Since I don't have time to write everything I'll copy some of my relevant notes, most of which are from other works. Some are from my own, but I have to avoid writing too much from my book as I wish to publish it one day and NOT have all of SR know who I am
THC is certainly not all that gets you high but it IS a major constituent, as is CBD, CND THCV, and many of the other 530+ cannabinoids that have been discovered. Most of which have a cumulative effect, each strain being a cocktail of cannainoids and terpenes. Terpenes are not inherently psychoactive but they do have noticeable effects.
"Cannabis and The Mind
The influence that one perceives when ingesting marijuana can be such a varied things; From the soaring, serene, and surreal to the stoney, stagnant, and the somber. The bizarre contrast must have some explanation, and indeed it does!
Marijuana affects the body because its bioactive cannabinoid compounds, especially ∆9-THC and cannabidiol (CBD), bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors—tiny molecular ports encoded by our genes and expressed on the membranous surfaces of our cells. The diversity of physiological effects generated by marijuana is due to the many different cell and tissue types that express cannabinoid receptors.
Various areas of the brain and other nervous system tissues contain cannabinoid receptors called CB1. The neurological effects of marijuana depend on the particular brain areas and networks these cannabinoid-sensitive cells participate in (for example, the neuronal networks mediating short-term memory, anxiety, or compulsive behavior). The location of the receptors on the cell can alter how they operate. Most mental and perceptual effects of cannabis can be attributed to CB1 receptor activation.
A second receptor, called CB2, has been identified primarily in certain cells of the immune system. CB2 appears responsible for the ability of THC, CBD, and the terpenoid β-carophyllene to reduce inflammation and some kinds of pain, among other effects.
How do we know such things? There were early clues that a specific receptor system is involved in marijuana’s effects. To test this hypothesis experimentally, some of the cannabinoid drugs produced in the 1980’s were designed to be weakly radioactive. These “hot” drugs light up the cannabinoid receptors they bind to, allowing scientists to see which neurons in the brain are sensitive to THC.
This and other techniques have revealed that the brain is teeming with CB1 receptors, consistent with marijuana having wide-ranging influences on mental function. Some of the only regions of the brain where CB1 receptors are absent are areas controlling vital functions such as breathing. This is why cannabis poses no risk of fatal respiratory depression that can occur with overdoses of opiates and other nervous system depressants such as alcohol, and why labeling marijuana as a “deadly narcotic” is incorrect and irresponsible.
The natural physiological chemicals that drive CB1 and CB2 receptors are a family of molecules present not just in humans but all over the animal kingdom. These native molecules are called endogenous cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids, a name borrowed from the plant. Endocannabinoids (often abbreviated as eCBs) have been called the “marijuana of the brain,” although this is a deceptive metaphor; eCBs are an integral part of our physiology and appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than the cannabis plant, as indicated by their presence in so many life forms, even very simple marine organisms. It is more accurate to say that the cannabis plant evolved to produce compounds that are remarkable biochemical mimics of the eCBs.
There are presently two well-studied and readily detectable eCBs: anandamide (a name derived from ananda, the Sanskrit word for bliss) and 2-AG (short for 2-arachidonylglycerol), each is generated in cells by specific enzymes in response to activation signals. In other words, cells generate and release anandamide or 2-AG when they receive particular signals to do so.
In the brain, for example, if one neuron (electrical cell of the brain) barrages another neuron with excitatory electrical activity, the target neuron may respond by generating and releasing eCBs from its cellular membrane.
The eCBs travel “backwards” across the synaptic cleft separating the two neurons, where they find CB1 receptors waiting. Through the molecular signaling of these strategically located CB1 receptors, the release of other, more principal neurotransmitters is momentarily paused. The eCBs act as a negative feedback, to say, “Whoa! That’s enough input, now slow down!” Because eCBs travel opposite the conventional neurotransmitter pathway across synapses, they have been dubbed “retrograde messengers.”
This fascinating, groundbreaking scientific discovery has revealed how a large number of brain cells appear to work: a given neuron releases eCBs in order to continuously regulate and tune its own synaptic inputs. This process, where synaptic connections between neurons are weakened or strengthened, is referred to as synaptic plasticity, a mechanism by which learning and memory occurs at the cellular level. The feedback mechanism of eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity is important not just for computational processes (how we think and feel and learn), but as a matter of cellular survival; too much excitation is deadly to cells. Thus, an apparently major function of eCBs, and a major effect of cannabinoids from marijuana, is neuroprotection—that is, protecting brain cells from too much excitation (known as excitotoxicity), which is a serious contributor to the brain damaging effects of stroke, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders.
NEURONAL FREQUENCY & SYNCHRONY: SETTING TEMPO WITH eCBS
What we have just described is that eCBs are used by the brain to dampen patterns of neuronal electrical activity, and one of the therapeutic effects of cannabis is to mimic this property. Yet this is only half the story. The eCBs also work the opposite way, releasing the neuron to fire more freely, a process called disinhibition.
This is another way that eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity appears to be adaptive for healthy brain function, though its ef fects vary based on the area of the brain. In a brain area called the amygdala, eCBs purge the memory of fearful experiences, helping an individual move past emotional trauma. This action helps explain the apparent utility of cannabinoids (including herbal cannabis) as a treatment for some cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Large-scale population studies have failed to find any link between cannabis smoking and lung cancer or other respiratory ailments. By contrast, in the area called the hippocampus, tightly controlled eCB signaling allows cells to fire in coordinated synchrony, setting up the brain rhythms that are important for orienting oneself in physical space. Marijuana is thought to interrupt spatial memory by simultaneously flooding all the cells in this rhythmic engine with THC…um, where did I put that pen that was just in my hand? Similarly, the so-called somatic symptoms of a marijuana high—feelings such as floating, sinking into your seat, or altered balance, are likely due to the THC-sensitive circuitry of yet another brain region, the cerebellum.
To summarize, eCBs can either inhibit neuronal activity by slowing down excitatory synapses onto that neuron, or they can disinhibit (excite) neuronal activity by slowing down inhibitory synapses. Both of these are physiological actions that contribute to normal brain function. The fact that CB1 receptors can orchestrate the tempo of brain cells in either direction—faster or slower—surely helps to explain how cannabis can have such wide ranging, even opposite, perceived effects in different individuals and circumstances.
The story of eCBs is not just about the brain, though. Important therapeutic properties of cannabinoids are mediated by the CB2 receptors on immune cells. Immune cells promote inflammation during the course of fighting an infection, an important adaptive property; however this action also can be a source of pain, tissue damage, and an obstacle to healing and well-being. Activation of CB2 receptors throughout the body (including the brain, where immune cells are called microglia), either by eCBs or the cannabinoids in marijuana, tells the immune cells to slow down releasing the chemicals that trigger inflammation.
This effect is directly analogous to what we described for the brain, where eCBs serve as a brake to the release of neurotransmitters. Clinically, the need to control swelling, itching, and pain is the reason why corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are such widely used medicines.
Cannabinoids offer a different molecular approach to these same problems. Recent research findings suggest that cannabinoids may be especially promising in reducing dangers of chronic inflammation in the brain, which is believed key to many serious neurodegenerative diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s dementia to Parkinson’s Disease and related motor disorders. The immune modulating effects of cannabinoids also appear to hold promise for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis. The cannabinoid system appears to be primordial, since it exists in nearly all species of animals so far investigated, even very simple ones like microscopic hydra.
To date, the results of 79 controlled clinical trials on humans have been published, along with more than 15,000 peer-reviewed scientific articles on the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabis and cannabinoids, as well as more than 2,000 articles on the body’s natural endocannabinoids. These studies clearly show that the effects can be variable and difficult to predict with precision, but marijuana provides therapeutic benefits across a startlingly broad range of conditions and has an unparalleled record of safety.
Methods of Administration
How THC operates in our bodies is better understood with each new study. But marijuana is composed of over 400 compounds, including at least 88 cannabinoids other than THC.
Cannabis is used by inhalation (smoking or vaporization), ingestion (eating, drinking, or absorption through the mucus membranes of the mouth) or, more rarely, topical application (rubbing into the skin).
Inhalation is a considerably more rapid and efficient delivery method than ingestion, since the cannabinoids, terpenes and other chemicals pass readily across the lining of the lungs straight into the bloodstream. The effects and quality of the high are also somewhat different.
Vaporization (or ingestion) is safer for the respiratory tract than smoking and creates a far less telltale odor. Burning cannabis (or just about anything else for that matter) creates harmful chemicals, known as reactive oxygen species, that may damage the mouth, throat, and lungs. However, heating cannabis in a controlled manner to a temperature just below ignition of the plant material releases the lighter chemicals (including the cannabinoids) without actually burning anything or creating the reactive chemicals found in smoke.
Vaporization may also provide a different quality of high, since it may produce a different mixture of volatilized compounds. Interestingly, though prolonged smoking has been shown to damage lungs and bronchial tubes, large-scale population studies have failed to find any link between cannabis smoking and lung cancer or other respiratory ailments.
Since the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol (CBD) have both been shown to have cancer-fighting properties, scientists speculate that cannabinoids may have a prophylactic effect against damage that the tars and other potentially harmful chemicals present in cannabis smoke would otherwise cause.
As rapid as the onset of effects is when cannabis is inhaled, it is slow when eaten. When cannabis products are ingested, the cannabinoids pass first through the stomach then are absorbed across the lining of the intestines into the blood, which passes through the liver and changes most of the THC into 11-hydroxy-THC. While 11-hydroxy-THC is also psychoactive, it creates a different kind of high. Because absorption from the intestines is relatively inefficient and slow, larger doses must be taken if ingested rather than inhaled, and the effects last longer but are delayed for 30-90 minutes after ingestion. This delay can lead to inadvertent excess dosages, since you can’t tell how much you have on board, unlike inhalation, which allows for easy and immediate dosage adjustment."
That should explain part of why experience is subjective, but common factors can be found. Next, as far as Vaporizing creating more CBN here are some interesting stats -
THC has a boiling point of 200 C (392 F). However before the THC boils, other parts of the oil/trichome evaporate and boil.
Here are some important temperatures: At 21 C (70 F) the most volatile terpenoids start to evaporate, lending a pungent odor to the air.
At 31 C (87 F) the less volatile terpenoids start to evaporate, lending the air even more pungent odors.
At 39 C (102 F ) vir tually all of the terpenoids undergo evaporation fairly rapidly.
At 50 C (122 F) THC-Acid decarboxylates as the water molecule held in the carbonate form evaporates. This activates the THC.
At 66 C (150 F) Cannabidiol (CBD) melts and starts to evaporate.
At 185 C (365 F) Cannibinol (CBN) boils.
At 200 C (392 F) THC boils. Clear vapor from a vaporizer.
That was grabbed from Ask Ed, a relatively good source for scientifically accurate info.
A bit of scientific info on arthritis and cannabinoids:
http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/2/R43
Another article worth reading, about breast cancer and CBD
http://norml.org/news/2011/10/19/cannabinoid-completely-prevents-chemotherapy-induced-neuropathy-study-says
In this patients were given pure CBD, which on it's own is non-psychoactive.
When I have a chance I'll go find the rest of my info on the different cannabinoids, their medical use, terpenes, their medical use, and lastly different genetics the average found and the different flux's the come with different ways of growing.
When I can get back to growing I'll get back to making medical cannabis product for you all. I document cannbinoid ratio, when I can of course.
Peace,
DigitalAlch
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