Cannabis Prevents Loss of Vision, Blindness (Study)

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a genetic eye disease that leads to severe vision loss and blindness. The disease affects 1 in 4,000 people and worsens as cells in the retina, called photoreceptors, die off.

But a study published in Experimental Eye Research shows the chemicals in cannabis, known as cannabinoids, may slow down this retinal degeneration.

Using a synthetic form of THC, the compound responsible for cannabis’ high, researchers at the University of Alicante in Spain were able to prevent vision loss in rats with the disorder.

The data suggests that cannabinoids are potentially useful to delay retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa patients. – Dr. Nicolás Cuenca, Study’s Lead Author.

At the end of 90 days, rats that received treatment performed better on vision tests and had 40% more photoreceptors than untreated rats. THC also seemed to protect a number of other eye structures, including inner layers of the retina.

Although encouraging, the results were not much of a surprise.

As the team notes, cannabinoids have shown promise in treating a variety of degenerative disorders, ranging from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s to Strokes.

They’re even seeing use in other vision related problems, such as Glaucoma.

While the latest study did not look at the mechanisms underlying the benefits of cannabinoids in Retinitis Pigmentosa, the authors conclude that further research is required.

> Marijuana Stops Vision Loss | Smell the Truth

Feb 5, 2014Jun 17, 2016

5 Uses of Hemp That Show Why It Should Be Legalized Immediately

In 1937, Popular Science published an article called “Hemp: The New Billion-Dollar Crop” that listed over 25,000 potential uses for the plant.

While this ancient crop has recently started to gain popularity around the world, it still hasn’t received the attention it deserves.

1. Bacteria Fighting Fabric

A Colorado company is using hemp to fight the spread of staph infections in hospitals. The plan is to offer antibacterial hemp fabric as a replacement for traditional cotton and polyester fabrics, where bacteria are known to survive for up to months at a time.

Various chemicals found in both hemp and cannabis have been shown to possess antibacterial and antifungal properties. EnviroTextile’s hemp fabric is still in development, but has already shown promise in early lab tests.

2. Housing Insulation

Insulation made from hemp is quickly becoming a popular eco-friendly alternative to traditional insulation materials like mineral wool.

Not only is hemp a more sustainable raw material, but the final product is also carbon-negative. That means it has the ability to absorb more greenhouse gases over its lifetime than emitted during the production process.

The production of mineral wool, on the other hand, contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. A recent study compared the two insulation materials head-to-head and concluded that hemp was the more sustainable choice.

3. Concrete

Hemp has also found its way into concrete mixes. Hempcrete can be used for a variety of construction needs, from walling to roof insulation to flooring.

On top of being carbon-negative, hempcrete is said to be easier to work with and has natural insulating and moisture regulating properties. Hemp bricks also lack the brittleness of traditional concrete and thus do not require expansion joints.

4. Cars

The Lotus Eco Elise is the eco-friendly hemp version of the popular Elise sports car (Photo: Cate Gillon/Getty Images)

Hemp composite can be found in cars made by Audi, BMW, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Mercedes, Lotus and Honda, among many others. Biocomposite made from hemp fiber is just as strong as fiberglass, but incredibly lightweight.

All-electric cars like the BMW i3 are especially reliant on it. BMW was able to shed about 10% of weight from the i3′s door panels by using hemp composite instead of traditional materials.

With fuel economy becoming a primary focus of all car makers, hemp composite will only become more common in cars in years to come.

5. Graphene-Like Nanomaterial

Graphene is often touted as the future of nanotechnology, and the thinnest, strongest, and lightest material ever made. But how does hemp compare? Apparently, it’s even better.

Earlier this year, chemical engineers from the University of Alberta turned hemp fiber into a nanomaterial with similar properties as graphene, but a much lower price tag.

What’s more, when it comes to making energy storage devices like batteries and supercapacitors, the hemp nanomaterial showed “superior electrochemical storage properties” compared to graphene.

Research is still in its early stages, but if the results hold, hemp could eventually be used for a wide range of nanotechnology applications, from flashlights to solar cells.

> Top 5 Most Innovative Uses For Hemp | Leaf Science

Jan 12, 2014Jan 25, 2018

The Science Behind Acupuncture… And It’s Related to Marijuana (Study)

Acupuncture and medical marijuana have been around for thousands of years. However, they didn’t have a shared connection until a group of outside-the-box thinkers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China discovered one.

Their findings, published online by the National Institutes of Health, show how electro-acupuncture – an electrified version of traditional acupuncture used to treat pain – works by increasing activity of natural painkillers in the body called cannabinoids.

The researchers say they weren’t the first to discover that acupuncture causes an increase in the body’s cannabinoids:

According to the latest reports in the American journal of Nature Neuroscience, acupuncture has been found to cause the human body to release some natural painkillers.

They were, however, the first to explain why. Using rat models of arthritis pain, the researchers found that repeated treatment with electro-acupuncture resulted in an increase in cannabinoid receptors in a part of the brain called the striatum.

That’s where it gets complicated, because the striatum is also full of dopamine cells. Previous studies show that marijuana can increase dopamine as well, and the current study seemed to confirm this. The researchers found that electro-acupuncture also led to an increase in dopamine receptors, but whether dopamine played a part in pain relief was not clear.

Overall, the rats appeared to be in less pain after receiving acupuncture – a treatment that the authors say is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for over 40 disorders.

And if cannabinoids are the reason acupuncture works for pain, then perhaps it’s time the WHO endorsed marijuana as well.

Study Notes

The study was conducted by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and funded by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China , Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project, Shanghai Municipal Natural Science Foundation, and Shanghai Famous TCM academic research project.

The Science of Acupuncture Documentary

Video Description

This is an amazing BBC documentary about acupuncture, an ancient Chinese therapy.

Acupuncture is a collection of procedures which involves the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of techniques, such as penetrating the skin with needles that are then manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation. It is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is among the oldest healing practices in the world.

As part of the documentary, you will see a young women having open heart surgery without any anesthetics, just acupuncture. You will also see how it helps to treat migraines and many other conditions. Millions of people have started to believe that acupuncture works better than conventional medicine . This documentary explains the astonishing healing power of acupuncture and its booming market in the western world.

> Scientists Finally Explain How Acupuncture Works | Truth on Pot

Jan 2, 2014Jan 25, 2018

Marijuana May Relieve the Symptoms of Autism (Study)

Recent studies indicate that compounds found in marijuana may be used to successfully treat autism.

Researchers at Stanford University say that the debilitating effects of autism are primarily caused by a gene mutation that blocks the body’s natural production of cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, and hinders the way those molecules communicate with the brain.

In the study, researchers found that the mutation of the neurologin-3 gene, which is responsible for creating and sustaining normal communication between brain cells, appears to have a direct correlation to autism – introducing derivatives of cannabis to the brain could ease symptoms associated with the disease.

Although the exact science revolving around how a disturbance in endocannabinoid signaling contributes to autism symptoms, researchers say there is significant evidence that suggest medical marijuana may be a viable treatment option for this condition.

Researchers from the University of Irvine in California believe the folks at Stanford may be on to something: because they, too, have discovered a link between endocannabinoids and autism.

In a study of mice with fragile X syndrome, it “showed dramatic behavioral improvements in maze tests measuring anxiety and open-space acceptance.” And because THC, the active compound in marijuana, stimulates the same receptors as the endocannabinoids, researchers concluded, “increasing natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain can help correct behavioral issues related to fragile X syndrome, the most common known genetic cause of autism.”

A recent article published in the Autism Daily Newscast indicates that many families are already experimenting with marijuana as a treatment for their children’s autism – as an alternative to other drugs with major side effects and questionable results.

Researchers add that while they do not advocate giving medical marijuana to children with autism, they believe their findings will lead to the development of important treatments for this devastating disease.

Pot Brownies Save Autistic Boy’s Life

A mother discusses how marijuana saved her autistic son’s life.

> Marijuana Uses | High Times

Dec 9, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cymatics – Bringing Matter to Life with Sound (Video)

Dr. Hans Jenny made use of crystal oscillators and an invention of his own – the tonoscope – to set plates and membranes vibrating to show how sand and fluids react to the vibration.

This is called Cymatics.

These original films of Cymatics experiments were made in the 1960’s by Dr. Hans Jenny. They depict amazing experiments that produce physically visual representations of sound.

Cymatics – Bringing Matter to Life with Sound – Part 1

This is not unregulated Chaos. It is a dynamic but ordered pattern. – Dr. Hans Jenny

Bringing Matter to Life – Part 2

The more one studies these things, the more one realizes that sound is the creative principle. It must be regarded as primordial. No single phenomenal category can be claimed as the aboriginal principle. We cannot say, in the beginning was numbers or in the beginning was symmetry, etc….. They are not themselves the creative power. This power is inherent in tone, in sound.
– Hans Jenny

Bringing Matter to Life – Part 3

I remember the joy of looking at the cymatic sound patters, and the wonderful sense of “Yes!” that rippled through my being. Each picture was worth at least a thousand words and I felt as though I were reading volumes in just a few minutes.
– Dr. John Beaulieu, “A Commentary on Cymatics” in the foreword of the 2001 edition of Cymatics by Hans Jenny

Dec 8, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Evidence of Meditation Directly Altering Gene Molecules To Reduce Stress (Study)

With evidence growing that meditation can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body.

A new Dec 2013 study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of mindfulness meditation.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice
-Study author Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin

Benefits of Mindful Meditation

The study investigated the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of experienced meditators, compared to a group of untrained control subjects who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities.

After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation.

Most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.
-Study author Perla Kaliman, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain , where the molecular analyses were conducted.

The results show a down-regulation of genes that have been implicated in inflammation. The extent to which some of those genes were downregulated was associated with faster cortisol recovery to a social stress test involving an impromptu speech and tasks requiring mental calculations performed in front of an audience and video camera.

There was no difference in the tested genes between the two groups of people at the start of the study. The observed effects were seen only in the meditators following mindfulness practice. In addition, several other DNA-modifying genes showed no differences between groups, suggesting that the mindfulness practice specifically affected certain regulatory pathways.

Our genes are quite dynamic in their expression and these results suggest that the calmness of our mind can actually have a potential influence on their expression – Richard J. Davidson

> Study Reveals Gene Expression Changes with Meditation | University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dec 1, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Chemical Reactions, GIFs Collection

These amazing chemical reaction GIFs mix visual and amazing to show us what happens when chemical forces combine. For every action there is a reaction and these GIFs will definitely get a reaction out of you.

Chemical Reaction GIFs

Flammable Gas Lit In A Glass Jar

Lithium on Fire

Heating Mercury

Electrical Discharge

Melting Metal With Magnets

Burning Magnesium in Dry Ice

Sodium Polyacrylate Mixed With Water

Nitrogen Plus 1500 Ping Pong Balls

Reaction Of Copper And Nitric Acid

Water Deflected by Charged Rod

Hyrdrogen Peroxide and Potassium Iodide

Explosive Polymerization Of p Nitro Aniline

Orange LED Light In Liquid Nitrogen

Hydrophobic Sand Placed Underwater

Putting out Canndles with CO2

For all the science behind these reactions checkout the link below.

> 15 Mindblowingly Awesome Chemistry GIFs | PBH2

Nov 25, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cannabis Prevents Brain Damage Caused by Binge Drinking (Study)

A study published online by the journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology suggests that cannabis may protect the brain from some of the damage caused by binge drinking.

The study, by researchers at the University of California San Diego, used a type of high-tech scan called diffusion tensor imaging to compare microscopic changes in brain white matter.

The subjects were students aged 16-to-19, divided into three groups: binge drinkers (defined as having five or more drinks at one sitting for boys or four or more for girls), binge drinkers who also smoked marijuana, and a control group who had very little or no experience with either alcohol or drugs.

As expected, the binge-drinking-only group showed evidence of white matter damage in eight regions examined, as demonstrated by lower fractional anisotropy (FA) scores.

But in a finding the researchers described as “unexpected,” the binge-drinking/marijuana group had lower FA scores than the controls in only three of the eight regions, and in seven regions the binge-drinking/marijuana group had higher scores – indicating less damage – than the binge drinkers who didn’t use marijuana (unfortunately, not all of these stats are in the summary linked above; access to the full article requires payment).

Brain white matter tracts were “more coherent in adolescents who binge drink and use marijuana than in adolescents who report only binge drinking,” the researchers wrote.

“It is possible that marijuana may have some neuroprotective properties in mitigating alcohol-related oxidative stress or excitotoxic cell death.” The scientists noted that such protection has already been shown in lab and animal studies.

This study suggests that not only is marijuana safer than alcohol, it may actually protect against some of the damage that booze causes.

It’s far better for teens not to drink or smoke marijuana, but our nation’s leaders send a dangerous message by defending laws that encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana. – Director of State Campaigns Steve Fox, in a statement issued by MPP

Indeed, the U.S. government has a patent on cannabinoids as neuroprotectants. Yes, the same government that wants you to believe that marijuana will rot your brain knows that its active components protect brain and nerve cells from many kinds of damage.

> Marijuana Protects Against Brain Damage from Binge Drinking | MPP Blog

Nov 17, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cymatics – The Study of Visible Sound and Vibration (Video)

Evan Grant demonstrates the science and art of C ymatics, a process for making sound waves visible. Useful for analyzing complex sounds (like dolphin calls), cymatics also raises some philosophical questions with the correlation between high frequencies and complex shapes.

Cymatic Shapes with Sound & Water

Cymatic Shapes with Salt on a Metal Plate

Vibrating a metal plate with sand creates wave patterns such as concentric circles. The higher the frequency, the more complex the shapes produced, with certain shapes having similarities to traditional mandala designs.

Cymatic Rotation

Dr. Hans Jenny in his studies, demonstrates rotary movement controlled by frequency.

Nov 17, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cannabis Oil For Kids With Epilepsy, Doctor’s Orders

University of Utah Doctor’s have come to the conclusion that cannabis oil for kids with epilepsy is a viable treatment.

“I would like to express my strong belief that [cannabidiol]-based oils should be available as soon as possible to Utah children with severe epilepsy. The substance is not psychoactive or hallucinogenic, it contains less THC than do other materials that can be legally purchased in Utah, and it has absolutely no abuse potential,” declared Francis Filloux, chief of the U.’s Division of Pediatric Neurology, in a letter shared Tuesday with Utah’s Controlled Substances Advisory Committee.

The letter addressed to Utah’s Controlled Substance Advisory Committee was also signed by pediatric neurologist Helen Barkan and Lynne Kerr, the first Utah physicians to publicly endorse cannabis as a treatment for children with severe, intractable epilepsy.

With marijuana reform sweeping the nation the federal government needs to re-evaluate the scheduling of marijuana as a Class I substance and accept the growing number of facts that support the integration of cannabis into our society.

> University of Utah doctors: Say ‘yes’ to Cannabis Oil for Kids | Salt Lake Tribune

Nov 11, 2013Jun 17, 2016

The Human Experience in Outer Space – Chris Hadfield (Video)

Chris Hadfield takes questions about how life in space affects the human experience.

Although living in space is in it’s early stages, the data collected by astronauts can help us learn how to survive in space with greater ease.

Living in Space – Chris Hadfield

Wet Washcloth in Space

Can You Cry in Space

How Do You Sleep In Space

Self Contained Environment

How Space Travel Affects Eyesight

How The Body Adapts to Weightlessness

Nov 3, 2013Jun 17, 2016

The Effect of Cannabis on Pregnant Women and Their Newborns (Study)

It’s almost too taboo to discuss: pregnant women smoking marijuana. It’s a dirty little secret for women, particularly during the harrowing first trimester, who turn to cannabis for relief from nausea and stress.

Pregnant women in Jamaica use marijuana regularly to relieve nausea, as well as to relieve stress and depression, often in the form of a tea or tonic.

In the late 1960s, grad student Melanie Dreher was chosen by her professors to perform an ethnographic study on marijuana use in Jamaica to observe and document its usage and its consequences among pregnant women.

Dreher studied 24 Jamaican infants exposed to marijuana prenatally and 20 infants that were not exposed. Her work evolved into the book Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science and Sociology, part of which included her field studies.

Most North American studies have shown marijuana use can cause birth defects and developmental problems. Those studies did not isolate marijuana use, however, lumping cannabis with more destructive substances ranging from alcohol and tobacco to meth and heroin.

In Jamaica, Dreher found a culture that policed its own ganja intake and considers its use spiritual. For the herb’s impact when used during pregnancy, she handed over reports utilizing the Brazelton Scale, the highly recognized neonatal behavioral assessment that evaluates behavior.

The profile identifies the baby’s strengths, adaptive responses and possible vulnerabilities. The researchers continued to evaluate the children from the study up to 5 years old. The results showed no negative impact on the children, on the contrary they seemed to excel.

Plenty of people did not like that answer, particularly her funders, the National Institute on Drug Abuse. They did not continue to flip the bill for the study and did not readily release its results.

“March of Dimes was supportive,” Dreher says. “But it was clear that NIDA was not interested in continuing to fund a study that didn’t produce negative results. I was told not to resubmit. We missed an opportunity to follow the study through adolescence and through adulthood.”

Now dean of nursing at Rush University with degrees in nursing, anthropology and philosophy, plus a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University, Dreher did not have experience with marijuana before she shipped off for Jamaica.

The now-marijuana advocate says that Raphael Mechoulam, the first person to isolate THC, should win a Pulitzer. Still, she understands that medical professionals shy from doing anything that might damage any support of their professionalism, despite marijuana’s proven medicinal effects, particularly for pregnant women.

Dr. Melanie Dreher’s study isn’t the first time Jamaican ganja smoking was subjected to a scientific study. One of the most exhausting studies is Ganja in Jamaica—A Medical Anthropological Study of Chronic Marijuana Use by Vera Rubin and Lambros Comitas, published in 1975. Unfortunately for the National Institute of Mental Health’s Center for Studies of Narcotic and Drug Abuse, the medical anthropological study concluded:

Despite its illegality, ganja use is pervasive, and duration and frequency are very high; it is smoked over a longer period in heavier quantities with greater THC potency than in the U.S. without deleterious social or psychological consequences [our emphasis].

> Special Delivery | I Read Culture