Table of Contents
- The Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis
- Why is Everyone Still So Confused About Medical Cannabis?
- Skyler Johnstone & Bee Delightful’s CBD Infused Raw Honey
- Conclusion
Arguably, the medicinal properties of cannabis are the number one reason why marijuana is now acceptable among the majority of Americans. It is the core reason why 33 states have medical marijuana programs and almost 11 states allow adult-use. Even the recent legalization of industrial hemp can be credited to the advocates that pushed tirelessly for ballot initiatives that would ultimately lead to the legal medical use of cannabis. States like California, Colorado and Washington were the pioneers spreading awareness about medical marijuana that led to people asking even more questions. Is marijuana as bad for people as we were taught? If alcohol is legal, why shouldn’t cannabis be legal too? The healing power of cannabis has rocked the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia and many other countries around the world. We all look at weed much differently than we did just ten years ago.
The Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis
So, what is the healing power of cannabis? There are so many medicinal benefits to cannabis that we still don’t know how many conditions it can help treat either directly or indirectly. We know that it is an anticonvulsant which is why the FDA approved the first cannabis derived pharmaceutical drug for certain types of epilepsy such as Dravet Syndrome. We know that nearly every state that offers medical marijuana cards will list pain, anxiety, PTSD, terminal illnesses and a plethora of others as qualifying conditions for a card. We know that research is ongoing on whether it can stop opioid addiction relapses and how it may be able to help severe mental disorders like schizophrenia and even Parkinson’s Disease. Here are some other qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana card in many of the 33 states.
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Cachexia
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Seizures
- Severe nausea
- Severe pain
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- An Autism Spectrum Disorder
Why is Everyone Still So Confused About Medical Cannabis?
Yet, the country as a whole still remains confused. Now that hemp is legal, CBD companies are coming out of the woodwork. While hemp flowers and stems contain very little THC, they contain plenty of CBD. There are many claims that CBD is the main medicinal compound found in cannabis. It does not get you high and many of the claims out there suggest it treats everything the same as full spectrum marijuana.
There are CBD gummies, CBD oil, CBD vapes, CBD topicals and CBD edibles. It sounds just like the THC filled marijuana industry. It’s hard to tell the difference between CBD products and marijuana products anymore, especially if you are unfamiliar with cannabis. I have no doubt that a CBD isolate has medicinal value, but I do question many of the CBD products out there currently that are putting it in unhealthy products.
The Sugar and Kush CBD product line is something I have covered before that focuses on products for diabetics, gluten allergies or those just trying to maintain a healthy diet. Other than that, it has been hard to find companies that are making a CBD product for the people that it is meant for. So, I sought out a veteran in the cannabis industry that I knew only believes in all natural alternatives.
Skyler Johnstone & Bee Delightful’s CBD Infused Raw Honey
I’ve met the founder and owner of Bee Delightful, Skyler Johnstone, a number of times and recently had a conversation with him about his thoughts on the medicinal properties of CBD. His company infuses CBD into raw honey and believes that the medicinal benefits of CBD have a lot to do with what else is in CBD products. I asked why he thought raw honey was the way to go.
“We chose a raw honey because of the phytonutrients and enzymes in raw honey. That is why we do not pasteurize or heat up the honey. Raw honey is really good for allergies too. Bee Delightful and Cannabees was created as a healthy alternative for people that do not want to eat raw sugar. We paid a food scientist a lot of money to ask, ‘Is honey healthy?’ The research told us that honey processes much better through our gut than regular sugars. It is predigested by bees which means you can also use it as a topical as well. People used to use it as a band-aid because honey is antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal. Honey even helps people regulate insulin levels.”
Those are all fantastic points and I have tried the Bee Delightful honey, it’s delicious. It begs the question, why stick something that is supposed to be wholly medicinal into anything other than the healthiest of products? When I see companies packing processed sugar into CBD products or see recipes for cookies and brownies full of saturated fats, it leaves me scratching my head. If it can’t get you high and it’s only purpose is to benefit people medicinally, then why treat it like its recreational marijuana? I asked Skyler why he thought raw honey was right for CBD.
“We find that honey is an amazing carrier for CBD because honey produces natural sugars and those sugars help carry the CBD to certain parts of our body. Honey is an amazing carrier. Honey never expires, and honey is one of the best preservatives known to people. We tested a 2-year old jar of honey and the CBD was still preserved. I am pretty sure a jar of honey is going to outlive me.”
Skyler has been in the cannabis industry for 8 years and I have watched him scour cannabis expos scrutinizing other brands. I know he is very familiar with what is out there. The truth may be that one of the most significant factors holding back the progression of the medical marijuana market are the brands that are misrepresenting natural cannabis compounds like CBD. Consumers need to look for a certificate of analysis from a third party lab testing company and read the ingredient labels. If there aren’t any third party lab tests or labels, then put that product down. If you see there is a ton of processed sugar in a CBD product, there is no point in buying it. Spend your money on some sour patch kids if you need a sweet fix.
Conclusion
The best CBD products are made with high quality ingredients that help to optimize the effects of CBD. Many CBD companies will take shortcuts on the oils they infuse CBD into. The best sort of oil is probably a coconut based MCT oil. It costs a little more but its absorption rate is spectacular and it has a good flavor so that you don’t feel like you are chomping on dirt. It behooves companies to do the right thing by cannabis and its consumers to take this industry in the right direction. Cannabis and its advocates have waited entirely too long for prohibition to end, and the fight still continues.