@cappuccinothezine

Hey, coffee lovers! I am @cannalonesun and today, I am going to share information that has led me to become a cannabis activist. First things first, let me give you some background.

We each have an endocannabinoid system for our body to absorb cannabinoids. It works just like any other system in our bodies, and we have more receptors for cannabinoids than any other substance. 600 million years ago, sea squirts developed an endocannabinoid system for the adaptogenic effect which helps achieve optimum conditions in your body that are needed for optimal health (homeostasis) by going reversely in the synapsis, interrupting the uptake of neurotransmitters that make you sick. Thanks to sea squirts, all animals have an endocannabinoid system. Thank you evolution! Our human body even produces endocannabinoids naturally, the two main are anandamide and 2-AG. We also find dietary-cannabinoids in black pepper and cloves!

You may have heard of THC and CBD before - these are phytocannabinoids that come from the cannabis plant which came 25 million years ago. However, science discovered THC in 1964, but the endocannabinoid was discovered in the 1990s! Let’s not blame them, because the plant was not used in the western world until the mid-nineteenth century. However, that does not mean indigenous cultures weren't using it. In China, ganja was cultivated as early as 4000 BC, treating menstrual cramps and constipation, Africans used it for many fevers including malaria, and East Indians used it for sleep disorders, headaches, and digestion problems.

“He who prepares, cultivates, processes, sells, delivers, strengthens, transports or manufacturers or is strongly thought to commit a crime listed in article 11 will be punished to at most 3 years imprisonment or will be charged with a fine from the fifth category (€ 76.000).” 

“It is the duty of the Treasury Department to damn the harmful and malignant stream of narcotic drugs, intends to pursue relentless warfare against the despicable dope-peddling vulture who preys on the weakness of his fellow man.” 

The narrative here is that weed was used by Black men to seduce young white teenagers in Jazz clubs. In segregated America, Jazz clubs were one of the few places where whites and Blacks mixed. Many people did not know about the herb's effects, so they were easily influenced by propaganda. Anslinger related weed to murder and even movies were created to further indoctrination. The banning of cannabis significantly halted scientific research. However, Mayor Laguardia of New York City (NYC) commissioned a report which found that there was no proof of weed linking to addiction or crime. However, the federal government ignored this and chose racism. As a result, people of color make up 78% of all marijuana arrests in NYC  alone and without enough scientific evidence for its benefits, students of medicine do not learn about the endocannabinoid system. It is due to misinformation and politicization of weed that colors the taboo of cannabis benefits outside the US and even recurring internationally. 

Much love,

Lone Sun 

About the author:

I am a 20-year-old Dutch student, who lives in Spain and has strong ties to the US. In my life, I have been confronted with a lot of stigmas and the politicization of weed both in the Netherlands and the US. When I came out of the weed closet to my parents, my mother was heartbroken and she accused me of not knowing enough about the effects and how dangerous this drug was. This fueled me to do extensive research on the drug, regarding its pros, cons, and history. The information that I have found and continue to discover really opened a new world for me. As a student of international politics, I am especially interested in the political arena surrounding this drug and particularly in its controversial policies. I questioned where this controversy, stigma, and fear stemmed from and once I found out, I knew the world had to hear. I started CannaLoneSun, as a platform for my activism where I could open the discussion and share my research for the world to see.

Sources

• Blaszczak, Agata. “Marijuana's History: How One Plant Spread Through the World.” LiveScience, Purch, 17 Oct. 2014, www.livescience.com/48337-marijuana-history-how-cannabis-travelled-world.html.

• Cabral, Guy A., and Latoya Griffin-Thomas. “Emerging Role of the Cannabinoid Receptor CB2 in Immune Regulation: Therapeutic Prospects for Neuroinflammation.” Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, vol. 11, 2009, doi: 10.1017/s1462399409000957.

• de Falco, Loren. “Black Pepper and the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).” The, The-Ecs, 9 Feb. 2017, www.the-ecs.com/single-post/2015/12/29/Black-Pepper-and-the-Endocannabinoid-System-ECS.

• Gerbis, Nicholas. “How Marijuana Works.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 27 Jan. 2020, science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana3.htm.

• Golub, Andrew, et al. “The Race/Ethnicity Disparity In Misdemeanor Marijuana Arrests In New York City*.” Criminology & Public Policy, vol. 6, no. 1, 2007, pp. 131–164., doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2007.00426.x.

• King, Tiffany. “3 Medicines Containing Synthetic THC Just Received FDA Approval.” Herb, 4 May 2017, herb.co/news/health/synthetic-thc-fda-approval/.

• Smith, Dana. “Cannabis for Malaria Has A Long History.” Cannabis.net, 25 Jan. 2017, cannabis.net/blog/medical/cannabis-for-malaria-has-a-long-history.

• “Black Pepper and the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).” The, The-Ecs, 9 Feb. 2017, www.the-ecs.com/single-post/2015/12/29/Black-Pepper-and-the-Endocannabinoid-System-ECS.

• “Cannabis University: Earn Your Marijuana Certification Through Our Online Cannabis Classes.” Cannabis Training University, 4 Dec. 2019, cannabistraininguniversity.com/.

• “Findings of the 1944 La Guardia Report.” Sturm College of Law , New York Academy of Medicine, www.law.du.edu/documents/marijuana-summit/La-Guardia-Report.pdf.

• “Grass Is Greener.” Netflix Official Site, 20 Apr. 2019, www.netflix.com/title/80213712.

• “List of Schedule 1 Drugs.” Drugs.com, www.drugs.com/article/csa-schedule-1.html.

• “Opiumwet.” Wetten.nl - Regeling - Opiumwet - BWBR0001941, wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0001941/2020-01-01#Artikel11a.