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Category: Research

BALANCING AUTISM

BALANCING AUTISM
By Chip Paul | Chief Innovator

At GnuPharma, we are a research, development, and manufacturing company specializing in modulating the endocannabinoid system with both hemp and non-cannabis plants.

“Spice up your life®”

Autism is a disability that affects almost every area of human function. What I mean by that is that the incidence of autism is increasing. Boys born today have a 3% chance of being autistic. Girls slightly less. 1 in 54 children born today will be autistic. Why? Well that question certainly rings in my ears. Our company has specialized in autism and other severe disease states. We study these under our model of human function. We are able to suggest treatments. We work with a major University on what we do. Here is what we are finding…

Autism is a metabolic disease. Metabolism in this case means the ability to deal with fatty acids to build things. In particular endocannabinoids and immune mediators. In fact, without the assistance of the bacteria produced in their guts, most severely autistic folks would die of infection due to their inability to produce immune mediators normally. They produce several fatty acids with bacteria in their guts which provide an “alternative” immune system. Pretty effective actually! They do not get sick like normal kid- dos. But those same fatty acids also are likely the cause of the more severe symptoms of autism.

Autism is a disease of oxidative stress. When your body is dealing with inflammation or foreign invasion, it can go into crisis. The autistic individual appears to ALWAYS be in crisis. Their bodies act like they are always fighting against something. Similar to always holding a block of lead.

And horribly, these two issues feed each other. Oxidative stress causes an inability to metabolize omega fatty acids which is the very metabolic problem autistic people suffer from. What is the lead in their pocket? The cause? Looking to be an immune system imbalance worsened by an allergy or similar.

The great news is improvement can be made by ad- dressing the oxidative stress and metabolic issues! Most of these can be addressed by supplements and dietary adjustments.

8 Ways to Advertise Your CBD Brand Online

by Teresa Shields 

8 Ways to Advertise Your CBD Brand Online

Since the 2018 Farm Bill, the CBD market has grown tremendously. With so many brands trying to make their way into consumers’ hands, competition in the industry is high. However, the CBD market is facing strict regulations since it’s not federally approved.

The good thing is, there are several ways brands can advertise their products regardless of the hurdles. From social media marketing, SEO-based marketing to using trusted vape marketing agencies, companies can now take advantage of these diversified channels and create awareness of their products.

                                                           Image source: Pexels.com

Here are some of the ways you can promote your CBD brand online.

  1. Creating a Website

The website is where customers can find your products after searching or through referral. The page should contain clear and high-quality photos and videos about your CBD products because clients find attraction in quality visuals.

The website is a good place to provide users with your contact details, a brief description of the products, and probable reviews from previous customers. Having a company blog about CBD products attached to the website is also a great way to educate your customers and persuade them.

  1. Content Syndication

Another way to market your CBD brand is by being an author in some else’s blog. For this to work, choose a host with a good following of your target audience. Once done, write a blog post talking about your CBD products or company and have it republished by the host.

The best part about guest posts is that you can attach backlinks to your website and maintain the post’s originality. It is also a great way to reach a bigger audience and market your CBD products.

  1. Organic Social Media

Although social media platforms like Facebook have had restrictions on CBD advertising, the situation appears to be changing over time. While you may not have ads featuring CBD products on Facebook, You can create a page and build some following for your company.

The process may take some time and is recommendable as a long-term investment for the company. Frequently posting on your page ensures your followers remain engaged, and it could win them over to make a purchase.

                                                          Image source: Pixabay.com

  1. Influencer and Affiliate Marketing

Taking advantage of social media influencers with a massive number of followers can be beneficial to your company. However, you must choose someone with a good number of your target audience to be effective.

You should use affiliate links that the influencers can attach to their posts, leading to your website. Once customers make a purchase, the influencer gets a commission from the purchase, so it’s a win-win situation.

  1. SEO Marketing

One thing to note about this method is that it takes time, so if you are looking for instant results, you should incorporate other advertising methods mentioned above. However, although SEO marketing may take time, it is a good investment for the long term.

                                                        Image source: Pexels.com

If your company website achieves the SEO target and is better ranked by Google, customers can find it much faster. With customers having better access to your products, the sales target increases at a faster rate.

  1. Creating “How To” Videos

Today most products sell fast from watching videos concerning specific products. You can create videos educating customers on your CBD products’ uses and importance and post them online. By taking advantage of platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, you can reach a more significant number and persuade them to make a purchase.

  1. Podcasts

Many people are now listening to podcasts, so you can create a podcast that talks more about CBD products and the industry in general. Through the podcast, educate your audience about your products. Also, back that up with some evidence from research to win their trust. Since podcasts are a less competitive advertisement method, you can take advantage of that and win a more significant number of potential customers.

  1. Marketing Agency

There are a lot of marketing agencies supporting CBD products today. It is good to contact such agencies since they have the right tools to run your advertising campaigns. You need to note, though, there are several fraud agencies, so a little research before entrusting another company with your data is crucial.

Bottom Line

CBD advertising is a bit tricky and requires knowledge on how to go about it because of the restrictions. Before engaging in any advertising for your CBD products, it is advisable to contact your lawyer and have them advise on the right procedure to follow. 

These tips, plus more research, will help you get started in the right direction. Remember, your goals have a huge influence on the method you settle for. Do you need instant or long-term results to maximize your investment? Your answer will guide you on the right approach. 

 

References

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/congressional-testimony/hemp-production-and-2018-farm-bill-07252019

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4974011/

https://www.usa.gov/style-guide/seo

 

 

Hot Flash!

by Dondi Cobb  | Two Twisted Girls

Just a few months ago, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) released exciting results from a new study of menopausal women and their treatment of choice for their worse symptoms. It seems women today are choosing, more often, to relieve the harsh symptoms of menopause with cannabis than other, more traditional ways, such as hormone replacement therapy. One in four, to be exact. But that wasn’t the biggest surprise I found while researching this story.

While testing as post-menopausal, I personally have never experienced any symptoms of menopause. I don’t know why. I consider some of the trauma that occurred in my life during those years.  Maybe I just got a pass. I dealt with the death of my mother and husband.  I suffered two heart attacks.  I was not sitting around waiting for a hot flash.

When asked to write this story, considering this part of life had been a blur, I started scouring the web for the symptoms of menopause, figuring I would see potential uses for cannabis in these ailments.

The list was fairly well known to me, hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, body aches, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive and, well, pretty much the common signs of aging. I could definitely see how cannabis could help with all except the biggie, hot flashes. The most common complaint I’ve heard concerning menopause is hot flashes. How could cannabis possibly help here?

To understand how cannabis helps with hot flashes, we must first understand our endocannabinoid system, which I know very little about. However, I do know that each of us possess one.  Apparently, estrogen is a part of our endocannabinoid system (ECS). Somewhere along the line, God must have thought, I’ll throw this one in for the ladies. Thank you!

We all have estrogen, and my understanding is, as we age and go through menopause, our estrogen levels lower. So, our ECS, that is scattered throughout our bodies and holds estrogen, has receptors that THC binds to, or seems to recharge. It’s complicated. So complicated, that we are just beginning to scratch the surface of the potential health benefits of this healing plant. But it’s certain, something is going on.

For over two years, I‘ve moonlighted at a medical marijuana doctor’s clinic, Skyping with doctors, meeting and uploading patients. I’ve met a fair representation of Oklahoma patients and the majority are aging, educated and looking for less harmful alternatives to their growing list of pharmaceuticals.  When applying cannabis to the symptoms of menopause, it seems we have most covered and the majority of health experts agree that a combination of cannabis and hormone therapy may be even better. One thing is certain, every woman is different and the secret to discovering the magic mixture that works best for you is trial and error.

It’s very well known that the most common uses for cannabis are pain and insomnia. Therefore, it would be reasonable to believe cannabis would be beneficial for these menopausal symptoms. Cannabis is also commonly used for the treatment of depression and anxiety, mood swings. Topicals work in a different way but are a wonderful option to help with vaginal dryness. I make a secret potion that, when used correctly, will light your fire, ladies. It is seriously Viagra for women. And, now that I’ve learned the secret to unleashing natural estrogen in my body, hot flashes can be addressed. Whether you choose to smoke or use other forms, menopause symptoms are very easily and successfully treated with cannabis.

If your health care provider cannot see the benefits and recommend cannabis as a safe, alternative option, find someone who is educated on the wonderful benefits of this amazing plant.

From the Front Lines

by Chip Paul

GnuPharma

Some of you are old enough to recall the effort that Austin TX started maybe 20 or 25 years ago. Austin made a very conscious effort to become the hub of the next Silicon Valley. They created State incentives, they started research, they started University level programs. They attracted the first wave of tech companies. The first wave of tech companies then brought the second wave of tech companies. And now they have major opportunities, like Tesla, which they have landed.

More by Chip Paul

In Oklahoma, how do we compete? What advantageous situation do we have that we can capitalize on? Well, if you see it, certainly medical marijuana. We have the most unique and open medical program in the country and we have a research license written into our law. What about hemp? We certainly have an opportunity to lead there. Plant-based molecules, which is what we at GnuPharma do, are advancing scientifically, and we have a whole new wave of therapeutics based on hallucinogens headed our way. Is Oklahoma very uniquely positioned to attract a new wave of pharma companies? Pharma companies that base their science on safe plant-based medicines?

I certainly think so. Many of you also are thinking this way. Many of us believe that the majority of pharma will, over the coming years, trend toward these safe alternatives. Pharma of today has a place, but that place really is in acute and critical care. If I get run over by a truck, give me my morphine. However, for a headache, or an allergy, or minor inflammation, there are effective natural products and cannabis solutions that can be administered without safety concerns. Pharma is and will continue to trend toward natural products, meaning plant-based molecules. They work, sometimes better than pharma, and have a high degree of safety.

So what do we do? Well, we are currently socializing an effort to look at attracting these companies. I do not know exactly what that effort will look like yet. It will take shape based on what we want to start with and who we want to approach. I do know that both the Lt. Governor’s office and the Secretary of Commerce offices are both willing to at least scratch the surface and see what we can do.

We have come a long way in two years! Let’s continue to press the advantage Oklahoma has with marijuana and extend that advantage. Sound like a plan? If so, you can join the non-profit efforts at www.ok4uapproved.com and watch for a newer non-profit to emerge.

Congress Boards the MJ Research Train

by Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish, Cannabis Lawyer

In the wake of passing the MORE Act, which I wrote about in my December 2020 column, two other Acts related to marijuana were passed by Congress at the end of 2020. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Medical Marijuana Research Act (“MMRA”) on December 9, 2020. MMRA is bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Andy Harris (R-MD) that addresses the burdensome impediments to legitimate medical research. Subsequently, on December 15, 2020, the U.S. Senate approved its own bipartisan bill, the Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act (CMREA). The CMREA also promotes cannabis studies and addresses current impediments.

More Act by Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish

A 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that “research on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids has been limited in the United States, leaving patients, health care professionals, and policy makers without the evidence they need to make sound decisions regarding the use of cannabis and cannabinoids.” Thus, passage by the House and Senate of MMRA and CMREA is good news moving into 2021. It appears that Congress finally recognizes the value of cannabis research, and plans to encourage studies by removing antiquated federal roadblocks. The caveat is that, in order for federal legislation to become law, it must be passed by the House and the Senate, and signed by the President. Hopefully, Congress will reach an agreement on a unified version of these two bills during the early months of 2021.

Barriers to Cannabis Research

Federal law severely limits studies concerning health benefits of cannabis. There is a burdensome registration procedure, protocol reviews are redundant in many instances, security requirements are onerous and unnecessary, especially given that approximately ninety-nine percent of Americans now live in a state where marijuana is legal in some form, and there is just a complete lack of significant research. Limitations also apply to where marijuana for research can be obtained and unfortunately, the quality of that marijuana has been poor—a recognized fact now—which has inevitably hampered accurate results of any significant research studies concerning its health benefits

Cannabis Testing by Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish

Source Limitations for Marijuana Used in Research Since “marihuana” remains a Schedule I substance under the federal 1970 Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) regulates its cultivation for research purposes. The DEA controls registration requirements and establishes annual aggregate production quotas under the authority of the CSA. Unbelievably, the DEA has issued only one registration for research marijuana cultivation—to the University of Mississippi. Thus, only the University of Mississippi has been authorized to grow marijuana for use in research studies. Every few years, the University designates the land where marijuana crops are grown based on current and expected demand. Then, the marijuana is grown, harvested, stored, and made available in bulk or as particular elements of the plant, for use in research. The subpar quality of the University-grown marijuana renders it almost useless in conducting serious studies that might yield reliable, usable data leading researchers to significant conclusions about marijuana’s health benefits.

Additionally, studies have shown that this marijuana has lower levels of THC and CBD as compared to commercial grade cannabis products and is, in fact, genetically closer to hemp than the marijuana varieties sold at dispensaries in states where marijuana is legal. Given that marijuana and hemp are genetically distinct, reliance upon the low-grade marijuana cultivated at the University of Mississippi for research about its health benefits is problematic. Participants in studies who consume the varieties cultivated at the University may experience vastly different effects than patients and adult-use consumers that obtain their marijuana product from dispensaries, yielding unreliable results and faulty conclusions. However, efforts by the DEA to expand the number of federally authorized marijuana cultivators for research purposes are underway, and passage of the above pieces of legislation will likely ensure that higher quality marijuana becomes available for research purposes.

Medical Marijuana Research Act

The MMRA achieves four main goals. It addresses the poor quality and inadequate supply of medical-grade marijuana available for use in research; provides a clear path for researchers to study cannabis products used by patients and adult-use consumers pursuant to state-legal programs; streamlines the unduly burdensome, redundant process that researchers must navigate before obtaining a license to conduct marijuana research while guarding against misuse and abuse; and requires that the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide a report on the status and results of new research concerning the health benefits of marijuana.

The full text of the MMRA can be found here.

Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act

The CMREA, passed by the Senate, is primarily intended to streamline the application process for researchers to study marijuana and to encourage the Food and Drug Administration to develop cannabis-derived medicines. The congressional summary of the Act states that it allows “accredited medical and osteopathic schools, practitioners, research institutions, and manufacturers with a Schedule I registration” to cultivate their own cannabis for research purposes. This provision would insulate researchers from the requirement of using the poor quality marijuana cultivated at the University of Mississippi.

The Act also specifies that physicians can discuss the risks and benefits of marijuana with patients, and, in similarity to the required report under the MMRA, requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report concerning the potential health benefits of marijuana and addressing barriers to cannabis research and how best to overcome those barriers. The CMREA has been endorsed by mainstream medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

The full text of the CMREA can be found here.

 

Differences in MMRA and CMREA

One major difference in the MMRA and the CMREA is that the House bill (MMRA) allows scientists to obtain marijuana from dispensaries in legal states for research purposes, whereas the CMREA allows them to cultivate their own marijuana for such purposes. Both provisions are clearly designed to circumvent current federal requirements that marijuana used for research purposes must be cultivated at the University of Mississippi. Another difference in the two pieces of legislation is the provision in the CMREA protecting physicians from penalties under the CSA, to allow discussion of risks and benefits of marijuana products with patients.

Will we see more federally-approved marijuana research projects in 2021?
Stay tuned.

Information contained herein provides general information related to the law and does not provide legal advice. It is recommended that readers consult their personal lawyer if they want legal advice. No attorney-client or confidential relationship exists or is formed between you and Ms. Parrish as a result of this article.

We shouldn’t Turn our Noses Up at Those Convicted of Cannabis

by Veronica Castillo

the Substance Probably Wasn’t Cannabis Anyway

Part 1 of 3 because, we need the whole truth

 

The truth is, many turn their nose up at those that have been convicted of Cannabis related crimes. Noses are usually not turned up at the jacked-up system that wrongfully framed many. Many can’t fathom the idea that the government can and would do this, but documentaries like “How to make a murderer” wouldn’t exist. 

The truth is, our government uses jail as one form of modern-day slavery and to keep the jails loaded, they make things go their way behind the scenes. There are thousands of people that can prove their innocence if money wasn’t a factor. Our government is the biggest mafia with some of the richest resources.

Do people really think that they are angels?

Netflix gives us chances to see it with multiple documentaries focused on the sham called our government. I watched one recently that inspired me to write this series (more on the docu-series later). Thing is, people are arrested for powder, grass, and liquid like substances that resemble some form of illegal substance, and many times, those substances are never even tested. 

Yes. Many times, people are arrested and charged with some crime related to some illegal substance. And though our government should test, many many many times, this never happens. 

My goal in this series; to help us all collectively stop judging the man and/or woman that were arrested for Cannabis related offenses. Because, the truth is, and many must acknowledge this instead of defending the government, our government targets certain people, groups, and communities to keep jails filled. 

Here is some evidence:

Photo by Author- Weed Maps Museum of Weed

“Marijuana has been a key driver of mass criminalization in this country and hundreds of thousands of people, the majority of whom are Black or Latinx, have their lives impacted by a marijuana arrest each year.”

  • The number of people incarcerated in the U.S., in 2016 was the highest incarceration rate in the world, 2,205,300.
  • One-fifth of the incarcerated population (456K), which is the highest in the world, is serving time for a drug related offense. 
  • Close to 80% of people serving time for a federal drug offense are black or Latino.

(fact check for these 3: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/criminal-justice/reports/2018/06/27/452819/ending-war-drugs-numbers/)

Certain people, groups, and communities are targeted for the governments gain. We should not turn our noses up at people that have fallen victim to the government. In my next piece, I’ll discuss testing, how it should happen, and how sometimes- it doesn’t even happen.

Terpenes: The Life Givers

by Brittiany Ralls

Stopping to smell the flowers can be one of the sweetest moments we can experience. Most of us know at this point what makes up those smells and how they can help us as humans, but just in case you haven’t heard or know the low down, it’s terpenes!

With Oklahoma being new to the cannabis industry, yes even though it’s been two years we are still new to this industry, there doesn’t seem to be a focus as a whole on terpenes. Terpenes are some of the most important aspects of the plant and should not be pushed to the side in place of THC percentages. The vets of the industry will tell you this time and time again. Those that know how important terpenes are, never pick out a strain based on how high the THC percentages.

Throughout the series we will discuss each terpene individually and what they help with, what they smell like and ways to remember the types, and how to determine what is best for you.

There are so many terpenes, with about 20,000+ types and counting. Within cannabis though, there are about 100 on average possibly present. Don’t fret we aren’t learning about all of them, even though that may be really fun. We will actually cover eight different ones that are the primary focus of this series since they are the ones known to be more present in cannabis in larger quantities. Thus, making them the primary contributors to some of the effects we feel with cannabis.

terpenes

The eight we will cover is Myrcene, Pinene, Limonene, Terpinolene, Humulene, Caryophyllene, Linalool, and Ocimene. Allowing our study session on cannabis terpenes to be more directed at what is important for us to medicate. Since these are names that can be difficult to say and they don’t necessarily tell you what they help with based on their name, I have come up with different identifiers for each type, hopefully making your learning experience a little easier and understandable.

With so much to learn about cannabis there is no stopping now.

Even through doing the research necessary to write about terpenes it is very apparent that even the medical and science community know very little about what terpenes and cannabis derived terpenes, in particular, could be capable of. There is still so much we don’t know and I do wish it could be as easy as asking what is your highest THC percentage, but I can assure you it is not.

When it comes to helping a human body it will always be more complicated than we hoped for. That’s only because we are complicated creatures, but because of those complications we are able to study and learn from the environment around us. Giving us this great advantage so when we know that Caryophyllene is capable of helping our digestion, more on that in the Caryophyllene blog, we are changing how we live and using more natural ways of helping that.

Allowing us as humans to live longer, healthier and happier lives because we are able to regulate are bodies to these optimal conditions.