“Love is the virtue that makes all of the rules purposeful”.
Cannabis, CBD, and Heart Health
This sermon note reminds us that without love, there’s no purpose in anything, but with love, there’s a reason for everything. Self-love and compassion lead to healthier relationships, all of them. Loving yourself leads to a healthier body-mind-spirit balance because you’ll put a higher value on doing the things that make you feel great.
February is heart health month, and many question whether or not cannabis can be protective of our cardiovascular system. Cannabis and heart health is new territory, but early research shows higher HDL (good) and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in long term cannabis users. The Western diet, lifestyle issues, and stress cause high blood pressure, which then causes atherosclerosis or thickening of the arteries with inflammatory compounds. Activating CB2 with phytocannabinoids reduces this buildup by cooling the inflammation. Long-term CBD dosing in many of my clients has brought down blood pressure and improved metabolic panels, allowing some to reduce other RX and to limit side effects.
Another study showed that cannabinoids may be cardioprotective against cardiac arrhythmias, or times where the heart beats too fast, too slowly, or with an irregular pattern. Arrhythmias can be brought on by long-term stress, as high cortisol levels can raise blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides, and other risk factors for heart disease in general. CBD’s anti-anxiety properties can help combat stress, lower cortisol, and may protect against arrhythmias related to those causes.
With or without CBD, your endocannabinoid system is working to reduce stress. You can control your blood pressure and lower your cholesterol with lifestyle efforts, namely diet and exercise. Don’t smoke tobacco and don’t drink too much alcohol. Cannabis is loved around the world for helping people relax and breathe. THC can disengage the monkey mind, and CBD can open the blood vessels giving you a one-two relaxation approach. Be cautious when using THC, as too much can trigger anxiety, cause dizziness, raise heart rate, and create irregular beats. Consult with your doctor or cannabis nurse before consuming if you have pre-existing issues.
Grow Your Cannabis Career
For those of you curious about a cannabis career – please check out our updated Professional Programs and compare all of our online educational courses for healthcare professionals, CBD/Cannabis Industry Insiders, and the general public. Holistic Caring Programs offer self-paced comprehensive training, toolkits, and mentoring support to grow your practice. Registered Nurses earn up to 30 CEUs!
February is a month of love, so be kind and gentle to yourself and others! Improve your health, and help others do the same. Become educated about all the options on the table, learning cannabis medicine and holistic ways to heal, and then share our programs and services with someone you love!
Recent Research: Cannabis Stigma and Anesthesia
We LOVE sharing good news and our past podcast guest Dr. Daniel D. King, DNP presented on Cannabis & Anesthesia, and how Stigma plays a huge part in the hospital. He kindly acknowledged Holistic Caring for sharing his surveys among our audience. Check it out his publication here: “The role of stigma in cannabis use disclosure: an exploratory study”
Please let us know if we can be of assistance to you or anyone you love.
In health and with love, Elisabeth & Sherri Mack and the Holistic Caring Team
