A large number of Australian people are making use of medical marijuana for the treatment of their conditions and diseases. Since the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has given relaxation in its restrictions on the prescription in 2018 on medical marijuana. Healthcare professionals & patients are now taking cannabis as a treatment option into their consideration.

The legalization of medical marijuana signifies that cannabis has become a popular option for thousands of Australians. Those individuals who are suffering from particular medical conditions can now see doctors who are authorized for dispensing & prescribing medical marijuana.

Because of the legalization, over time there is an expectation of the reduction of illegal purchase and self-medication. This in turn will result in effective & safe use of marijuana as a tried & tested drug.

Those people who are suffering from intractable medical conditions may now consider medical marijuana treatment. It is the case when their other treatments become fail. However, still there are ongoing studies supporting the efficacy, potency, and safety of marijuana. There are thousands of Australian people who are making use of cannabis for the treatment of the following:

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a medical condition that is popular for affecting the spinal cord region and your brain. Symptoms are dependent on the severity of the disease. But, usually, these are inclusive of motor imbalance, tingling sensations, pain, spasms, and vision problems. According to extensive research studies, the utilization of medical marijuana extract has greatly reduced the intensity of spasms among multiple sclerosis patients. It has also alleviated pain without any adverse reactions.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a kind of debilitating medical condition which is greatly responsible for lowering the quality of life of patients. Patients have to suffer from chronic pain since arthritis is a degenerative or incurable disease.

During arthritis attacks, medical marijuana is effective for combating pain. Medical marijuana is not only helpful in reducing pain. But, there are a growing number of studies that reveal that medical marijuana may serve you with ease in your psychological pain.

Cancer

Cancer is a kind of grim disease. It is responsible for almost 30% of mortality in Australia. However, medical-grade marijuana is not capable of the treatment of cancer. It assists in the reduction of severity & intensity of symptoms. Thus, it enhances the quality of life among patients.

Medical-grade marijuana also comprises active ingredients which result in the stimulation of your appetite. It assists in the management of muscle wasting, weight loss, anorexia. A cancer patient experience all these symptoms.

Chronic Pain

Numerous people are suffering from long-term pain or chronic pain as a symptom of the disease. It is inclusive of cancer, arthritis, and neuropathy among numerous others.

In the pharmacological management of chronic pain, medical marijuana treatment is an option according to published research. Those individuals who are suffering from the disease Parkinson’s also report that they have seen an enhance in the comfort of up to 27% with the use of medical marijuana.

Other painful conditions that may benefit from the use of cannabis are:

• Migraine
  
• Multiple sclerosis
  
• Fibromyalgia
  

• Anorexia
  
• Palliative care indications for patients with AIDs and cancer
  
• Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
  
• Spasticity from neurological conditions
  

It is just a rumor that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is in existence for the last 600 million years. The reason behind this is that ECS holds its presence in the earliest forms of life. These are sponges that have been around for a longer period.

It is that we were not aware of this until Dr. Robert Mechoulham has begun his groundbreaking work in 1960. It was on the exploration of endocannabinoids and cannabinoids that are responsible for forming part of ECS. It is also a bit unfortunate that the ECS has been excluded from the syllabus of medical school for several years.

What Creates The Endocannabinoid System?

An Israeli Professor who was working at the Hebrew The University of Jerusalem. In year 1964, he has done the isolation of a molecule in the marijuana plant. It has become the reason for healing relief to the human body that is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). He was curious about how the marijuana plant works for serving with the effects it has on the human body. This sets off the journey towards the discovery of the ECS.

But the use of marijuana dates back to ancient civilizations which have arisen from the banks of great rivers. For instance, the Indus River in India, Tigris & The Euphrates in Mesopotamia, and Hwang-Ho in China.

Before Mechoulam has begun his research work, herbalists were tapping already into the healing power of marijuana. After so many years, Mechoulam together with other scientists has discovered that the body has done the production of its cannabinoids. These act in the same way as plant phytocannabinoids. There could also be an augment in the reverse. Plant cannabinoids do the emulation of the actions and effects of endocannabinoids.

Another researcher Lisa A. Matsuda later in the 1990s has done the identification of the first cannabinoid receptor in the brain. It is a CB1 receptor, and it binds the endogenous cannabinoids along with plant cannabinoids, for instance, THC. Later in the year 1995, he has done the identification of the second receptor. The classification of these two receptors was as the CB1 & CB2 receptors.

The ECS of the body comprises of three major components:

• Receptors spread throughout the body
  
• Endocannabinoids
  
• Metabolic enzymes which usually break down endocannabinoids
  

• Memory
  
• Temperature
  
• Sleep
  
• Immunity
  
• Digestion
  
• Mood
  
• Motor control
  
• Fertility
  
• Appetite
  
• Pain
  

• Fibromyalgia
  
• Migraine
  
• Irritable bowel syndrome
  

If you have been feeling sadness, you have a lack of interest in activities that you once enjoyed. Then you might be suffering from depression. Depression is affecting approximately about 350 million people all over the world. This common mood disorder is the leading reason behind the disability of people worldwide. Yet numerous people who are suffering from depression don't get the required help.

Currently, there is an availability of numerous treatments. These are inclusive of oral medications and other different therapies. Researchers have begun to do the exploration of medicinal marijuana in the form of additional treatment. Given below you can learn more about the use of medical marijuana for depression, its benefits, and side effects.

Benefits of Medical Marijuana

• You can make use of marijuana as a tool for pain management
  
• Medicinal marijuana may serve you with relief from symptoms of anxiety
  
• It is also widely popular as a potential treatment for vomiting and nausea which has relation to chemotherapy
  

• The side effects of it might be different which is dependent on the method of consumption
  
• There are mixed views on whether marijuana may be a reason for depression or the treatment of depression
  
• The use of marijuana may trigger psychosis or schizophrenia in those people who are at higher risk of these conditions.
  

CBD which is also popular as Cannabidiol is one of the numerous chemicals which you will find in marijuana plants. There has been publicity of it as an alternative treatment in some online forums. It can even cure numerous kinds of illnesses which are including cancer. Some cancer patients claim that CBD has assisted them as a complementary therapy. It has assisted them in the management of their side effects and symptoms from standard cancer treatment.

Still, there is very little research around CBD and its uses for the treatment of people with cancer. Given below is what you should know about CBD. You will also come to know about what science is presently showing about it. Whether it is effective and safe to use for people who have cancer.

What is meant by CBD?

CBD is one of the hundreds of chemicals that you will find in flowering marijuana plants. CBD does not come with the mind-altering or psychoactive effects of another chemcial found in marijuana. It is popular by the name tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the chemical that serves people with the experience of a "high". On the other hand, people make use of CBD to assist themselves in easing anxiety, pain, and sleep issues.

CBD comes from marijuana plants which are widely popular as hemp. These are particularly grown with low levels of THC and high levels of CBD. Cannabis plants grown with high levels of THC are widely popular by the name marijuana.

CBD comes from oil which gets extracted from the cannabis plant. You can then ingest that oil as a liquid, a gummy, a capsule, or you can inhale through vaping. You can also add this as an ingredient in such kinds of products as skin patches and lotions.

Can CBD Assist People With Cancer?

Studies are underway for answering this question. Some scientists are conducting their study on whether CBD could serve them with instant relief on some of the side effects of cancer & its treatment. For instance, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, or pain. Other scientists are doing their study on whether CBD could potentially slow or stop the growth of cancer or not.

However, to date, no large-scale studies have shown that CBD is having any benefit for the treatment of cancer patients. Most studies that have been done in the laboratory for the evaluation of CBD as a cancer treatment were in human cells or mice. For instance, some studies conducted have stated shown that CBD does the stimulation of the growth of cancer cells in mice with colon cancer or lung cancer.

Other studies have shown that CBD together with THC has killed glioblastoma cancer cells in the lab. However, not a single study was conducted on cancer patients.

There have been some studies conducted that signify that CBD alone, or together with THC might serve you with relief, anxiety, insomnia, or pain. But, these studies were not particular to cancer patients. Where till date no study has shown that CBD serves with ease in these side effects particular to cancer patients. On the other hand, some patients with cancer have reported the benefits of taking CBD. For instance, assisting with vomiting, depression, nausea, and other side effects.

Your doctor might consider prescribing cannabinoids for the management of chronic pain according to ASCO guidelines. If you are living in a state where you will find it illegal. However, ASCO has given some guidelines which state that there is not sufficient evidence for supporting the use of cannabinoids. It is about the prevention of vomiting and nausea of patients with cancer who are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

There are 2 synthetic marijuana medications, dronabinol (Marinol or Syndros) and nabilone (Cesamet). These are FDA-approved for the treatment of vomiting and nausea that is related to chemotherapy. The preparation of these medications happens in a laboratory.

Is CBD safe for Cancer patients?

You may find stories of people online who are discussing the advantages of CBD as the treatment of cancer. Or as the relief from the side effects of cancer. You must keep in mind that such personal stories, shared without scientific study, while may be well-meaning. And these do not comprise any evidence. There is still a requirement for proving the safety and efficacy of CBD for cancer patients. It must also have been proved in randomized, large, & controlled clinical trials.

This is also crucial for you to note that some studies have shown that CBD might interrupt. It might interrupt how your body does the processing of cancer drugs which are popular as a drug interaction. This might in turn make the treatment of cancer more toxic. Or it can make it less effective. There is a requirement for more research on these effects. You must always tell your oncologists for these reasons if you are thinking to make use of CBD before you take it.

You might also be wondering if CBD is legal in your area. Some states facilitate the possession and sale of marijuana. It is inclusive of THC and CBD, for recreational and medical use. On the other hand, other states are having stricter regulations. So, you must always learn state-by-state laws before doing the transportation of CBD across your state lines. Things are even more complex at the federal level.

In addition to CBD oil, you can make use of hemp for making things like clothing and rope. In other words, you can have an understanding that no longer hemp is a controlled substance. It means that the regulation of it does not get done by the government. It refers that consumers have the requirement of doing the evaluate the quality & safety of CBD products by themselves. For instance, some CBD might possess much higher levels of THC than that is on the label.

If you are thinking to make use of CBD, then you must always consult with your doctor first. The reason is that the research does not yet provide support to the use of CBD in assisting cancer patients. Before doing consumption of it you must raise the topic with your doctor.

CBD comes with numerous health benefits

Perhaps you have heard about the health benefits of CBD. But, the question is how much can you take to feel those? CBD or Cannabidiol is one of the more than 60 active compounds found in the marijuana plant. These active compounds are popular as cannabinoids which affect your body in numerous different ways.

CBD is not psychoactive. It signifies that you will not get "high" from this. In contrast, research suggests that it might assist you:

• to reduce depression and anxiety
  
• Improve sleep
  
• Reduce seizures in people suffering from epilepsy
  
• soothe inflammation and pain
  
• Improve the health of the heart
  
• Improve symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  

• your body weight
  
• the condition you are treating
  
• your individual body chemistry
  
• the concentration of CBD in each kind of pill, capsule, drop, & / or gummy
  

CBD has become one of the highly popular wellness trends for hitting the scene since vitamin C. There is a reason that CBD has gone mainstream. We would like to think that it is nothing short of plant magic. However, the benefits of CBD are having more to do with science than sorcery as it turns out. If you are just doing the discovery of CBD and are to know about why everyone seems to take interest in it. Then we would recommend you for taking a deeper look at this beginner's guide to CBD.

What Is Meant By CBD?

CBD is a compound which you will find in cannabis. Many people make use of it for the achievement of their balance in body and mind and their overall well-being. There is an association of zero public abuse or health risk with it according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The marijuana plant or Cannabis Sativa L is highly complex. It consists of more than 500 currently identified chemical compounds. Of these compounds, there have classifications of more than 100 cannabinoids. One of these cannabinoids is CBD.

There are some widely popular cannabinoids which are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).THC is extremely popular for the "high" that most people get from cannabis. However, it doesn't serve you with the same psychoactive effects. And it will also not serve you with a feeling of stoned in the slightest.

CBD might come from the hemp plant or marijuana plant. Both these are forms of marijuana. But a hemp plant in the US must have less than 0.3% THC content. If you are in search of avoiding THC in your CBD oil, you have to ensure that you purchase hemp-derived CBD oil. There are some companies for instance Joy Organics, refine out even the trace amounts of THC. There you will find in hemp as an extra precaution.

What are the most common reasons people make use of CBD?

It is safe to say that someone whom you know is probably making use of CBD. You might have heard about it from your friend or family member. It might be that it keeps showing up on your social media feed. And you are trying to think what the hype is all about.

CBD has rapidly become the widely popular wellness supplement that the world has ever seen. And it also doesn't show any sign of slowing down. CBD has gone mainstream and its popularity is much greater than no one can expect.

Virtually no one had even heard about CBD before a decade ago. The demand for CBD has exploded these days. Almost daily new companies are hitting the market. And some of these do forecasting that the CBD industry will be worth $22 by 2022.

Why many people have jumped on the CBD bandwagon?

Scientific research and anecdotal evidence both show numerous reasons that why people are making CBD part of their everyday wellness routine. You may opt to make use of it for:

• Promoting healthy skin
  
• Maintenance of balanced mood all through the day
  
• Sleep better at night
  
• Supporting healthy muscles and joints
  

A registered doctor in Australia can legally prescribe medical marijuana. These doctors must apply for TGA approvals under Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) guidelines. They must apply the specific uses of each patient of medical cannabis. Researches and trials of Australian medical cannabis throughout the world have shown medical marijuana to have potential in treatment.

The treatment might be of symptoms and conditions associated with childhood epilepsy, nausea, anxiety, chronic pain, etc. It might also cover a huge range of different neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders. Under the TGA Special Access Scheme, some of these conditions are approved. However, depending on each individual patient numerous side effects may also apply with any medication. You can also further discuss this with your doctor.

Is Medical Marijuana Legal In Australia?

Medical marijuana is federally legal in Australia. The Australian government has amended laws in October 2016 for facilitating the legal prescription of marijuana medicines. Since legalization, the TGA has given approval to more than 46,000 medical marijuana applications (May 2020).

Those patients who have the desire of accessing legal medical marijuana can go to their marijuana specialist doctor or GP. The prescribing marijuana doctor will do the assessment of each individual case for suitability with supporting evidence. He will also do the processing of the application of medical marijuana patients. He will do it via Special Access Scheme (SAS) pathways.

Authorized Prescriber Can Prescribe The Medical Cannabis

Medical marijuana is eligible for prescribing only via the Authorized Prescriber Scheme. It is where the medical marijuana doctor is holding the approval for prescribing. He can prescribe medical marijuana to patients within his specialty i.e. nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, anxiety, and pain. Very infrequently the utilization of this pathway happens with most medical marijuana prescriptions. It includes those prescriptions whose processing takes place through Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS-B).

Medical practitioners process single applications through the SAS-B pathway for medical marijuana patients. They do so on the basis of their unregistered product and the particular condition that is going to be prescribed.

Medical Marijuana Is Federally Legal In Australia

However, medical cannabis is federally legal in Australia. Still, the majority of products are unregistered medicines. This means that the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) has not done the evaluation of products. It has done so by taking into consideration the efficacy and safety to make them registered as a medicine in Australia.

It means there is no private health cover or no subsidies through Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. If the product which has been prescribed to the patient has not got listed on the ARTG. State regulations and approvals with this medicinal range can still apply.

In the coming years, Australia can have the expectation of seeing an expansion in the registration of medical marijuana formulations.

Legal Medical Marijuana in Australia

Medical marijuana is absolutely legal in Australia. However, sources of marijuana that have not been prescribed by a medical professional are still illegal. THC is a psychoactive compound in CBD cannabis oil. The classification of it is as Schedule B controlled substance and CBD hemp oil. The classification of other popularly recognized compounds in marijuana is as a Schedule 4 drug that has no psychoactivity. It is illegal to possess any compounds without a prescription.

What States Are Having Medical Cannabis?

All states in Australia are having legal pathways for accessing medical marijuana. It is because of the amendment to the Narcotic Drugs Act in 2016. The pathways for accessing medical marijuana are similar across the country. Patients of medical marijuana can engage their medical cannabis clinic in Australia or general practitioner (GP) for seeing their eligibility for medical marijuana oil. There are numerous nuances to the laws in different states regarding medical marijuana. It dictates the application required at a state level.

Medical Marijuana Trials In Australia

A huge range of mood disorders has also shown potential positive outcomes in the trials of medical marijuana. There is some evidence that shows that symptoms of mood disorders might be managed with medical marijuana and CBD oil formulations. Some outcomes are also there that have shown dose-dependent outcomes. There is a need for further research into how the application of medical marijuana can happen. It is the case in the treatment of psychological and mood disorders.

Researches show that medical marijuana might have advantages in other settings. For instance autoimmune conditions like Irritable Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis.

The effects of medical marijuana, particularly CBD oil has got well documented. These were in the reduction of seizures for pediatric epilepsy patients, and for adults. In addition to this, there are some patients with medical marijuana who may find relief from sleep disturbances. It is the case with the application of medical marijuana formulations.

There is a step-wise process for the extraction of marijuana plant material and for the purification of distinct fractions. The outcome of each step is a smaller amount of material in an enhancing purified form. You can do the production of pure CBD extract that is free from all of the possible contaminants in the plant. For instance, waxes, terpenes, chlorophyll, other cannabinoids, and any other chemicals.

There is also a possibility of isolation of other cannabinoids (e.g. THC, etc.) from the original extracted material. It is crucial to undertake the extraction process at low temperatures (<60 degrees celsius). It is for retaining cannabinoids in their acid form (i.e. to minimize decarboxylation).

Stage 1: Selection & Development of the relevant plant cultivar

You can grow the most relevant cannabis cultivar under greenhouse conditions. Perhaps these plants will be clones of a cultivar with low THC (<0.5%) & high CBD (>5%). It is for the isolation and purification of CBD. There has been the establishment of the selection and cultivation of the relevant marijuana cultivars.

Stage 2: Harvesting of the bud material from the mature marijuana plants

You can harvest marijuana plants at the time when the level of cannabinoids in the bud material is maximal. One can do the harvesting of the fresh stems at the optimal time along with twig and leaf material. This material consists of >5% CBD (wet weight).

Stage 3: Milling and Drying of the cannabis bud material

One has to carefully dry the bud material from the marijuana plant for producing a product consisting of <10% moisture. You have to dry the bud material at 50 degrees celsius for 8-12 hours. Then the dried plant has to be milled and sieved to a fine powder (1-2mm screen). There is a requirement for each batch of dried marijuana powder to have got mixed to homogeneity. It has to be vacuum packed, labeled, and stored at 4 degrees celsius.

100kg of fresh marijuana plant will do the production of about 10kg of dry leaf material. This material will consist of up to 1% THC (dry weight) and 50% CBD.

Stage 4: Primary extraction of the milled and dried marijuana plant material

You have to extract the milled and dried marijuana plant material at room temperature. It should be with a proprietary gaseous solvent for the generation of a liquid extract of the marijuana plant. This crude extract will consist of terpenes, waxes, and cannabinoids along with chlorophyll and other chemicals. 100kg of marijuana plants will do the production of about 2.5L of this green goop. This material will contain 5-7% THC and 50-70% CBD (w/w).

Alternative solvents are inclusive of other gaseous solvents, for instance, butane, CO2, propane, etc. Or it can include liquid solvents, for instance, hexane, acetone, methanol, ethanol, etc. You have to concentrate the solvent-extracted material by the evaporation of the solvent from the extract. As the product returns to the atmospheric pressure, this occurs automatically with gaseous solvents.

You have to carefully evaporate the solvents for the concentration of the extract with liquid solvent extracts. You must employ careful processing conditions for retaining the cannabinoids in their acid forms. There is a requirement of consideration of the extraction efficacy, for the choice of the primary extraction solvent.

It means to get a large portion of the cannabinoids out of the plant material. There is also the requirement of selectivity of extraction. It is about getting the cannabinoids out of the marijuana plant material without unwanted components like chlorophyll.

At the completion process comprehensive extraction and the minimal presence of residual extraction solvent. These two are the basis for the choice of this proprietary gaseous solvent. The obtained green goop with numerous extraction solvents consists of a significant amount of chlorophyll.

There will be the requirement of removing it as the further product is purified. There is a possibility of reducing the amount of chlorophyll by extracting the plant material. You can extract this under cool conditions.

Stage 5: Removing Chlorophyll from the marijuana extract

The green goop consists of a large amount of chlorophyll. It complicates the purification and isolation of other more crucial groups of phytochemicals from the marijuana extract. You can mix the green goop with a solvent (e.g. ethanol) and apply it to a resin. For instance, silica, alumina, and charcoal. While leaving most of the waxes, terpenes, and other chemicals unbound these bind some of the chlorophyll from the crude extract.

Stage 6: Remove Plant Waxes from the cannabis extract

When the decolorized extract in 5 volumes of ethanol has become cool to -20 degrees celsius. And that for 2-3 days in a sealed container. The waxes will get solidify and you can remove these with filtration of the cold ethanol solution.

Step 7: Concentration & Fractionation of CBD from the cannabinoid-enriched material

There are a number of processes you can apply to the cannabinoid-enriched material for the isolation of a CBD-enriched product. These are inclusive of Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC), Supercritical Fluid (CO2) Extraction (SFE). Along with that Molecular Distillation, Crystallization, etc.

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We've just joined and hope to share our CBD knowledge with the community. We run three CBD brands right now:

Alponics SA - our mothership, the CBD Wholesale brand that also produces all the products for our other two retail brands. We also do white label for other companies.
Website: Alponics – Grossiste Cannabis CBD – Grossiste Cannabis CBD – Produits de CBD 100% Naturels – Analyses de Laboratoire – Services pour Marque Blanche

1807 Blends - our full spectrum CBD oil brand, using CO2 Supercritical extraction to ensure super high quality oils. All natural and Swiss Made of course 
Website: SWISS CBD Oil - FULL SPECTRUM CANNABIDIOL OIL - 1807 BLENDS

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Website: Swiss CBD Flowers - 1807 BIS - Enjoy the CBD benefits of 100% Suisse Flowers hand selected and hand trimmed