Did you know that your body makes cannabinoids? Even if you have never touched cannabis, there are naturally present compounds called endocannabinoids in your body.
Your endocannabinoid system is a central regulatory system that affects a wide range of biological processes, including appetite, pain sensation, mood, sleep, and memory.
The function of this system is to regulate homeostasis. Homeostasis is a key element in the biology of all living things, best described as the ability to achieve stability or balance in a system. It is the body’s attempt to maintain the consistent internal environment it needs to survive, constantly making adjustments as conditions change. Our ability to do this tends to decline with age, and most illnesses involve a failure to achieve homeostasis; without it, there is no chance for health or wellness.
The reason cannabis works so well at healing so many different ailments, mental and physical, is because of its ability to balance your endocannabinoid system, thus restoring homeostasis and creating a deep sense of mental and psychical well-being.
You can think of your endocannabinoid system as a series of locks all over your body. Cannabis is the key. This is particularly true with regeneratively-farmed sungrown cannabis, with a chemical profile far more diverse than indoor flower because of the full spectrum light of the sun. Sungrown flower is closer to the plant’s natural expression, and more chemically stable, meaning it aligns more closely with your endocannabinoid system and is more effective at restoring homeostasis. This is one reason why Sespe Creek has long favored regeneratively-farmed sungrown cannabis on our menu.
Many people believe all cannabis use is medicinal in some way, whether it is done for recreation or for relief. We are connected with this plant at a molecular level, a symbiotic relationship borne from millennia of co-evolution.
Cannabis is featured prominently in the world’s first written pharmacopeia, and in every one since then — It may have even been the first cultivated crop. Every major civilization has harnessed its power, whether for healing, enlightenment, or pleasure. Cannabis has been part of the human experience since the stone age; the prohibition of the past hundred years or so was an aberration, not the norm.
Whether you’re here for the medicine or for the blissful side effects, welcome. Our guide for new consumers is split into six parts:
Collaborative Author: Lindsay MaHarry is a journalist and content creator based in California, focusing on the destigmatization of cannabis, psychedelics, and other medicinal plants and fungi. Lindsay’s work has been featured in High Times, Weedmaps, Thrillist, Uproxx, Vice, Merry Jane, Gawker, and Spin Magazine. Follow her @_oystergirl_ on Instagram. For more content, subscribe to Hot Tokes with Oystergirl on Substack.