Dear Readers,

I have been writing articles for diverse magazines for the past six years. Sharing my passion for cannabis and all it encompasses has been a privilege and a joy, but it is time for me to focus all my time on a book project and commit myself to the Emerald Triangle's future.

This "au revoir" letter shares my perception of the European community's approach toward cannabis legalization and the shortcomings of the differentiation between THC and CBD that is central to the whole dialogue.

May I remind you first that the cannabis plant has been a trinity for millennia. The oldest archeological evidence of cannabis as a medicine is approximately 5,000 years old¹, the oldest evidence of cannabis, the psychoactive plant, is 4,600 years old², and the oldest evidence of the use of cannabis as a natural resource is 9,000 years old.³

Hemp is the most important renewable natural resource available to humanity, a renewable resource that can produce "more than 25,000 products in nine submarkets: agriculture, textiles, recycling, automotive, furniture, food and beverages, paper, construction materials, and personal care" ⁴. Growing hemp solely for high CBD flower or extracting CBD isolate is the most shameful and neglectful attitude toward the future of this planet we can demonstrate today.

The demonization of THC and the glorification of CBD is not only absurd, but when you think that there are 150 plus cannabinoids with medicinal and psychoactive effects that are highly influenced by 100 plus terpenoids, it is also unfounded and deceptive.

THC and CBD are complementary. They are practically similar and opposite at the same time. The similarities start with their biosynthesis of transformation from CBGA, the precursor of all cannabinoids. The THCA and CBDA synthases are similar in their biochemical properties, with an 84% match⁵. THC and CBD also have the same molecular composition; they are made of twenty-one atoms of carbon, thirty atoms of hydrogen, and two atoms of oxygen.

THC and CBD could be considered psychoactive since they both activate the CB1 receptors of our body. "The CB1 receptors are present in very high levels in several brain regions and lower amounts in a more widespread fashion. These receptors mediate many of the psychoactive effects of cannabinoids" ⁷. The effects of the psychoactive aspects of the plant compounds may be the opposite, but if you want to present it, there is, in both cases, intoxication.

THC is an agonist of the CB1 receptor, which increases mental activity, while CBD is an antagonist of the CB1 receptor, which decreases mental activity. THC can cause strong paranoia, and CBD can trigger unhealthy anxiety when taken in excess. Cannabinoids balance each other out. THC and CBD are prime examples of this fact. THC and CBD isolates are beyond the general therapeutic aspects of the plant. As such, they need to be carefully and individually dosed because of the biphasic effect of these cannabinoids. As with coffee and alcohol, the symptom can be relieved with a small dose and amplified with a higher dose.⁸

CBD's most contradictory and ignored aspect is its potential for transformation into THC, a fact that is not yet common knowledge and a future headache to legislators. Yes, CBD can be converted into THC through a simple chemical procedure - an acidic environment and a source of heat are all it takes to trigger the transformation of the CBD into Δ9-THC and Δ8-THC. Before you ask, no, I will not give you the recipe in this letter.

It is not recommended to try it at home, and I quote here: "While science has shown this is certainly possible, the bottom line is that no one knows how to do it safely and efficiently. Plus, if you are using harsh acids to convert active cannabinoids into THC, you have no idea what other byproducts you may be producing. In short, converting CBD into THC is a highly risky and dangerous process that you should not pursue." This precautionary quote from the article "How People are Converting CBD into THC? It's shocking, but it's happening," published by a CBD retailer, marijuanabreak.com is not stopping experienced extractors who have started sharing the knowledge on Cannabis forums. The tech is, however, not quite cutting edge. Dr. Raphael Mechoulam discovered the process in 1968.

Pure THC is a poor substitute for the lowest grade of hashish or flowers. Smoking THC isolate is the weirdest smoking experience I have ever had. Imagine inhaling smoke without any flavor, aroma, or smell. I kept trying to taste something, anything, to relate to the experience unconsciously, not believing what my senses were telling me. The high of Pure THC was too weird and unpleasant for my taste, the opposite of the experience of smoking flowers or hashish—nothing comfortable and warm about it, more like a cold shower.

Furthermore, there is much more to THC than its feared psychoactive properties. The cannabis plant produces THCA. All cannabinoids are synthesized by the plant with a carboxylic acid group¹⁰ attached, always symbolized by the letter "A," ending all cannabinoid acronyms. This carboxylic acid group linked to the THC is the key to the medicinal, physiological and pharmacological aspects of THC. THCA has more anti-inflammatory action than CBD. It is a strong analgesic and an inhibitor of its psychoactive effect¹¹.

The debate around the psychoactive, therapeutic, and medicinal of two cannabinoids discovered in early 1940 should at least be based on ALL available scientific data and not on old misinterpretations, misinformation, and omissions.

The demonization of THC and the glorification of CBD are unacceptable at any level for any reason and not as the foundation for cannabis legalization. It is a misleading and deceitful portrayal of these two cannabinoids at best, creating a short-lived bubble market already imploding. Stability and growth cannot be made from half-truths.

All the best,

Frenchy Cannoli

This is a letter that Frenchy wrote in 2019

Frenchy Cannoli was a California-based teacher, consultant, artisan, and activist dedicated to producing and appreciating traditional cannabis concentrates.

13th Dec 1956 – 18th July 2021

 www.frenchycannoli.com or on Instagram @frenchycannoli.

Ref

1 https://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/cannabis/history.html

2 https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06/oldest-evidence-marijuana-use-discovered-2500-year-old-cemetery-peaks-western-china

3 https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/first-hemp-weaved-fabric-world-found-wrapped-around-baby-9000-year-old

4 Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity Renée Johnson Specialist in Agricultural Policy Congressional Research Service https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32725.pdf

5 Phytocannabinoids: a unified critical inventory By Lumír as a Hanuš , Stefan Martin Meyer b, Eduardo Muñoz c,      Taglialatela-Scafati d, and Giovanni Appendino

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2016/np/c6np00074f

6 https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/cbd-vs-thc-what-are-the-main-differences-297486

7 Cannabinoid receptors: where they are and what they do by Mackie K

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18426493

8 https://www.labroots.com/trending/cannabis-sciences/11870/biphasic-effect-cannabinoids-controls-dosing

Biphasic effects of THC in memory and cognition https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eci.12920

9 A Conversion of Oral Cannabidiol to Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Seems Not to Occur in Humans

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5510776/

10 A carboxylic acid is an organic compound that contains a carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R–COOH, with R referring to the rest of the molecule. Carboxylic acids occur widely and include the amino acids and acetic acid. Wikipedia

11 The Cannabinoid Acids, Analogs and Endogenous Counterparts By Sumner H. Burstein

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4351512/