Eugenics over time.
The restriction of cannabis is a eugenics policy - genetic discrimination against part of society - and affecting their fertility.
Yesterday’s post was not what I had planned to write - this topic was on the mental agenda, maybe I needed a little fairy sparkle first. Maybe we all did. Thanks Crappy Childhood Fairy for being there when I needed you - magic! Or Synchronicity. We have different ways to look at things and different words - including “of no medical value.” Cannabis does have medical value when used safely, which is fairly easy to do with the whole plant but can be riskier with concentrated modern products made from the flowers.
Genetically we vary a lot in number of cannabinoid receptors, and/or, in amount of internal production of cannabinoids. The BHMT gene allele that affects my ability to make phospholipids and cannabinoids is not evenly distributed across all ethnic groups.
Alleles in BHMT may be more common in people of African American ancestry. African Americans were found to have variations in the BHMT gene almost twice as often than Caucasian and Mexican-American ethnic groups and Hans Chinese American were least likely (small group study). (1, 2)
Number of cannabinoid receptors has been found to vary based on ethnicity and gender with people of Caucasian background having the most n average, people with African/black background having slightly fewer, and Asian having significantly fewer than those of people with Caucasian or African ethnicity. (11) (2) What this means in daily life terms is that when those various people tried marijuana/cannabis, they would have a varied response.
People with very few receptors would have an intense response to a very small amount, while someone with lots of receptors might find that small amount just a bit of taste, a tiny sample. More please! If the people writing policy all tended to be of the type who react strongly to a tiny amount, then they may also be writing from an egocentric perspective with an expectation that all people react that strongly to very tiny amounts.
A policy restricting cannabis would be negatively affecting some ethnic groups more than others. People unable to make the cannabinoids would have chronic health issues that might include mood and eating problems and infertility. A policy that promotes infertility due to a gene difference with an ethnic bias is racial and genetic discrimination.
Cannabinoid’s role in health and male and female fertility.
Endogenously made cannabinoids are used throughout the brain and body and are involved in reshaping nerve pathways, and regulating serotonin and noradrenaline release, immune function, and physical building blocks of cell membranes → no bricks → no wall.
Without cannabinoids there seems to be less muscle development. The look of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency may be a little scrawny, tall and thin, with small muscles. We need to be able to make endocannabinoids in order to make well-functioning membranes. Add an external source and suddenly for that person weightlifting is making a difference. Exercise is easier - balance, movement, coordination is easier. Nerve flow is energizing and encourages activity! - in my personal experience.
Phospholipids are a precursor for building our own cannabinoids. This post has phospholipid food sources, and magnesium foods and supplement sources and topical sources: To have optimal Magnesium needs Protein and Phospholipids too.
Post about the many conditions that may involve magnesium deficiency: Magnesium – essential for eighty percent of our body’s chemistry. - including fertility and muscle growth and function. And including production of sperm and sperm motility. (7)
Male infertility - cannabinoids, nAChRs, and glycoproteins.
An important role in male fertility is motility - can the swimmers swim and in the right direction? Both anandamide and 2-AG are needed to regulate motion in spermatozoa. Too much of either THC or CBD would cause immobility. The CB2/2-AG/CBD receptors play a larger role in regulation of the motion. (4) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are also involved in sperm motility. Too much nicotine can cause male infertility. (5) Paralytic conotoxin or snake venom toxin or our modern day S1 subunit toxin would all likely negatively impact sperm motility.
“In addition, this [nAChR] receptor seems to trigger sperm acrosome reaction (AR) since the stimulatory effect of both NIC and acetylcholine is antagonized by pre-incubation with nAChR antagonists (Bray et al., 2002). This evidence is supported by the presence of a α7 receptor in the sperm posterior post-acrosomal and neck region (Kumar and Meizel, 2005) which suggest a role of nAChRs in sperm AR (Bray et al., 2005). The presence of α3, α5, and β4 subunits in the sperm flagellar mid-piece, as α3α5β4 and/or α3β4 receptors, may be important for sperm motility (Kumar and Meizel, 2005).” (5)
Glycoprotein receptors also seem to be involved in the acrosome reaction (AR), which allows a sperm to bind with the ovum for fertilization. This would make the sugars mannose and N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) also important for male fertility. (6)
Supplements of N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) would not be the same exact supplement as glucosamine hydrochloride or glucosamine sulfate, types commonly sold for joint pain or arthritis.
“Like phosphorylation, O-GlcNAc is highly dynamic and transient, and may work in concert with phosphorylation to mediate regulated protein interactions. Proteins with O-GlcNAc residues include RNA polymerase II, transcription factors, chromatin-associated proteins, nuclear pore proteins, proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and proteins involved in translation and regulatory modification of signal transduction cascades. It has been proposed that mammalian O-linked GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is the terminal step in a glucose-sensitive signal transduction pathway that becomes disregulated in insulin resistance.105,106” (9. viewable at 10)
N-acetylglucosamine does important things for us in gene transcription or control, cancer prevention and membrane and signal regulation. Insects can be a benefit in the human diet for protein, trace minerals and N-acetylglucosamine.
Dietary Sources of N-acetylglucosamine [NAG]:
Bovine (cow) cartilage, Shark cartilage; chitin derived from the shells of crustaceans such as shrimps and Crabs. Chitosan, modified form of chitin; Shitake Mushroom; a red Japanese Algae called Dumontiaceae. (8) Insects are also a source of NAG.
Dietary Sources of Mannose:
Fruit: Blackcurrants, Red Currants - Red, Gooseberries, Cranberries (D-mannose)
Herbs: Aloe Vera (richest source of Mannose is in the gel of the Aloe Vera leaf), Fenugreek
Legumes: Soybeans
Vegetables: Green Beans, Capsicum (Cayenne Pepper), Cabbage, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Turnip, Shiitake Mushrooms and Kelp. (8)
Female infertility and cannabinoids.
The role in female fertility initially is implantation along the uterine wall. Some, a small amount, but some anandamide/THC is needed to initiate the fertilized ovum being accepted onto the uterine membrane. There cells will start forming into the placenta, which is used for nutrient and toxin exchange between the baby and mother. The placenta is a blood rich organ that helps keep the maternal and fetal blood separate from each other as it genetically does not match. If there is an excess of anandamide however, implantation will be inhibited - too much will prevent implantation and the fertilized ovum would be lost in the monthly menstruation cycle.
During normal health there is a greater amount of the non-euphoric 2-AG/CBD equivalent than the euphoric anandamide/THC equivalent. During inflammation cannabinoids are released from the cell membrane and broken down to be used as inflammatory signals. The arachidonic acid, the lipid end of the cannabinoid/phospholipid, starts collecting into an excessive amount and it adds to inflammatory issues. This breakdown may be involved in the hypoxia seen in Covid and in LongCovid fingers and toes, related to imbalance or lack of cannabinoids and too much free arachidonic acid. See previous post: Cannabinoids & blood vessels and LongCovid.
Cannabinoid gene differences likely are increasing infertility with an ethnic bias and also increasing risk for more severe Covid or LongCovid.
Thinking about my long story in the post before last - my little sleeping angels - accidental gifts from God. I was in college and newly married, a baby was four years away on the plan. The plan didn’t work. The next baby was supposed to be six months later than arrival date - that plan didn’t work either. Both times I was just busy living my normal routine, no special changes of any sort . . . and then there I was pregnant and changed my routine to be “healthier”. Without spelling out the details of my routine at that time - I find it very interesting that a female can only get pregnant if she has just the right amount of anandamide/THC.
There has been an increasing problem with infertility in many developed nations and limiting cannabis may be part of the problem. Fertility clinics do not screen or treat for endocannabinoid deficiency, that I am aware of, and therefore, any woman with a lack would not be able to have a fertilized ovum implant and start forming the placental connection that will nourish the growing fetus. And any male with a lack would not be able to have sperm that could effectively swim upstream to find the ovum.
“Male or female infertility” or “Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency”? One leads to a solution - restored function, and the other is a nocebo. In Japan many people spend millions of yen on fertility treatments which may not be successful. Even if you have fewer cannabinoid receptors on average than people of other ethnic groups - you would still need some anandamide to be able to have a fertilized ovum implant in the uterus. Gender inequality is part of the reduced birth rate in Japan. There is stigma still on working mothers, but the cost of life is now too high for the traditional single working adult family lifestyle. Payment for health care needs for females is also less covered by insurance than for males. (11)
Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency, (CED), and phospholipids. (transcendingsquare.com)
Cannabidiol (CBD): potential health benefits - to much is not better.
CBD is the non-euphoric cannabinoid equivalent to 2-AG. During normal health we have more of the 2-AG and not much of the euphoric anandamide/THC equivalent. During early stages of dying - decomposition - the body releases more anandamide and death may be blissful, and it is starting decomposition changes. That might be something to keep in mind while partaking of the very concentrated THC products available on the modern market. This might also help explain why people with schizophrenia tend to worsen over time. Some may have a gene difference that leaves them with chronically too much anandamide and not enough 2-AG. CBD drops would likely help them have more normal mental and physical health.
The enzyme that regulates levels of anandamide, by breaking it down to an inactive form, is called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). During pregnancy levels of FAAH are decreased in spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), a research team suggests that might be usable for infertility treatment - like maybe inhibit FAAH. (12) Miscarriage may better be considered nature’s Guardian Angel - retrieving little souls from a body that wasn’t going to work well. Early miscarriage is a way for nature to end a pregnancy that isn’t going well. Trying to force it to happen by inhibiting an enzyme seems like an experiment on babies. For those who believe in reincarnation - the little soul will have a chance at a healthier body.
Cannabis is not an herb with no medical benefits. Research was also prevented by the US scheduling it as an illicit drug without medical use. Only studies into toxicity or addiction were funded. This is genetic and racial discrimination that supports eugenic differences in infertility.
Lady Justice needs to open her eyes.
Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.
Reference List
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This is fascinating. I have been pondering trying this with my DH now cannaboids have been legalized here although the expense will be considerable. He has psoriasis, glaucoma and has recently developed migraines. Black seed oil is helping the psoriasis but I wonder if we should trial cannabis?
What a very interesting read, Jennifer. And so much food for thought and study. Thank you!