A basic principle when thinking about cancer treatment and prevention is that all cancers are different in how they respond to holistic, plant-based and pharmaceutical treatments. Some of this is a function of different mechanisms within cancer cells and some of it is due to the lack of well-controlled (and federally funded) human studies – leaving a number of unknowns on how we can prevent and treat certain cancers.

There are approximately 113 different cannabinoids that have been isolated from cannabis, and those that have been studied exhibit a variety of effects. In the marketplace, we have access to about six: THC, CBD, THCa, CBDa, CBN, and CBG.

The cannabis plant has documented medicinal uses dating back thousands of years across many cultures. A key component to its efficacy as a healing agent is that cannabis is a medicinal plant which just happens to play a very unique role in our bodies.

As the cannabis industry explodes, so does our understanding of the plant’s medicinal wonders. While this is liberating and exciting, it’s also filled with ambiguity, confusion, and misconceptions.

The more we learn about the science behind cannabis the more sophisticated it becomes. If you have recently become interested in cannabis, it can be overwhelming trying to learn all the strains and different cannabinoids. We recommend relating cannabis to something you might be familiar with – wine.

Each month we ask Nurse Practitioner Eloise Theisen a few of your burning questions. Have questions you’d like answered? Email them to questions@getsava.com.

As we continue to study the healing properties of the plant, we continue to learn about new cannabinoids and what they do. THCV, or tetrahydrocannabivarin, is the latest focus of the medical world due to its health benefits.

The more we find out about the chemistry and botany of the plant genus Cannabis, the more it is revealed that its medicinal properties are just as therapeutic and lifesaving as all the hype has been promising.