March 15, 2024 • 53 mins
According to Harvard Medical School, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a long-hidden mystery of the human body - a complex network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that play a crucial role in regulating various essential functions in our body, such as sleep, temperature regulation, immune responses, learning and memory, and so much more. With the "cannabinoid" receptors in our brain, does this mean that our body is set to receive the cannabinoids that we know of? "Cannabidiol (CBD)," "cannabis," "hemp," "marijuana," "weed" - these are words that revolve around a green flowering plant that produces so many questions, discussions, and controversies. Often regarded as recreational therapy when it comes to parties in the form of gummies and brownies, the plant has been said and shown to provide so many more benefits than recreation. Whether tinctures to help with insomnia, facial oil to reduce acne, or capsules for pain, CBD seems to be a promising technology within the realm of plant medicine. But still, so many questions arise: What are cannabinoids? What are CBG and CBN? What are THC and THCv? What are terpenes? Can CBD give you the high? How can one consume CBD products safely?
We are joined today by Amy Chin, a licensed cannabis coach and consultant and the founder of Calm Better Days (CBD). After over a decade of working in product management, Amy took her experiences of anxiety and depression to help others also find light in what she found an answer in: cannabis. In 2020, she founded Calm Better Days, a boutique that provides a curated CBD regimen suited to an individual's needs and lifestyle while providing educational services to new users of the phytochemical. CBD's boutique has a curated wide range of organic toxin-free, fungicide-, and pesticide-free products from carefully maintained farms in the United States.
Livestream Air Date: June 23, 2023
Follow Amy Chin: Instagram
Follow Friends of Franz Podcast: Website, Instagram, Facebook
Follow Christian Franz Bulacan (Host): Instagram, YouTube
Thankful to the season's brand partners: Covry, House of M Beauty, Nguyen Coffee Supply, V Coterie, Skin By Anthos, Halmi, By Dr Mom, LOUPN, Baisun Candle Co., RĒJINS, Twrl Milk Tea, 1587 Sneakers
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi friends, happy Friends of Franz Friday.
(00:07):
I hope you had a great week so far.
If you tuned into last week's episode, you might realize that my voice sounds a bit better.
I was so sick last week from a cold and I had one wish for winter to be over here in
New York City and for the weather to get better.
Someone somewhere out there most likely listened to me because this week was so so good.
(00:28):
It was spring weather throughout, I was just wearing a light sweater, went to the gym a
few days to do some cardio, who is she?
And had a busy work week, but alas, here we are ending another one, yet welcoming a new
episode.
Today's episode is very special because it is so different from all the other episodes
of the podcast series thus far.
In total, across three seasons, this marks our 67th episode.
(00:53):
Wow.
You know, over the past three years and three seasons, we have heard from so many amazing
clinical and scientific experts from different domains of healthcare.
Physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, therapists of all sorts, scientists, business
owners, you name it.
But all of them generally fell into one pool of expertise, American and Western medicine,
(01:17):
which is what I work in, with two or three outliers from the Canadian, European, and
Asian healthcare systems, which in some essences are also similar to the American way of caring.
In today's episode, we move a bit past the hospital and laboratory halls and go deeper
into another form of medicine we have not yet talked about, plant and Eastern medicine.
(01:37):
As I made sure to be very clear about in our first season, the goal of the podcast was
to disseminate evidence-based scientific data from experts to thwart misinformation commonly
found online.
There are some territories that are definitely hard to place in a test tube or have controlled
studies about, but nevertheless, these domains can also have thousands of misinformation,
so it's just fitting that we talked about them.
(01:59):
As I always say, when things are taboo and not talked about, that's where misinformation
can also flourish.
Last year, my friend Chrissy and I unexpectedly met in the streets of Manhattan before I had
to go to a party.
She said she needed to buy some gummies, quote unquote, in a store nearby, so I decided to
give her some company before I had to leave.
Obviously I know about gummies, I mean, I went to college here in New York City, but
(02:23):
I honestly have had no experience of any type of them, but I know about weed and all those
herbs.
Well, I thought I did, until I entered the store and plastered on the wall was a whole
diagram on cannabinoids.
It was a diagram filled with boxes and pictures and arrows and descriptions, THC and THCV
and CBD and CBG and CBN, and it got so overwhelmed.
(02:48):
The last time I ever got overwhelmed by a diagram was for a pathophysiology class that
was explaining a certain disease process through arrows and boxes.
I was like, whoa, I have never heard of any of this.
An underneath-ish concept was a list of the said benefits for the body, such as for sleep,
inflammation, appetite, even hair growth, and whatnot.
(03:09):
I realized I knew nothing at all.
I think the closest time I have ever gotten close to touching anything cannabinoid related
was when I was working in the hospital as a nurse and had to give Epidiolex to my patient,
which is basically the first and only FDA approved CBD for seizures.
But beyond that, I realized I had so many questions.
What is CBD?
What is cannabinoid?
(03:29):
Is it the same thing as the cannabis plant?
What is hemp?
What is weed?
Will intaking CBD give you the high?
What is the difference between CBG and CBN and CBD itself?
As a nurse, my utmost priority is the well-being of my patients, and it is so intriguing to
hear of so many changed lives and ameliorated pain from CBD products.
(03:50):
And so, in today's episode, I had a mission to learn all about this.
Not just for you, my friends of Franz audience, but more so for myself.
I am beyond honored to have my dear friend Amy Chin with me today to talk about all things
CBD.
Amy is a licensed CBD coach and consultant and is the founder of Calm Better Days, a
boutique service that provides a curated CBD regimen suited to an individual's needs and
(04:13):
lifestyle while providing educational services to new users of the phytochemical.
Are you ready to weed out some CBD myths?
Let's go.
Hi!
Amy!
Hello!
How are you?
I'm good.
How are you doing?
Good.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
(04:34):
Yes, of course.
Thank you for having me on.
Of course, I've been so excited.
There's like a fire truck ringing around behind you.
I don't know if you hear it, but they know it's a hot topic that we're going to talk
about today.
They know it's a hot topic.
So, if you could just first please introduce yourself to everyone.
Yes, absolutely.
Hello, everyone.
I am Amy Chin.
(04:55):
I am a cannabis coach in New York.
And as a cannabis coach, I guide those who are new to plant medicine on how to consume
effectively to find the relief that they're looking for.
And I started my company, Calm Better Days, to do all of that.
And the great part of that is after learning how to consume effectively, I also provide
(05:18):
customized treatment plans.
So when you come to me and say, well, I've got maybe sleep issues or anxiety, or maybe
it's an autoimmune disease or pain that you need to address, I can help you find the right
products with or without the high, which is something that a lot of people still sometimes
(05:38):
are confused about.
Which is why I love talking about the plant so we can demystify all the ideas that we
may have thought were true.
Yes, I love it.
I love that they used the word demystify, which is, you know, that's basically the groundwork
of why I started the podcast series, right?
I guess that's a background too.
(06:00):
I was working throughout COVID and, you know, being inside the hospital and seeing everything
that's going on.
I'm like, oh my gosh, there's so much misinformation going on around social media and the news
and Instagram and WhatsApp, the red messages.
I said, why don't we bring on like the actual experts who are educated and licensed in the
field, whatever field may be, to talk about their expertise and hopefully, one, help people
(06:26):
become more knowledgeable about it and at the same time, potentially, you know, save
people, right, from going down certain modalities that can be harmful, right?
Because misinformation can really be harmful and it can limit our life and the things we
can do.
And I think one of those is the topic of all things CBD, right?
(06:46):
I feel like it's such a controversial topic.
It can be very taboo.
And when something is taboo, it's not really talked about and when something is not really
talked about, misinformation tends to create a fountain around it, right?
And that's why I'm so grateful to have you here with me today.
(07:06):
It's going to be a very casual talk of all things CBD and hopefully guide people, right,
into potentially the next steps and the decisions they make.
Definitely not medical or clinical advice, but more of just like, I guess, an eye-opening
view, right?
So let's start it right away.
Even I myself, I'm like, a few weeks ago, I went with a friend.
(07:27):
I think she was getting her gummies.
She needs it for sleep.
And there was a chart at the cashier, which is like basically the arrows of like, photo
cannabinoid.
I'm just looking at the whole thing.
I'm like, I don't understand any of this.
And you know, serendipitously, we met and I'm like, we have to talk about this.
But I guess let's break it down to the level.
(07:47):
What is cannabis in the first place?
Is it the same thing as marijuana?
What is it?
Please let us know.
So, yes.
So cannabis is marijuana.
However, we tend to not use the word marijuana anymore because of the negative connotation
relating back to when they started the whole war on drugs.
And it was because I think the Latin people were using that.
(08:10):
So they're trying to take on that word to say like, oh, okay, the people are using it.
So we are now using the word cannabis.
But yes, they are the same plant.
And the cannabis plant has over 100 cannabinoids.
And cannabinoids are THC, the cannabinoid that gets you high.
And then there is CBD, which is the cannabinoid that does not get you high.
(08:34):
Those are the two major cannabinoids.
But there's also a lot of minor cannabinoids such as CBG, CBN, THCV.
And all these different cannabinoids have their own therapeutic effects.
Like CBG is great to target pain and inflammation and to promote good gut flora.
(08:55):
Whereas CBN is great for sleep and works as a sedative.
Yeah.
So it's all about learning the different cannabinoids, which since there's over 100, yes, it can
be a little bit tough keeping up with them all.
But once you start experimenting and you start learning about it, then you slowly just add
on.
Add on to what you know and slowly keep experimenting.
(09:17):
Yeah.
I mean, with all of those abbreviations, right, it can really be...
I think that's the exact chart that I saw is all those different types of cannabinoids.
And I was just looking at it like, wow, I am so naive.
And it comes to all this cannabinoids.
It's like I only know about THC and CBD.
It's like, well, I didn't know this.
(09:37):
I think it was 113 in the cannabis plant, right?
And then when it comes to the plant, we also hear of the word hemp plant, right?
Yes.
I don't know anymore what that is.
Yeah.
So hemp is normally grown to have more CBD, whereas cannabis is grown to have more THC.
(09:58):
And hemp is federally legal, whereas cannabis is not federally legal.
So that's why there's two different licenses and two different plants.
And also the hemp plant is also grown for industrial purposes.
So for material, it can house you, feed you.
(10:20):
I mean, there's basically...
You can do everything with hemp cannabis.
Yeah.
I think that's a big question too, right?
When I started promoting our live stream, I guess more of my friends who are outside
the United States are very curious as to the legalities and legalizations of cannabis in
the United States, right?
I think for the first season of our podcast, in the very first episode, actually, we had
(10:43):
Dr. Alita Sikora, she's a regenerative medical doctor, and she offers CBD products in her
clinic, right?
And a big thing we were talking...
And she was in Florida, she was talking about the licenses and stuff like that.
That was probably three years ago.
I don't know how much has changed, but in the United States, what is the status of,
(11:03):
I guess, the legalization of cannabis in the country?
It is not federally legal.
So each state has their own laws of whether or not it's going to be legal.
New York is currently legal as of last year.
And because it's not federally legal, it makes it very difficult to get the normal things
(11:25):
you would for a business, such as banking, because they consider it high risk.
So less possible or likelihood to get a loan to start a business.
Also taxes.
You cannot write off your taxes like you would in a normal business.
So it makes having a business in cannabis very difficult.
(11:48):
And that is why we need to not only legalize it federally, but regulate it in a way that
makes sense for everyone.
Because as we see now in California, it is not doing well there at all.
It takes a lot of legislation, understanding cannabis as a whole in the industry.
(12:11):
And if those two are not talking together, it is very hard to create an ecosystem that
is set up for success.
Yeah, I can't imagine.
I mean, I think it's also like what you said earlier, I guess things really boil down to
history, right?
Yes.
I guess the federal government is very conservative, right?
(12:31):
When it comes to, I guess, plant medicine, stuff like that, specifically youth and the
cannabis plants.
But I wanted to talk, as we delve deeper, we already mentioned CBD and THC.
From what I remember from my chemistry classes, THC and CBD have the exact same chemical formula.
I think it's like 21 carbon, 30 hydrogen, 2 oxygen.
(12:54):
It's just the orientation of the chemical structure that's different.
And when things are different in chemical structures, the effects are different on the
body, right?
And I know you mentioned already that what are the difference between THC and CBD?
Well, the biggest difference is that THC, you're getting the high and CBD, you are not
(13:15):
getting the high.
CBD, however, is still very psychoactive in the sense that a person with depression like
myself, if I'm consuming CBD, it is going to elevate my mood so I'm not depressed.
However, it will not give me that high.
That's the biggest difference between the two, which is great because let's say for
(13:36):
someone who wants to address their anxiety issues or just wants to be calmer and wants
to be lucid and functional for work, right?
They would consume CBD.
Whereas let's say they did their nine to five, they're ready to like kick back and start
the weekend.
And if they're comfortable with the high, they can consume the THC for that.
(13:59):
And both are great in lowering stress, calming, also dealing with pain.
However, each person's reaction is going to be very different.
So it's one of those things where you really have to try in a low dose how your body is
going to react first, which is why experimenting and tracking is very important.
(14:21):
Yeah.
And we'll talk more about microdosing in a bit.
Yeah.
I mean, I guess it's great to have options, right?
I guess in the store that I went to with my friend, I was like, oh, wow, I was surprised
that it's like shells, some shells.
I was like, whoa, this is so cool.
And I think one of the words that I saw in one of the bottles were terpenes, right?
(14:43):
And I've been seeing this in your posts as well.
Can you explain to everyone what terpenes are?
Yes.
So terpenes are the scent and flavor profile of the plant.
And every terpene has their own specific healing property, just like cannabinoids.
And also terpenes can be found in other vegetables and plants.
(15:03):
For example, linoleum can also be found in lavender that provides that calming effect.
Limonene can be found in the lemon rind, right, that provides that energizing boost.
So if I'm looking to relax, I'm going to look for a product with linoleum as a terpene
in that product as well.
I'm not going to go for a product with limonene because I might not want that energetic boost
(15:27):
if I'm looking to rest.
So that is one way to think about terpenes.
And usually when you smell it, you kind of get that first whiff and you kind of know
how you're feeling, right?
Because it's like almost like a broma therapy.
Yeah.
And I guess there's a lot of terms, right, and jargon when it comes to this whole industry,
(15:48):
right, and this whole field.
When you were talking about, again, CBD, THC, terpenes.
And I think one of the things that I've also been seeing online and that you do a great
deal of explaining is about strains of it, right?
Like the only strains that I know is like when it comes to viral strains and bacterial
strains.
I was like, oh, there are strains when it comes to, you know, so can you explain what
(16:10):
those strains mean and are?
So there are different strains such as we used to use the term sativa, indica, hybrids,
but we're finding that now we're leaning away from those terms because almost everything
has been hybridized.
And that started with when growers were trying to grow a higher THC amount, right?
(16:33):
But now we're learning, yes, that's great.
And, you know, some may be looking for that.
But they want to focus more on the cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant.
So now strains can lean toward a certain profile, but also when it's grown in different environments,
just like wine, it takes on a different profile.
(16:56):
So now we love to focus on the cannabinoids and terpenes.
Yeah.
It's so great to like break down all this information, right?
I mean, just like me, when I walked in the store and I saw that chart, I was just like,
I don't know what's going on.
And I know it's the same for so many people, right?
It's so hard to really grasp information when there is so much online, right?
(17:18):
And then they're like differing information.
And some of them are not from experts or licensed coaches at all, right?
And it kind of muddles the water a little bit.
And a big part of the conversation why I wanted to have this, obviously, is the effects and
the benefits of CBD, right?
Which I know we'll talk about.
But before all of that, I wanted to veer first into your journey of what has been the benefit
(17:40):
for you, I guess, sort of like what has CBD done for you to the point that it's like,
oh, I'm going to be a coach and I'm going to help other people in it as well.
Yes.
Okay.
So my journey started, well, the first time I tried cannabis was in college.
It was just one time that was it.
And then in my mid 20s, when adulting got hard, I started consuming THC.
(18:06):
And also I was allergic to alcohol.
So cannabis was my vice.
Well, actually my savior though.
So it was my mid 20s, I became a, I would say a consumer, right?
And then it wasn't until probably about eight, nine years ago that I was diagnosed with anxiety,
(18:26):
most part of depression and at the advisement of my therapist, she said you should try CBD.
And at that time, I never heard about CBD.
I didn't even know there was a non-euphoric part of the plan.
Also at that time you needed a medical marijuana card to even get the non-euphoric part.
So I got my card.
(18:47):
It was amazing.
And when I say amazing, meaning pre CBD, I was a mom, right?
But I was not the mom I was thinking I would be.
I was cranky, irritable.
I was yelling, screaming, not a likable person.
I was mad at the world, angry, depressed, wishing I didn't wake up in the morning because
(19:07):
I was just like, I didn't know what to do.
I didn't even know what I was feeling, which is why I was thankful to be diagnosed.
But after consuming CBD and then understanding what mental health is and diving into it,
I became a person.
I was a much more better person.
I was a present mom.
I was able to enjoy and interact with my kids, which was something I was not feeling before.
(19:32):
And once I was feeling that and seeing the difference in my demeanor and my thoughts,
that was when I was like, wow, this has to be known out there.
I want people to know about the wonderful benefits.
And the reason why my therapist suggested CBD was because I did not want any pharmaceutical
meds because I felt that I had been taking it throughout the whole time.
(19:55):
And I kept getting sick.
I was getting thrush.
My immune system was really down and I kept getting sick from one thing or another.
And I wanted something, I was leaning toward a more holistic life after becoming a mom.
But after that, my experience with CBD and saw how it was such a better mom afterwards,
that was when okay, I'm going to do something about this and started my company to educate
(20:20):
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(23:31):
I love how you were like, oh, it's my voice.
Oh no, actually, it's my savior.
And you know, it can be the savior of other people, right?
I guess the question to you is, someone comes up to you and it's like, what can CBD benefit
me?
You know, like what benefits does it give me?
I guess that's a really huge question now, right, online, among forums is, what are the
(23:52):
benefits of CBD?
What have you seen for it to help with other people as we know that it's benefited you
as well?
So for me, when I was going through anxiety and depression at my worst, I had hormonal
acne.
I had pain in my body everywhere because whatever you don't process comes out on your body.
So through my own experience, I would say that my skin got better, my immune system
(24:18):
got stronger, the aches and pains of aging, and as well as just from emotional stress
also disappeared.
I am so much healthier now than I was before.
Just to give a quick idea of how CBD can do so many different things, we all have something
(24:39):
called the endocannabinoid system, and you probably might be able to explain it better
than me with your medical background.
But our endocannabinoid system, as you can see in the word endo meaning within and cannabinoids,
we actually make our own cannabinoids.
And how our endocannabinoid system works is that every time we are stressed, right, imagine
(25:00):
back in prehistoric times, we saw a lion, our fight or flight kicks in, quarters of
the levels increase, we find this superhuman strength to run as fast as we can to safety.
And once that happens, right, we're like, okay, we're in safety mode.
That's when our endocannabinoid system kicks in.
(25:20):
Our cannabinoids feels the red flag, the imbalance in our body, and goes to assess the situation
and then goes back to the main hub and says, hey, endocannabinoid system, now do your thing
to heal your body.
So it decreases the quarters of levels, brings your body back to balance.
That's how the endocannabinoid system works.
(25:42):
But imagine now in a modern world where you're stressed 24 seven, you are constantly running
off your cannabinoids to the point of most of us are cannabinoid deficient.
And you can tell when you're cannabinoid deficient when you're starting to have chronic symptoms
such as migraines, chronic pain, chronic fatigue.
(26:03):
And when these things are not addressed, that's when you start opening the gates to a more
serious disease.
The great thing is you can now take plant based cytokinabinoids that mimic our own natural
producing ones to basically do a reset and help your endocannabinoid system run and balance
(26:23):
your body.
And when I say your endocannabinoid system, it's one job is to balance your body.
It's in charge of your immune system, nervous system, cardiovascular, every body process
and function your body is going through is regulated with your endocannabinoid system.
And that's how it can help alleviate so many symptoms because it's targeting your skin,
(26:49):
your everything in your body.
Yeah, super agree with that.
I mean, the endocannabinoid system is such flourishing science, right? and I know many
physicians I talked to, it's like who are taking classes and courses in the endocannabinoid
system or the ECS.
It's like, it's not really including the curriculum of most medical schools or even in nursing
(27:12):
school or whatnot.
But we have seen so much data and we have continued science on it, right?
And I super agree with all of those bringing back into balance.
I think there's one article from a doctor I read that he was like that endocannabinoid
system is kind of like that long lost bridge between the body and the mind, right?
It's like creating this balance, which we have a term called homeostasis, right?
(27:35):
It's like bringing this balance.
And when it comes to what you're talking about, like helping target things like chronic pain
or inflammation or things with the skin, I mean, things like acne, acne is basically
inflammation, right?
It's a byproduct of inflammation, whether it's bacterial or whether it's, I don't know,
a stuck hair follicle.
I mean, I guess when it comes to the endocannabinoid system, we typically, from what I know, we
(27:58):
know of two receptors, right?
Type one and type two.
Type one is mostly in the brain, like in the hippocampus and the brain stem.
And for some reason, for type two, we see more of an induced expression after moments
of inflammation, injury, and infection, which makes sense why getting cannabinoids in our
(28:19):
system helps to target those inflammation, infection, and when it comes to injury, right?
Yeah, exactly.
That is why it's amazing because basically when we're taking plant medicine, we're targeting
everything in our body to work at its optimal level.
And also think about it, when we have stress, that's when inflammation is building as well.
(28:40):
So when you were reducing our stress, plant medicine also decreases inflammation and regulates
your blood and everything.
So it's kind of like working in two ways, you know, because it's helping you mentally
and as it helps you mentally, that's also helping you physically.
Super, super agree with that.
(29:01):
I mean, I think there's so many dark things about the pandemic and the lockdowns, right?
I think one of the bright lights about it, obviously not ignoring all the horrendous
things that happened, is how much more knowledgeable has people become when it comes not only to
their mental health, but physical health, right?
And I think a big part, aside from the mental health, you know, trying to learn coping skills,
(29:26):
but also finding modalities that might help with their physical health.
I mean, mental health is physical health, right?
And I think the push and the race towards plant medicine is, I mean, I feel like we're
just going back to, in a good way, where we all started, they're like Eastern medicine,
right?
Where it all started from plants.
I mean, all of the foundation of modern medicine, even plastic aspirin is from a bar of a tree.
(29:52):
So yeah, so I think the push is like, I mean, I've been seeing CBD infused skincare.
Oh yeah, it's amazing.
Which is so interesting, right?
And this is just so, so interesting.
I mean, it's great knowing about the health benefits of CBD, right?
Now I want to touch upon, say someone is trying for the first time, is there anything that
(30:16):
they should be wary of?
Is there a side effect that people should be knowledgeable about?
CBD itself, if we're just talking CBD, right?
Is very minimal side effects and they should always, always start small, always start low
and go slow because you want to know first how your body is going to react, right?
(30:36):
Before we like start taking a whole big dose, right?
They should know that in terms of side effects, sometimes when you take too much, you might
feel sleepy, you know, you're feeling sedated because you're taking a huge dose, right?
Also sometimes you might get a bowel movement or you might feel really tired.
And that's because these are not lifelong side effects.
(30:58):
You're simply your body noticing something new in your body.
And also it's probably noticing that, oh, maybe you do really need rest, right?
You've been lacking sleep and it's trying to help you balance your body, which is why
I always recommend start low, go slow and always really think about first why you are
consuming.
Are you trying to address a certain symptom?
(31:20):
Because if you are, it's always good to first think about, okay, how am I feeling right
now?
What are my stress levels, right?
Rate it from one to 10 because if you don't kind of have something to measure against,
how are you really going to know how you're feeling, right?
And the efficacy of it.
So always I like to like take down notes on how I'm feeling at that moment, any symptoms,
(31:45):
physical or mental, write them down, rate them and then consume.
And I always say if you're starting off, right, always start at about 0.5 milligrams per 10
pounds and start from there.
Set your alarm clock for an hour because by then whichever delivery method you choose
would have been activated by then.
(32:07):
Then go back to your list and see how am I feeling right now?
How is my stress levels now from before an hour ago?
Or how is that, you know, maybe that pain in my neck?
Then you're consuming mindfully and you're trying to find your optimal dose because if
you don't find your optimal dose either, then it's pointless to just consume as well because
(32:30):
then you're not going to find the release you're needing.
Yeah definitely and you know, they're very specific to CBD, right?
But I wanted to talk about THC.
I mean THC is the one with the psychoactive, right, where we get the high.
And I guess this is my question to you.
Should that high be feared?
Well, one, it depends on each person, right?
Each person is very different.
Some people are good at not having things in control and the person who needs that control
(32:57):
probably is going to amplify that feeling.
So their anxiety or their paranoia is going to kick in even harder.
I like to think of the plant as an amplifier of however you're feeling.
So if you are that person that you need to take control of things, you're going to have
a harder time, I feel.
However, if you consume informed, like understanding, okay, this is how it's going to feel and not
(33:24):
taking a huge dose, right?
Because if you take a huge dose, you may not be able to handle it and you may want to,
you may vomit, right?
Is one side effect.
Also, you might just feel out of control to the point where, okay, I'm not feeling good.
So and we don't want that, which is also another reason why you want to go in informed and
you want to start really low to know how your body's going to react to get a more positive
(33:48):
result.
Yeah, I mean, super, super helpful and super, super important.
I think this is the moment where we can actually inject the terms of microdosing, right?
And I guess the ratios as we're talking about CBD and THC.
Can you explain first what the ratios are when it comes to products?
Yes.
So because the market is so innovative right now, it's moving so quick, there's different
(34:11):
ratios.
So when we think of ratio, think of it as so a one to one would be a THC one to CBD
one.
So that means you're getting one to one and that means you're getting the high right from
the THC as well as the CBD.
So the CBD works to bring the intensity of the high down.
(34:32):
So when you're combining it together, you can think of it as a more grounded high versus
if it's just all THC.
It's a super intense high.
And the great thing about ratios now is that there and we're finding out so many different
cannabinoids is well, if I want to target my autoimmune issue and pain while getting
(34:54):
that high, but I don't want to be too high, you can have a CBD, CBG, THC one to one, or
maybe you need more of the pain relief, right?
You make the CBG higher.
And again, this is all what works for me may not work for you.
Like you may enjoy the one to one, whereas another person may enjoy, no, I want all THC.
(35:18):
So it goes back to experimenting.
But once you know what you're working with, it makes it easy to experiment.
So, and some people may not want the high but want that extra pain relief.
So they'll look for a higher ratio of a CBG and CBD to the THC.
And you're also talking about starting low and slow, I guess this ties in the things
(35:39):
that we hear like microdosing, right?
Can you explain more of that?
Yeah.
So people find cannabis most helpful when they're microdosing.
And microdosing is basically taking it in cannabis in small doses three to four times
a day.
So for example, I microdose and what I do and this is how my routine looks like.
(36:01):
Once I wake up, anxiety says hello.
And so I would like to start my day off on the right foot with a tincture or a vaporizer.
So I'm getting the quickest relief.
Because once I know I'm in that hole of anxiety and depression, it's so hard to get out of
it.
So I like to start my day with that.
So I set the right tone for the day, ready to roll, ready to be productive, work, focus.
(36:28):
And then I usually take a gummy right before lunch, because I know I still have a long
afternoon ahead.
I don't want to have to worry about redosing.
I want to continue with my productivity and work.
And I also know I have the tincture still left in me, right, which gives the edible
time to kick in because it takes 30 to 90 minutes.
And then after work, depending on what my needs are, if it's time to like not work,
(36:54):
enjoy time with the kids, I'll do maybe a high CBD, maybe very little THC, or maybe
none at all, right, depending on what I have to do.
And then once the kids are in bed, then I get to dabble with my THC, again, in a small
amount because I don't need an intense high, I just need to relax, take the edge off.
(37:14):
And sometimes I like to dose THC when I need to think and strategize about my work, right,
because the great thing I love about doing THC versus CBD is that CBD, I love it when
I'm in my work mode, autopilot, completing my task, one to 10 or 100.
(37:35):
And then for THC, I'm not in autopilot mode.
This is now my time to kind of really think about where am I at work wise?
What do I want to do and strategize?
And that's when like my creativity or creative solutions come out, because we're thinking
outside the box, we're not in go go go mode.
(37:58):
And we're able to like really sit and surrender.
And I love that because I don't feel we get enough of that time because we're always going,
right?
Oh, yeah.
And that's why the pause is so important.
Amy has it down.
She has it all down, which I love.
(38:19):
You know, you mentioned things like tinctures and gummies.
Now this is what I want to talk about.
I feel like I see CBD in everything now.
There was a cheeseburger with CBD.
There's a bath essential oil with CBD.
Like I said, there's skincare CBD.
I think it was, I went to Asian Hustle Network Conference in Las Vegas.
(38:40):
And I think one of the booths, one of the brands was CBD infused skincare, if I remember
correctly.
So there's toothpicks with CBD.
I feel like there's CBD in everything.
That's a newbie.
Someone comes up to you and is like, what are ways that I can get CBD?
Or like, how can CBD be taken?
Can you explain the order of those?
(39:00):
Yeah, there are many different formats.
I'll just name them and I'll go through them.
So there are tinctures, the CBD suspended in MCT oil.
And usually when you use a tincture, you want to drop it underneath your tongue and hold
it there for 60 seconds before you swallow.
That allows it to be absorbed into your bloodstream, the mucous membranes, and will activate in
(39:23):
20 to 40 minutes and will last for four hours.
Then there are edibles, which take 30 to 90 minutes kick in because it needs to go through
your liver and metabolize.
And usually people find edibles hit a little stronger because it metabolizes and becomes
another cannabinoid.
But it's great for long sustaining because it lasts the longest between four to six hours,
(39:45):
which is great for people who are looking to find something that helps them from waking
up in the middle of the night.
And then there are vaporizers, which provides the quickest relief, five to 10 minutes.
It will last for about two to four hours, depending how many pulls you take.
There are also suppositories, great for women who suffer from endometriosis or just have
(40:07):
really bad PMS.
Also great for any lower back pain.
There are also patches.
You could wear patches on you and that takes about 20 minutes and you can feel it up to
eight to 12 hours of relief.
Great for people suffering from pain.
Topicals, it's amazing.
(40:27):
As a facial oil because it's antioxidant, anti-aging, also anti-inflammatory.
So great for acne, which I use every day because I used to have bad hormonal acne.
So the thing about knowing your delivery methods is you want to know, okay, how long they last
for.
So just like I was mentioning, that's why I choose a vaporizer or a tincture for my
(40:51):
morning because I want it to kick in quickly, right?
Someone dealing with a migraine, back pain, they want something that may kick in quickly.
But let's say I need that fast relief, but I'm going out to work and I need that relief
all day, right?
I'm going to then also take my gummy with me to make sure that it'll last throughout
the day.
That's a great thing about all these different delivery formats.
(41:13):
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When I saw your booth at the mixed Asian media party at Hannah House, I was like, whoa, we
brought a whole store in here.
(44:33):
And it's just so important to know about these, especially what you said about the delivery
time and the systems and I guess the formats that we get them in, right, like patches.
I mean, the only, honestly, the only CBD that I knew of was, I guess, back at work in the
hospital was Epidiolex, which is the FDA approved one for, I guess, I think my patient had epilepsy
at that time.
(44:53):
Yeah.
So I wasn't aware that there's tinctures and vaporizers.
I guess I was more aware of the gummies.
So it's so important to know about that.
And thank you for sharing all of that.
You mentioned sleep quite a lot, you know, in this whole life.
And I guess it's a very, very pressing topic, right?
(45:14):
Like insomnia.
And it just so happens that we're going to have a livestream next week with a sleep physician.
And so I feel like sleep, it's something that we don't get enough of.
And it's not just sleep hours.
It's not just sleep duration, it's the quality of sleep, right?
I think people tend to forget that you can have seven hours of sleep, but if you're still
waking up groggy and tired, that is not the optimal and quality sleep that we are aiming
(45:41):
for.
Right.
Right.
And I guess outside from those who are clinically diagnosed with insomnia and are on medications
that are meant for sleep, right?
I think for the most part, what's a mass usage is melatonin, right?
And I must say that I've been taking melatonin and it's not good.
(46:03):
You know, we don't have studies for long-term use and it is not recommended for long-term
use.
Correct.
And then you told me about CBD.
Can you explain more about CBD or other products that you want to share when it comes to sleep
and sleep quality?
Yes.
(46:24):
And I keep mentioning sleep because the top three problems that people are coming to me
for are pain, sleep, and stress.
Stress anxiety.
So to answer your question about sleep, CBN is a great cannabinoid for sleep.
Just like melatonin is meant for short-term use because otherwise you don't produce your
own melatonin, CBN, all these cannabinoids, our body produces its own cannabinoids.
(46:49):
And even though you may continue to consume it, you will still produce your own cannabinoids.
And the great thing about that with CBN taking it for sleep is that you're getting good quality
sleep if you are finding your optimal dose.
Again, it always goes back to finding your optimal dose.
(47:10):
And a quick way to know is if you are consuming and you're getting good sleep but maybe you
need more, you can increase your dose.
But if you are sleeping and you're waking up groggy, then you know, okay, that was too
much and then to cut back the next time.
So that's one way to know.
And the reason why you're getting good restful sleep is because one, you're finding your
(47:32):
dose and two, you're working with your body back to your endocannabinoid system.
It is giving you and balancing your sleep just like it's balancing everything else.
Whereas I know with Ambien, some people, women take it and we don't think about it.
But the dose that is recommended for Ambien, those dose were recommended based on test
(47:55):
on male Americans, which well, first off, males and females bodies.
It's very different and how our body takes all of that.
Which is why there's a lot of side effects as well.
And so once you find the right dose with cannabis, you're going to have great sleep.
Yeah, I love that.
(48:17):
You know, these are very important topics, especially sleep because sleep is so vital
for our general health, for our physical health, right?
I mean, there are studies to show that those who don't have quality sleep and optimal
number hours of sleep throughout years tend to have more comorbidities when it comes to
diseases, right?
(48:38):
Especially within cardiovascular, neurological, higher incidences of strokes and heart attacks
in those who don't get quality sleep, right?
And that's why it's so important to talk about modalities and the ways that we can hopefully
improve our sleep.
And I think that goes back to a big part of why you started Calm Better Days, right?
Which coincidentally, well, probably not coincidentally, it's CBD, right?
(48:58):
Yes, that's how I came up with it.
And it's called the Calm Better Day in this world.
I remember going out to you at the party at the Hannah House and I was like, maybe I just
realized Calm Better Days is CBD.
And my brain was just like, whoa, this is so smart.
(49:19):
Well, I wanted to ask, what are your favorite products?
I know I'm saying CBD now, Calm Better Days, you know, you suggest a lot of very helpful
products.
I guess what would be, it's probably choosing from your babies, but top three products that
you like.
Oh, top three.
Okay.
I definitely always use a facial oil and I have two brands that I use.
(49:42):
Yes, Kiss Canoe and Moon Mother Hem.
I use it religiously day and night and that's all I use.
That's my favorite.
And recently, because I'm going through perimenopause, so with that has, and this could be TMI, but
drying, stinging, right?
So I've been using intimacy oil for that.
(50:03):
And that is, oh, I've been loving it so much.
It's great for self play, enhances orgasm, enhances all sensations, and it's also helping
me with my perimenopause symptoms.
So that's my second.
And my third, oh, I've been, a new product I got in to help with focus and it's a new
(50:26):
minor cannabinoid.
THCV is great for focus.
Another feature of it, although it hasn't been truly proven yet, is to curb your appetite.
So some are looking at it as a way to diet.
That is not proven yet.
I'm just mentioning it because there's a lot of excitement around that.
(50:48):
And you know, America loves to promote diet.
Although I think that we should be promoting good, healthy eating and exercise to really
achieve that.
But yeah, I just meant that.
I love that.
Well, I had to check that out, especially the facial oil.
Oh my goodness.
And also the sleep dummies, obviously, that we've been talking about.
(51:08):
This has been such a fulfilling and so helpful and important conversation, helping demystify
so many things.
And it's just so beautiful.
I guess it's just life, right?
So beautiful how, I guess, the darkest times in our lives bring us to places where we can
bring most life to others, right?
And I think that's your hope for combatter days.
(51:31):
I guess I want to end this with, what is your vision for combatter days?
My vision?
Well, to help people feel better, that is it.
And I love it when I hear people say, oh my gosh, I'm feeling so much better, whether
they were suffering from a physical or mental pain.
And I love talking about it because I know within our Asian culture, it has been such
(51:56):
a huge stigma.
And I really want to bring it back to our community because we also, that's where cannabis
was first found in Southeast China.
So for it to be so stigmatized, I just find that so, you know, it doesn't make sense.
This is at the end of the day, a plant, a therapeutic healing plant in so many different
(52:22):
ways.
Your body actually produces its cannabinoids, it's set up to receive it.
So I want us to start coming back to it again and remember that it's part of traditional
medicine and remember that so we can honor it.
And maybe find more healing for all of ourselves.
(52:44):
I love that so much.
Amy, this has been such a huge honor and a pleasure.
Thank you so much for bringing your vulnerability and your expertise and your experiences into
this conversation.
I have been so excited for this and my heart is just so full.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me on and for me to talk about my favorite subjects.
(53:05):
Of course.
This is not the last time we're going to be talking about it.
Not the last time.
There's so much emerging experiments and science about it and we'd love to keep you on the
loop and have your expertise in it as well.
So Amy, thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Bye Amy.
I'll see you on the next great day.
Bye.
Hi friends, happy Friends of Franz Friday.
(00:07):
I hope you had a great week so far.
If you tuned into last week's episode, you might realize that my voice sounds a bit better.
I was so sick last week from a cold and I had one wish for winter to be over here in
New York City and for the weather to get better.
Someone somewhere out there most likely listened to me because this week was so so good.
(00:28):
It was spring weather throughout, I was just wearing a light sweater, went to the gym a
few days to do some cardio, who is she?
And had a busy work week, but alas, here we are ending another one, yet welcoming a new
episode.
Today's episode is very special because it is so different from all the other episodes
of the podcast series thus far.
In total, across three seasons, this marks our 67th episode.
(00:53):
Wow.
You know, over the past three years and three seasons, we have heard from so many amazing
clinical and scientific experts from different domains of healthcare.
Physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, therapists of all sorts, scientists, business
owners, you name it.
But all of them generally fell into one pool of expertise, American and Western medicine,
(01:17):
which is what I work in, with two or three outliers from the Canadian, European, and
Asian healthcare systems, which in some essences are also similar to the American way of caring.
In today's episode, we move a bit past the hospital and laboratory halls and go deeper
into another form of medicine we have not yet talked about, plant and Eastern medicine.
(01:37):
As I made sure to be very clear about in our first season, the goal of the podcast was
to disseminate evidence-based scientific data from experts to thwart misinformation commonly
found online.
There are some territories that are definitely hard to place in a test tube or have controlled
studies about, but nevertheless, these domains can also have thousands of misinformation,
so it's just fitting that we talked about them.
(01:59):
As I always say, when things are taboo and not talked about, that's where misinformation
can also flourish.
Last year, my friend Chrissy and I unexpectedly met in the streets of Manhattan before I had
to go to a party.
She said she needed to buy some gummies, quote unquote, in a store nearby, so I decided to
give her some company before I had to leave.
Obviously I know about gummies, I mean, I went to college here in New York City, but
(02:23):
I honestly have had no experience of any type of them, but I know about weed and all those
herbs.
Well, I thought I did, until I entered the store and plastered on the wall was a whole
diagram on cannabinoids.
It was a diagram filled with boxes and pictures and arrows and descriptions, THC and THCV
and CBD and CBG and CBN, and it got so overwhelmed.
(02:48):
The last time I ever got overwhelmed by a diagram was for a pathophysiology class that
was explaining a certain disease process through arrows and boxes.
I was like, whoa, I have never heard of any of this.
An underneath-ish concept was a list of the said benefits for the body, such as for sleep,
inflammation, appetite, even hair growth, and whatnot.
(03:09):
I realized I knew nothing at all.
I think the closest time I have ever gotten close to touching anything cannabinoid related
was when I was working in the hospital as a nurse and had to give Epidiolex to my patient,
which is basically the first and only FDA approved CBD for seizures.
But beyond that, I realized I had so many questions.
What is CBD?
What is cannabinoid?
(03:29):
Is it the same thing as the cannabis plant?
What is hemp?
What is weed?
Will intaking CBD give you the high?
What is the difference between CBG and CBN and CBD itself?
As a nurse, my utmost priority is the well-being of my patients, and it is so intriguing to
hear of so many changed lives and ameliorated pain from CBD products.
(03:50):
And so, in today's episode, I had a mission to learn all about this.
Not just for you, my friends of Franz audience, but more so for myself.
I am beyond honored to have my dear friend Amy Chin with me today to talk about all things
CBD.
Amy is a licensed CBD coach and consultant and is the founder of Calm Better Days, a
boutique service that provides a curated CBD regimen suited to an individual's needs and
(04:13):
lifestyle while providing educational services to new users of the phytochemical.
Are you ready to weed out some CBD myths?
Let's go.
Hi!
Amy!
Hello!
How are you?
I'm good.
How are you doing?
Good.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
(04:34):
Yes, of course.
Thank you for having me on.
Of course, I've been so excited.
There's like a fire truck ringing around behind you.
I don't know if you hear it, but they know it's a hot topic that we're going to talk
about today.
They know it's a hot topic.
So, if you could just first please introduce yourself to everyone.
Yes, absolutely.
Hello, everyone.
I am Amy Chin.
(04:55):
I am a cannabis coach in New York.
And as a cannabis coach, I guide those who are new to plant medicine on how to consume
effectively to find the relief that they're looking for.
And I started my company, Calm Better Days, to do all of that.
And the great part of that is after learning how to consume effectively, I also provide
(05:18):
customized treatment plans.
So when you come to me and say, well, I've got maybe sleep issues or anxiety, or maybe
it's an autoimmune disease or pain that you need to address, I can help you find the right
products with or without the high, which is something that a lot of people still sometimes
(05:38):
are confused about.
Which is why I love talking about the plant so we can demystify all the ideas that we
may have thought were true.
Yes, I love it.
I love that they used the word demystify, which is, you know, that's basically the groundwork
of why I started the podcast series, right?
I guess that's a background too.
(06:00):
I was working throughout COVID and, you know, being inside the hospital and seeing everything
that's going on.
I'm like, oh my gosh, there's so much misinformation going on around social media and the news
and Instagram and WhatsApp, the red messages.
I said, why don't we bring on like the actual experts who are educated and licensed in the
field, whatever field may be, to talk about their expertise and hopefully, one, help people
(06:26):
become more knowledgeable about it and at the same time, potentially, you know, save
people, right, from going down certain modalities that can be harmful, right?
Because misinformation can really be harmful and it can limit our life and the things we
can do.
And I think one of those is the topic of all things CBD, right?
(06:46):
I feel like it's such a controversial topic.
It can be very taboo.
And when something is taboo, it's not really talked about and when something is not really
talked about, misinformation tends to create a fountain around it, right?
And that's why I'm so grateful to have you here with me today.
(07:06):
It's going to be a very casual talk of all things CBD and hopefully guide people, right,
into potentially the next steps and the decisions they make.
Definitely not medical or clinical advice, but more of just like, I guess, an eye-opening
view, right?
So let's start it right away.
Even I myself, I'm like, a few weeks ago, I went with a friend.
(07:27):
I think she was getting her gummies.
She needs it for sleep.
And there was a chart at the cashier, which is like basically the arrows of like, photo
cannabinoid.
I'm just looking at the whole thing.
I'm like, I don't understand any of this.
And you know, serendipitously, we met and I'm like, we have to talk about this.
But I guess let's break it down to the level.
(07:47):
What is cannabis in the first place?
Is it the same thing as marijuana?
What is it?
Please let us know.
So, yes.
So cannabis is marijuana.
However, we tend to not use the word marijuana anymore because of the negative connotation
relating back to when they started the whole war on drugs.
And it was because I think the Latin people were using that.
(08:10):
So they're trying to take on that word to say like, oh, okay, the people are using it.
So we are now using the word cannabis.
But yes, they are the same plant.
And the cannabis plant has over 100 cannabinoids.
And cannabinoids are THC, the cannabinoid that gets you high.
And then there is CBD, which is the cannabinoid that does not get you high.
(08:34):
Those are the two major cannabinoids.
But there's also a lot of minor cannabinoids such as CBG, CBN, THCV.
And all these different cannabinoids have their own therapeutic effects.
Like CBG is great to target pain and inflammation and to promote good gut flora.
(08:55):
Whereas CBN is great for sleep and works as a sedative.
Yeah.
So it's all about learning the different cannabinoids, which since there's over 100, yes, it can
be a little bit tough keeping up with them all.
But once you start experimenting and you start learning about it, then you slowly just add
on.
Add on to what you know and slowly keep experimenting.
(09:17):
Yeah.
I mean, with all of those abbreviations, right, it can really be...
I think that's the exact chart that I saw is all those different types of cannabinoids.
And I was just looking at it like, wow, I am so naive.
And it comes to all this cannabinoids.
It's like I only know about THC and CBD.
It's like, well, I didn't know this.
(09:37):
I think it was 113 in the cannabis plant, right?
And then when it comes to the plant, we also hear of the word hemp plant, right?
Yes.
I don't know anymore what that is.
Yeah.
So hemp is normally grown to have more CBD, whereas cannabis is grown to have more THC.
(09:58):
And hemp is federally legal, whereas cannabis is not federally legal.
So that's why there's two different licenses and two different plants.
And also the hemp plant is also grown for industrial purposes.
So for material, it can house you, feed you.
(10:20):
I mean, there's basically...
You can do everything with hemp cannabis.
Yeah.
I think that's a big question too, right?
When I started promoting our live stream, I guess more of my friends who are outside
the United States are very curious as to the legalities and legalizations of cannabis in
the United States, right?
I think for the first season of our podcast, in the very first episode, actually, we had
(10:43):
Dr. Alita Sikora, she's a regenerative medical doctor, and she offers CBD products in her
clinic, right?
And a big thing we were talking...
And she was in Florida, she was talking about the licenses and stuff like that.
That was probably three years ago.
I don't know how much has changed, but in the United States, what is the status of,
(11:03):
I guess, the legalization of cannabis in the country?
It is not federally legal.
So each state has their own laws of whether or not it's going to be legal.
New York is currently legal as of last year.
And because it's not federally legal, it makes it very difficult to get the normal things
(11:25):
you would for a business, such as banking, because they consider it high risk.
So less possible or likelihood to get a loan to start a business.
Also taxes.
You cannot write off your taxes like you would in a normal business.
So it makes having a business in cannabis very difficult.
(11:48):
And that is why we need to not only legalize it federally, but regulate it in a way that
makes sense for everyone.
Because as we see now in California, it is not doing well there at all.
It takes a lot of legislation, understanding cannabis as a whole in the industry.
(12:11):
And if those two are not talking together, it is very hard to create an ecosystem that
is set up for success.
Yeah, I can't imagine.
I mean, I think it's also like what you said earlier, I guess things really boil down to
history, right?
Yes.
I guess the federal government is very conservative, right?
(12:31):
When it comes to, I guess, plant medicine, stuff like that, specifically youth and the
cannabis plants.
But I wanted to talk, as we delve deeper, we already mentioned CBD and THC.
From what I remember from my chemistry classes, THC and CBD have the exact same chemical formula.
I think it's like 21 carbon, 30 hydrogen, 2 oxygen.
(12:54):
It's just the orientation of the chemical structure that's different.
And when things are different in chemical structures, the effects are different on the
body, right?
And I know you mentioned already that what are the difference between THC and CBD?
Well, the biggest difference is that THC, you're getting the high and CBD, you are not
(13:15):
getting the high.
CBD, however, is still very psychoactive in the sense that a person with depression like
myself, if I'm consuming CBD, it is going to elevate my mood so I'm not depressed.
However, it will not give me that high.
That's the biggest difference between the two, which is great because let's say for
(13:36):
someone who wants to address their anxiety issues or just wants to be calmer and wants
to be lucid and functional for work, right?
They would consume CBD.
Whereas let's say they did their nine to five, they're ready to like kick back and start
the weekend.
And if they're comfortable with the high, they can consume the THC for that.
(13:59):
And both are great in lowering stress, calming, also dealing with pain.
However, each person's reaction is going to be very different.
So it's one of those things where you really have to try in a low dose how your body is
going to react first, which is why experimenting and tracking is very important.
(14:21):
Yeah.
And we'll talk more about microdosing in a bit.
Yeah.
I mean, I guess it's great to have options, right?
I guess in the store that I went to with my friend, I was like, oh, wow, I was surprised
that it's like shells, some shells.
I was like, whoa, this is so cool.
And I think one of the words that I saw in one of the bottles were terpenes, right?
(14:43):
And I've been seeing this in your posts as well.
Can you explain to everyone what terpenes are?
Yes.
So terpenes are the scent and flavor profile of the plant.
And every terpene has their own specific healing property, just like cannabinoids.
And also terpenes can be found in other vegetables and plants.
(15:03):
For example, linoleum can also be found in lavender that provides that calming effect.
Limonene can be found in the lemon rind, right, that provides that energizing boost.
So if I'm looking to relax, I'm going to look for a product with linoleum as a terpene
in that product as well.
I'm not going to go for a product with limonene because I might not want that energetic boost
(15:27):
if I'm looking to rest.
So that is one way to think about terpenes.
And usually when you smell it, you kind of get that first whiff and you kind of know
how you're feeling, right?
Because it's like almost like a broma therapy.
Yeah.
And I guess there's a lot of terms, right, and jargon when it comes to this whole industry,
(15:48):
right, and this whole field.
When you were talking about, again, CBD, THC, terpenes.
And I think one of the things that I've also been seeing online and that you do a great
deal of explaining is about strains of it, right?
Like the only strains that I know is like when it comes to viral strains and bacterial
strains.
I was like, oh, there are strains when it comes to, you know, so can you explain what
(16:10):
those strains mean and are?
So there are different strains such as we used to use the term sativa, indica, hybrids,
but we're finding that now we're leaning away from those terms because almost everything
has been hybridized.
And that started with when growers were trying to grow a higher THC amount, right?
(16:33):
But now we're learning, yes, that's great.
And, you know, some may be looking for that.
But they want to focus more on the cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant.
So now strains can lean toward a certain profile, but also when it's grown in different environments,
just like wine, it takes on a different profile.
(16:56):
So now we love to focus on the cannabinoids and terpenes.
Yeah.
It's so great to like break down all this information, right?
I mean, just like me, when I walked in the store and I saw that chart, I was just like,
I don't know what's going on.
And I know it's the same for so many people, right?
It's so hard to really grasp information when there is so much online, right?
(17:18):
And then they're like differing information.
And some of them are not from experts or licensed coaches at all, right?
And it kind of muddles the water a little bit.
And a big part of the conversation why I wanted to have this, obviously, is the effects and
the benefits of CBD, right?
Which I know we'll talk about.
But before all of that, I wanted to veer first into your journey of what has been the benefit
(17:40):
for you, I guess, sort of like what has CBD done for you to the point that it's like,
oh, I'm going to be a coach and I'm going to help other people in it as well.
Yes.
Okay.
So my journey started, well, the first time I tried cannabis was in college.
It was just one time that was it.
And then in my mid 20s, when adulting got hard, I started consuming THC.
(18:06):
And also I was allergic to alcohol.
So cannabis was my vice.
Well, actually my savior though.
So it was my mid 20s, I became a, I would say a consumer, right?
And then it wasn't until probably about eight, nine years ago that I was diagnosed with anxiety,
(18:26):
most part of depression and at the advisement of my therapist, she said you should try CBD.
And at that time, I never heard about CBD.
I didn't even know there was a non-euphoric part of the plan.
Also at that time you needed a medical marijuana card to even get the non-euphoric part.
So I got my card.
(18:47):
It was amazing.
And when I say amazing, meaning pre CBD, I was a mom, right?
But I was not the mom I was thinking I would be.
I was cranky, irritable.
I was yelling, screaming, not a likable person.
I was mad at the world, angry, depressed, wishing I didn't wake up in the morning because
(19:07):
I was just like, I didn't know what to do.
I didn't even know what I was feeling, which is why I was thankful to be diagnosed.
But after consuming CBD and then understanding what mental health is and diving into it,
I became a person.
I was a much more better person.
I was a present mom.
I was able to enjoy and interact with my kids, which was something I was not feeling before.
(19:32):
And once I was feeling that and seeing the difference in my demeanor and my thoughts,
that was when I was like, wow, this has to be known out there.
I want people to know about the wonderful benefits.
And the reason why my therapist suggested CBD was because I did not want any pharmaceutical
meds because I felt that I had been taking it throughout the whole time.
(19:55):
And I kept getting sick.
I was getting thrush.
My immune system was really down and I kept getting sick from one thing or another.
And I wanted something, I was leaning toward a more holistic life after becoming a mom.
But after that, my experience with CBD and saw how it was such a better mom afterwards,
that was when okay, I'm going to do something about this and started my company to educate
(20:20):
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(23:31):
I love how you were like, oh, it's my voice.
Oh no, actually, it's my savior.
And you know, it can be the savior of other people, right?
I guess the question to you is, someone comes up to you and it's like, what can CBD benefit
me?
You know, like what benefits does it give me?
I guess that's a really huge question now, right, online, among forums is, what are the
(23:52):
benefits of CBD?
What have you seen for it to help with other people as we know that it's benefited you
as well?
So for me, when I was going through anxiety and depression at my worst, I had hormonal
acne.
I had pain in my body everywhere because whatever you don't process comes out on your body.
So through my own experience, I would say that my skin got better, my immune system
(24:18):
got stronger, the aches and pains of aging, and as well as just from emotional stress
also disappeared.
I am so much healthier now than I was before.
Just to give a quick idea of how CBD can do so many different things, we all have something
(24:39):
called the endocannabinoid system, and you probably might be able to explain it better
than me with your medical background.
But our endocannabinoid system, as you can see in the word endo meaning within and cannabinoids,
we actually make our own cannabinoids.
And how our endocannabinoid system works is that every time we are stressed, right, imagine
(25:00):
back in prehistoric times, we saw a lion, our fight or flight kicks in, quarters of
the levels increase, we find this superhuman strength to run as fast as we can to safety.
And once that happens, right, we're like, okay, we're in safety mode.
That's when our endocannabinoid system kicks in.
(25:20):
Our cannabinoids feels the red flag, the imbalance in our body, and goes to assess the situation
and then goes back to the main hub and says, hey, endocannabinoid system, now do your thing
to heal your body.
So it decreases the quarters of levels, brings your body back to balance.
That's how the endocannabinoid system works.
(25:42):
But imagine now in a modern world where you're stressed 24 seven, you are constantly running
off your cannabinoids to the point of most of us are cannabinoid deficient.
And you can tell when you're cannabinoid deficient when you're starting to have chronic symptoms
such as migraines, chronic pain, chronic fatigue.
(26:03):
And when these things are not addressed, that's when you start opening the gates to a more
serious disease.
The great thing is you can now take plant based cytokinabinoids that mimic our own natural
producing ones to basically do a reset and help your endocannabinoid system run and balance
(26:23):
your body.
And when I say your endocannabinoid system, it's one job is to balance your body.
It's in charge of your immune system, nervous system, cardiovascular, every body process
and function your body is going through is regulated with your endocannabinoid system.
And that's how it can help alleviate so many symptoms because it's targeting your skin,
(26:49):
your everything in your body.
Yeah, super agree with that.
I mean, the endocannabinoid system is such flourishing science, right? and I know many
physicians I talked to, it's like who are taking classes and courses in the endocannabinoid
system or the ECS.
It's like, it's not really including the curriculum of most medical schools or even in nursing
(27:12):
school or whatnot.
But we have seen so much data and we have continued science on it, right?
And I super agree with all of those bringing back into balance.
I think there's one article from a doctor I read that he was like that endocannabinoid
system is kind of like that long lost bridge between the body and the mind, right?
It's like creating this balance, which we have a term called homeostasis, right?
(27:35):
It's like bringing this balance.
And when it comes to what you're talking about, like helping target things like chronic pain
or inflammation or things with the skin, I mean, things like acne, acne is basically
inflammation, right?
It's a byproduct of inflammation, whether it's bacterial or whether it's, I don't know,
a stuck hair follicle.
I mean, I guess when it comes to the endocannabinoid system, we typically, from what I know, we
(27:58):
know of two receptors, right?
Type one and type two.
Type one is mostly in the brain, like in the hippocampus and the brain stem.
And for some reason, for type two, we see more of an induced expression after moments
of inflammation, injury, and infection, which makes sense why getting cannabinoids in our
(28:19):
system helps to target those inflammation, infection, and when it comes to injury, right?
Yeah, exactly.
That is why it's amazing because basically when we're taking plant medicine, we're targeting
everything in our body to work at its optimal level.
And also think about it, when we have stress, that's when inflammation is building as well.
(28:40):
So when you were reducing our stress, plant medicine also decreases inflammation and regulates
your blood and everything.
So it's kind of like working in two ways, you know, because it's helping you mentally
and as it helps you mentally, that's also helping you physically.
Super, super agree with that.
(29:01):
I mean, I think there's so many dark things about the pandemic and the lockdowns, right?
I think one of the bright lights about it, obviously not ignoring all the horrendous
things that happened, is how much more knowledgeable has people become when it comes not only to
their mental health, but physical health, right?
And I think a big part, aside from the mental health, you know, trying to learn coping skills,
(29:26):
but also finding modalities that might help with their physical health.
I mean, mental health is physical health, right?
And I think the push and the race towards plant medicine is, I mean, I feel like we're
just going back to, in a good way, where we all started, they're like Eastern medicine,
right?
Where it all started from plants.
I mean, all of the foundation of modern medicine, even plastic aspirin is from a bar of a tree.
(29:52):
So yeah, so I think the push is like, I mean, I've been seeing CBD infused skincare.
Oh yeah, it's amazing.
Which is so interesting, right?
And this is just so, so interesting.
I mean, it's great knowing about the health benefits of CBD, right?
Now I want to touch upon, say someone is trying for the first time, is there anything that
(30:16):
they should be wary of?
Is there a side effect that people should be knowledgeable about?
CBD itself, if we're just talking CBD, right?
Is very minimal side effects and they should always, always start small, always start low
and go slow because you want to know first how your body is going to react, right?
(30:36):
Before we like start taking a whole big dose, right?
They should know that in terms of side effects, sometimes when you take too much, you might
feel sleepy, you know, you're feeling sedated because you're taking a huge dose, right?
Also sometimes you might get a bowel movement or you might feel really tired.
And that's because these are not lifelong side effects.
(30:58):
You're simply your body noticing something new in your body.
And also it's probably noticing that, oh, maybe you do really need rest, right?
You've been lacking sleep and it's trying to help you balance your body, which is why
I always recommend start low, go slow and always really think about first why you are
consuming.
Are you trying to address a certain symptom?
(31:20):
Because if you are, it's always good to first think about, okay, how am I feeling right
now?
What are my stress levels, right?
Rate it from one to 10 because if you don't kind of have something to measure against,
how are you really going to know how you're feeling, right?
And the efficacy of it.
So always I like to like take down notes on how I'm feeling at that moment, any symptoms,
(31:45):
physical or mental, write them down, rate them and then consume.
And I always say if you're starting off, right, always start at about 0.5 milligrams per 10
pounds and start from there.
Set your alarm clock for an hour because by then whichever delivery method you choose
would have been activated by then.
(32:07):
Then go back to your list and see how am I feeling right now?
How is my stress levels now from before an hour ago?
Or how is that, you know, maybe that pain in my neck?
Then you're consuming mindfully and you're trying to find your optimal dose because if
you don't find your optimal dose either, then it's pointless to just consume as well because
(32:30):
then you're not going to find the release you're needing.
Yeah definitely and you know, they're very specific to CBD, right?
But I wanted to talk about THC.
I mean THC is the one with the psychoactive, right, where we get the high.
And I guess this is my question to you.
Should that high be feared?
Well, one, it depends on each person, right?
Each person is very different.
Some people are good at not having things in control and the person who needs that control
(32:57):
probably is going to amplify that feeling.
So their anxiety or their paranoia is going to kick in even harder.
I like to think of the plant as an amplifier of however you're feeling.
So if you are that person that you need to take control of things, you're going to have
a harder time, I feel.
However, if you consume informed, like understanding, okay, this is how it's going to feel and not
(33:24):
taking a huge dose, right?
Because if you take a huge dose, you may not be able to handle it and you may want to,
you may vomit, right?
Is one side effect.
Also, you might just feel out of control to the point where, okay, I'm not feeling good.
So and we don't want that, which is also another reason why you want to go in informed and
you want to start really low to know how your body's going to react to get a more positive
(33:48):
result.
Yeah, I mean, super, super helpful and super, super important.
I think this is the moment where we can actually inject the terms of microdosing, right?
And I guess the ratios as we're talking about CBD and THC.
Can you explain first what the ratios are when it comes to products?
Yes.
So because the market is so innovative right now, it's moving so quick, there's different
(34:11):
ratios.
So when we think of ratio, think of it as so a one to one would be a THC one to CBD
one.
So that means you're getting one to one and that means you're getting the high right from
the THC as well as the CBD.
So the CBD works to bring the intensity of the high down.
(34:32):
So when you're combining it together, you can think of it as a more grounded high versus
if it's just all THC.
It's a super intense high.
And the great thing about ratios now is that there and we're finding out so many different
cannabinoids is well, if I want to target my autoimmune issue and pain while getting
(34:54):
that high, but I don't want to be too high, you can have a CBD, CBG, THC one to one, or
maybe you need more of the pain relief, right?
You make the CBG higher.
And again, this is all what works for me may not work for you.
Like you may enjoy the one to one, whereas another person may enjoy, no, I want all THC.
(35:18):
So it goes back to experimenting.
But once you know what you're working with, it makes it easy to experiment.
So, and some people may not want the high but want that extra pain relief.
So they'll look for a higher ratio of a CBG and CBD to the THC.
And you're also talking about starting low and slow, I guess this ties in the things
(35:39):
that we hear like microdosing, right?
Can you explain more of that?
Yeah.
So people find cannabis most helpful when they're microdosing.
And microdosing is basically taking it in cannabis in small doses three to four times
a day.
So for example, I microdose and what I do and this is how my routine looks like.
(36:01):
Once I wake up, anxiety says hello.
And so I would like to start my day off on the right foot with a tincture or a vaporizer.
So I'm getting the quickest relief.
Because once I know I'm in that hole of anxiety and depression, it's so hard to get out of
it.
So I like to start my day with that.
So I set the right tone for the day, ready to roll, ready to be productive, work, focus.
(36:28):
And then I usually take a gummy right before lunch, because I know I still have a long
afternoon ahead.
I don't want to have to worry about redosing.
I want to continue with my productivity and work.
And I also know I have the tincture still left in me, right, which gives the edible
time to kick in because it takes 30 to 90 minutes.
And then after work, depending on what my needs are, if it's time to like not work,
(36:54):
enjoy time with the kids, I'll do maybe a high CBD, maybe very little THC, or maybe
none at all, right, depending on what I have to do.
And then once the kids are in bed, then I get to dabble with my THC, again, in a small
amount because I don't need an intense high, I just need to relax, take the edge off.
(37:14):
And sometimes I like to dose THC when I need to think and strategize about my work, right,
because the great thing I love about doing THC versus CBD is that CBD, I love it when
I'm in my work mode, autopilot, completing my task, one to 10 or 100.
(37:35):
And then for THC, I'm not in autopilot mode.
This is now my time to kind of really think about where am I at work wise?
What do I want to do and strategize?
And that's when like my creativity or creative solutions come out, because we're thinking
outside the box, we're not in go go go mode.
(37:58):
And we're able to like really sit and surrender.
And I love that because I don't feel we get enough of that time because we're always going,
right?
Oh, yeah.
And that's why the pause is so important.
Amy has it down.
She has it all down, which I love.
(38:19):
You know, you mentioned things like tinctures and gummies.
Now this is what I want to talk about.
I feel like I see CBD in everything now.
There was a cheeseburger with CBD.
There's a bath essential oil with CBD.
Like I said, there's skincare CBD.
I think it was, I went to Asian Hustle Network Conference in Las Vegas.
(38:40):
And I think one of the booths, one of the brands was CBD infused skincare, if I remember
correctly.
So there's toothpicks with CBD.
I feel like there's CBD in everything.
That's a newbie.
Someone comes up to you and is like, what are ways that I can get CBD?
Or like, how can CBD be taken?
Can you explain the order of those?
(39:00):
Yeah, there are many different formats.
I'll just name them and I'll go through them.
So there are tinctures, the CBD suspended in MCT oil.
And usually when you use a tincture, you want to drop it underneath your tongue and hold
it there for 60 seconds before you swallow.
That allows it to be absorbed into your bloodstream, the mucous membranes, and will activate in
(39:23):
20 to 40 minutes and will last for four hours.
Then there are edibles, which take 30 to 90 minutes kick in because it needs to go through
your liver and metabolize.
And usually people find edibles hit a little stronger because it metabolizes and becomes
another cannabinoid.
But it's great for long sustaining because it lasts the longest between four to six hours,
(39:45):
which is great for people who are looking to find something that helps them from waking
up in the middle of the night.
And then there are vaporizers, which provides the quickest relief, five to 10 minutes.
It will last for about two to four hours, depending how many pulls you take.
There are also suppositories, great for women who suffer from endometriosis or just have
(40:07):
really bad PMS.
Also great for any lower back pain.
There are also patches.
You could wear patches on you and that takes about 20 minutes and you can feel it up to
eight to 12 hours of relief.
Great for people suffering from pain.
Topicals, it's amazing.
(40:27):
As a facial oil because it's antioxidant, anti-aging, also anti-inflammatory.
So great for acne, which I use every day because I used to have bad hormonal acne.
So the thing about knowing your delivery methods is you want to know, okay, how long they last
for.
So just like I was mentioning, that's why I choose a vaporizer or a tincture for my
(40:51):
morning because I want it to kick in quickly, right?
Someone dealing with a migraine, back pain, they want something that may kick in quickly.
But let's say I need that fast relief, but I'm going out to work and I need that relief
all day, right?
I'm going to then also take my gummy with me to make sure that it'll last throughout
the day.
That's a great thing about all these different delivery formats.
(41:13):
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When I saw your booth at the mixed Asian media party at Hannah House, I was like, whoa, we
brought a whole store in here.
(44:33):
And it's just so important to know about these, especially what you said about the delivery
time and the systems and I guess the formats that we get them in, right, like patches.
I mean, the only, honestly, the only CBD that I knew of was, I guess, back at work in the
hospital was Epidiolex, which is the FDA approved one for, I guess, I think my patient had epilepsy
at that time.
(44:53):
Yeah.
So I wasn't aware that there's tinctures and vaporizers.
I guess I was more aware of the gummies.
So it's so important to know about that.
And thank you for sharing all of that.
You mentioned sleep quite a lot, you know, in this whole life.
And I guess it's a very, very pressing topic, right?
(45:14):
Like insomnia.
And it just so happens that we're going to have a livestream next week with a sleep physician.
And so I feel like sleep, it's something that we don't get enough of.
And it's not just sleep hours.
It's not just sleep duration, it's the quality of sleep, right?
I think people tend to forget that you can have seven hours of sleep, but if you're still
waking up groggy and tired, that is not the optimal and quality sleep that we are aiming
(45:41):
for.
Right.
Right.
And I guess outside from those who are clinically diagnosed with insomnia and are on medications
that are meant for sleep, right?
I think for the most part, what's a mass usage is melatonin, right?
And I must say that I've been taking melatonin and it's not good.
(46:03):
You know, we don't have studies for long-term use and it is not recommended for long-term
use.
Correct.
And then you told me about CBD.
Can you explain more about CBD or other products that you want to share when it comes to sleep
and sleep quality?
Yes.
(46:24):
And I keep mentioning sleep because the top three problems that people are coming to me
for are pain, sleep, and stress.
Stress anxiety.
So to answer your question about sleep, CBN is a great cannabinoid for sleep.
Just like melatonin is meant for short-term use because otherwise you don't produce your
own melatonin, CBN, all these cannabinoids, our body produces its own cannabinoids.
(46:49):
And even though you may continue to consume it, you will still produce your own cannabinoids.
And the great thing about that with CBN taking it for sleep is that you're getting good quality
sleep if you are finding your optimal dose.
Again, it always goes back to finding your optimal dose.
(47:10):
And a quick way to know is if you are consuming and you're getting good sleep but maybe you
need more, you can increase your dose.
But if you are sleeping and you're waking up groggy, then you know, okay, that was too
much and then to cut back the next time.
So that's one way to know.
And the reason why you're getting good restful sleep is because one, you're finding your
(47:32):
dose and two, you're working with your body back to your endocannabinoid system.
It is giving you and balancing your sleep just like it's balancing everything else.
Whereas I know with Ambien, some people, women take it and we don't think about it.
But the dose that is recommended for Ambien, those dose were recommended based on test
(47:55):
on male Americans, which well, first off, males and females bodies.
It's very different and how our body takes all of that.
Which is why there's a lot of side effects as well.
And so once you find the right dose with cannabis, you're going to have great sleep.
Yeah, I love that.
(48:17):
You know, these are very important topics, especially sleep because sleep is so vital
for our general health, for our physical health, right?
I mean, there are studies to show that those who don't have quality sleep and optimal
number hours of sleep throughout years tend to have more comorbidities when it comes to
diseases, right?
(48:38):
Especially within cardiovascular, neurological, higher incidences of strokes and heart attacks
in those who don't get quality sleep, right?
And that's why it's so important to talk about modalities and the ways that we can hopefully
improve our sleep.
And I think that goes back to a big part of why you started Calm Better Days, right?
Which coincidentally, well, probably not coincidentally, it's CBD, right?
(48:58):
Yes, that's how I came up with it.
And it's called the Calm Better Day in this world.
I remember going out to you at the party at the Hannah House and I was like, maybe I just
realized Calm Better Days is CBD.
And my brain was just like, whoa, this is so smart.
(49:19):
Well, I wanted to ask, what are your favorite products?
I know I'm saying CBD now, Calm Better Days, you know, you suggest a lot of very helpful
products.
I guess what would be, it's probably choosing from your babies, but top three products that
you like.
Oh, top three.
Okay.
I definitely always use a facial oil and I have two brands that I use.
(49:42):
Yes, Kiss Canoe and Moon Mother Hem.
I use it religiously day and night and that's all I use.
That's my favorite.
And recently, because I'm going through perimenopause, so with that has, and this could be TMI, but
drying, stinging, right?
So I've been using intimacy oil for that.
(50:03):
And that is, oh, I've been loving it so much.
It's great for self play, enhances orgasm, enhances all sensations, and it's also helping
me with my perimenopause symptoms.
So that's my second.
And my third, oh, I've been, a new product I got in to help with focus and it's a new
(50:26):
minor cannabinoid.
THCV is great for focus.
Another feature of it, although it hasn't been truly proven yet, is to curb your appetite.
So some are looking at it as a way to diet.
That is not proven yet.
I'm just mentioning it because there's a lot of excitement around that.
(50:48):
And you know, America loves to promote diet.
Although I think that we should be promoting good, healthy eating and exercise to really
achieve that.
But yeah, I just meant that.
I love that.
Well, I had to check that out, especially the facial oil.
Oh my goodness.
And also the sleep dummies, obviously, that we've been talking about.
(51:08):
This has been such a fulfilling and so helpful and important conversation, helping demystify
so many things.
And it's just so beautiful.
I guess it's just life, right?
So beautiful how, I guess, the darkest times in our lives bring us to places where we can
bring most life to others, right?
And I think that's your hope for combatter days.
(51:31):
I guess I want to end this with, what is your vision for combatter days?
My vision?
Well, to help people feel better, that is it.
And I love it when I hear people say, oh my gosh, I'm feeling so much better, whether
they were suffering from a physical or mental pain.
And I love talking about it because I know within our Asian culture, it has been such
(51:56):
a huge stigma.
And I really want to bring it back to our community because we also, that's where cannabis
was first found in Southeast China.
So for it to be so stigmatized, I just find that so, you know, it doesn't make sense.
This is at the end of the day, a plant, a therapeutic healing plant in so many different
(52:22):
ways.
Your body actually produces its cannabinoids, it's set up to receive it.
So I want us to start coming back to it again and remember that it's part of traditional
medicine and remember that so we can honor it.
And maybe find more healing for all of ourselves.
(52:44):
I love that so much.
Amy, this has been such a huge honor and a pleasure.
Thank you so much for bringing your vulnerability and your expertise and your experiences into
this conversation.
I have been so excited for this and my heart is just so full.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me on and for me to talk about my favorite subjects.
(53:05):
Of course.
This is not the last time we're going to be talking about it.
Not the last time.
There's so much emerging experiments and science about it and we'd love to keep you on the
loop and have your expertise in it as well.
So Amy, thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Bye Amy.
I'll see you on the next great day.
Bye.
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