THIS QUARANTINE brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has created resurgence in the interest of gardening and plants in particular, so much so that we now have online sale and barter of all kinds of plants.

Moi is not into it but if I were I’d probably be more into the edible kind, you know, vegetables. Include also the medicinal ones and certainly not the ornamental kind.

So while we’re into plants let’s talk about probably the most misunderstood one in the world. It has been vilified and criminalized not because of scientific and medical research resulting into conclusive empirical data but because of racism, politics, ignorance, greed, and stupidity.

We are, of course, talking about cannabis sativa, or more popularly known as marijuana a.k.a. weed. And yes, contrary to popular and stupid belief, it is a plant like your alugbate or talong and not a drug.

It is still illegal here in the Philippines since 1972 by virtue of Republic Act No. 6425, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972which is a misnomer because it is a plant and not a drug.

There is currently in Congress waiting for approval House Bill 180 or the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act. But considering the hypocrisy and stupidity amongst politicians in this country, I say good luck in having this bill passed.

Marijuana is now legal in most First World countries i.e. Canada, United States, Spain, Netherlands, Australia to name a few. It is expected, of course, as these countries are more sophisticated and not perverted by stupidity.

Just recently marijuana is now legal in Thailand.

Here, tobacco is legal while marijuana is not, which is ironic considering these facts (according to www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/:

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including nearly 42,000 deaths resulting from second-hand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

And herb.co says:

How many people have died overdosing on marijuana? The short answer is Zero.

Unsurprisingly to marijuana lovers around the world, there has yet to be a single reported death linked to cannabis overdose. In fact, you would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times your average dose in order for marijuana to kill you. That would be about 1,500 pounds of marijuana in 15 minutes.

That’s not to say that taking 40,000 hits is the sole way to risk death while under the influence of marijuana. Smoking 800 joints in one sitting would put you at risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. But that isn’t exactly the plant’s fault, is it?

According to www.njweedman.com:

“Marijuana is not addictive. Most users are moderate consumers who only smoke it socially occasionally to relax. On a relative scale, marijuana is less habit-forming than either sugar or chocolate.

“Marijuana does not cause violence. The only crime most marijuana users commit is using marijuana. The US Shafer Commission report was the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject. It found that marijuana smokers ‘tend to be under represented’ in violence and in crime, especially when compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates. ‘The simple fact is that marijuana does not change your basic personality.’

In the race to develop a vaccine or treatment against COVID-19 a recent finding shows that marijuana could very well be the one.

Excerpts from an Aug. 6, 2020 article on www.healtheuropa.eu:

Successful initial results using cannabis terpenes to treat COVID-19

A study to test the efficacy of a unique cannabis terpene formulation for the treatment of viral infections, including COVID-19, has shown early promising results.

The Israeli in vivo study, carried out by Eybna and CannaSoul, is examining the efficacy of the unique cannabis terpene formulation – NT-VRL – in treating a diverse range of inflammatory conditions, including the life-threatening cytokine storm syndrome caused by COVID-19.

The early results from the study show that the terpene formulation combined with CBD is twice as effective as CBD alone, and a common corticosteroids treatment for inflammation, Dexamethasone.

The developers of the formulation say the results show that terpenes play an important medical role and are not just for flavor and fragrance.

Successful results treating inflammation

Cytokine storms impact cell communication and can both promote and deter inflammation – when released in large amounts they can cause multisystem organ failure. Recent studies have provided evidence that CBD may reduce cytokine storm and inflammation in COVID-19.

Not bad for a vilified, criminalized and misunderstood plant./PN