In a recent episode of Hybrid Cosmic Queries, a segment of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s podcast StarTalk Sports Edition, he answered these and many other cannabis-related queries. Staci Gruber, head of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core and the Cannabis Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery at Harvard University, was interviewed by an astrophysicist, novelist, and planetary scientist (MIND). Gruber, an associate professor of psychiatry, is well known for using neurocognitive, clinical, and diagnostic evaluations to study the effects of marijuana on the brain. Gruber was presented by DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Natural History Museum’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City, as the “pot doc.”
Numerous insights into cannabis research were offered by Gruber, including the significance of understanding the differences between THC and CBD and how these substances impact our bodies and minds. Recent findings from research on rats showed that giving CBD before head traumas assisted with faster healing and a reduced degree of severity, which was one significant finding. Maybe we could use this as a prophylactic measure for our children.
Cannabis’s Various Effects: Is It Safe For Everyone?
It is well known that various people react differently to cannabis use. From happiness and a decrease in anxiety or despair to the complete opposite; in very rare instances, it can even set off panic episodes. How is it possible for a same plant to have such profoundly various effects on people?
Is it as a result of the intricate chemicals that make up its chemical composition but have only recently received adequate research?
Gruber pointed out that CBD is only one chemical and that some people should not consume even trace amounts of THC.
It’s not simply your genetic susceptibility to conditions like, instance, psychosis in your family, in which case we might not want to use a lot of THC. In terms of how well, effectively, and efficiently we absorb these things, we also have our genetic profile.
Additionally, one must take into account any additional substances they may be ingesting, according to Gruber. The hundreds of non-cannabinoid compounds and dozens of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant have an impact on how our liver processes medications. Depending on the other substances you consume, CBD can be both extremely beneficial and potentially hazardous.
Gruber said numerous studies have shown CBD is a potent antipsychotic drug, despite the fact that researchers are still debating whether marijuana-induced psychosis is transient or if there is a more profound relationship at work.
Do Any Other Plants Have the Potential to Make You High?
DeGrasse Tyson’s final thought was intriguing, as usual.
“How many plants out there stay unknown simply because we don’t have enough people sitting down and saying, “Hey let’s smoke that. Hey let’s smoke this,” if you’re getting this kind of a career trajectory off of some chemicals in a weed?”
Gruber concurred. “Yeah, I think botanicals have a ton of potential, and I think we can see it in some other areas as well. These days, we hear about it most often in the context of hallucinogenic substances like ayahuasca or other natural substances like mushrooms. Regarding therapeutic application, there is a lot of attention. For what it’s worth, you should be aware that there have been medical cannabis documentaries since at least 2700 BC.
