Are Your Drinking Too Much Alcohol?

Do you know if you’re drinking too much alcohol? Surprisingly, most people are shocked when they start to count up how much alcohol they have consumed over a month. It’s not about the number of beverages you drink, but how they are measured in terms of alcohol content. Here in the US, alcoholic drinks are measured by the volume of alcohol present, so a regular beer will have a 5% alcohol content, while lighter beers will have around 4.2%. The ‘standard’ drink in the US is considered to be around 14 grams of pure and undiluted alcohol. You’ll find 14 grams of alcohol in:

• 12 ounces of a regular beer brand equals, on average, 5% alcohol
• A glass of wine (around five ounces of liquid) averages at 12% of alcohol
• Distilled spirits are most commonly served in 1.5-ounce measures, and that means around 40% alcohol

This disparity in alcohol volume means that it can be difficult to estimate your alcohol consumption. However, due to the health and lifestyle risks that too much alcohol can cause, it’s vital that you have a clear awareness of how much you are consuming on a regular basis.

Consequences of Too Much Alcohol

Some people think that they are better able to handle their booze, and that can make it very difficult to get a real evaluation of their alcohol consumption. However, even small but regular amounts of alcohol can have a negative effect on your health, so it’s important to be aware of your alcohol intake at all times. Binge drinking or regular, excessive drinking can have a variety of consequences, including:

• Falls
• Burns
• Accidents (shootings, driving under the influence, drownings)
• Liver disease
• Higher risk of cancer

Although this is a brief example of the health risks, there are many more that can occur after drinking too much. It’s also worth being aware of the social issues that may result from excessive drinking as well. These can include:

• Job loss
• Relationship issues
• Financial problems
• Criminal and other legal problems

If you are asking yourself whether you are drinking too much, then there’s a very good chance that you are.

Problem Drinking

This is the definition of drinking, whereby the drinker will require professional help in order to reduce their drinking or stop altogether. While drinking is often seen as a social, fun activity, the fact is that the social factor of alcohol means it can be hard to identify whether you have a problem or not. It’s vital that you are honest with yourself about the amount that you drink. It is often useful to keep a record of how much you are drinking. If you experience blackouts (never a good sign), then try and keep a record of how much money you are spending on booze. The answer might surprise (and horrify) you.

Common Signs of Over Drinking

Some people will drink alcohol throughout their lives, with little to no negative effects. This can be hard to manage, so it’s important that you are aware of the danger signs that might indicate that you are taking your drinking too far. Be very aware of the following, and if you recognize your own behavior, then it might be time to reflect on your drinking habits.

Loss of Control

If you are unable to socialize or even get through the day without a drink, then this is a major warning sign. This is especially true if you have made the decision to cut alcohol out of your life completely but have been unable to do so. Problem drinkers often promise to stay sober after especially heavy nights, or when their actions have unintended and negative consequences. Those problem drinkers will then find it very difficult to keep that promise. This is not necessarily a moral weakness. Alcohol is a drug, and that means that you can develop addiction and dependence. Alcohol is the most popular and commonly used addictive drug in the US, so it’s important that you seek help if you have tried to reduce your consumption but have been unable to stop yourself.

High Tolerance

Alcohol is a drink that your body can get very used to. You build up a tolerance, and that means that you start needing more and more drinks in order to get the same effects. Building up tolerance should be a big warning sign that you are overdoing your drinking. If you realize that it is starting to take you more drinks to start feeling the alcohol that you consume, then this can be a sign that you are drinking too much too regularly. That’s why a diary is often a good idea. It doesn’t matter if you have a few nightcaps at the end of every day but don’t feel the effects. That’s not a positive, and should be included in your diary notes. As you build up a tolerance, your consumption will start to increase, and only by keeping a diary will you be able to identify when this is happening.

Accidents and Blackouts

Alcohol amnesia (or blackouts as they are most commonly known) are most often suffered by alcoholics. They can be very traumatizing, and can all too easily lead to accidents. Drink driving is a very common occurrence for blackout drunks, and it can affect your life in a huge variety of negative ways. Even if you managed to avoid the serious effects of a car accident while driving when intoxicated, if someone is injured or killed due to your drinking and driving then you can still face financial consequences if someone sues you. You can read more here about suing someone for wrongful death while driving drunk. If you want to avoid this happening to you, then it’s essential that you address your alcohol amnesia, and make real efforts to limit your total drinking amount.

Pre-Party Intoxication

It’s not uncommon nowadays to have a few drinks before hitting the bars, clubs, and parties. While ‘pre-gaming’ can save you a lot of money, it is still dangerous and a possible sign that you may have a problem. If you feel the need to down as many drinks as possible just to get drunk enough to socialize, then you are most likely using alcohol as a crutch, and that’s a big red flag. This is even truer if you are making use of pre-party drinks by yourself. Drinking on your own is also a red flag in terms of your alcohol consumption, and if you’re taking it so far as to be consciously hiding how much you drink from those around you, then it’s time to start looking at your drinking habits and taking them seriously.

If you think that you may have a problem with alcohol, then it’s important that you speak to your doctor. They can advise you on the best steps to take, and can help identify the obvious issues. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that alcohol dependence is a weakness. It’s a very real affliction suffered by millions, but with the right treatment and help, you can recover. Don’t try and do it alone and don't suffer in silence.

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A Guide to Understanding Money Laundering and Ways to Counter It

Crime has no limits. A criminal knows no boundaries; a cunning and devious plan is what a mastermind creates before the execution of a crime. Regardless of how ill their intentions are, criminals today are getting way more skillful and much more evil than their predecessors.  

The wit and wile that a criminal need is not limited to the execution of the crime only. You see, for a criminal, the implementation of a crime is a mixture of both valor and skill, you need to be brave and confident to pull out a successful house or store robbery. However, it is the cover-up of the crime where the real test lies for a criminal.

All crime gangs have a chain of command and a hierarchy. With the one lowest in the chain of command being the one to carry out the most challenging and daunting task, these are the people that are a source of revenue for a gang. A gang usually employs young fresh blood to carry out acts of robbery and theft; the people employed are often from underprivileged backgrounds with no sources of finance.  

However, as we move up the ladder, we notice that the more experienced heads and the opinion leaders of a gang occupy the senior and decision making positions in it. The experienced minds are the ones that come up with unique and creative ways to run the gang and stay safe from a cynical eye.

One method that protects gang leaders from the cynical eyes of law enforcement agencies is the process of money laundering.

Money laundering is a process that provides legitimacy to the money earned from nefarious designs. In layman terms, money laundering is the process to convert black money to white.

The Federal Criminal Law takes the act of money laundering quite seriously, and if proven guilty it can lead up to 99 years in prison.

Money Laundering

To help you understand the process of money laundering we have divided it into three steps. Each step of money laundering is carefully planned and leads to the next. The whole act starts with the crime.

• Step 1- Placement

The primary purpose of money laundering is to make the money that was earned from notorious designs part of the financial system. The money you deposit in the bank becomes part of the financial system and goes in the record. When opening an account the first question that a bank asks is the source of income; this is to ensure that the cash you deposit in the bank is consistent with your employment status.

A fruit vendor or a taxi driver will be alerting the bank if they deposit a million dollar in their account. Money launderers ensure that they don’t alert the bank by disguising or misrepresenting their source of income. A money launderer will not necessarily circulate the money through banks. Casinos and money exchange companies are other ways through which the money can go into circulation.

• Step 2- Layering

The second step is the main step in the process of money laundering. Layering allows the crime gang to make detection of their suspicious activities impossible to trace.  

The process of layering involves the conversion of cash into monetary instruments such as the demand draft or the pay order. Using the name of an existing business, the gang then proceeds to layer the money by transferring it to multiple accounts. The movement of funds to and from the bank account creates a money trail which legitimizes the activity.

The wisest criminals are the ones that purchase land or any other asset from the money and use the name of a business to justify the transaction.

The assets are then resold locally or abroad, making money pure and void of any suspicion.

• Step 3- Integration

The final step is the integration of the laundered money back in the financial system. The measure ensures that the laundered money looks like simple business transactions. You may think that both the layering and the integration stage are similar in nature, but it is in the final scene when the money reunites with the owner looking like a complete economic and business transaction.

The main objective at this stage is to ensure that the money reunites with its owners without attracting too much attention. Purchasing property or some other assets or depositing in a foreign bank are some ways that criminals integrate their money and make it part of the financial system successfully.

Looking at the steps of money laundering it may seem that the whole process is an intricate and well-designed one. However, tax officials and law enforcement agencies are diligent at all times and follow auditing steps that help them in identifying a suspicious transaction and then in finding out the source of the income.  

Countering Money Laundering

It is safe to say that all financial institutions and their subsidiaries are alert to any suspicious transaction. Any amount considerably large raises alarm bells and are an indication of something fishy.

If a bank account that has never had more than $5000 in it suddenly gets a transaction over $100000 all financial and transaction monitoring authorities will get alert and will take measures to ensure that the source of funds is legal.

Since money laundering is becoming extremely popular amongst significant criminal gangs, banks and all other financial institutions are becoming more and more diligent when processing transactions.

Customer due diligence (CDD) and enhanced due diligence (EDD) are techniques that a bank adopts to ensure that the transaction falls within the domain of the legal and financial barriers that the central bank of the county has set.

Both CDD and EDD are e-forms that the branch of a bank fills relating to the information gathered from the customer at the time of account opening. The report helps in assessing the risk a customer brings along, for example, risk of a housewife, NGO or any other account where the beneficiary of the account or the account holder is not responsible for generating funds in the account have a considerably higher risk attached.

Such accounts are vulnerable to money laundering as in the past many banned terrorist organizations have laundered money through NGO accounts.  

With time money laundering is gaining significance amongst crime circles, knowing of ways that money laundering takes place and the processes in place to counter it will help us in building a sound financial system devoid of money counterfeiting.

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Special Announcement from Petra's

Oh, how we love Tuesdays and Fridays at PETRA's!  After the weekend, all of us here are excited to hear our club buzzing with the sounds of great live music and singing, and let's not forget the laughter and humor of our guests.

We do have some more exciting news for you.  Starting next Thursday, May 30, PETRA's will present Twinghost ronas and Voodoo Shilton who will be appearing here regularly on alternate Thursdays.   We have a couple more surprises for you on that evening.  but we'll save them for a later announcement.  But the great news is PETRA"s will be open an additional day thanks largely to the great response to our programming that we've received from our patrons.  Thank you for believing in what we do and thanks too, for your generosity and loyalty.

We think every set is a "Do Not Miss" so take the magic carpet and come join, our warm and gracious hosts, Sweet, Foxxy, Alyss, April, and of course me, Petra.  See you soon.

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LOOK of the YEAR Contest LOT OF WOMEN IN THE RACEBUT WHERE ARE THE MEN? L$ 50 000 CASH TO WIN!

It is Sunday May 26th that the  LOOK of the YEAR judges will select the first group of 10 semi-finalists and a lot of women already submitted their picture but the men are a lot less numerous... Where are the men of style? Are they shy?

Remember: LUXE Paris Women's Fashion and LUXE Dot Be Men's Fashion are now searching the grid to find two ambassadors, a woman and a man with style and charisma, who will represent their brands and each win L$ 50 000 cash! No need to be a professional model to apply as we will train the finalists without experience. You just need to have style, to express yourself through what you wear!

The Earlier You Enter the More Chances You have!

In the first step of the contest, the judges will select  a group of 10 semi-finalists (5 women and 5 men) every week for 5 weeks, starting Sunday.  Each week ALL the pictures received will be presented to the judges so more  early you participate, more chances you have to be selected! You can enter the contest as many times as you wish as long as you present a different outfit for each entry. To be eligible to the first selection of semi-finalists, your picture has to be received before midnight Friday May 24th.

Easy to participate: Wear a LUXE Paris or a LUXE Dot Be outfit, style it, snap a picture, put your name in the title and send FULL PERM to LOOKoftheYEAR resident.  Gift for all participants! Each week The Second Life Enquirer will publish the pictures of the semi-finalists. They will also be displayed in the LOOK of the YEAR Hall at LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be main stores and on our website at https://lookoftheyear.wordpress.com/

When we have 25 semi-finalists women and 25 semi-finalists men, the jury will then select 10 finalists in each category. These finalists will be invited to the LOOK of the YEAR Brunch of the Judges where they will be asked to explain why they would be a good ambassador for LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be.  At the same occasion, they will be invited to each choose 10 free outfits  at our main stores, to prepare  their look for the  two challenges-shows  that will determine the winners.

L$ 275 000 in prizes

Beside the L$ 50 000 cash, the LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be new ambassadors will also each win:  One year of free shopping at LUXE Paris/ LUXE Dot Be (a value of L$30 000), a fashion feature in The Second Life Enquirer and in the magazines ModeLS,  SL Confidencial and L'Amour Diversity (a value of L$30 000),  a private dinner party for 20 at the Duplex Club (a value of L$5000), a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a gift card of L$3500 at ProPose, a gift card of L$3000 at Alma Makeup, a crown by Zuri Jewelry (a scepter for the man), a value of L$1500, an official picture by Jack Rock (a value of L$1000), an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and a VIP invite to be part of AIM Modeling Agency.

The two runners up in each category (women & men) will also receive a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a Zuri tiara or scepter (L$1000), a gift card from ProPose (L$2500 for the first and L$1500 for the second), a gift card from Alma Makeup (L$1000 for the first and L$500 for the second) and an official picture by Jack Rock (L$1000). They will also get an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and be interviewed by ModeLS Magazine and SL Confidencial.

 

So what are you waiting for? Show off your style! This contest is a super fun experience and you could be one of the next LOOKS of the YEAR and win L$ 50 000 cash! The contestants will be judged on their style, elegance and originality. You will find more details about the LOOK of the YEAR contest at LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be stores at https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bao/55/97/26/ and on our website.

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SPOTLIGHT ON SAPPHIRE BEACH CLUB: THE GEM OF SECONDLIFE – Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) Reporting

I recently had the very real pleasure of visiting Skyhill Island, home of the Sapphire Beach Club.  Newly arrived on the SL Grid, Skyhill is the brainchild of Claudine Jewell and her business partner , John Sinclair. Together with Live Talent Manager, Amber LeFavre, they have built a region uniquely suited for the Music Lover in Second Life.  In addition to the Club, Skyhill has a beach area for swimming or sunbathing, or just enjoying good conversation with friends. Complete with Beach House and waterfall, Gaming events, and a Yoga and Meditation place to come and refresh and relax.

I was fortunate to spend a delightful afternoon in the company of Claudine Jewell and Amber LeFavre.  My visit proved most informative as they shared perspectives on Skyhill Island and the Sapphire Beach Club.

Josh (thomas1.bellic): Claudine, what is it that drew you to Second Life in the first place?

Claudine Jewell: Well….I always liked to play computer games and I read a magazine article at the gym about Anshe Chung, SecondLife land baron and its first millionaire.  When I got home I registered to see what this is all about ...that was 2007. I showed it to John later and he joined too

JB:   And Sapphire Beach Club?  How did you decide to build that?

CJ:   Well, John co-owned a club in RL and loves clubbing here and he talked about it all the time.  So, so I suggested we should get a full region, since full regions are more stable than individual Sims and with a Region you can host up to 100 people

JB:  There are dozens, if not scores of Beach clubs in SL.  How is Skyhill Island different from the others, and how will Sapphire Beach Club make a distinctive contribution to life on the grid?

CJ:   Well, I don’t know if you remember the old clubs back in the day.  John wanted it to be similar to Sleek which was beach themed....I wanted something classy like Elements,  so we hope we can provide that to the people. We also don’t want to compete with 24 hour clubs. We just want to organize some quality Live events that people won’t forget.

JB:  So Amber, are there sizable numbers of live music lovers here?

Amber Lefavre: Yes there are.  DJ people and live singer people are different.  One way to help get maximum exposure for the club is to do both. ... live singers performances are not perfect,  expect something happening or not working... but its live...its personal….it shows the person. With DJs you know you are getting the exact song you thought you would.  But its the same every time...Lots more gestures used… chatting etc. Its just different...neither is wrong...or better.

JB:  But seriously. Are live singers really that much better than recorded music? I have heard live singers who...well..their hearts are certainly in the right place….but you can see that their passion greatly exceeds their ability.

AL:  Laughs.  True. BUT when a venue pays a singer up to 7000 lindens for an hour, they are going to be what the  the Club owners hope, and the crowd is going to love them as much as they do, because they will never make their money back.   You do not do live music to make money. You do it for the love of music. Live musicians are a real draw for their personality, interactions and talent.  

JB:  One of the first things I noticed when I landed here was that Skyhill is rated “M”...it is only rated Mature.  Many, if not most beaches here are rated “R”. Most beach clubs allow..and in fact encourage, nudity. You do not.  Can you share with our readers why you are different from the pack? What is it that sets you apart from others?

AL:  Claudine does not want sex and nudity here.  That is not why they did this. The emphasis will be that it is a quality sim with quality acts.  That will help it appeal to folks who are tired of seeing public sex and naked avis everywhere.

CJ:  Yes. Its that simple :-) I think SL is full of those places...lots and lots of adult clubs.  Besides, why would you spend 1000s of lindens on clothes and then you go party at a nude beach :)))   No, we don’t want people to run around naked all the time. We want to do formal events too..classy, but also modern.

JB:   Tell our readers about your event scheduled for May 31.  What can we expect to see there?

CJ:  On May 31 at 1:00 PM SLT we will host Gabriel da Silva.  Hes a great live singer and his specialty is Rock. The stage will be on the beach close to the pool and after that DJ Tabasco will stream at the pool.   We have other great musical talent lined up as well. On June 8th at 12 PM we have a Lynard Skynard tribute by Lightning Strikes, June 14th at noon we have David Hauptman with a formal dance event and June 23rd at noon we have Toxic Darkmatter.  Additionally, there will be various DJs performing around these scheduled live musicians.

AL:   For Gabe, his stage will be on the water and dancing will on the beach.  In June for the formal dance with David Hauptman we will place his stage on the beach and cover the water with a clear dance floor...so people can dance on the water.  

JB:   Is there anything else you would like to say?  Anything else you want to tell our readers?

CJ:   I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to share our space and music with people here in SL

There you have it folks.   Second Life’s newest venue for Live entertainment kicks off on May 31st with Gabriel da Silva at 1:00 PM SLT.  This is one show you do NOT want to miss.

Be there!  Aloha! - J.B.

 

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GeekSpeak – will China rule the world 10 years from now? Join the discussion May 18th at 12pm SLT

Let’s talk about China. Where is it going?  Will it be taking the lead in technology in a few years’ time?  How will world trade change when China completes its new network of land and sea trade routes (the belt and road initiative).  Will other countries become more like China as it grows more powerful?  Should we all be learning Mandarin?
What about the dark side of China?  The forced abortions, the re-education camps, the disappearances and killings, the constant monitoring, the social scores.  Would you like to live in China, or do you think China is an Orwellian horror show?  Are you frightened when you think of China ruling the world?
Or do you think China’s economy will collapse and there will be a revolution?  Maybe that possibility is equally frightening.
IM Vulcan Viper if you have ideas for new subjects.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

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Sapphire Beach Club Opens to the Public!

On April 13, 2019 Sapphire Beach Club opened to the public. Located on Skyhill; a Full Region Sim. The Venue is outdoors with no solid roof and has direct access to the Beach and its surrounding.  Lined with palm trees and a beautiful Waterfront View. There is a Dancefloor and a Pool Area for hosted Pool Parties.

Our main motivation for creating Sapphire Beach Club was to have fun and meet people so we created a place were people can hang out, dance, listen to music, socialize and meet other people. We started hiring DJ's and had our Grand opening party just a couple of weeks ago. It is very important to us that we don't just focus on one genre of Music but approach different people with different tastes. Our Club DJ's will play Hip-Hop, RnB, Latino Merengue, Pop, Rock, Electronic Music and more.

The Club is not one of the 24 Hours Clubs in Secondlife because we want to create special events. Our team is very excited to host live events with some of the best singers in Secondlife coming very soon! 

We are also planning theme parties, game events and we will work together with tribute Bands for more variety. The lovely Amber LeFavre just recently joined our team as a Manager and as a Venue Owner herself she is very experienced in booking Artists and organizing Events. If you want to stay up to date on the development and future Events join our group or you will get an invite when you visit Skyhill.

There is so much more to experience and discover on Skyhill Island than just the Club. There is a Beach Area where you can chill and sunbathe with your friends, a Beach House and the Waterfall where you can hangout with your loved ones and a Yoga and Meditation Area where we meet to just breathe and relax. We hope that you come by.  We will be very glad to have you as our guests.

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The Best Marijuana Strains That You Can Take to Relieve Back Pain

Back pain is extremely common nowadays. Although prescription drugs are available for treating back pain, you may need to increase your dose over time in case you’re dealing with severe pain. In fact, if your symptoms don’t improve with time, your doctor may even ask you to change your medication.

The causes of back pain may vary from one person to another person. The symptoms can range in intensity from mild to severe. If left untreated, back pain can spread to other parts of the body, such as the legs and the neck.

Mayo Clinic states that an astonishing 80 percent of all Americans will suffer from back pain at least once in their lifetime. Treating this health condition can be a bit challenging. While opioid narcotics are prescribed for severe cases, these synthetic drugs are highly addictive and dangerous.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl and other synthetic opioid narcotics were responsible for over 17,000 prescription drug overdose deaths in 2017 alone. In recent times, alternative treatments for back pain have become immensely popular. One of these treatments is medical marijuana. Derived from the dried parts of the Cannabis sativa plant, medical marijuana has helped many people treat their back pain symptoms. You should definitely consider this promising treatment for back pain, especially if you’re seeking a natural alternative to conventional pain medication.

Medical Marijuana

Although marijuana has a long history of recreational use, it is now being used increasingly to treat a range of medical conditions, including chronic back pain. As a result, it is rapidly gaining acceptance by some segments of the medical community.

The Institute of Medicine published a report in 1999 that stated that marijuana might be effective for treating chronic pain caused by spinal cord injuries. The cannabinoids in marijuana can help suppress pain.

The University of Colorado Spine Center conducted another research which showed that cannabis is more effective than opioid prescriptions for treating back pain. According to the results of the study, 90 percent of back pain patients who were prescribed medical marijuana reported alleviation of chronic pain.

Here are the different strains of marijuana that can help you with chronic back pain:

OG Kush

This strain contains a high percentage of indica that provides THC.  THC generates euphoria and it helps to alleviate pain and muscle spasms.

OG Kush is psychoactive in nature since it contains relatively high levels of THC at about 23 percent. CBD accounts for just 1 percent.

Headband High THC

This strain is produced via a combination of OG Kush and Sour Diesel. It produces euphoria as it has relatively high levels of THC at 30 percent. However, the CBD levels are less than 1 percent. It can help reduce chronic back pain for relatively long durations.

Gorilla Glue

This hybrid strain is also known as 420 Glue. It’s produced with the help of Sour Diesel and Chocolate Diesel. Its THC levels are about 25 percent, hence it is a psychoactive strain. Gorilla Glue is great for back pain because it alleviates pain quickly and the effects last for a long time period.

Due to its long lasting effects, Gorilla Glue is preferred by patients who suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc., as well as those with serious back injuries.

Candyland

This sativa dominant strain is produced by cross-breeding Bay Platinum Cookies and Granddaddy Purple.

Candyland helps stimulate your mind and improve your mood. It also helps alleviate chronic pain and eases tension in muscles. It is also known for reducing fatigue and stress.  Candyland has 24 percent THC, while a combined CBD and CBN of less than 1 percent.

ACDC

This sativa dominant strain of marijuana contains 16 to 24 percent CBD levels. It also has a CBD-to-THC ratio of around 20:1. Hence, this strain is rich in CBD and low in psychoactive THC. As a result, it does not produce euphoria.

Nevertheless, it is a powerful pain killer. These qualities make ACDC useful for people who need to maintain focus and gain mental clarity. As a result, it is being used extensively to get relief from chronic back pain.

Harlequin

This hybrid marijuana strain is sativa dominant. Its CBD levels can range from 4 to 10 percent; hence the strain has higher levels of CBD than other strains. Since its THC levels are low, it does not produce euphoria.

Harlequin is produced through a combination of Swiss Landrace, Colombian Gold and Thai. It has calming and soothing effects.  Hence, this strain is a popular choice for those who wish to experience pain relief without the euphoric high.

Uncle Andy

Although this strain is not particularly well-known, it is effective for pain relief. Uncle Andy has a fruity smell and is covered with trichomes. Pain relief is instant and can extend up to 3 hours.

You can learn more about different strains of marijuana for back relief and other medical symptoms.

Comparing THC and CBD

THC is quite similar to cannabinoid chemicals that are naturally found in the human body. When THC is inhaled or ingested, it interacts with the cannabinoid receptors of the brain. This stimulation triggers the reward system of the brain. As a result, you may experience reduced pain. THC is psychoactive in nature and it can lead to an elevated mood, which is better known as a high.

Although CBD is closely related to THC, it does not lead to a high, no matter how much you ingest it. Since CBD lacks psychotropic effects, it is becoming popular for treating chronic conditions, including pain.

In September 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex. This is an anti-seizure drug that contains CBD derived from cannabis.

Why You Should Consider Medical Marijuana for Pain Relief

In December 2014, a study conducted by the College of Family Physicians of Canada recommended the use of medical marijuana for patients who are unable to find pain relief through other medications.

According to the results of a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, cannabis can help alleviate chronic pain.

The results of these studies suggest that you should consider medical marijuana for chronic back pain. However, before taking it, speak to your physician about your health issues and medical marijuana.

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