Is Kaneh-Bosm, Natures Multipurpose Pharmaceutical – Historical, Medical and Scriptural Evidence

[Not an endorsement for religion or church]

Historical and Scriptural

“Cannabis burst across the Western medicine horizon after its introduction by William O’Shaughnessy in 1838”, as one study below states. However, use of the flower for therapeutic benefit has been documented throughout history and is evident in many cultures around the globe. From the pre-colonized Americas, to China, India, and the Middle East, people have known of its healing qualities long before modern Western civilization. One particular mention has been a “bone” of contention with a Christian translation of ancient Hebrew manuscripts.

In Exodus 30: 20-23, Moses was given a “recipe” for an anointing oil, with very specific ingredients and measurements. Some feel the Hebrew text was mistranslated by erroneously listing “sweet calamus”, essentially removing perhaps the most essential component of the healing oil. Hebrew scripts use the term Kaneh-Bosm (וּקְנֵה־ בֹ֖שֶׂם – ū-qə-nê hḇō-śem), where the altered Christian Bible lists “sweet calamus”, also referred to as aromatic calamus/aromatic cane, in some translations.

According to the passage, it is said that with the application of the “shemen mishchah kodesh” (holy anointing oil) people or objects it is used on become “kodesh kodashim” (most holy). More commonly cited Scriptures talk of “smoke-filled tents”, and, as in Genesis 1:29, “every herb (plant) bearing seed” for use as “meat”. The discovery of a “black resinous substance” on the Israelite altar (noted below) also indicates the use of the flower. Even for staunch religious opponents of the plant, there seems to be enough supporting evidence to at least warrant consideration.

Other studies suggest cannabis, a relative of hops used in beer, “evolved about 8 million years ago on the eastern Tibetan Plateau”. Chinese farmers grew it for oil and fiber to make clothing, rope, and paper, more than 4000 years ago. Science.org reports “the oldest evidence” of cannabis being burned was found in China, and dates back to about 2500 years ago. However, potentially earlier evidence was found in a 2700-year-old Israelite temple in Tel Arad. What was described as a well-preserved substance discovered in the temple, was tested and confirmed to be, a form of cannabis resin containing THC. It is believed that it was burned and inhaled for its psychoactive and healing properties. The photo below from the science.org piece shows what could be one of the first versions of a “pot pipe” found in China.

Indigenous people of the Americas were not introduced to the sativa variety of Kaneh-Bosm until the imperialistic colonization of their land. Instead, they used a variety of hemp native to the West called “Apocynum Cannabinum”. Though mainly used as a strong fiber for textiles, cannabinum was used in the practice of tribal medicines as well. The poisonous plant was cautiously processed to make tea for treating things like: “heart palpitations, eye disease and headaches”, even being used to “burn off warts” by the Chickasaw Nation. Other cultural accounts also seem to indicate that Kaneh Bosm was a commonly accepted resource, used for medical, spiritual, and sustenance purposes throughout history.

Medical and Scientific

Alzheimer’s and Dementia

In a previous post, I highlighted the medical research of two renowned cannabis experts, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam and Dr. Dedi Meiri. Dr. Meiri’s recent studies proclaiming the benefits and safety of treating Alzheimer’s with the plant, seems to be mirrored by many other findings. Dr. Mechoulam has been studying cannabis for decades and has published countless results regarding the herb’s healing effects on a wide array of health issues and IDs (invisible disabilities). “Cannabis Therapeutics in the Future of Neurology” speaks of the efficacy and safety track record of Kaneh Bosm, echoing the conclusions of these “experts”.

TBI, Brain Injury, CTE and Others

That study, and others below, examine “the intriguing promise that recent discoveries regarding cannabis-based medicines offer to neurological therapeutics…”. Five “intractable conditions” labeled as being “recalcitrant to therapeutic success” were looked at. Numerous THC, CBD, and other cannabis compounds were explored for treating Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, brain tumors, and TBI/CTE (traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy). The seeming ability of Cannabis “Botanicals” to interact with, and “harness”* the endocannabinoid system, was also noted in the studies.

The human body is equipped with what is referred to as the “endocannabinoid system”. One of the major parts of this system being a variety of “endogenous neurotransmitters” that as a group are referred to as “endocannabinoids”. The other major components of this system are two known cannabinoid receptors, CB1R and CB2R. A simplified explanation I once heard made a comparison: “as the thyroid gland is to the endocrine system, CB receptors are to the endocannabinoid system”. When cannabinoids from the plant are introduced, a sort of “activation” of the CB1R and CB2R receptors in the body occurs. Some feel this is the natural health benefits of “Natures Pharmaceutical” working wellness in the body.

“Cannabis Therapeutics in the Future of Neurology” reports on “shared pathological process” and the “plausibility” that the botanical cannabis compounds tested were responsible for “interventions that harness the endocannabinoid mechanisms”. Considering concerns about safety and the damaging side effects of chemical pharmaceuticals, the herb that some have called “Nerve Grease”, can bring safe and controlled relief to many with a variety of IDs and other conditions. Just as Dr. Meiri and the years of Dr. Mechoulam’s studies have indicated, the report states:

1. “Current basic science and clinical investigations support the safety and efficacy of such interventions in treatment of these currently…”.
2. “While cannabis-based medicines have demonstrated safety, efficacy and consistency sufficient for regulatory approval in spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS), and in Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut Syndromes (LGS), many therapeutic challenges remain”.

Brain injury (TBI/ABI) and PTSD – My view from the inside

According to the Journal of Neuroinflammation, “…the only treatment options for TBI include symptom management and cognitive therapies. There are currently no effective pharmaceutical treatment options to improve outcomes for TBI of any severity despite great clinical need”.

As one with both TBI and ABI, I am well aware of the truth in that statement. I have always been “recalcitrant” to the prescription of pharmaceutical “relief”, because of my brothers opioid addiction, that ultimately took his life. They were also very ineffective when I did try them. I knew what worked to help my whole being and I was comfortable with Kaneh Botanical intervention as treatment, though others were not.

I have certainly experienced a legion of these and a number of other symptoms. Early on, I had to relearn things like making coffee, because filling the machine, finding the filter, dispensing the coffee etc., was too many steps, and once took me over two hours. At times, I tremored and stuttered, having the same headache every day for seven consecutive years. Effects of TBI are not always noticeable immediately following an accident but can develop over the course of time. About a year after my first accident, I had a few occurrences while driving and momentarily forgetting where I was going or what road I was on. I was going home on a familiar thoroughfare. I wasn’t fearful, seeming to know it would pass and I’d recognize where I was, but in my mind, I was lost for a few minutes.

When able, I also began spending countless hours researching brain injury, neurology, and cannabis as medicine. I found Dr. Mechoulam’s work, which resonated with some of my own observations about the relief cannabis provided. After being sidelined by brain injury and other disabilities, I’ve performed a few “clinical trials” of my own, so to speak. Contrary to some opinions about cannabis, the brain can be affected in many positive ways. 20 years later, considering my own brain’s “regeneration” and Mechoulam’s and other reports on the neuroprotective antioxidant qualities of the flower, there’s been no doubt: cannabis has played a big role in my cognitive, emotional, and physical recovery.

TBI & cannabinoids–neuroprotective and psychotherapeutic properties

Dr. Staci Gruber, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, tested patients using cannabis as treatment. A number of control assessments were performed before the patients took cannabis and at various intervals in the months that followed. Dr. Gruber reports a marked improvement in “cognitive tasks requiring executive function”, after only a few months. Gruber said that patients may be thinking more clearly because of symptom relief and less reliance on pharmaceuticals, like opioids.

In TBI related studies, Biomedical researcher Dr. David Plurad found cannabis to be a “natural insulator for traumatized brains” and said it can “restore normal endocannabinoid function”. His study states that the introduction of cannabis after a traumatic event can prevent PTSD like symptoms, lending support to the findings of Dr. Mechoulam. Dr. Plurad’s report said cannabinoid compounds can help stabilize mood, ease depression, and “are better at treating PTSD than SSRI antidepressants, which bring a host of negative side effects, including violent tendencies”.

If I were asked for my “conclusion” about cannabis and people with IDs, I’d simply point to “all of the above”, along with every word written and artifact found throughout time. The evidence for Kaneh Botanicals, appears to have been “written in stoned” across the planet, for thousands of years. The healing power of “Natures Pharmaceutical”, seems to regulate, relieve, and “regenerate” my systems and symptoms, in ways too many to mention. Having several physical and invisible disabilities that bring a variety of effects, without the medical benefits cannabis affords me I would be significantly more limited. The ability to sleep, appetite increase, and pain relief are only a small part.

With the clarity and focus it brings, as well as a sense of well-being and peace, I’m better able to tackle some of the extremely difficult and unusual challenges life has handed me, while still maintaining positivity, motivation, and sense of humor. I have been able to do so many things I never thought I’d be able to do again following my accident and exposure, and things I’ve never done before. I certainly would never have been able to write any of the contributions that I’ve been allowed to share here. During the time when I had trouble making coffee, I also could not write a coherent sentence. With the debilitating effects and the fact that there is no currently “approved pharmaceutical interventions to improve” TBI outcomes, the improvement in many areas of my life has been undeniable.

For anyone who’s been on the fence in consideration of turning to Kaneh Bosm as medicine, I leave you with the following statement from the medical experts’ findings, found in the National Library of Medicine (NLM):

“The inherent polypharmaceutical properties of cannabis botanicals offer distinct advantages over the current single-target pharmaceutical model and portend to revolutionize neurological treatment into a new reality of effective interventional and even preventative treatment.”

Personal Observation

When I started an outline for this article, I began with a list of benefits that I was aware of or had personally experienced. In researching, I found an almost identical list among the NLM pub med articles that also contain the cannabis compounds found to be effective for each listing.

• My pre-article prep/personal benefits bullet points. The two lists mirror each other in many ways.
• The National Library of Medicine/PubMed.gov list of symptoms and the cannabis compounds known to relieve them.

My bullet points:

• Neuroprotective antioxidant qualities
• anti-inflammatory
• analgesic
• pain relief
• migraine/headaches
• mental focus
• insomnia
• appetite repulsion – ability to eat
• light and sound overstimulation
• individual patient centered dosage – control
• anti-anxiety
• mood (psychotherapeutic properties)
• safer than many pharmaceuticals – proven safety
• healthy regularity (a personal observation)

NLM PubMed.gov list:

• Agitation: THC, CBD, linalool
• Anxiety: CBD, THC (low dose), linalool
• Psychosis: CBD
• Insomnia/Restlessness: THC, linalool
• Anorexia: THC
• Aggression: THC, CBD, linalool
• Depression: THC, limonene, CBD
• Pain: THC, CBD
• Memory: alpha-pinene (Russo, 2011; Russo and Marcu, 2017) + THC
• Neuroprotection: CBD, THC
• Reduced Aג plaque formation: THC, CBD, THCA

Linalool is just one of the beneficial turpines listed above, and is also found in lavender, peanuts, mint, and many other plants and foods. This Leafly.com article details calming and other medical effects, including the prevention and reversal of some Alzheimer’s symptoms. It’s definitely worth reading.

SOURCES

Indigenous People and Cannabis by: Caleb Summeril – Terpenes and Testing Magazine: https://terpenesandtesting.com/cannabis-in-ancient-cultures-native-american
Intertribal Hemp Association: http://intertribalhempassoc.org/

2500-year-old evidence from China: https://www.science.org/content/article/oldest-evidence-marijuana-use-discovered-2500-year-old-cemetery-peaks-western-china

2700-year-old temple discovered to have Cannabis Resin with THC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-52847175

Ancient Hebrew Research Center: https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-words/facts-about-kaneh-bosem.htm

A Doctors Case for MMJ DavidCasarett (Must See 15 min video): https://mediaeclat.net/index.php/2019/07/14/a-doctors-case-for-medical-marijuana-david-casarett/

“Cannabis, Alzheimer’s, TBI and Invisible Disability”: https://kolektiva.social/@OutOfExile_IDR_Voice/109645282996256325

Cannabis and Brain Injury

*PubMed.gov National Library of Medicine (NLM) – Cannabis Therapeutics in the Future of Neurology:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6200872/

Harvard Medical School – Dr. Staci Gruber: https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/cannabis-brain

PubMed.gov NLM – Use of Medical Cannabis to Treat TBI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33256496/

PubMed.gov NLM – Cannabinoids in Traumatic Brain Injury and Related Neural Pathologies: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36935484/

Cannabis and Inflammation

Cannabinoids in TBI Related Neuropathologies – Journal of Neuroinflammation (JNI): https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-023-02734-9

Cannabis and Headaches

PubMed.gov NLM – “Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Marijuana, Cannabinoids, and Therapeutic Implications in Medicine and Headache: What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been …”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26015168/

Image from:
https://thecannapedia.org/category/science/

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