Marijuana at the Spa

Marijuana has been used for centuries as a lifestyle drug. Just like coffee or more specifically caffeine to boost our energy, alcohol to loosen us up, and tobacco to distress. Other examples are things like Viagra and pain killers. These are called lifestyle drugs, drugs we use to enhance our lives. Marijuana is now gaining acceptance as one of these drugs, everyday drugs that we use like caffeine to simply enhance our lives. The advantage here though with Marijuana is that it is safer. Caffeine can cause crashes, dependencies, and adrenal fatigue. Tobacco kills, and alcohol takes lives by thousands each year. Marijuana, on the other hand, is the leaf that is floating around on the other side that has much less attention given to it. It’s one of those drugs that no one pays attention to or takes seriously enough to include it in their everyday lives. It has not yet gone mainstream, until sort of now.

The percentage of young American adults using marijuana has more than doubled since 2013. The number one reason according to a survey done by Yahoo News was to relax, relieve pain, have fun and to help them be more social. A poll was done by Pew Research as recent as this past year has shown that 62% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana. When it comes to political party affiliation, there’s a wide gap of 69 % democrats to 45 % republicans. This wide separation was further noticed when they looked at religious affiliation. White mainline protestants, white evangelical protestants, and Catholics vs unaffiliated groups showed a divided margin as far as 20%. Republicans, who among many of them are Christians, follow a belief system that disdains marijuana use because it’s associated with, basically the devil. Okay, not literally the devil, but it’s seen as a negative behavior that can lead you down a dark path in life. But many Christians still smoke and drink alcohol.

How do we make sense of all of this? Scientifically marijuana has far less physical side effects than other lifestyle drugs, yet millions of people stay far away as possible from cannabis while choosing to drink or smoke tobacco instead despite its numerous side effects. Well, it comes down this. Historically, tobacco and alcohol were far better marketed than the small herbal plant. Massive million dollar campaigns ran for decades in the 1900 hundreds. These were addictive drugs. They knew this and decided to exploit this. Marijuana, on the other hand, isn’t as addictive. It also has healing properties, which means less money. More problems equal more money for many industries.

The good news is, this is slowly declining. We are not at the mercy of the select few richest companies running billboard ads and on T.V and radio. The internet is here and the ray of light coming from information is purifying. People are smoking much less now and statistics prove this. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the percentage of American adult smokers dropped from 20.9% to 16.8 percent in 2014. The number has further gone down since then. Another 2018 study by the CDC and Prevention showed the number of Americans smoking is at an all-time low. People have known for years that smoking tobacco bad for you. What has changed over the years? The marketing exposure that people have. Alternative health trends now exist everywhere, and more often than not they are based on actual information rather than corporate lies.

The side effects of marijuana are minimal. They have proven health benefits. And of course, people everywhere are smoking the plant. With all this now coming to light with the help of the internet, it is enough for it to go mainstream. As marijuana becomes legal in other parts of the world, including western countries like Canada, new benefits and intriguing usages of it are emerging.

Let's quickly recap how marijuana can actually improve your health. First and foremost it helps you relax. This is the obvious benefit you experience when you smoke it. The type of relaxation you feel is not only mental but is physical. Really where all the magic comes from is the Endocannabinoid system, the system that regulates anxiety and stress levels. Yes, it even has the name cannabinoid, which makes you wonder if we were actually truly meant to take cannabis. The science behind marijuana managing stress levels is quite vast. It's also why medical marijuana is a thing because it is so effective in treating stress and anxiety in patients. It has been quite successful in the past with patients with PTSD. Other benefits include treating depression, insomnia, epilepsy, glaucoma, arthritis and much more. Essentially cannabis is a health tonic. It can heal your body from head to toe. And it's green, a sign of vitality.

Given its known health benefits, it is no surprise that it is becoming legal in countries all around the world. Countries such as Denmark, Croatia, Canada, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, all have legalized the use of cannabis. Many of these countries have started selling them in stores and using them in wellness centers, and in spas to enhance the experience. Here is what one spa director had to say regarding the use of cannabis at her location in California, where it is also legal.

"Cannabis has so many dimensions. It is a natural medicine. It is an anti-depressant and mood stabilizer. It is a coveted intoxicant. It is a health and wellness miracle and a sacrament to be shared among friends. Expect high-end offerings to come in all of these forms.” - Director of Lord Jones

Lord Jones spa has many ways in which it incorporates cannabis. For example, their lotions contain 20 milligrams of THC and CBD. CBD stands for cannabidiol, a compound closely related to THC, derived from the same plant. They both have similar effects that cannabis is known to have, except CBD doesn't elicit the psychological "high" effect that you get from THC when you smoke regular cannabis. Also included in their lotions are other natural relaxing ingredients such as sage, mint and green citrus. They also use moisturizers, capsules and rubbing oils, that has cannabis included in them among other natural ingredients.

The common rundown of a cannabis spa treatment is this - get changed in a towel, ingest some CBD oil through a tincture, a relaxing full body massage with cannabis-based lotions, moisturizers or oils, and finally, an application of a cannabis-based facial mask. Yes, there are even cannabis facial cleansers that are purported to be beneficial. CBD has incredible anti-inflammatory effects, so it is no wonder that it is used in facial masks, to reduce wrinkling, remove acne, and make your face appear a lot younger.

Curious about getting a marijuana massage? Apparently, these work better than regular massages. The oils that they use in marijuana massages are mixed with THC and CBD which bind to the cannabinoid receptors on the skin, releasing de-stress chemicals. Ordinary massages cannot claim to have the same effects of binding to the cannabinoid receptors. That's certainly enticing. I got a chance to ask some people who have tried marijuana massages, and they've claimed it to be "euphoric" and "a huge pain relief." By the sound of it, it is amazing. I am sure many of you are eager to try it, I know I am.

The spar director at St Julien Hotel & Spa, in Boulder, Colorado said: “Given all the research about the benefits of CBD, we couldn’t offer these.” Colorado is where marijuana is also legal. One spa, named Tall Grass Spa is about to launch its own spa cannabis product line. In the product line, they will have grade CBD salves, soaking salts, sprays, tinctures, lip balms, bath bombs, and bottled water. Spa's are about to create the ultimate cannabis-based tranquility experience. You will be bathed and soothed into CBD and THC, activating your cannabinoid receptors to its fullest, potentially being the most relaxing thing you ever experienced.

Here is what one Canadian spa director had to say. “For massages, topical cannabis oil with CBD has no psychogenic effects but it allows the muscles to relax for a deeper message, plus there are pain-relieving, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties too.” More people worldwide view it as socially acceptable and medically important.” - Jim Corcoran, Ste. Anne’s Spa

Some people might be against the casual use of marijuana used in spas. Which I get, we're taking marijuana so lightly now that was even using them in spas. People just drop in and have THC flooded all over their bodies. But for some people that sounds absolutely delightful. People create and are responsible for cultural norms. If something sticks, then it sticks. It wasn't because it was forced onto us or that some groups of people got brainwashed, it was simply because of the fact it works. People like the effects of THC and CBD. Given how alluring it a marijuana spa sounds, I don't think these will stop proliferating anytime soon. The combined similar features of marijuana and a spa makes it sound too good to not try.

Let's talk about wellness centers now for a bit. Wellness centers will start to open everywhere soon. Wellness centers that specialize in treating your problems, with cannabis. No, they will not get you high, THC won't be involved much. Instead, it will be, CBD. In these centers, doctors will be patients with issues that marijuana plants can typically resolve, such as mental health issues in the form of anxiety, stress, depression, or chronic pain. After being diagnosed, the right prescription will be offered. Doctors will carefully measure the dose, strain, and product selection required for the patient specifically. It is extremely custom tailored with a lot of one on one attention to steering you in the right path. It is important to be in the hands of a proper practitioner so as to ensure you will get the best results. There are dozens of strands, multiple ways of consuming the strands such as smoking, vapor, etc. with each having a different effect, and of course the amounts you should be taking. Sometimes more works better and some times less. THC can very well also be recommended by health practitioners as they work better in some circumstances. Whatever the case. Education is a huge part of these wellness centers, because of the stigma that's involved with marijuana.

Here's what one patient had to say about the MCRCI wellness center in Vancouver, Canada. "The services provided are beyond excellent. they are incredibly helpful (and very patient, including the dumb ones) with insightful knowledge of medical marijuana. For someone that lives with chronic pain, I can honestly say that without the help of these people I most likely would have had a much more difficult time acquiring this pain medication that has drastically improved my quality of life. Unlike the large pharmaceutical companies out there, these people actually care about their patients and work tirelessly to help their patients."

These wellness centers really do work. It is like walking into a doctor’s office, and instead of being prescribed synthetic medicine, you get prescribed nature's medicine. I can imagine these centers popping out more and more now, as a form of alternative therapy. Given that there are literally hundreds of studies proving that medical marijuana can cure ailments, fight diseases such as cancer, relieve chronic pain, and cure anxiety, it is no wonder that these wellness centers are now incorporating marijuana as one of their tools for healing. There's also a unique controversial stigma to the plant. You either really hate or really love it. This gives it a powerful aura, and polarity only strengthens both sides, including the side that loves it. Which means you can easily have a lot of customers knocking on your door if what you’re selling is medical marijuana heaven guided by licensed doctors.

The last thing I want to talk about regarding how marijuana is trending now is something a lot more obvious. That is, it's recreational use. Now that marijuana is becoming legalized in many parts of the world and its harmful effects are becoming less and less of a thing to worry about, people are taking puffs everywhere just to try it and see how it makes them feel. Does this mean there's going to be a huge surge in paranoia? Are people all of a sudden going to become lazy and create an unproductive society? Maybe, but we will never know until it happens. Canada, US's closest neighbor, passed a countrywide legalization bill for marijuana just this past year. Being the country closest to the US, I would be curious to see how this what shifts in culture happen because of it. This will be a perfect test ground for those especially living in the U.S, who are worried about the harmful effects of recreational marijuana.

What about the positive effects of recreational marijuana use? Well, the research is all over the place with this one. Some studies show more social cohesion with youth who smoke marijuana and others show long term risks of mental breakdown. We would really have to specify and control for all the variables to really find out, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Experience can however also be our guide, however.

So for anyone who has smoked marijuana before, the immediate physical effects are obvious. It heightens our senses. It can make us happy and feeling tranquil. This, however, can make it harder to operate in the physical world doing real-world tasks, because our senses get altered. For some people, they adjust, and it becomes easy for them. For others, it can be overwhelming and all they want to do is to lie down. I would say for most, it is somewhere in between. Most people can't operate fully functionally while the brains are flooded with THC, I don't care how much they brag otherwise. By the same token, most people don't crawl in their bed and lie down in a state of euphoria all day. It's more of a balance between the two. It mellows you out. When you are very mellow, you might not always be in the mood for a hard type of work. But you do feel nicer, more social, and it helps ease internal difficulties that may have been causing you trouble or anxiety. It can work really well to dispel pent up anxiousness.

Now the physical effects are a lot more minimal than you think. Multiple studies have been done and shown that while you are high on marijuana, you are still able to do basic tasks. This includes driving. Reaction times were tested in multiple studies, and it has been shown that no significant changes were noticed in reaction times. There may be some minor differences, and in worst cases when someone is really high and has lots of THC in their body, then we can start to see larger physical coordination loses.

That is generally it when it comes to recreational marijuana usage. The mental effects, for the most part, are beneficial, among those who regularly use them at least. If someone has a bad experience with marijuana then they won't use it anyway, so I wouldn't even worry about it when it comes to the general population. I hate black licorice, yet they still sell it on the market. If I eat a bunch of black licorice I even might throw up. But I knew this the moment I even took a bit off that licorice. Among those who regularly use marijuana, while the harmful side effects are not as absent as it is in licorice, it is still rare, though more controlled research needs to be done. There have been a few cases of extreme use of marijuana that have contributed to worse situations. This again is much rarer than one commonly would think. Unpleasant side effects can pop up, but this is true for literally all lifestyle drugs out there, including coffee.

So where does this leave us? We have reviewed every major aspect of marijuana. And it is certainly not going anyway anytime soon. Cannabis use is here to say. Canada, a first world country, just legalized it for 30+ million people, and it is going to be sold in stores nationwide. Imagine walking in the city, and in the busiest intersection you see a big green leaf as a store logo and it says cannabis. That is the level of exposure we are talking about, and it is huge.

Imagine ordering your Starbucks coffee, with a side of marijuana leaves. As funny as that sounds, that could be a reality someday. Why not drink your coffee and get high at the same time? How about regular marijuana smoke breaks at work, and before we sleep? Start thinking about how marijuana is going to be incorporated in our day to day lives, as this could very well be our future.

It depends on one thing though mainly, that is how the general population reacts to it. Sure, marijuana is doing great niche-wise. But marijuana is still largely consumed by the minority, not the majority. Cigarette's don't have mental effects to the level marijuana does, yet it removes stress and feels good. Marijuana does that but it can make you feel. A bit too funny, for some, or for most. Don't get too crazed about marijuana just yet, as we are still at the experimental stage. It is a good sign that spas, medical centers, and stores are starting to sell them. How much they will sell and how successful they will be though is the question. Stay tuned, because I have a feeling we are about to find out very soon.

SPAA Staff Writer