With Covid-19 impacting us for the last two years, the world is rapidly searching for ways that we can effectively manage the virus, despite the variants that constantly pop up. Finally, it seems that research is progressing and it’s the cannabis industry at the forefront of the latest research advancements by researchers affiliated with Oregon State University. These researchers conducted a study that suggests that cannabis compounds prevent Infection by the Covid-19 Virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic includes at least 272 million cases worldwide, 5.3 million deaths, and over 600 000 new cases daily. While the rollout of vaccines is underway, the rapid spread of COVID-19 underscores the need for new treatments.

Background Information:

In January 2021, this study looked into the possibility that cannabis may offer some help for patients with COVID-19. The study looks at one of the primary biological events that occur in patients with severe acute respiratory distress cases from COVID-19, something called a “cytokine storm.”

C.Sativa, a type of cannabis, was found in a cytokine storm study to reduce multiple cytokines and pathways related to inflammation and fibrosis. Two of the cytokines that C.Sativa reduced were TNFa and IL-6, which are thought to be the main targets when trying to block a COVID-19 cytokine storm and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

In another study done in September of 2020 on mice, they found the following;

“Several reports demonstrated that cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid produced by the cannabis plant, can block IL-6 in several models of inflammatory diseases.”

What do the studies say in 2022?

A report on the research, “Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants,” was published online on January 10th, 2022 by the Journal of Natural Products.

COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Researchers have found that the viral spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to the human cell surface receptor angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is a critical step during the infection of human cells. The researchers looked into the following possibility:

“Therefore, cell entry inhibitors could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as to shorten the course of COVID-19 infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells.”

Researchers discovered that cannabinoids increase the cell’s response to several key proteins produced by the coronavirus genome, which is an effect that had not been discovered prior to the study. Researchers also looked at how the proteins from the genome operated in human kidney cells and healthy control cells, both with and without cannabinoids.

Cannabis and its effectiveness against new variants:

The spike protein is the same part of the virus targeted by Covid-19 vaccines and antibody therapies. In addition to the spike protein, SARS-CoV-2 has three more structural proteins as well as 16 nonstructural proteins and several compounds van Breemen characterized as “accessory” proteins, all of which are potential targets for drugs developed to prevent Covid-19.

The two compounds commonly found in hemp - called cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA - were identified during a chemical screening effort as having potential to combat coronavirus. In the study led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, they found that cannabinoids bound to spike proteins found on the virus and blocked a step the pathogen uses to infect people, stating that;

“Cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid prevented infection of human epithelial cells”

This means that cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells. They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in the lungs and other organs.

The study then goes on to state that the most important piece of evidence found was that CBGA and CBDA were equally as effective against the alpha and beta variants. The abstract ends off on a highly positive note, expressing that cannabinoids do in fact have the potential to prevent and likely treat infection by SARS-CoV-2.

What other benefits could cannabis pose for Covid-19?

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1. Anxiety
   The number of people reporting high levels of anxiety has sharply elevated during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The factors most strongly associated with high anxiety during the pandemic include loneliness, marital status, sex, disability, whether someone feels safe at home or not and work being affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
   
   There is understandable concern about the impact of the pandemic on people’s well-being. Fortunately, though, compounds within cannabis have shown impressive anxiety-reducing qualities, particularly CBD, which has been shown in studies to increase serotonin activity and lower cortisol levels.

Is Cannabis safe to consume for Covid-19 patients?

While most people consume cannabis by smoking it, it is not the only way to consume it. Companies like ourselves offer multiple variations of consumption like edibles, tinctures and more that have very low THC, yet still offer the same benefits.

After the last two years of uncertainty, illness and chaos due to the pandemic, it’s relieving to see that cannabis has shown a lot of potential in fighting against COVID-19 and could potentially offer new solutions to tackle the pandemic.

Where can you get CBDA and CBGA products from?

The team here at Black Tie CBD is relieved and grateful that we’re a part of an industry that is helping to better global health in such an impactful way. As a company, we've seen the value in CBDA products and we've just released our brand new CBDA isolate so you can keep safe too.

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Black Tie Afghani CBD Hash is made with BlueBerry Pie Kief and a small amount of CBD oil. The ingredients are hand-worked until The hashish becomes elastic and has a potent aromatic smell. The effects are almost narcotic providing a super-relaxed feeling. It's easy to use by adding a small amount to a joint or pipe. The effects take about 2-3 minutes to kick in so, please use caution.

TOTAL CBD: 41.96% !!!  ?????

It's going to be a big week for Black Tie CBD! The crew is headed to Portland tomorrow to welcome the winner of the Golden Ticket Raffle, and to begin our Harvest at the farms. We are planning to bring you a live stream or 2 on our YouTube, new videos, and a ton of new images of the crop. We had a small setback with our main Instagram being taken down without reason, but we will be back with an even better page. Keep up with us on our trip for a lot of exclusives and what we've had going on at the farms.

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As many of you know, curing and drying are processes that can significantly impact the taste and general quality of your cannabis crop. Properly drying and curing your fresh cannabis stash is paramount to prevent harsh smoke and prevent mold contamination from taking place.

Harvesting your cannabis is only half the work. Post harvest operations are arguably just as important as pre-harvest. Many believe that curing and drying are the same things, which they aren’t. Black Tie CBD has been asked why we haven’t released our 2021 strains, and the answer is simple; we believe in a low and slow curing process that ensures quality to the end product that we offer you.

Below, we’ll share our answers to some frequently asked questions on the drying and curing processes, so you can maximize the flavor and potency of your stash - as well as better understand how post-harvest processes are done correctly.

The importance of drying cannabis

Freshly harvested cannabis buds contain significant moisture, which needs to be dealt with before smoking. Essentially, drying also converts THC from its non-psychoactive, crude, acidic form to its psychoactive neutral form.

Cannabis flowers are full of active components; The resin glands contain THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. The issue is that when your plants are recently harvested, they’re still quite green and most of the THC is inactive. Drying marijuana means reducing the water content of the buds to 10-15%, depending on the desired crispiness of the final product.

A dry shouldn’t be too quick or the outside of buds will appear dry but the insides won’t be, leaving chlorophyll within; too long, and buds could develop mold.

How do you dry cannabis?

The drying procedure usually depends on the trimming process that you use;

• Dry trimming
• If you’re trimming plants after they’ve been dried, then you’ll be able to hang them from a line or hanger. Hanging is preferable as it prevents buds from becoming misshapen. To test if the plants are ready for trimming, you can try bending a branch. If it bends, it needs more drying. If it snaps, it is ready for trimming and curing.

• Wet trimming
• If you trim the plants before drying, you’ll have smaller plant parts to dry and need to use a rack. You can check when buds are ready for curing by squeezing them. If they still feel wet or moist, they likely need more time before moving on to curing.

Dying cannabis involves focusing on:

• The drying method used.
• Temperature.
• Moisture levels.

What are the drying methods?

Hang Drying Cannabis

Hang drying is a cost-effective solution for cannabis cultivators with a limited budget and involves exposing your cannabis to the open air. To hang-dry your cannabis, your branches are hung upside down from an elevated position and dried. You must regularly monitor the temperature and airflow of the room for the best results.

Choosing a cool, dark place to dry your buds is essential. Ensure that your flowers are spaced adequately for airflow to carry moisture particles away without attracting mold. Hang-drying is great, but requires a lot of environmentally controlled space.

This process usually takes anywhere from 1-2 weeks.

Using a drying rack

When preparing cannabis for commercial purposes, trimming machines are usually used, so this method is ideal. A drying rack is great for keeping the yield organized, and there is far lower risk of contamination or mold. While this option is more pricey, it is the ideal piece of equipment when it comes to drying weed correctly. Using a drying rack with a large surface area for the buds allows for more airflow, meaning that the moisture is taken away in far less time.

Again, this is a process that takes upwards of 10 days. If the snapping sound of your bud is crispy and sharp, then you know that your weed has been dried properly.

While you may be looking for a faster drying process, If buds are dried too quickly, chlorophyll and other pigments, starch, and nitrates are trapped within plant tissue, making it taste “green,” burn unevenly and taste bad. However, slowly dried buds taste sweet and smoke smooth. Taste and aroma improve when pigments break down. Slow even drying–where moisture content is the same throughout stems, foliage and buds– allows enough time for the pigments to degrade.

How to perfect the drying process:

As stated above, we focus on a slow drying process. We hang entire plants to dry; allowing the process to take place over time. We remove large leaves and stems (fan leaves) in the field as fresh leaves are easier to work with. The plants are then hung until they reach an ideal moisture content. At that point they buds are hand-trimmed and placed into curing.

Temperature:

We place importance on circulation and ventilation as this helps us control the heat and humidity of the room. The ideal air temperature is between 65 and 75°F (18-24°C), and humidity from 45-55%. Any temperatures lower may slow drying and increase the threat of harsh smoke, and any temperatures higher may cause the buds to mold.

Similarly, any lower than suggested humidity causes a speedy dry period, causing the retention of chlorophyll and giving the weed a terrible taste and odor.  The most important thing to note is that different climates are required for growing cannabis and drying it.

Hanging:

Due to the quantity of cannabis that we dry, we use a large space for drying. It is ideal to cut the plants at the base and remove the large leaves - then hang them on the drying lines in the drying facility. Branches should be cut from 12-40 inches, with each branch manicured and hung.

Manicured branches should be hung to dry for a few days before being bucked from the stem and placed on drying screens to allow the bulk of the moisture to dissipate. Once it is all on screens, the buds should be turned daily to ensure even drying. It is also adequate for manicured buds to be placed in boxes to dry, but the drying pace is slower due to the limited airflow.

Drying time:

Drying can take between five to seven days depending on temperature, humidity and bud density. The larger, denser buds can take around four days longer, so it’s important to check your buds to determine the proper moisture content. If you want to check the readiness, bend the stem and ensure that it snaps rather than folds; this generally indicates that it is ready to cure.

The importance of curing cannabis:

The curing process is possibly the most overlooked aspect of producing cannabis. During curing, moisture continues to draw from the center of the bud toward the outside.

Curing your bud is similar to the aging process of products like wine and cheese. Instead of a fermentation process, the main focus is on humidity with curing weed. Because even-though most moisture has evaporated and left the cannabis during the drying of the plants, there’s still some moisture left in the weed. Any friction and rough handling of the buds will knock off valuable resin glands and diminish the cannabinoid content.

The first week of curing affects potency as it evenly removes moisture within the bud so virtually all the THC is psychoactive, which is what most people are after. Curing also allows buds to dry enough that mold does not grow when buds are stored. Well-cured buds have an even glow when burned and smoke smooth. It is essentially not enough to simply keep your weed in a jar and say that it’s been correctly cured.

The process of curing cannabis:

The first step to curing your cannabis is to cut the stems into lengths less than 30-45 cm and then place them into an airtight container, ideally with a rubber seal. Any Ziploc or plastic bags are not ideal - some growers say that plastic imparts an undesirable flavor on the buds and is not impervious to oxygen.

Once the buds are enclosed, a microclimate is created, and the buds get an even spread of moisture. Once the buds are enclosed, they should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. Check on your buds at least once per day for two weeks. Use a hygrometer to check relative moisture in the container during the curing process. If you don’t have a hygrometer handy, you can gently squeeze to feel if they are moister than before.

During this check-up, keep your jars open to allow for air exchange, and inspect each bud individually for signs of mold. If you find an infected bud, make sure to remove it from its jar immediately to avoid the fungus spreading. If buds are sticking together in clumps when you try to shake the container, it means they still have too much moisture and need to be dried further.

Ideal conditions for drying cannabis:

Humidity

You want to stabilize the relative humidity at around 45-55% when the buds are placed in an enclosed container. This is the correct environment to cure your cannabis buds to perfection.

Temperature

65-75

Light

None

If buds are too dry:

leave them in the container and let excess moisture escape out the top by opening the container for a few minutes every few hours before closing the lid again.

If buds are too moist:

If you live in a normal to dry climate, you may be able to get away with just leaving the top off the jars for 1-4 hours. If you live in a humid climate, you may have to take the buds out of the jars and lay them out until the outsides begin to feel dry again.

The curing process is most important during the first two weeks and can take over six months for the highest quality outcome. It’s clear that this process is incredibly long when done correctly, which is why we release our new strains later than most other companies. We place the utmost importance on a long process that ensures the highest quality outcome.

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Buying a CBD tincture can be an overwhelming process, especially when you’re faced with so many factors, like potency, spectrums, price, cannabinoids, and other considerations. Here at Black Tie CBD, we want to simplify the process and give you all the information that you need to make a confident decision in your purchase. We will be covering everything that you need to know.

Firstly, it’s important to highlight the spectrums and the purposes that they serve, so you know which one is best suited for your needs. The spectrum term indicates the number of other substances present in the CBD itself.  Even in plants containing very little THC (the psychoactive substance found in cannabis), there are many other chemicals present. These are other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.

Full Spectrum vs Broad Spectrum:

If you are a user of CBD, then you have more than likely stumbled across terms such as “full-spectrum” or “broad spectrum”. The main difference between full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD is the compounds they contain.

If a CBD product contains several naturally occurring cannabis plant extracts, such as terpenes and other cannabinoids — including up to 0.3% THC — it is full-spectrum CBD.

Broad-spectrum CBD also contains several cannabis plant compounds, but it is typically entirely free of THC. All of the broad-spectrum items on BlackTieCBD.Net are completely THC Free.

Full Spectrum CBD:

Full Spectrum CBD contains the most naturally occurring extracts. This includes a small amount of THC (less than 0.3% THC Delta-9). There is certain scientific evidence of an ‘entourage effect’ – a positive response to the presence of various terpenes in CBD. Taking the full spectrum of terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoids, fatty acids and trace THC is regarded by some scientists as the most effective way for the entourage effect to work.

Due to the “entourage effect”, full-spectrum CBD is believed to last longer and have more powerful effects than broad-spectrum or CBD isolate

Broad Spectrum CBD:

Broad-spectrum CBD oil is a middle ground between CBD isolate and full-spectrum CBD oils. It has all of the cannabinoids and other chemical compounds except for THC. It has all the beneficial chemical compounds except for THC, so you’re likely to gain some of the beneficial effects of the entourage effect.

Broad-spectrum also goes through the normal extraction process. For places where THC is illegal, the benefit of broad-spectrum CBD oil is that in the final stages of processing, the THC is removed from the extract. Therefore, broad-spectrum CBD oil will not show up on a drug test if the test is looking for THC.

If you're looking for a health boost from CBD but want to skip the THC effects, broad-spectrum is probably your best bet. If you don't mind THC and want to potentially get more benefits out of your CBD product, full-spectrum is probably the way to go.

Potency:

Now that you know which spectrum to choose, it all comes down to choosing the correct strength and potency. When searching for products, you’ll come across a lot of different strengths (potencies). You’ll find ranges from 300 mg to 4000mg per bottle. With so many CBD options to choose from it can make you feel like you have no idea what you’re even looking at. So let’s simplify it;

CBD potency specifically refers to how strong it is. On CBD oil labels, look for the milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL) - that’s what determines the product’s concentration of CBD. If a CBD extract is rated at 300mg, it’s going to be about half as strong (potent) as the same amount of a CBD extract rated at 600mg CBD. But, it also depends on the size of the bottle.

Here is another example where the bottle size is significant. Suppose there are two bottles of CBD oil; both have 300mg of CBD. However, one bottle contains 15ml of liquid, while the other has 30ml. In this case, the smaller 15ml bottle’s CBD concentration is double that of its 30ml counterpart with 20mg of CBD per ml against 10mg.

How to measure your dose:

A single dose of CBD Oil to be .5mL, and depending on the product, this can be easily measured using the marked dropper under the top.

To simplify it further, A 30ml bottle will contain 60 dosages within. If the potency of the bottle is 1200mg, each dose contains 20mg of CBD, while a 15ml bottle will contain 30 dosages within. If the potency of the bottle is 1200mg, each dose contains 40mg of CBD. This should act as your guideline when choosing your dosage, and fortunately we released our tinctures in these specifications to make it easier for our customers.

For example:

Low-potency CBD oil (300 mg)

This is a relatively low-potency oil and is a good option for individuals who are just starting out or who may be sensitive to CBD. A low-strength 300 mg bottle is a good option to take as a daily supplement. Many people take a single daily dose of it for boosted general health, and also to help lower stress levels.

Mid-Potency CBD Oil (600mg)

A 600 mg CBD oil is a good “step-up” option for people who find they’re having to take large (and/or multiple) doses of lower potency. In general, a lot of people use products in this strength range for things like anxiety and day-to-day pain.

High-Potency CBD Oil (1200mg +)

The 1,000 mg range is closing in on the higher end of the potency scale, but some bottles could range to 5000mg and above, with the intention of higher potency in fewer drops. Products in this strength range are commonly used for sleep issues, deep muscle soreness, migraines, and day-to-day stress and anxiety.

So, which one should you choose? As much as we would love to answer that for you, each person is different. A great way to make your choice is to ask yourself why you want to take CBD in the first place and assess which potencies are typically used for those reasons.

Another aspect to consider that not many people pay attention to, but should, is the Cannabinoid used or the combination thereof.

Cannabinoids and combinations:

Cannabinoids are like a buffet to choose from. Choose the ailments you suffer from, and select the product that contains the helpful cannabinoid compounds that work best for you. Most people select CBD as it is the most popular and widely known cannabinoid, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the answer to all of your needs.

CBD:

CBD is generally great for overall well-being. It is suitable for general ailments and issues that you might be facing in your life. Over the last few years, CBD has become the cannabinoid of choice, not only for the many therapeutic benefits it offers, but also because it has no psychoactive properties. Unlike THC, CBD offers pain relief and other benefits without the risk of paranoia, anxiety, or impaired cognitive function.

This means that CBD is great for people wanting to target a number of ailments and use it for general health purposes.

CBG:

CBG interacts with the body in a different way. This means it has different effects than CBD does.  It is thought that CBG has a calming effect on the body, causing a relaxation of the nerves. There are technical terms for such changes, for example, inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system but rather than be blinded by complex medical terms it is easier to think of CBG as having a nice calming effect. CBG also appears to increase the levels of our natural, in-built cannabinoid called anandamide. This wonderful endogenous cannabinoid quite simply makes us feel good.

This means that CBG is most suitable for people striving for that ‘feel good’ feeling, or the general serenity within the body.

Delta-8:

Like delta-9 THC, delta-8 produces feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and potential pain relief, but they’re a lot milder. For people who don’t want to experience a pronounced “high,” the lower potency may be a benefit. Because of this, Delta 8 can be used to treat a wider range of cancer patients, such as those who won’t use Delta 9 THC because of the anxiety feeling they receive when they take it.

This makes Delta-8 a great sedative and the perfect candidate for people dealing with more intense ailments, but still offers a wide use for overall well-being, too.

With all of that being said, choosing your tincture comes down to three main factors; Spectrum, potency and strength, and finally the cannabinoid or combination of cannabinoids. From this, you should be able to understand and choose the product that best suits your needs. At first glance, it seems to be an overwhelming process, but really it’s quite simple.

Have a look at our selection of tinctures for one that best suits your needs.

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