One can get lost in the various methods of consumption and cannabis substances that have flooded the market in the past decade. The bud tenders of the collective help to clarify which strain and which method of consumption may be useful for their condition and let them know what they may expect from each substance. Although Natty and the Kings were big proponents of the hallucination, however, they frequently told me one of the major reasons why cannabis is such a miracle cure for so many different illnesses, has nothing to do with the hallucination at all. They believed that simple consumption of the plant was enough to reap many of the benefits that cannabis had to offer. Cannabis is frequently smoked or baked into edibles to release the cannabinoids. In its natural state, cannabis contains THCA. When the cannabis bud is heated, or goes through another process that causes decarboxylation, the THCA is converted in to THC. Simple consumption of the plant does not produce the desired hallucinogenic effect that many patients desire. However, the hallucination is very powerful and too powerful for many people, and some people wish to get the medical benefits without the hallucination. This is the major reason The Corner sells hemp and raw cannabis products. Hemp is a cousin of the cannabis plant and has been estimated to have been cultivated by human civilizations for nearly 12,000 years. It contains miniscule amounts of THC. Although hemp does not produce the type of hallucination as its cousin cannabis plant, it is currently illegal under national law in the U.S. to grow hemp for commercial production. However, hemp can be imported and recently president Obama signed the 2014 farm bill into law that contains an amendment that allows for hemp production for research purposes. Thus, The Corner sells a wide variety of hemp products such as seeds, hemp seed oils, vertical growing racks and hemp protein powder. Hemp protein powder, hemp seed oil and hemp seeds are all sold at the dispensary.All of the Kings believed that cannabis was God’s gift to man.
Natty gave evidence of this by citing the plants nutritional profile. Cannabis, according to Natty, “has the most concentrated balance of nutrients, vitamins, enzymes, essential fatty acids, proteins and amino acids of any plant known to man.” On top of that, it has these nutrients in the proper ratio for the human body. The seeds of the hemp plant have a perfect blend of easily digested proteins, essential fatty acids, iron, phytosterols, Vitamin Bs, potassium, zinc, fiber and Gamma Linolenic Acid GLA. It is ideal for humans to get a correct balance of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids; hemp seeds are the only seed that has the ideal 3 to 1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3s. Hemp seeds have more omega 3 fatty acids than fish oils, a common supplement taken by individuals seeking to increase their omega 3 intake. Hemp seeds are also a source of all 20 known amino acids including the nine essential amino acids that body cannot produce on its own which must be consumed in a person’s diet. Hemp is also much more easily digestible than other complete protein sources such as meat and poultry. Additionally, hemp and cannabis have natural protective barriers against weeds so herbicides and other poisonous chemicals are frequently unnecessary when growing. In addition to selling hemp products, The Corner provides free leaves to anybody that wishes to extract the plant chemicals from the leaves. Again, the part of the cannabis frequently smoked by patients is the budding flower, frequently referred to as bud. The leaves also contain various chemical and compounds that have anti-cancer properties. Some patients go so far as to juice both the leaves and the bud. A Mendocino county physician named William Courtney recently popularized juicing and eating raw cannabis as a way to extract cannabis’ healing properties while avoiding what many patients consider to be an unpleasant high. Many patients I met claim, based on Courtney’s work, that cannabis in its raw, unheated, acidic form is much healthier than its converted THC form. They also claim that the amount of cannabis an individual can digest is increased nearly 100 fold.
They make this claim suggesting that in its raw unheated form, people can ingest up to 1,000 milligrams of THCA and CBDA as it will not produce a psychoactive effect. However, an individual patient could only ingest up to 10 milligrams a day of the psychoactive THC before an extreme paranoia and hallucination is produced. Others contend that in its natural acid form, the cannabinoids to do not operate on the endocannabinoid system and do not produce the same health benefits. When one uses the decaboxylated cannabinoids, one typically gets immediate relief from pain, nausea, intraocular eye relief or other ailments. The natural acidic form has no such immediate use. Indeed, Dr. Courtney himself acknowledges that juicing and eating raw cannabis takes days and sometimes even weeks before its health benefits become apparent . Others contend that eating raw cannabis is counter intuitive because it leads patients to believe they can achieve the same health outcomes without directly activating the endocannabinoid system, the system responsible for so many of the health benefits that cannabis provides. Debates rage in the medical marijuana community the same way debates rage in traditional medicine. However, the Kings stance on such acts is that cannabis in all of its manifestations is healthy and good for the human body and the world. Thus, The Corner attempts to provide various routes of administration to serve patients’ varying desires. However, the majority of people cannot afford to juice large amounts of cannabis. Thus, plant leaves and other plant materials are suggested as a way to consume large quantities of cannabis without losing a dramatic amount of money. When cannabis is ingested, the THC is metabolized in the liver. The liver converts it to a much more potent form named 11-hydroxy-THC . This form of THC is particularly effective at crossing the blood-brain barrier and brings on a very potent and effective high ; In addition to the high being much more pronounced, the high last much longer . Since cannabis if filtered through the liver, the digestive system slowly releases THC and other cannabinoids at a slow and steady pace.
Unlike some poisons that can be fixed by pumping the stomach, cannabis edibles continue to release and the only way to stop the high is to ride it out Some suggest that CBD pills could counteract the high . CBD has many healing properties other than counteracting a hallucination such as relieving convulsions, inflammation, anxiety and nausea in animal trials . Ironically, most marijuana growers sought to actively breed out the non-THC cannabinoids out of their plants with the hopes of creating extremely potent marijuana strains. The resultant effects were strains of cannabis that produced hallucinations and lacked some of the healing properties found in many other cannabinoids. A similar problem manifests when people unsuspectingly take marijuana edibles. Such is the case with many children that find brownies. Most edibles are disguised like regular candy, cookies, chocolate bars and drinks to not raise suspicion . Thus, the bud tenders make it clear how to take the plant and the appropriate context in which to use the plant. Because of their potency, and the possibility of accidental ingestion, Colorado health authorities suggested a ban on edibles . When the suggestion was made public, it was quickly shot down. The pro marking and ban camp suggested that banning or clearly marking edible products is the only way to ensure that children are not accidentally exposed to cannabis. Likewise, vertical grow room design they argue that banning or making sure edibles are marked outside of their wrappers is the only way to make sure accidental does not occur for adults as well. They point to the fact that at one Denver hospital, nine children have been admitted after accidental ingestion. Opponents of the regulations suggest that marking pot won’t prevent accidental ingestions. Moreover, they contend that it is not clear whether or not children that were admitted to hospitals for accidental ingestion ate commercial products or homemade items . Moreover, opponents of regulations claim that attempts to ban or mark edibles may lead to increases in smoking, which itself is the one of the most dangerous aspects of cannabis consumption. Likewise, many cannabis users cannot smoke cannabis for various reasons. The, most recent trend to hit the market is the use of waxes and concentrates. Concentrates are extremely potent forms of cannabis that are produced by soaking the plant in some form of solvent such as alcohol or butane to extract the cannabinoids and resin from the plant . Some people prefer this because it produces a stronger high without the burning smoke. Some of the concentrates sold at the shop are shatter, candy gummy, budder, solids and waxes. Waxes and concentrates are consumed in various methods referred to as dabbing. Dabbing can be dangerous when using a blowtorch because of the fire risk. The most recent methods use an electronic nail that heats the wax.Other trends are the use of cannabis tinctures. As was discussed in chapter two, tinctures were common in the early part of the twentieth century . The tinctures are consumed sublingually and allowed to absorb in the veins under the tongue. This is becoming an increasingly more common method among cannabis patients because it has many benefits with few of the drawbacks of edibles. Since tinctures are consumed sublingually, the effect of the cannabis is quicker than edibles and not as strong. Unlike edibles, the liver does not convert the THC to its more potent form 11-hydroxy-THC. Since the effects are felt almost immediately, patients are able to dose more accurately and do not have to wait an hour to begin to feel the effects as with edibles. Likewise, the high does not last as long as with edibles so the patient can medicate without being extremely high for the rest of the day.
Patients referred to it as a body high that would relieve pain without extreme paranoia or psychedelic hallucinations and delusions.Nevertheless, the main draw of the collective is always the bud. As Schauer et al’s article illustrates, combusted modes of cannabis use are most prevalent in the U.S. The bud is divided into three sections by type: Indicas, Sativas and Hybrids. The three sections are further broken down by quality and strength level. The best buds are typically referred to as top shelf; they tend to have the most THC, give off the strongest and sweetest smell, and have the most crystals and orange hairs. Mid shelf and bottom shelf are recommended for first time patients or patients that do not want the extreme paranoid trip that occasionally accompanies powerful cannabis strains. The tender typically attempts to describe the possible effect or high produced and the possible medical benefits of each strain. If the patient requests it, the tender occasionally helps the patient find a particular bud for a particular illness. Different strains are also used for different times of the day, with Sativas being stimulants and Indicas being sedatives. Although the distinction between Indicas and Sativas exist, most, if not all modern strains are some form of hybrid of the two with one, sativa or indicia, being dominant. However, regardless of what the tender may say, there is really no way to predict the effect or high produced within the individual, as each person is different and everybody’s high varies.Although the Kings have their own individual growing operation, the cannabis yield does not have the ability to meet the demands of the dispensary. In fact, the growing operation does not produce anywhere near the amount of cannabis needed. Because of this, The Corner collective relies on a series of cannabis distributors to stock the dispensary. As stated prior, collectives use aggregate possession of its members to confer large-scale growing privileges on behalf of the dispensary. Northern California growers and various others make shift-growing operations throughout California sell to the corner. Likewise, various representatives from companies such as Bhang Bars visit the dispensary to sell to the Kings. The relevance of the cannabis distribution system is that it illustrates that cannabis is a substantially different substance and operates as a substantially different market than other drugs.