​At the end of March 2019, CVS and Walgreens decided to carry cannabidiol (CBD) products in select stores. The announcement rose cannabis’s credibility by filling shelf space on some of the largest, US pharmaceutical chains. With a growing shift towards cannabis acceptance in the US and globally, it makes sense for pharmaceutical company to adapt. One survey with over 2,000 respondents showed around 40% of US adults 21 and older are willing to try CBD “under the right conditions”. But there is still a lot of confusion as to what CBD is and how it effects our body. This week’s discussion will center around why a store like CVS and Walgreens would carry CBD items. 

​CBD is a natural alternative to a variety of medication because of the way it interacts with our body. CBD is similar to THC as they provide therapeutic benefits; however, CBD differs since it binds to receptors outside of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). They take many pathways to reach their destination. There are over 65 molecular targets for CBD. Here’s a link to a previous discussion where we brought up the ECS. If you want to go more in depth, search up how a receptor interacts with CBD. Serotonin receptors and vanilloid receptors are a good start. Once CBD binds to a receptor, it has the ability to strengthen or hold the receptor’s message; thereby regulating activity. While CBD doesn’t bind to ECS receptors (CB1 & CB2), it does reduce CB1’s ability to bind with THC. 

​Last year, a panel of US Food and Drug Administration advisors recommended the approval of Epidiolex (CDB medication) for the treatment of two rare forms of childhood epilepsy. While CBD has evident therapeutic effects for epilepsy, the research is lacking for other medical benefits. This is not to say CBD doesn’t work, it merely shows the war on drugs restricted the ability to conduct research and clinical trials on the schedule 1 drug. Studies that try to prove CBDs medical benefits on other conditions aren’t as clear. Most studies are conducted on animals, with very few on humans. Now, more than ever, research is being done to prove the health benefits cannabis can offer. More evidence shows CBD can help with anxiety, pain, sleep Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, nausea, appetite, cancer, etc. 

Even with the growing number of evidence, the survey quoted earlier found seven out of 10 CBD users used a form of THC in the last three months. That’s why our menu contains pure CBD items like the CBD Protabs, as well as CBD and THC ratio items with the CBD Wellness Drops (1:1) and High CBD Wellness Drops (18:1) from Lightly Lifted. Our menu is everchanging, so new items may pop up at any time.

​We hope you were able to learn something new. Be sure to share what you found about CBD and receptors, along with anything else you’d like to share/talk about to peter@bentodelivery.com or by commenting below. We enjoy the conversations we have with our Bento Family, thank you for being part of our 10th weekly discussion!

​State legalization has brought up debates as to whether cannabis use is healthy. We started Bento Delivery during the prop 215 days. Helping medical patients live a better life was and still is a core value of ours. I say was because we’ve expanded to include the recreational market. This allows us to positively impact more peoples’ lives and create a meaningful community within the Bay Area. Since the legal cannabis industry is relatively new, education is more important than ever to understand what works best for you. Our Bento Family is diverse and spans across many communities. To address issues most relevant to you, emailing us at peter@bentodelivery.com is extremely helpful for us to know what type of information is best to discuss. Many Bento Family members raised concerns about psychosis. This week’s discussion will focus on what psychosis is, how cannabis use is linked to psychotic episodes, and how to reduce your chances of experiencing psychosis. 

Psychosis is a mental health issue that affects the mind. A psychotic episode can alter one’s reality by perceiving things that aren’t there. The best way to describe it is the feeling of paranoia after smoking a strong sativa. Although a psychotic episode would last longer and be accompanied by other symptoms. Symptoms can include jumbled or nonsensical speech, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and an overall difficulty to function normally. 

​According to a study conducted by The British Journal of Psychiatry, psychosis could be brought on by daily, habitual use of high delta-9 THC products. Delta-9 THC is the main active cannabinoid in cannabis, which produces the psychoactive effects. Consuming large levels of highly potent cannabis over a sustained period of time may increase your chances of experiencing a psychotic episode. Chances could be higher if there is a family history of psychosis. Likewise if one consumed before their prefrontal cortex was fully developed. 

Simply put, the opposite of what the journal wrote. Using lower delta-9 THC products in an infrequent manner. For many suffering from one or several illnesses that cannabis use helps, a tolerance break isn’t possible, research shows CBD has antipsychotic properties.

Most studies presented during this article point to high THC products. Based on my anecdotal research, sativa strains bring out/heighten expressions of paranoia or other symptoms one may be experiencing; especially the high THC strains. I personally enjoy indica dominate hybrids because they bring me long-lasting effects without paranoia entering the fold. Although, I understand everyone and their endocannabinoid system is different. That is why we favor experimentation to understand what works best for you.  
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Our menu offers several CBD only, moderate delta-9 THC, and ratio’d CBD to THC products. We take the health of our community seriously and strive to provide a quality experience each and every time. Please let us know if this information was helpful by emailing us at peter@bentodelivery.com or by commenting below. If you have any other thoughts, such as what works best for you, we’d love to hear from you and further the conversation.  

​Since our discussion on health issues and THC vapes, many within the Bento Family have asked for updates. Two major news stories we would like to discuss is on the Center of Disease Control’s (CDC) adjusted stance of THC vape cartridges and the results from a test conducted on 18 THC vape cartridges in the California market. 

​The CDC issued a press release at the end of September explaining how unregulated THC cartridges may be the common factor. Of the 514 patients suffering from vape related illnesses, around 77% used THC products with or without nicotine based products. Since the study, there have been 805 confirmed lung related injuries from 46 states.

​Cannabis is either legal, illegal or allow for some medical use in these states. Cases stemming from a fully legal state like Illinois and a completely illegal state such as Wisconsin note virtually all THC vape products were purchased from “informal sources such as friends, family members, illicit dealers, or off the street.” Products bought off the street can be extremely dangerous due to their unregulated and untested nature. 

NBC News conducted a test on 18 THC cartridges from legal and illegal dispensaries in California. 13 samples came back testing positive for Vitamin E (click this link for a more in-depth look into Vitamin E and how it affects your body), and 10 contain myclobutanil. Myclobutanil is a fungicide, that turns into hydrogen cyanide when ignited. All of these samples were purchased from the black market.
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Three cartridges were purchased from legal shops and they came back negative for heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents. The three brands are Select, Orchid Essentials, and Tikun. 

​We, at Bento, pride ourselves in providing our customers with high quality, tested, and safe products. We do not sell products that have not been tested by laboratories. The tests conducted look for similar things such as heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, etc. As the test shows, Select does not contain any of the harmful ingredients that black market cartridges have. Because we want our Bento Family to consume safely and affordably, a $119 for 3 full gram Select cartridge deal will go live on our menu. If you have any questions please feel free to comment below or email peter@bentodelivery.com to further the conversation.