Cannabis Therapeutic Potential Hinges on Personalized Dosing and ECS Interaction

Key Quotes

"The endocannabinoid system -- and how it works in the body. The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous, meaning inside our body, system that produces cannabinoids. These cannabinoids act on our cannabinoid receptors in our body and then they cause a ton of different things to happen. Some of the best known reasons that the endocannabinoid system is occurring in our body is to help us regulate things like sleep, like appetite, like mood."

Dr. Riley Kirk explains that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a natural bodily system that produces cannabinoids. These compounds interact with receptors in the body to regulate essential functions such as sleep, appetite, and mood. Dr. Kirk emphasizes that everyone possesses this system, regardless of cannabis use, and its primary role is to maintain internal balance.

"THC gets you high. That is the compound that gets you high and that is really what dominates the legal cannabis industry is THC products that are going to be used for either medicine or for adult use purposes, recreational purposes. Then you have CBD. CBD does not get you high, but it has a ton of medicinal potential."

Dr. Riley Kirk differentiates between THC and CBD, two primary compounds in cannabis. She clarifies that THC is the psychoactive component responsible for the "high" and is the focus of much of the legal industry. In contrast, CBD is non-psychoactive but possesses significant medicinal properties, such as anxiety reduction and anti-inflammatory effects.

"The term marijuana like I use it because a lot of people that's how they refer to THC dominant cannabis, but that term I know a lot of people have problems with because it's rooted in a lot of racism. That's how we got to marijuana the term because it was essentially used to target Mexican Americans."

Dr. Riley Kirk addresses the historical context and problematic origins of the term "marijuana." She explains that the term was deliberately used in propaganda campaigns to associate cannabis use with Mexican Americans, contributing to its criminalization and stigmatization. Dr. Kirk suggests using "cannabis" as a more neutral and accurate term.

"The difference is -- if we were to go way back in time to when cannabis was first being cultivated, your sativa type varieties were your really tall varieties that had very stringy leaves kind of. And they were grown in different places. Then your indica type varieties, which were short and stout and had really fat leaves. And they're both kind of known for producing different effects in people."

Dr. Riley Kirk describes the historical distinction between sativa and indica cannabis varieties. She notes that sativa types were typically tall with stringy leaves, while indica types were short and stout with broad leaves. These classifications were historically associated with different effects, with sativas often linked to uplifting and energetic experiences, and indicas to more mellow, relaxing effects.

"The data that we know about THC and driving is that people who are naive to cannabis, new users, it is not safe to drive. It messes up their hand eye coordination, their motor control quite substantially. However, people who have a tolerance to cannabis, people who have been consuming for a long time, there was really statistically not a danger to the road."

Dr. Riley Kirk discusses the impact of THC consumption on driving ability. She states that new users, or those naive to cannabis, experience significant impairment in hand-eye coordination and motor control, making driving unsafe. However, individuals with a developed tolerance to THC show statistically no increased danger when driving, suggesting their bodies have adapted to its effects.

"The biggest concern with the younger generation is I don't know what to expect when people are consuming vape carts this young, whereas if they're consuming really really low dose cannabis products like what we consumed, you're going to get high but it's not going to be like you're overwhelming your brain with THC."

Dr. Riley Kirk expresses concern regarding the risks of cannabis use among adolescents, particularly with modern high-THC vape cartridges. She contrasts this with the lower-THC products available when she and the interviewer were younger, suggesting that current high-potency products may overwhelm a developing brain more significantly. Dr. Kirk highlights the ease of discreet use with vape carts as another factor contributing to this concern.