Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Recreational/Medicinal: Let's talk Cannabis!



It has been quite awhile since I thought about smoking a joint or even pondered the possible health benefits of cannabis.  Yet, here I am thinking about quite a trendy topic that is making the news left and right.  A recent trip to a local  Health and Wellness Expo rekindled my interest in finding more about the use of hemp for health and wellness purposes.  Not so long ago, if you referred to “cannabis” people thought only of the “recreational” use of marijuana: the leaves were dried and smoked.  However, now cannabis, which refers to both Marijuana and Hemp, covers a whole variety of methods of consumption including hemp oil, topical creams and other concentrates that are smoked, vaporized and orally ingested. Yet with all this talk about cannabis, and legal considerations pending, it’s good to find out a little more about the product and to understand the pros and cons.

My husband and I had some really interesting discussions with two women at the Wellness Expo who were there representing HempWorx: Cindy Walkus and Lisa Bach.  They were able to explain many of the misconceptions about their product and the fact that the CBD component found in their products is non-hallucinogenic.  Hempworx sells a variety of consumer products that promote the medicinal qualities of CBD with a range of health and wellness qualities including  regulating blood sugar, healthy skin, and supporting digestive functions to name a few. For more information on hemp and their products, you can check the web site at:www.HempWorx.com
First it is good to understand the basics: Cannabis comes in two forms: Hemp and Marijuana. Cannabis plants contain a class of compounds called cannabinoids. The two most abundant are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) THC is the element that provides the high and frequently includes negative side effects of paranoia and anxiety. CBD is an element that claims to have beneficial medicinal effects, without the marijuana high. The Nutrition Action Newsletter (published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest) reported about a panel from the National Academy of Medicine that concluded there are three established medical benefits of cannabis:
  • ·       “We found conclusive evidence that cannabis can reduce nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy”
  • ·       There is “substantial”evidence that cannabis modestly reduces self-reported involuntary muscle contractions in people with multiple sclerosis
  • ·       There is “substantial” evidence that cannabis modestly reduces chronic pain. “It’s not as strong as a narcotic pain reliever as an opiate, so it’s not as effective, but it may be more usable long term”, Pionelli (a panel member)noted.
So the jury is still out on other conclusive benefits for cannabis. As with many medications, differing results vary from person to person. As with many natural products, the use of CBD has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), but that doesn’t mean it can’t be very effective for some individuals. Endorsement by the FDA is not mandatory to be a good product, but nevertheless…it makes me a bit skeptical about the effectiveness of its medicinal properties.  Again, every person’s body chemistry is different.  What works for one individual, may not work for another.

King Crimson-in the Court of the Crimson King
Most people, when you discuss cannabis, think of marijuana and the recreational use of the drug, not the medicinal. When I was a high-school youth in the mid-70’s I tried marijuana for recreational purposes.  It was my experimental, “adventurous” phase.  I remember listening to Pink Floyd and King Crimson with friends…while high, of course.  “Oh, Dude…..totally, anybody remember King Crimson? Pretty awesome band.” 

In any case, my interest in using marijuana did not last. It may have been “fun” to experience the high, but I never really liked the feelings of paranoia and being out of touch with reality that went with it. That was the THC kicking in. (THC discussed in previous paragraph) I just decided it wasn’t for me. Yet, I do recall many years ago, a friend of our family was battling cancer and suffering the ill effects of chemotherapy. They knew that I could get some marijuana for them to help their friend.  Even back then, they knew that marijuana could help certain medical conditions. So moving forward, it is no wonder that so many people are starting to discover uses for this age old remedy. I would consider the use of Hemp for certain things; still weighing the options.

States are beginning to monitor and legislate both the use of hemp and marijuana.

It is hard to keep up with an updated count on all the legislative activity on this matter. Many have predicted that 2019 will continue to be a year of legislative reform throughout the country on both the recreational and medicinal use of cannabis. 
 Yet, whenever we decide to be for or against the legalization of a product, it is best to have a full understanding of the differences in the product and the impact they make. If you don’t understand the difference between hemp and marijuana then things get a little hazy. (pun intended)
So Cannabis is a product that is certainly in the limelight and will remain in discussions for both recreational and medicinal purposes. So before you judge, or light up a joint, be an informed consumer. JES

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The Third Wave

image from Feminist Disney, Tumblr.com
"You've come a long way Baby"...Remember that commercial for Virginia Slims? We don't want to smoke those fat cigarettes men smoke. In a twisted way, it was on the brink of being a feminist rally cry when the jingle was sung: "You've Come a Long Way Baby...to get where you've got to today." The commercials (circa 1967) even discussed women's suffrage and how far we've come. We even earned the right to die of lung cancer and heart disease. Golly, just great. Not sure why I lead with that...but it was a cultural oddity that came to the surface at the beginnings of a cultural Feminist revolution. Getting fancy, feminine cigarettes was just the tip of the iceberg.

As Feminists, we need to realize that to level the playing field, so-called "feminist issues" are not just about women, but affect both men and women. Men need to be involved as well because after all...the men we share our lives with have a vested interest in our well being and life style.

My interest in this was piqued by a recent news story about the state of Minnesota passing a plan to allow 6 weeks of paid paternity leave for all Minnesota state employees. This applies to the mother and/or father upon the birth or adoption of a child; maternity leave alone is a separate issue. I applaud the state of Minnesota for this progressive thinking: they have become only the fourth state in this country to provide such an employee benefit followed by California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. At this point, it only applies to Minnesota state employees, and some speculate that it may be quashed in the next legislative session. Time will tell, but I think it is a step in the right direction. It is difficult to sell everyone on that concept; from an employer's perspective and an economic standpoint...how does a company afford that? There are many unanswered questions, but I like to see societal support of both women and family rights. Some private companies like the Mayo Clinic and Target also offer the same employee benefit. That's encouraging.

Like Betty Friedan said "Men weren't really the enemy". The perception of feminism has definitely changed from when I studied Feminist Theory at the U. of I.  Many aspects of our lifestyles as women have gone from "theory" to reality, so many rights have been won but there are more steps to take.

In any case,  maternity leave policies have changed and evolved (in some ways...) from the time I gave birth. I remember when I took maternity leave, there was something about my leave that to this day still makes me cringe: calling a maternity leave a "part-time disability".  Perhaps some companies still call it that; the employee is able to get more time off when it is referred to as that. Perhaps it is just a matter of semantics, but words can have a powerful impact. It annoys me no end! A woman is bringing a new life into the world...NOT a suffering disability.  I will never forget that. But my leave had a whole different story....I never went back. That's a whole different blog for another day.

So I am a Baby Boomer and consider myself a part of "The Second Stage" of Feminism. Thank-you very much Betty Friedan...I've read that book cover to cover at least twice. The Generation X women, post baby boomers born after 1964, I understand are considered the "Third wave" feminists. It's a whole new ball game today with different struggles that women deal with both within the work force and on the home front.  Some women truly appreciate the strides that were made by the previous feminists, I like to think I do. Looking forward, it is encouraging to me to see changes like this in policy that truly help to equalize both sexes. It helps to look back, too so we can see how far we have come. Keep plugging away, but also count your blessings. #Minnesotapaternityleave #thirdwavefeminism  JES 

The Magic in Mentoring

 I really wish I had a mentor. I could use some  technical assistance and at least some moral support on my current project.  I am in the pr...