By Jayna Grant
Our community has always been one of humanities greatest assets. Working together has proven enormously beneficial and advantageous for us throughout history. Today, scientists have even coined anthropomorphic terms like “entourage effect” to illustrate how acting together can be more powerful than acting alone. During this coronavirus pandemic we are all being asked to help one another by elevating our awareness and being extra conscious of our actions so we can protect ourselves and those around us.
The cannabis community is already well-known for its immense compassion, empathy and support for those who suffer from immune deficiencies and chronic illnesses, making it a valuable resource, especially in times like these. Medical cannabis is being used to help alleviate some symptoms of a wide range of conditions that either compromise a person’s immune system or require them to take a medication that interferes with it. Some of these conditions include but aren’t limited to; HIV and AIDS, lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, certain cancers like lymphoma and leukemia, epilepsy and type 1 diabetes.
The things we are currently being told to emphasize like constant hand washing, disinfecting surfaces and wearing face masks, are often already routine parts of life for many immunocompromised people. A healthy immune system enables a person to defend against and recover from most viruses/infections but if the system is compromised, that heightens the risk of contracting one of these pathogens and diminishes the ability to ultimately fight them off and get better. People’s immune systems can become compromised due disease, treatment or medication. A primary immunodeficiency disease is caused by inherited genetic abnormalities and a secondary immunodeficiency disease is caused by external environmental factors. With diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system is over-active and the medications used to treat the disease, actually suppress normal immune response. Alternatively, individuals undergoing chemotherapy are considered immunocompromised because the chemo treatment can reduce a person’s white blood cell count, an essential part of the immune system.
Cannabis has been found to increase appetite, reduce pain and inflammation and is being studied for several other immune boosting properties. The cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids found within the cannabis plant are responsible for these effects. THCa, myrcene, b-caryophyllene (BCP) are currently being studied for their anti-inflammatory potential (1,3,4,5) which is vital to immune system health. There are multiple promising medicinal applications for these compounds and as the negative stigma associated with cannabis is repeatedly proven incorrect and legalization becomes the norm, the more scientific research can be done. The legality of the non-psychoactive compound CBD allows it to be studied openly and it has been proven to be effective at reducing seizures(6) as well as anxiety(2). Studies show that chronic stress can suppress the immune system(7) so it is very important to manage life’s stresses in a healthy way and to remember to take time for yourself to relax and unwind.
Our hard-working staff here at ACS takes extreme pride in the constant commitment to thorough sanitation and safety procedures. In order to continue providing all of our patients with safe access to their medicine and to protect our wonderful staff, ACS has adopted additional measures in compliance with the CDC’s recommendations for safe practices. All staff is continually vigilant, wearing gloves, masks and changing them out when working in close quarters with each other or with patients. All patients are being asked to use Leafly to pre-order and are encouraged to use CanPay to save time and make the in-person transaction significantly more efficient. When a patient arrives to pick up their order, they must form a line outside to be let into the building. There are blue lines marking allotted spaces so patients may maintain proper social distance and an ACS agent is posted outside the door to assist patients and answer any questions. To minimize contamination risk, patients are currently being dispensed one-at-a-time in our partitioned security vestibule and our diligent PFAs (Production Facility Agents) are routinely disinfecting the vestibule area between patients. If your order is over $100, consider ACS’s Home Delivery program; a simple and safe way to get your cannabis medicine without leaving the house. Just go to our website, sign up and send us an email with your order!
Taking care of each other is the key to our ultimate success. The cannabis community is built around supporting and caring for one another and because of this we are able to continue our mission of providing safe access to high quality cannabis medicine.
Blog contribution by Jayna Grant
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