but can also provide the well-known “high”. Don’t want this? Then it is advisable to choose cannabis with a slightly higher concentration of CBD. The CBD inhibits the psychoactive effect of THC.

These types of medicinal cannabis are popular for fighting pain:

Special Kush

Special Kush is a sought-after cannabis strain when it comes to pain management. Coming from the Afghan Indica plant, Special Kush has a high THC percentage (17%) and a high CBD percentage (8%).

This cannabis strain provides a relaxed feeling which reduces acute pain. Moreover, this strain works well against insomnia. You feel relaxed without feeling a strong high. This is due to the present CBD level.

Medical Mass

Medical Mass is a strain that is often used because of the upbeat, euphoric feeling that it brings about. Because of this feeling of happiness, you experience the pain that occurs as less severe.

The equal concentrations of THC and CBD ensure that the effect of the cannabis is not intense. Therefore, you can easily carry out your daily activities.

Royal CBVD Auto

The strain Royal CBVD auto also contains balanced concentrations of THC and CBD. This, together with the effect of the terpenes present, provides an energetic feeling, improved concentration, and increased mental focus, however, physical relaxation. No cerebral high is noticeable with this strain.

Haze Berry

Haze Berry, unlike the other medicinal cannabis strains, does generate a strong cerebral high. This is due to the high concentration of THC (20%) and the low concentration of CBD.

Haze Berry is a combination of the popular strains Shining Silver Haze and Blueberry. This composition provides a euphoric feeling with physical relaxation that relieves pain.

White Widow

White Widow is one of the most famous strains when it comes to cannabis. This marijuana strain comes from the Sativa plant and contains a high THC concentration. As such, this strain is very potent and is usually used by experienced smokers.

What may be less known is that this strain is also very powerful for fighting pain, such as nerve pain, and nausea. Pain can be greatly reduced by White Widow. However, it is recommended that you start with a low dose first, ensuring that you do not take more than is necessary for the desired effect.

Afghan Skunk

This type is a cross between Afghan and skunk genetics, two well-known strains. This cannabis brings about a euphoric and relaxing feeling which makes it very popular for combating pain.

The combination of cerebral euphoria and physical relaxation ensures that pain symptoms are relieved. In addition, Afghan Skunk cannabis reduces stress, which generally has a negative effect on physical health.

Kera Critical

The last strain we will discuss is the Kera Critical. This strain is easy to grow but also has numerous benefits medicinally. This versatile cannabis strain helps reduce various types of pain, as well as stress.

Kera Critical is known for easing severe headaches, such as migraines. The effect of this cannabis is a relaxing high. You feel relaxed which reduces pain and stress symptoms.

Several medicinal cannabis types reduce headache.

Other desirable effects of cannabis

In addition to its pain-reducing effects, cannabis has many other benefits. By adjusting the concentrations of the active components, THC and CBD, you can create your preferred effect. In other words, the effect of cannabis depends on the ratio of THC and CBD.

Other effects of cannabis are:

Increased concentration. Marijuana helps you focus on important tasks without feeling tired or losing focus.
Reduce insomnia. Certain types of cannabis have an intensely relaxing effect. This helps many people fall asleep easier and create a deeper sleep during the night. Instead of being tired, you then wake up feeling rested.
Feeling of happiness or euphoria. The well-known effect of THC in marijuana is the euphoria one feels when on a “high”. You don’t worry about the past or the future and simply feel good about yourself.

Want to know more about weed for pain relief?

Feeling overwhelmed due to the numerous types of medicinal cannabis and not sure which one is right for you? Come visit us at The Border coffee shop next to the Amsterdam Forest.

We can tell you more about the different types of cannabis and their medicinal properties. At The Border coffee shop, you can also try out different strains.

Cannabis-liberation-day and stoned yoga in the Lidl

It has been another remarkable month in the world of cannabis. Lidl in Switzerland is going to start selling cannabis-light. In Amsterdam, you can now take stoned yoga classes. British nurses are fighting to legalise medicinal cannabis, And Cannabis Liberation Day is just around the corner.

From our journalists

Stoned Assault Course on Cannabis Liberation Day

Cannabis Bevrijdingsfestival. FOTO: STEEF FLEUR

Cannabis Liberation Day has added a new event this year: the Cannabis Olympics. Participants will compete in the Bungee Run and the Stoned Assault Course for the cannabis medal.

This is the tenth time that the Foundation for the Abolition of the Cannabis Ban (Verbond voor Opheffing van het Cannabisverbod – VOC) is organising the free protest festival. The goal of Cannabis Liberation Day is to “celebrate international cannabis culture and inform visitors about the disadvantages of cannabis prohibition and all the good things this plant has to offer”.

The festival features artists and speakers from the Netherlands and abroad, such as Ed Rosenthal, expert in the field of cannabis cultivation, and Henk de Vries, founder of The Bulldog coffee shop. The “Cannabis University” will also be offering masterclasses, and there will be a hemp market with more than fifty companies present.

This year, Cannabis Liberation Day will be held in Amsterdam’s Flevopark on Sunday 17 June.

Cannabis-light conquers Italy and Switzerland (via the Lidl supermarket)

Lidl in Switzerland is going to sell cannabis. This will be locally-grown, light marijuana, legal in the Alpine region, which has a very low THC content and a high CBD cannabidiol content. Italy has also embraced light marijuana, but not via Lidl.

It began with the introduction of an Italian law in 2016 which stimulates the cultivation of hemp for the production of industrial marijuana with a low THC content (less than 0.2%). Cannabis flowers are a by-product of industrial marijuana and are currently extremely popular in Italy.

Buds

The buds have a very low THC content and are officially unfit for human consumption, which means they are not intended for smoking or eating. However, it has caused a certain amount of legal confusion in the southern European country, which was one of the largest producers of industrial hemp until the 1940s. The new law was meant to give Italian farmers a helping hand, but the legislators ignored a by-product of industrial cannabis: the tops. The Italians themselves are already calling this legal loophole the green gold rush.

Incidentally, medical cannabis, with a high THC content, is legal in Italy.

Swiss light weed costs €15 for 1.5 grams in Lidl.

Ganja yoga: first get stoned, then take a yoga class

We’re already familiar with the much talked-about weekly goat yoga at Ridammerhoeve Goat Farm in Amsterdam Woods. Recently, stoned yoga classes have been open to all in Zaal 100 in Amsterdam-West.

Before the start of the ganja yoga classes, participants get stoned (ganja is the Hindi word for weed). According to those taking part, using cannabis before yoga ensures extra relaxation and an easy-going atmosphere. Ganja yoga classes are a gentle kind of yoga, without too much physical effort or complicated poses.

Cannabis as yoga herbs

Ganja yoga originated in the United States. It has been practiced for some time in San Francisco, where weed has been legal since 2016. According to fans, yoga and weed have a long-standing connection. In ancient yogic texts (sutras), yogis recommend the use of “herbs”. According to those in the know, they were referring to cannabis, although other experts believe that cardamom is the herb in question.

British nurses join the fight to legalise medicinal cannabis

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) wants medical cannabis to be treated in the same way as pharmaceutical medication. They have been arguing for legalisation with the country’s authorities.

RCN members drew a comparison with morphine in their argument for cannabis. This painkiller is legal but comes from the same family as heroin. Last month, the Royal College of Physicians also made a plea in favour of cannabis.

Medical cannabis

Cannabis is illegal in Great Britain, even for medicinal purposes, so patients who use medicinal marijuana to treat themselves run the risk of prosecution. Nurses hope that medicinal cannabis will be legalised, but not everyone in the medical world agrees. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, for example, is against legalisation. They argue the use of cannabis can also pose mental health risks, resulting in depression, anxiety or psychosis.

The pot-smoking American politician and a mother fighting for cannabis oil

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of interest in the use of medicinal weed. A British mother defended the use of cannabis oil for her 6-year-old son who suffers from epilepsy. Then, the first “Cannatheek”, a sort of soft drugs distribution and information point, opened in the Netherlands. In the United States, a promising investigation into the use of medicinal cannabis to relieve pain has been presented. Last but not least, an American politician went on the campaign trail while smoking weed.

From our journalists

Can British lad Alfie use cannabis oil to treat his epilepsy?

Alfie Dingley. FOTO: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/HOLLANDSE HOOGTE

In early March there was a lot of coverage in newspapers about the plight of British 6-year-old Alfie Dingley. This little lad suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet’s syndrome. Only nine other boys worldwide have the same condition. Alfie suffers dozens of attacks every day.

His mother, Hannah Deacon, wanted to see if cannabis oil could offer a solution. However, it is still illegal in Great Britain so Hannah and Alfie went to the Netherlands. The cannabis medication prescribed there by the paediatric neurologist apparently led to significant improvements, with Alfie’s attacks decreasing to one a day.

However, going backwards and forwards to the Netherlands four times a year for treatment was very expensive for his mother. The combined costs of travel, accommodation and treatment would have been almost €18,000 per year, so Hannah asked the British authorities if Alfie could also be treated in her homeland.

The British authorities initially answered with a resolute no, because the cannabis oil used by Alfie contains a small amount of THC. There is a strict ban on the use of medicinal cannabis in the United Kingdom, which can be punished with up to 14 years in jail.

However, there is hope for Alfie. An investigation is underway to see whether the boy can be given permission. Alfie already has the support of the parliamentary committee for public health.

American research: medicinal cannabis reduces pain

DE PRODUCTIE VAN MEDICINALE CANNABIS. Foto: Laurens van Putten/Hollandse Hoogte

A new study was recently published on pain perception after the use of medicinal weed. The Department of Health of the American state of Minnesota followed 2,174 patients with chronic pain for a year. After using medicinal cannabis, almost two-thirds of the patients suffered less pain.

Before the study started, patients had to indicate how much pain they were experiencing on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 represented no pain, and 10 represented extreme pain. After using medicinal cannabis, almost two thirds stated that they scored lower on the pain scale. Most participants also needed fewer painkillers. However, some people reported side effects from taking the cannabis, and they felt sleepy and high.

Jan Malcolm, the Minnesotan Health Commissioner, is optimistic about the results. He believes that medicinal cannabis can play a role in the treatment of pain and reducing dependence on painkillers. However, additional research needs to be done according to Malcolm.

Weed-smoking American politician

Benjamin Wolf

While on the subject of the United States, more news was generated by one Benjamin Thomas Wolf, who presented himself as a candidate for the American Congress. What made the announcement unusual was that he had a lit joint in his hand.

Under the hashtags #WolfForCongress and #CannabisCandidate, the former FBI agent is trying to secure a seat in November. He personally enjoys a joint from time to time, and wants cannabis usage to come out in the open.

42-year-old Wolf lives with his family in Chicago, and these days lectures in international psychology. We’re going to keep an eye on this man!

Cannatheek opens in Enschede

In early March, cannabis guru Wernard Bruining opened the first Cannatheek in Enschede. The shop, in the busy retail street De Deurne, sells oils, ointments and creams containing CBD (cannabidiol).

The Cannatheek concept is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Remo Nijenhuis and Artie te Lange. Both men have big plans, and are dreaming of opening a chain of Cannatheeks throughout the Netherlands.

The store is completely legal. There are no cannabis, medicinal weed or other products containing THC on sale, only products with CBD. Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that is extracted from hemp. Unlike THC, it doesn’t make users high. CBD may alleviate insomnia, concentration problems and pain, among others. The product is classified as a dietary supplement.