EP 151 WTH?!? The Role of Hemp and CBD in Brain Regeneration with Justin Finneman

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Welcome back, Everybody. I am Dr. Greg Eckel, and this is what the Health. And we are talking hemp and how it relates to brain health and neurodegeneration today. And my guest today is Justin Finnamon. He serves as the president of sales at Curable Premium Health Health and directly oversees all of the clinical channels at Curable Clinical. He's the father of five children and husband to his beautiful wife, Melissa. He loves sports, nutrition, exercise, and learning about the optimization of the human body. And we're going to have a conversation about the cannabidiol system of the body and in particular, some interesting research coming out around neurodegeneration. So welcome aboard. Justin.

Hey, excited to be here. Thank you, Dr. Echo.

You're very welcome. Now, there are. You've been in this industry for a while now, and I know you've got some innovative and interesting approaches. And I want to talk about in particular cannabidiols, but there are. These are derived. CBD is derived from a variety of, maybe from cannabis and from hemp. So maybe you can educate us about the difference there. And also we're going to get into some derivatives because there's some isolates that are coming out that showing really good promise for brain regeneration. So let's start on the, on the meta level here, on the cannabidiol system. What is it? How was it discovered? And then where does it come from?

Yeah, absolutely. So a great way to start. I think the, the most practical way that I've seen people really understand this is, is in this manner. Okay. And I didn't know this before I came to Caribou, but everybody replies or kind of makes a bold statement and refers to cannabis. Well, the cannabis. Yeah, the cannabis plant species grows a hemp plant and it grows a marijuana plant. Okay. So everything we are doing is derived from hemp, which is that plant is very high in cannabidiol or cbd, and it's very low in thc, whereas the marijuana plant is very high in THC and very low in cbd. So again, everything we're doing is derived from the hemp plant. And those specific cannabinoids or CBD interact with what we call the endocannabinoid system, or it's referred to our body's ecs. Yeah, so that's, that's, that's kind of the, the main overview, though, of the differentiator between the. The different cannabis plants.

Yeah, that endocannabinoid system. The ECS was not taught to me in medical school. And actually, I Like to say, Professor Machulam out of Israel is one of my heroes because he is credited with discovering this whole system in the brain and in the body. There are more receptor sites for cannabidiols than all of our neurotransmitters put together. And I just find that fascinating. Right. It was, you know, I graduated in 2001 and we didn't know about it then. So this is like the new kid on the block, but new kid on the block as of the last 15 to 20 years. Right. So I love it. So you the. The component of CBD and now cbg, there's a derivative that is specific findings around brain health. Maybe you can talk about those two aspects.

Yeah, so. Right. So thank you. And CBD is the common one everybody hears about. Right. But you'll find this really interesting, I think, just because of your background and my wife loves this. But CBG is known as the mother or the stem cell cannabinoid. And the reason for that is, is because very early on in the plant life of a hemp plant, it's actually what is called, like a cbg. It's a precursor to cbg, and that actually gives life to all of the other cannabinoids or molecule in the plant. So from cbg, all these other cannabinoids are born versions of thc, versions of cbd, cbn. All of these other cannabinoids start off basically as the precursor to cbg, which is why it's known as the mother cannabinoid.

So interesting.

Yeah, yeah. So that's, that's the, you know, that's kind of something I've learned. Not a lot of people have recognized and not a lot of people sell CBG because the plant changes very quickly. So you've got to be able to get it while it's very. It's very young and at its infant stages. And that's one of the reasons we've been successful with CBG is because we own the processing facility, we own our own farm. So we have the capability of getting the plant at the right time and then putting it through the extraction process at an early enough time where we can get high enough concentrations of cbg. And it's the number one selling product we have as an adjustable on our website by far. So I can jump into some of the differences there too, if you'd like, between that and cbd.

Yeah. I would like to know first off on cbg, what are the best uses and how is it different from cbd? Because the cannabidiol CBD is better known. So what, what is, what is CBG and what. Why, why Think about using the mother of the other derivatives versus cbd.

Yeah, let's start with the commonalities first. So both CBD or CBG will not get you high. Okay. So they are non psychoactive cannabinoids. They both have been studied extensively for reduction specifically in pain. Okay. So they have anti inflammatory properties to them. But the main difference between CBG and CBD is that CBG is much more optimal to be utilized for daytime use. And the reason for that is it actually stimulates the brain in a very unique way and it's referred to as like a cognitive enhancer. So instead of where some people utilize CBD and it's known for its benefits for relaxation and reducing anxiety and better sleep, it's a lot of times more better suited. CBD is in the evening, whereas CBG is not going to make you tired. It's actually going to give you some mild energy and it's going to give you a lot of clarity and a lot of focus during the day. And one of the cool things, I have to say this because it's been really interesting. There's a doctor out of California and she's been studying extensively how CPG interacts with certain receptors in the brain. The same way the pharmaceutical drugs that are given to children for ADHD add the same way those pharmaceutical drugs are interacting with children's brain. CBG is stimulating the same receptors without all of the negative side effects. So it's got a really cool background there as far as cognitive health. And the studies they have just around how it can help people function better during the day.

Interesting. Would you know what the doses were in the studies that they were looking at?

Yeah, they start off real small and I'd have to look, there's, I believe her name is, she's an md. Her name is Bonnie Goldstein. You can find her on projectcpd.org but she's, she starts off in her practice at very low levels, I want to say like even 3 to 6 milligrams because you start slow and then you build up, obviously, you know, especially with children. But she's the, the one doctor that I've read extensively about in her studies with cbg.

Awesome, awesome. Okay, and then so then how are they different? So they both. CBG in particular is helpful in the attentional issues. Same receptor sites as some of the big pharma medication solutions there. What else are you seeing with that?

Yeah, so what's interesting about CBG is. People will. They'll talk about an increased appetite. So although they both are different in certain ways, CBG and CBD both interact with both the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain, which are kind of the main cannabinoid receptors of the brain. Okay. But they both still stimulate all kinds of smaller receptors in different ways. And again, the biggest thing we've noticed is that cbg, again, is just tolerated during the day. Really? Well, from a standpoint of, it doesn't make you lethargic, it doesn't make you relaxed in the same way. CBD will, although they still will claim it helps reduce anxiety in certain patients because it can downregulate those receptors, still in a positive way. But you still just don't get as tired while taking CBG as you do as cbd.

Got it. Got it. Well, that is. That's pretty cool. Now, is there a certain level that you have to take for a certain amount of time before you start to notice differences?

Yeah, great question. So what I find here, Dr. Eckel, is that everybody, you'll know, you know this as much as anybody. Everybody's brains are different. Right. There's some patients we see respond on 10 to 20 milligrams of CBG or CBD, and we see some patients need 50 to almost 100 milligrams of one of those cannabinoids. Right. So it's really about your own brain chemistry and how you respond almost the same way as why some people respond to alcohol terribly. And some people can casually drink or have a glass of wine and not have a bigger problem. It's all about how the brain is interacting specifically with each molecular chemical on its own. So we have a long ways to go.

That's what I. Yeah, there is. You know, I. I lectured at the American Academy of Environmental Medicine probably eight years ago. It was really right at the beginning of the cannabidiol research coming home. And it was really around anxiety. And the doses that they were reporting in the research was much higher than what was available on the market. You know, 300 to 800 milligrams of CBD, which is still a very significant dose. Not that it's a total legal supplement. Right. And is it legal in all 50 states?

Yeah. So the 2017 farm bill made CBD and Full Spectrum products federally legal as long as it stays under 0.3% THC by weight in the product.

Got it. And with hemp, there still is some thc, but it does not surpass that amount.

Yeah, it's A great question. It depends on your ability to have a chemist and somebody who can actually extract these different cannabinoids. Now, most of the time you can't get the higher concentrations, but if you get enough hemp and you learn the extraction process well enough, you can get more THC in a specific product, but you just can't legally do it per the guidelines of, of the, of our country. It's illegal. So, yeah, that's why you have to stay under the 0.3% THC by weight.

Got it, got it. And that. What other. Are there other main indications of CBD versus cbg?

Yeah, I mean, one of the big ones, you know, even. I guess I'll give them a little plug here. The Mayo put out a podcast, I think it was even a year or two ago, talking about the specifics of CBD and the positivity around improving REM sleep or reparative sleep for individuals. So that's something that, you know, obviously people are studying all the time, how do we sleep better and how do we get into that REM sleep or reparative sleep? And that's one of the things they're studying on cbd significantly on what type of benefit it has in regards to sleep.

Oh, interesting. Okay, well, then that leads me into a bunch of questions around because REM sleep disorder really is associated with Parkinson's disease and neurodegeneration. So that's a huge finding. Have you seen other specific research around cannabidiols or CBG for Parkinson's?

Yeah, I'm going to send you some literature from a really awesome source of ours and a number of MDs naturopathic docs that have just great, great literature around. And they specifically mentioned Parkinson's a lot. Right. And we can't make any claims and we've got a long ways to go. But, you know, we know that, you know, even the pharmaceutical drug that's been approved by the fda, Epidiolex, is a version of cbd and they use that more primarily for seizures. But the, the studies and a lot of the literature coming around CBD and Parkinson's and these neurodegenerative diseases are really, really fascinating. And I'm going to send that over to you so you can look. But yeah, it's just where you mentioned the gentleman who was the founder in Israel. Israel. And yeah, Israel and Canada are so much further ahead of us. And it just has a lot to do with how our, how we're structured with clinical trials and getting approval for them is the reason we're behind, but there's so many cool things about CBD and Parkinson's. And, and the last thing I'll say is I get excited, but I literally had a patient call us 81 years old from down south and say, look, I have done everything for my, my, my hand tremors and Parkinson's. Patient said, the only thing that I've taken that has helped reduce my symptoms is your CBG CBD tincture combo. It's 25 milligrams of each. And she said, look, it's reduced my symptoms, my tremors by anywhere from 30 to 60, 70% on any given day. It was remarkable.

That's awesome. You know, the. I wrote about the cannabidiol system in my book called Shake It Off An Integrative Approach to Parkinson's Solutions, and that was five years ago. I know there's been a lot of research that has come in in the meantime, and in particular, this derivative CBG I'm very interested in, there's no toxicity to the cannabidiols, is that right?

Great question. There's, there's a little bit of literature recently coming out saying that at like 1500 milligrams a day, that liver enzymes increased. But again, if you're taking 1500 milligrams of CBD a day, you're taking too much by most people's standards. Yeah, that is.

Yeah, that is a considerable amount, even of a liquid tincture. You'd be hard pressed to get that level besides just taking the tincture all day. Well, that, that's phenomenal. You know, we're always looking for options, solutions, new possibilities for folks. And the cannabidiol system because of the CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 located in the central nervous system, CB2 outside of the central nervous system, having so many receptor sites underlying the neurotransmitters and hormonal system. I think balancing this system out could be an integral part in brain health. And so I'm excited to partner up with you all and run some testing before and after some of the treatments and therapies that we're using and putting in the cbg, CBD combination. So everybody out there watching, you know, we'll have this available in our store. And it really is. I want you to speak to the quality this, this concept of your company, in particular, of seed to you concept. This makes a lot of sense to me, but I think it's very uniquely because hemp can be also grown in some pretty toxic environments. So kind of speak to the quality of what people should watch and look out for if they are going to explore this area and in particular what curable is doing there. That's unique.

Yeah. So this is what, this is what sold me right. On the whole thing. I came home and my wife thought I was nuts. I said, I'm going to take this medical line across the country. And I had a really good local job at a good clinic here. And I just said, I believe in what they're doing. And it was because, you know, from the very beginning I got to meet their chemist, our chemist here, Sam Egger. And he's a PhD chemist from the University of Minnesota. And the amount of internal testing that we do is incredible. And you know, we've invested, even put our money beyond what the state requirements are for testing. So I'll touch on that in a second. But like when we say seed to you, what we mean is we're literally growing our own seed and putting the seed in the ground using our organic manure. There's no herbicides or pesticides. And then we're taking the hemp plant off the farm, in the fields, putting it into our own dryers, and then we're freezing it, putting it into a centrifuge, and then it's going through a number of steps that we all control internally at curable, so nobody touches our hemp. And then we individually test that temp two or three times internally. And then we find a very well established third party accredited lab that assigns a certificate of analysis to verify the absence of heavy metals and herbicides and pesticides and then verifies the potency of our products. And to even go a step further, the state of Minnesota only requires you to to test for four significant metals. And we currently are testing Dr. Eckel for companies all throughout Minnesota. We process hemp for other people and then we process hemp for a large co op of farmers across the United States. So we have £250,000 of biomass right now in our processing facility. So we understand processing. We sent our own hemp to one of the major universities down south to have it tested. Spent over $80,000 to test beyond the metals that are required because we were finding metals in all of the hemp that we were processing for people across the country. So we took it a step further beyond even the requirements and said we're going to make sure that the batches of hemp that we have are held to the highest quality standards and people are not going to be injured or put in a precarious position because they ingest our products.

Oh, lovely. Thank you for that diligence. And it really is important to have a good quality source. You know, it's know your source so you know your farmer and to have it all internal in one line, you know, it really, you can really assure good quality that way. So. Yeah, that's great. That is great. Is there anything else that you would like to add for our listeners and viewers today?

No, I just, you know, we, this is something we're passionate about and one of the reasons I'm so interested, obviously a close friend of mine, but J.R. burgess has meant a lot to my life. He's been a mentor of mine. He's somebody who I believe, you know, truly demonstrates that he, he wants to change people's lives by making them healthier and that's driven from a good place. So your guys model is just so fascinating to me. Like we, we want to be a part of, we realize we're an adjunct of part to care. Like we're a small part. But all of the cool things around biologics and the HBOT machines and around nutrition and all of these cool things that you guys do in these integrated healthcare facilities, that's who we want to be a part of. We want to support you guys. And I know personally how much goes into you running your practice and managing your practice and your family and your own health and your patient's health. There is such a burden today on the healers of our country and we are just honored to be a small part of that. So one of the things we have done by controlling that entire process, Dr. Eckel, we can bring such a high quality product forward to all of these physicians and their patients and still have a really reasonable price point and not have to leverage people by offering a superior product and making it unattainable from a cost perspective. So we're just really proud of that and we're proud to be a part of these types of clinics. And if you want to find us, just please go to our Instagram page. It's you know, the arable Kuribl underscore clinical with a kid K L I N I C L C and you know, come look us up, request a free sample. We'll send you all product before you ever have to work with us. But we're just all about supporting you guys and, and just truly appreciative of our affiliation.

Oh, excellent. Yeah, we, we'll put that in the link in the show notes for everybody too. And you know, it is, I want to really highlight purveyors of botanicals that are doing it right. And I know that you guys are. So thank you for that and your diligence because this is medicine that we're putting in to people's bodies. So I super appreciate what you guys are up to. Justin, I look forward to working more with you and I wanted to get your word out to the general population because you're not hearing anything about this whole system, the cannabidiol system and certain, certain remedies. You know, of course this really came about with regards to seizures and seizure medications. I think it became very popular at that point. But there's more and more nuances and more and more research being done on a wide variety and of course, our interest in the brain health and brain regeneration, pun intended. This is a no brainer to really bring this in on that. And again, everybody out there, thank you for tuning in. I hope you learned something today. If you did, please go out, give us a five star review and let people know what you learned. That's how we get the word out. Because it is not coming from mainstream media, it's not coming from the top down. We got to take it directly to you here on the podcast of what the hell. So please share us with your, with your loved ones and we will talk to you all soon. Thanks.