Why did 10th century Persian polymath Al-Razi suggest eating acidic fruit as a remedy for getting too high? What is the entourage effect in cannabis, and why is it so important?

Why did 10th century Persian polymath Al-Razi suggest eating acidic fruit as a remedy for getting too high? What is the entourage effect in cannabis, and why is it so important? Find out in this installment of Weed Easy, by The GrowthOp.

In ancient times, some cures for getting too high included lemons, calamus plant roots, pine nuts, and black pepper. Over time, word got around about Al-Razi’s citrus fruit remedy, and lemons actually became widely known as a cannabis antidote.

But what about lemons, or even black pepper, counteracts a too-strong toke?

According to the work of neurologist, Dr. Ethan Russo – the answer could be terpenes.

Lemons contain limonene, a terpene commonly found in cannabis, which might negate the trippy effects of too much THC. This interaction could mean that terpenes, may be able to affect, and in some cases join forces with, the other compounds in cannabis.

What is the entourage effect?

The entourage effect is what occurs when different cannabis compounds, like terpenes, THC or CBD – combine together to create an effect that is more powerful than what they’d produce on their own.

Still under debate, it could be why the effects of cannabis extracts can be two to four times greater than just THC alone.

It could even be why different cannabis strains affect us in different ways. Each strain could have a slightly different terpene profile, which in turn creates a different cocktail of effects when combined with well-known cannabis compounds.

For example, myrcene is a terpene found in cannabis and in hops, which may have sedative effects. When combined with THC, the two potentially produce the couch-lock effect many people often feel after using certain strains of cannabis.

Or take pinene, another cannabis terpene that could be effective against MRSA. MRSA is a staph bacterial infection that’s pretty resistant to antibiotics, and can lead to life-threatening septicaemia.

Two cannabinoids, CBD or cannabidiol and CBG or cannabigerol, inhibit MRSA. And according to Dr. Russo, a CBG-extract accompanied by pinene, could pack a serious punch against MRSA – since the terpene could allow these cannabinoids to permeate skin more easily.

More research is needed on the entourage effect of cannabis, but the more we find out about how cannabinoids and terpenes interact, the greater the possibilities are for using the cannabis plant at its full potential.

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