“Love is the virtue that makes all of the rules purposeful”.  This sermon note explains why keeping love in our reasoning makes following rules easier.  Compassion is your best compass, and remember to consider others with love.   Medical cannabis laws keep improving access so more people can love their medicine as stigma fades.  NORML recently published a study that found no impairment to cardiovascular health from using cannabis long term.  Acute THC use via inhalation (smoking or vaping) may cause a faster heart rate and lower blood pressure temporarily, so always be cautious in your set and setting.

February is heart health month in medicine, and the new question is 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 users.  Western diet, lifestyle, and stress causes high blood pressure, which 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 RX and limit their side effects.

Another study showed that cannabinoids may be cardioprotective in acute injury to the heart – such as in trauma or in a heart attack. CBD given to rats prior to an infarct reduced the size of the injured area as well as the arrhythmias.  CBD onboard may limit the damage if a heart attack was to occur in people, but we haven’t proved that yet.  Can you imagine CBD as a preventive medicine someday?

With or without CBD, you can control your blood pressure and lower your cholesterol with diet and exercise. Don’t smoke tobacco and don’t drink much.  When it comes to managing stress, cannabis is loved around the world for helping people calm down and breathe.  THC can disengage the monkey mind and CBD can open the blood vessels giving you a wonderful 2 for 1 relaxation approach.

Our new Self-paced Patient Educational Healing Programs are an ideal gift of love if you know of someone struggling with cancer, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s.  They include a 60+ minute recorded presentation with all of the slides and references, a guidebook to apply learning principles, videos on holistic health, and a forum to journey with others.  Consider gifting one today.

For those of your curious about a cannabis career – please check out our updated Professional Programs that compare our courses for healthcare professionals, CBD/Cannabis Industry Insiders, and licensing options. Holistic Caring offers comprehensive training, toolkits, and mentoring support to grow your practice.

February is our 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.

Please let us know if we can be of assistance to you or anyone you love.

In health and with love, Elisabeth Mack and the Holistic Caring Team