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The Hermit’s Grove Monographs
This is representative of nearly 200 monographs available through The Hermit’s Grove. Monographs range from 4-8 pages, possibly the most comprehensive information you can find. We have a monograph available for every herb we stock, $2.00 per herb. Don’t use herbs without knowing all you need to know. These handy references are perfect!
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Compositae
production
- an erect perennial herb can grow to 3', found throughout the temperate regions of the world; "a widely varied aggregate species. Stem angular, tough. Leaves opposite, dark green, bipinnatifid, about 6-10 cm long, clasping the stem at the base, the segments very narrow, downy, and feathery in appearance. Flowers in terminal, flattened, corymbose cymes, ray florets usually white or pinkish, disc florets cream." (1)
- fern-like foliage up to 6" long
- pinnately divided into tiny, fine leaflets
- flowers June through September (c/b longer in more temperate climates)
- appearance is typical of compositae
- numerous white flower heads composed of disk florets surrounded by five ray florets
- upon close examination looks like miniature daisies
- grow on broad, terminal, flat-topped clusters
- spreads readily from the root grows into a patch which can easily be divided
- "Yarrow has a creeping rhizome," according to Bremness, an apt description
- there are many other varieties, esp. ornamentals
- popular colors are the yellow (which usually has a leaf more like that of tansy) and rose-colored (with the finer type of yarrow leaf)
- in the past two decades pastels have become popular
- "The plant has white, pink or purple composite flowers in dense cymes with small capitula. The bracts are imbricate and long. There are 5 white female linguiform florets. The disc florets are tubular, yellowish-white and androgynous. The bracts are lanceolate and thorn-tipped. The fruit is a 1.5 to 2 mm long hairless achaen. Achillea millefolium are 0.1 to 1.5 m high plants with hardy, horizontal rhizomes, which grow from underground runners. The stem is simple, erect and hairy. The leaves are lanceolate and multi-pinnate with short acute tips.The numerous subspecies of the Achillea millefolium group are found in various regions. The most important regions are eastern, southeastern and central Europe as well as on the southern edge of the Alps from Switzerland to the Balkans." (2)
harvest
primarily the flower tops are harvested and dried but whole plant can be used (including stems and leaves)
constituents
- constituents can vary even within the same species depending upon the age, season and conditions of the soil
- an alkaloid identified in the 1950's proves that yarrow causes blood to clot more quickly
- volatile oil called azulene
- volatile oil called achillein "said to be identical with aconitic acid" (3)
- contains some salicylic acid derivatives
- thujone which, in sufficient quantity, can induce abortion
Potter's:
- volatile oil, containing alpha- and beta-pinenes, borneol, bornyl acetate, camphor, caryophyllene, eugenol, farnesene, myrcene, sabinene, salicylic acid, terpineol, thujone etc. including sesquiterpene lactones. "Many samples contain high concentrations of azulenes, up to about 50%, including chamazuline and guajazulene, and although these are now thought to be absent from true A. millefolium, they are present in closely related species which are supplied for this." (4)
- Sesquiterpene lactones; achillin, achillicin, hydroxyachillin, balchanolide, leucodin, millifin, millifolide and others
- flavonoids; apigenin, luteolin, quercetin and their glycosides, artemetin, casticin, rutin, and others
- Alkaloids and bases; betonicine (= achilleine), stachydrine, achiceine, moschatine, tribonelline and others
- Misc: acetylenes, aldehydes, cyclitols, etc.
PDR:
- volatile oil: chief components are chamazulene (blue, 6-19%, maximum 40%), camphor (up to 20%), b-pinene (up to 23%), 1,8-cineole (up to 10%), caryophyllene (up to 10%), alpha-pinene (ca. 5%), isoartemisiaketon (up to 8%). The composition depends greatly upon the strain; the volatile oil of some strains is free of chamazulene
- sesquiterpene lactones (chiefly guaianolides): including, among others, achillicin, 8-alpha-angeloyloxy-10-epi
- artabsin, 2,3-dihydro-desacetoxy-matricin, alpha-peroxyachifolide. Some sesquiterpenes are transformed through steam distillation into chamazulene (proazulenes)
- polyynes: including, among others, ponticaepoxide
- alkamids: including, among others, tetradeca-4,5diin-10,12-dien acetyl isobutilamides
- flavonoids: including, among others, apigenine-7-0-glucoside, luteolin-7-0-glucoside, rutin
- betain: including, among others, L-stachydrine
usage
Contraindications [Commission E]: some are allergic (5) to yarrow and to other compositae; side effects: none known; interactions with other drugs: none known
"Federal regulations in the U.S. require that finished food or beverage products containing yarrow be thujone-free, though the constituent is present in only trace amounts. The toxicity concerns cited in Kingsbury… are not relevant to human consumption patterns." (6)
- abortifacient (some Native American tribes)
- anodyne
- antibacterial
- anti-inflammatory
- antipyretic
- antirheumatic
- antiscorbutic (Bartram)
- antispasmodic
- aromatic (mild)
- astringent
- bitter (Bartram)
- carminative (Bartram)
- choleretic
- diaphoretic
- diuretic
- emmenagogue (Bartram)
- haemostatic
- hypotensive
- ophthalmia
- stimulant
- sudorific
- tonic
- urinary antiseptic (Bartram)
- uterine stimulant (Botanical Safety Handbook)
- vulnerary
"This grows everywhere in dry grasslands, on commons and by the roadside. the leaves are narrow, delicate and doubly divided, the flowers small, white or pink, in quite large umbellate clusters. The herb contains bitters, tannin and 0.1-0.5% of a volatile oil. Steam distillation yields a blue oil very similar in action to that found in chamomile, both having an antiphlogistic effect (counteracting inflammation and fever). In contradistinction to chamomile,however, this does not determine the overall effect of yarrow. This plant is primarily a tonic bitter with additional anti-inflammatory, carminative and spasmolytic properties. Its uses therefore are also different… It is useful for spastic conditions in the small pelvis, the parametrium, and neurovegetative disorders in that region. The combination of active principles found in this plant also makes it useful in the treatment of biliary complaints, though its action here is not as marked as that of [other] plants… Having a predominantly bitter action, it may also be considered for atonic states of the stomach. Yarrow, however, is of only secondary importance for any of these indications. The whole herb is used, mainly as a tea or an extract that is commercially available." (7)
considered safe to use without any concerns according to Potter's but Bremness writes that "overuse can make the skin sensitive to sunlight, and it should be taken in small doses. Avoid during pregnancy." (8) Based upon the Commission E, we consider yarrow a safe herb is taken within the recommended guidelines.
Described as a "mild, slow and stimulating diaphoretic: indicated for the first stage of acute febrile reactions." (9)
useful remedy for severe colds (widely used in treatment of children's colds), esp. when accompanied by a fever
valuable remedy when treating catarrh
helpful in treating fevers especially when perspiration has been difficult to induce
recommended for influenza, respiratory catarrh, may be taken in combination with peppermint and/or elder
Bartram describes yarrow as a "peripheral vasodilator to open-up surface vessels enabling more blood to be circulated… For temperature reduction in the early stages of fevers, influenza, the common cold. Dry skin and absent perspiration. Measles, chicken pox and feverish children's complaints." (10)
useful in the early stages of measles, pox and similar diseases
can be of considerable value for the digestive system. Priest and Priest recommend taking it cold in order to stimulate the appetite and as a tonic for the organs of the digestive system
Yarrow is approved by the Commission E for "loss of appetite, dyspeptic ailments, such as mild, spastic discomforts of the gastrointestinal tract." (11)
the astringent properties provide relief from chronic diarrhea and dysentery
"Internally, Yarrow is used as Amarum aromaticum for loss of appetite and dyspeptic ailments such as mild, spastic discomforts of the gastrointestinal tract, including inflammation, diarrhea, bloating and cramps." (12)
Highly regarded as an astringent and used "for atonic and relaxed tissues where there is free discharge or passive haemorrhage of bright red blood." (13)
Priest and Priest recommend it for epistaxis (nosebleed), intestinal haemorrhage and bleeding hemorrhoids
was once powdered very fine and snuffed to stop nosebleeding; the hemostatic properties are due to the presence of the alkaloid betonicine
Potter's strongly recommends yarrow for hypertension
"Apigenin is anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and spasmolytic." (14)
"Native Americans used a root decoction to strengthen muscles." (15)
helpful when treating disorders of the kidneys
Yarrow is also used to treat profuse and protracted menstruation; Priest and Priest recommend it for uterine hemorrhage (in combination with shepherd's purse)
It has been used to treat leucorrhoea and vaginal laxity
Potter's recommends it for amenorrhoea; Bartram for obstructed menstruation
Approved by the Commission E as a sitz bath for treating "painful, cramp-like conditions of psychosomatic origin (in the lower part of the female pelvis)." (16)
as an anti-inflammatory has great value; this property is due to the azulenes and salicylic acid
of considerable value when treating rheumatism (taken internally)
useful for many cases of dyspepsia
has been used as a remedy for diarrhea, biliary colic, dysentery, stomach cramps
the astringent properties lend it not only to digestive remedies but also for nonspecific vaginal discharge
Bartram recommends it for "haemorrhage of mucous surfaces [and] nosebleed."
it is used to tone veins and treat varicose veins
has some history of use as an eyewash
dosage:
[Bartram] infusion: 1 heaped tsp per cup boiling water infused 10 minutes, one cup thrice daily
[Commission E] 4.5 g yarrow herb daily or 3 g yarrow flowers; for sitz baths 100 g yarrow per 5 gallons of water
externally:
"Externally, it is used as a partial bath for painful, cramp-like conditions of psychosomatic origin in the lower part of the female pelvis, liver disorders, and the healing of wounds. Applications in folk medicine include use as a hemostyptic for conditions such as bleeding hemorrhoids, for menstrual complaints, and as a bath for the removal of perspiration." (17)
"Yarrows have been prescribed for just about every ailment at one time or another, but certain medicinal uses recur throughout history. And chemical analysis has detected some compounds that might explain, and validate, these applications. For centuries, yarrows have been used on wounds, and in the 1950's an alkaloid form the plant was found to have some ability to make blood clot faster. As far as yarrow's alleged ability to keep wounds from becoming inflamed, a volatile oil called azulene and related compounds have shown anti-inflammatory activity…" (18)
- as a vulnerary, helps stop bleeding
- may be used fresh
- good also for rashes and ulcers
- the eugenol works as a local anaesthetic
- entire plant may be decocted when treating hemorrhoids
- fresh leaves may be used as a styptic, applied to cuts from shaving or mishap
Achillea millefolium
Venus
Libra
Magickal Herbe… Religious Herbe… Visionary Herbe
lore:
Yarrow's 'ancient history' is not consistent. Some maintain that it was first used by Achilles when healing wounds his soldiers received. Some say that it was a different Achilles, who was a student of Chiron.
A prevalent herbe growing natural in most parts of the world, there is some interesting lore associated with this herbe. Grieve writes that:
"It was one of the herbs dedicated to the Evil One, in earlier days, being sometimes known as Devil's Nettle, Devil's Plaything, Bad Man's Plaything, and was used for divination in spells. Yarrow, in the eastern counties, is termed Yarroway, and there is a curious mode of divination with its serrated leaf, with which the inside of the nose is tickled while the following lines are spoken. If the operation causes the nose to bleed, it is a certain omen of success:
'Yarroway, Yarroway, bear a white blow,
If my love love me, my nose will bleed now.'"
An ounce of Yarrow sewed up in flannel and placed under the pillow before going to bed, having repeated the following words, brought a vision of the future husband or wife:
'Thou pretty herb of Venus' tree,
Thy true name it is Yarrow;
Now who my bosom friend must be,
Pray tell thou me tomorrow.' (19)
usage:
In the Orkney Islands yarrow is widely used "for dispelling melancholy." Yarrow is an important herbe when healing someone burdened by troubled emotions, helping cleanse them of an unhealthy sorrow or a depression which has lasted too long. Albertus Magnus uses yarrow in combination with nettles to treat fear and self-negation.
Yarrow's associations with divination extend far beyond folk spells. In China yarrow stoaks are gathered, the straightest collected for scattering when reading the I Ching. It is said that "the most prized yarrow is that which grows upon the burial site of Confucius." (20)
Modern lore recommends waiting for the first yarrow bloom and using it to make a wish which should manifest prior to the harvest. The flowers are often included in Rituals of Union and are considered sacred to the Horned God.
invocatory
Horned God
a.k.a.:
Bad Man's Plaything, Bloodwort, Carpenter's Weed, Devil's Nettle, Devil's Plaything, Milfoil, Nosebleed, Old Man's Pepper, Sanguinary, Soldier's Woundwort, Staunchweed, Thousand Weed, Yarroway
addenda:
"Thanks to modern, high-tech archaeology, fossils of yarrow pollen have been identified in Neanderthal burial caves, suggesting that its association with the human race is some 60,000 years old… The most authentic way of casting the I Ching… involves 50 dried yarrow stalks. And yarrow figured in the Trojan war some 3,000 years ago, when Achilles packed it on his comrades' wounds to stop the bleeding. Some botanists say yarrow's scientific generic name, Achillea, came from this story. But others attribute the name to the discoverer of the plant, who also happened to be named Achilles…
"According to the British herbalist Maude Grieve, some folks believed you could determine the devotion of a lover by poling a yarrow leaf up your nostril and twitching the leaf while saying, 'Yarroway, Yarroway, bear a white blow; if my love love me, my nose will bleed now.' Other peculiar customs appear in yarrow's long history as a magic herb (which can't really be disentangled from its medicinal history). Yarrow was one of the herbs packed into Saxon amulets. There were amulets for protection from just about everything - blindness, robbers, even the barking of dogs. Witches used yarrows in making incantations, an association that may be the source for the common names devil's nettle, devil's plaything, and bad man's plaything.
"Yarrow was sewn up in flannel and put under the pillow to make the sleeper dream a vision of his or her true love. However, if the sleeper dreamed of cabbages - not so remote a possibility given the yarrow's leafy fragrance - then death or other serious misfortune was about to strike." (21)
Notes:
(1) Potter's New Cyclopaedia, page 290
(2) PDR for Herbal Medicines, page 604
(3) A Modern Herbal, page 864
(4) Potter's New Cyclopaedia, page 290
(5) "With external use, Wichtl advises immediate cessation of treatment in the event of 'itching and inflammatory changes in the skin' for persons prone to allergies to Asteraceae, while Leung & Foster contraindicate yarrow for those with such allergies." - Botanical Safety Handbook, page 3
(6) Botanical Safety Handbook, page 3
(7) Herbal Medicine, Weiss, page 92
(8) Herbs: The Visual Guide, page 136
(9) Herbal Medication, page 86
(10) Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, page 459
(11) Commission E Monographs, page 233
(12) PDR for Herbal Medicines, page 605
(13) Herbal Medication, page 86
(14) Potter's New Cyclopaedia, page 290
(15) Herbs: The Visual Guide, page 136
(16) Commission E Monographs, page 233
(17) PDR for Herbal Medicine, page 605
(18) Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia, page 517
(19) A Modern Herbal, page 864, the love divination attributed to Hallowell's Popular Rhymes, etc.
(20) The Master Book of Herbalism, page 255
(21) Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, pages 516-517
The Facts About Medical Marijuana
Cannabis sativa Linn.
Urticaceae
The following was written from the monograph, this article was published as the Herb of the Month in the November, 2003 issue of The Hermit's Lantern
production
The topic of ‘medicinal marijuana’ arises frequently in today’s world and is one which will frequently be brought before a practicing herbalist. Whether one supports the medical use of the herb cannabis or not, knowledge of the herb is important. In September cannabis was added to the list of monographs which are studied by Master Herbalist students. What follows represents the current information and perspectives from a variety of sources and resources:
"In Britain, and formerly elsewhere, only Hemp grown in India was recognized as official, but the heavy tax has resulted in the admission by the United States of any active Cannabis sativa, whether grown in the States or in Africa, Turkey, Turkestan, Asia Minor, Italy, or Spain. The plant is an annual, the erect stems growing from 3 to 10 feet or more high, very slightly branched, having greyish-green hairs. The leaves are palmate, with five to seven leaflets (three on the upper leaves), numerous, on long thin petioles with acute stipules at the base, linear-lanceolate, tapering at both ends, the margins sharply serrate, smooth and dark green on the upper surface, lighter and downy on the under one. The small flowers are unisexual, the male having five almost separate, downy, pale yellowish segments, and the female a single, hairy, glandular, five-veined leaf enclosing the ovary in a sheath. The ovary is smooth, one-celled, with one hanging ovule and two long, hairy thread-like stigmas extending beyond the flower for more than its own length. The fruit is small, smooth, light brownish-grey in colour, and completely filled by the seed."1
"This bushy annual has palmate leaves. Male plants bear clusters of small flowers, and female plants have persistent hairy bracts and, later, seeds. The flowers, leaves, seeds, and resin have been smoked, eaten, or drunk as a medicine or spiritual aid for centuries, though it is illegal in some countries."2
"The flowering tops or "herb" consists of the female flowers, seeds and upper leaves. The leaves are long stalked, bearing usually five to seven lanceolate, pointed, sharply serrate leaflets. The seeds are globular, about 2 mm in diameter, often covered with the small leafy bracts; the whole head may be matted with resin. The resin itself, which may be separated from the rest, is found in greenish, yellowish or reddish-brown or black masses; it is usually hard and brittle."3
"Hemp is dioecious. The female flowers are reduced to the perigone with one bract. The complete inflorescences form a leafy, false spike. The male flowers form panicles rich in pollen. Pollination is by wind. The fruit is a gray-green, glossy achene, 3.5 to 5 mm long and 2.5 to 4 mm wide. The seeds have little endosperm, are white, oily-fleshy and hooked. Cannabis is an annual or biennial plant, which is usually branched and grows up to 5 m. The plant has erect, rough-haired and compressed bristles. The leaves are long-petioled and 3 to 7 pinnate. The leaflets are lanceolate and serrate. The plant probably originated in the Middle East. Today it is grown worldwide in temperate and tropical regions."4
"Indian hemp is available in three forms as a narcotic: Marijuana (bhang) consists of the upper parts of the plant and only little of the active resin; it is generally smoked in form of cigarettes. Hashish (ganga) is prepared from selected flowers and leaves of specially grown plants. It contains more of the resin and is therefore also more effective. It is used in form of pills etc. taken internally, mainly in the Near East, from where it is also exported to Europe. Charas is the pure resin, obtained from carefully grown flowering plants. It is similar to hashish and indeed often called such, and is also taken internally. It is the most powerful of the three. All preparations made from Indian hemp are subject to the appropriate narcotics regulations. As a result, cannabis tincture, formerly used for its euphoric effect in the treatment of depression, has become obsolete. The same applies to external use of Indian hemp preparations."5
"Cannabis ... consists of the dried, aerial parts of Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabidaceae). The plant is an annual herb, which may reach 4-6 m in height. it is indigenous to Central and Western Asia and is grown in numerous tropical and temperate countries for fibre and seed production. The fibres of the stem, which may be as much as 10 cm in diameter, are long and tough and are used for the production of ropes, carpets, etc. The seeds contain fixed oil which has a range of industrial uses. The species is dioecious, i.e. it has male and female flowers on separate plants. The leaves and bracts on both types of plant have unicellular covering hairs with a pointed end and a wide base, containing a calcium-carbonate cystolith. The leaves and bracts also have glandular hairs which secrete a resin rich in cannabinoids. Cannabis sativa is not a uniform species. Several hundred varieties (races) have been described. Regarding the content of cannabinoids, three chemical variants have been defined as the ‘drug type,’ the ‘intermediate type’ and the ‘fibre type.’ Both male and female plants produce cannabinoids, but the female plants are preferred because they produce larger amounts of resin. In a hot, dry climate, the resin production in the flowering tops of the female plants can be so abundant that even under the midday sun the plants seem to be covered with dew. The presence of D1-THC in the glandular hairs is the reason for the illegal use of Indian hemp as a hedonistic (hallucinogenic) drug. The ‘best’ ones consist almost exclusively of the glandular hairs and are brown masses with a conspicuous smell. In Europe they are called hashish, in India charas (churrus). this quality is obtained in various ways. harvesters dress in leather suits and walk through the plantation when the female plants are mature. The resin sticks to the leather and is then scraped off. Another method is to thrash the flowering tops against smooth concrete walls and then collect the powder and resin that sticks to the wall. Lower grades of Indian hemp consist of flowering tops and are known under different names: in India as ganja, in North Africa as kief, in South and East Africa as dagga, in South America and the United States as marihuana. The content of D1-THC in Indian hemp varies a great deal. It depends partly on genetic factors and partly on the age of the drug, because D1-THC is transformed into cannabinol on storage. This transformation makes it doubtful whether cannabinol is a genuine constituent of Indian hemp. Good quality hashish contains 4-10% and marihuana 0.1-2.7% D1-THC. Cannabidiol and cannabidiol-carboxylic acid are the main components of the glandular hairs (up to 15%). The remaining cannabinoids occur in smaller amounts."6
The plant is known in Hindi as ganja, bhang and charas.
harvesting
" The medicinal parts are the twig tips of the female flowers, with either flowers or fruit attached, the flower-bearing twigs that have been dried; the ripe hemp fruit and various homeopathic preparations of the fresh dried plant-parts."7
constituents
Potter’s New Cyclopaedia list the following: Cannabinoids [about 60 of which have been isolated, the most important being D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); with other isomers of TCH [sic], cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabipinol, cannabidivarin and others, and their corresponding carboxylic acids, such as THC-acid, which easily decarboxylate at high temperatures (e.g. when smoked). The constituents vary widely depending on climate, cultivar, soil etc.]; flavonoids [flavocannabiside, flavosativaside, glycosides of vitexin and isovitexin and others]; essential oil [composed of olivetol, cannabene (a sesquiterpene) etc.]; alkaloids [cannabisativine, muscarine and trigonelline]; stilbene derivatives [e.g. 3,4’-dihydroxybibenzyl and others]; and miscellaneous constituents [choline, calcium carbonate].
The PDR for Herbal Medicines lists: cannabinoids [hief active agent 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC = 1-THC), in addition to 60 additional cannabinoids]; volatile oil: [of a very complex composition, with, among other things ß-caryophyllenes, humules, caryophyllene-oxide, a- pinenes, ß-pinenes, limonene, myrcene, ß-ocimene]; and flavonoids [including canniflavone-1, canniflavone-2].
Huang, in Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs indicates that: the fruit contains fat, vitamins B1 and B2, muscarine, and choline. The fruit also contains several active substances, such as trigonelline, l(d)-isoleucine betaine, tetrahydrocannobinol, cannabinol, and cannabidiol.
"Cannabinoids are a group of C21 compounds occurring in the glandular hairs of Cannabis savita L. The most important representative is D1tetrahydrocannabinol (D1-THC), which has hallucinogenic properties. Several systems for numbering the carbon atoms of cannabinoids are used in the literature. The two most common systems are shown over leaf in the formula of tetrahydrocannabinol. In one of them the substance is regarded as a monoterpene derivative, in the other as a dibenzopyran derivative. The first system is consistent with the presumed biosynthesis of the compound and has the advantage of being applicable also to cannabinoids that are not dibenzopyran derivatives."8 For further information on this topic, read the subsequent pages in the text.
usage
We cannot legally recommend the use of cannabis. It is illegal in the U.S.
- analgesic
- anodyne
- anti-inflammatory
- antispasmodic
- cataleptic
- hallucinogenic
- hypnotic
- narcotic
- sedative
- stomachic
"Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest cultivated plants and has been used for thousands of years as a source of fibre and as a medicament. In the 19th century, cannabis was widely used as an analgesic for rheumatic pain and toothache and also for other painful conditions. This use was especially prominent in England and probably originated in India, where cannabis has been in use as a painkiller for a very long time.D1-THC has been investigated for its analgesic activity, but although such activity can be demonstrated, the substance has not been found suitable for modern use. In India cannabis has also been used for hundreds of years as an anti-emetic drug. In 1975 it was discovered that cannabis smokers who were undergoing anticancer chemotherapy did not suffer from emesis, which is usually a serious side effect of the treatment. This anti-emetic effect was intensively studied and it was concluded that D1-THC is a potent anti-emetic agent, which is very effective against nausea and vomiting caused by radiation therapy, as well as by many - but not all - anticancer drugs.... As a result of these investigations, in 1986, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of D1-THC (= Dronabinol, tradename: Marinol) in cases of nausea and vomiting caused by anticancer treatments. Marinol has also recently (1996) been approved in the USA for treatment of anorexia in AIDS patients.... The discovery, in 1971, that marihuana smoking decreases lachrymation and lowers the intro-ocular pressure of the eye in normal subjects, led to an interest in D1-THC as a remedy for glaucoma... D1-THC is an effective agent with a duration of action as long as or longer than that of currently used antiglaucoma drugs."9
Although it would be easy to believe that cannabis was well-known as a medicinal herb by the native peoples, Moerman has but a very brief entry, indicating that the Iroquois used the herb "after [a] patient gets well but does not think that he has recovered." They also used it as a stimulating, as he quotes someone saying "This plant will get you going."10
"The principal use of Hemp in medicine is for easing pain and inducing sleep, and for a soothing influence in nervous disorders. It does not cause constipation nor affect the appetite like opium. It is useful in neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, delirium tremens, insanity, infantile convulsions, insomnia, etc. The tincture helps parturition, and is used in senile catarrh, gonorrhoea, menorrhagia, chronic cystitis and all painful urinary affections. An infusion of the seed is useful in after pains and prolapsus uteri. The resin may be combined with ointments, oils or chloroform in inflammatory and neuralgic complaints. The drug deteriorates rapidly and hence is very variable, so that it is best given in ascending quantities to produce its effect. The deterioration is due to the oxidation of cannabinol and it should be kept in hermetically-sealed containers. The action is almost entirely on the higher nerve centres. It can produce an exhilarating intoxication, with hallucinations, and is widely used in Eastern countries as an intoxicant, hence its names ‘leaf of delusion,’ ‘increaser of pleasure,’ ‘cementer of friendship,’ etc. The nature of its effect depends much on the nationality and temperament of the individual. It is regarded as dangerous to sleep in a field of hemp owing to the aroma of the plants."11
"Cannabis was first mentioned in the pharmacopoeia of the Chinese Emperor about 3,000 years ago. Cannabis resin was used for beriberi, constipation, female conditions, gout, malaria, rheumatism and absent-mindedness. In medieval herbals, it was mostly used externally. There are recipes for balms for healing contractures and for cooling poultices for the head and joints and for podagra. In 1845, the herb tips were mentioned for internal administration for gonorrhea, angina pectoris and choking fits. It was not until the nineteenth century that Indian hemp was described as having a euphoric effect; it was used for insomnia, neuralgia, painful rheumatism, painful gastrointestinal disorders, cholera, tetanus, epilepsy, strychnine poisoning, acute bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, impending abortion and weak contractions. The extract was used as a sedative and mild soporific. Currently literature on phytotherapeutic drugs cite as indications for Indian hemp: painful disorders of the alimentary canal such as ulcers or cancer; respiratory disorders such as asthma, emphysema or chronic bronchitisi; neuralgia, migraine; urinary tract disorders; mental disorders such as anxiety, neurasthenia or hysteria. Dronabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, Marinol®) is marketed as an appetite stimulant in the treatment of AIDS-related anorexia and as an antiemetic for chemotherapy-induced emeses."12
"The most common, and apparently efficient, method for administering cannabis is smoking, about 20% of the D1-THC content of a cannabis cigarette being absorbed. Oral administration is less efficient and the bioavailability is more variable than when the drug is smoked. Intoxication by Indian hemp is characterized by heightened awareness and perception, euphoria, sedation, and sometimes hallucination. The sense of time and space is altered and the sensitivity to sounds is increased. Indian hemp is not as strongly habit-forming as narcotics such as morphine and heroin. The use and the possession of Indian hemp are illegal in most countries. Contrary to the opinion of advocates of liberation of cannabis smoking, cannabis is not a harmless drug. Advanced head and neck cancer has been reported in young (19-38 years) cannabis smokers who had smoked daily since high school but did not smoke tobacco or use much alcohol. This type of cancer has otherwise been seen only in subjects 60 years of age or older who were heavy drinkers and tobacco smokers for decades. Also tumours of the mouth, larynx, upper jaw and respiratory tract have been reported to result from extensive cannabis smoking. Smoking cannabis during pregnancy is associated with great risks for the foetus. There is a tenfold increased risk of leukaemia in the offspring of mothers who smoke cannabis just before or during pregnancy. Anomalies in newborn babies exposed to cannabis during gestation have been reported by several investigators. These were manifested as lower weight and head circumference. Impairment of mental performance by cannabis in man is well recognized. This impairment is present well beyond the period of acute intoxication. A well-controlled study showed short-term memory impairment to last for at least six weeks after exposure to cannabis. This finding might be correlated to binding of THC in the hippocampus, the relay centre which receives information during memory consolidation and which codes spatial and temporal stimuli and responses. The effects of cannabis on the brain constitute a risk in connection with the operation of complicated machinery, airplanes, trains and automobiles."13
"The herb was listed in the Herbal Classic as a mild laxative, which acts by stimulation of the mucosa, causing an increase in intestinal secretions and peristalsis. It was used to treat constipation of debilitated or elderly persons. The normal dose in these treatments is 9 to 15 g of seed. Neither the Herbal Classic nor other chinese pharmacopoeias had ever mentioned that this herb has the hallucinogenic effect on the CNS. Because of its content of muscarine, administration of large doses of Huo Ma Ren would cause chonergic intoxication, manifested as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, and coma."14
"The active resin is in glandular hairs on the leaves, stems, and mainly on the unfertilized female inflorescences. In India, it is taken for sleeplessness and nervous exhaustion and to prolong life. It eases asthma, menstrual pain, migraine, and rheumatism, reduces muscle loss, and has potential to help with depression, epilepsy, and paraplegia. it eases nausea, stimulates the appetite of chemotherapy and AIDS patients, and relieves the muscle spasms of multiple sclerosis. The seeds are a painkiller."15
The PDR provides us with the current professional perspective on the actions and medicinal uses of cannabis:
"Psychotropic action: In most subjects the effect is registered following an oral dose of 20 mg d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or after inhaling a cigarette with 2% of d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The symptoms are mood swings, reduction in drive, inability to think clearly, confusion, lack of concentration, impairment of short term memory and perception of time. Sensory impressions become heightened or experienced differently. Complex tasks become more difficult, the capacity to understand or empathize is impaired. Negativbe reactions such as anxiety, panic and psychosis can occur. It is only possible to describe this effect in animal tests, on the basis of free behavioral and controlled behavioral tests. A stimulating effect has also been observed with lower doses. Not all cannaboids cause the same effect. CBC, CBD and CBG have no psychomimetic effect. Various interactions occu7r in combination with d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
"Antiemetic action: has been reported in clinical studies involving cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
"Anticonvulsive action: d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol reduces the clinical and electrographic convulsion intensity in cats.
"Analgesic characteristics: d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol displays analgesic characteristics, while at the same time partially increasing sensitivity to pain.
"Body temperature: In animal tests, d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannaboids reduced body temperature. The maximum reduction was relatively small. A stronger hypothermic effect was observed in higher doses, which affected behavior.
"Respiratory tract: The inhalation of marihuana smoke caused bronchial dilation in healthy subjects. methacholine-induced asthma attacks can be terminated by inhaling marihuana, in this case only psychomimetic cannaboids are active.
"Eyes: The ability of cannabis products to reduce intraocular pressure was discovered accidentally during trials on the effect of inhaling high doses. During the tests, intraocular pressure dropped by 45%. Eye drops applied locally had the same effect as standard medication but the effect lasted longer.
"Immune system: In vitro and in animal testing, depending on the tissue, the immune system was significantly suppressed after cannaboid administration.
"Antimicrobial action: CBC, CBDA, CBG and d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol displayed antibacterial effects. CBC and d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are bacteriostatic and bactericidal against streptococci and staphylococci.
"Tumor inhibiting effect: The in-vitro inhibiting effect of d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, d-8-tetrahydrocannabinol and CBN on the growth of transplanted lung tumors has been documented.
"Heart, circulation: Cannaboids increase heart frequency, peripheral vasodilation causes an increase in systolic blood pressure in the prone position and a decrease in the supine position.
"Other effects: d-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is said to be an appetite stimulant. Long term usage leads to a clear increase in tolerance for most of the pharmacological effects."16
Cannabis was well-known to the Eclectics. Ellingwood writes about it at length, calling it ‘narcotic.’ I feel that studying his material may provide insight into the medicinal values which this herb might offer were its properties something which could be used within society without the current difficulties surrounding drug abuse and related issues.
"Bartholow classed it as a cerebral excitant. In some persons the drug causes excitement tending to acts of violence and crime; in others it excites merriment, or a maudlin state. In general it produces hallucination, perverts the natural perception of objects, intensifies the perception of sound, dilates the pupils, abolishes pain, and, in poisonous doses, causes spasms, convulsions, collapse, pale, clammy, insensible skin, extreme debility, feeble pulse, and finally paralysis of respiration. The habitual use of the drug causes bloating of the face, weak tremulous limbs, injected eyes, imbecility, and ultimately death from marasmus. Those who use cannabis regularly believe that in medicinal doses it is not poisonous... It seems to be a true sedative to the stomach with few undesirable influences. Its best effects are secured when given in conjunction with alkalies in full doses or with mild aperients." He also writes that it "is sedative, narcotic, anodyne and, to a limited degree, anti-spasmodic. It acts upon disturbed function of the nervous system. It is a remedy for disordered mental action. It is a remedy for disorders of motility, involuntary, irregular, muscular movements, especially if of a distressing character. It is a remedy to arrest or control pain, often acting advantageously in conjunction with other pain-quieting agents, intensifying, modifying or favorably influencing their action. It is a remedy for excitable and irritable hyperaesthetic conditions of the genito-urinary organs, with increased functional activity and uterine disorders... In the wakefulness of old age, in the restlessness of nervous exhaustion, and in melancholia, it is an important remedy. It is useful in the treatment of neuralgia and hemicrania. It takes high rank in affections of the brain and nerves of the head, especially if nervous vertigo be present, and in those attacks of hemicrania which occur periodically, very distressing, causing delirium and much prostration. It is especially applicable in sub-acute inflammation of the brain, in delirium tremens and in the hypochondria of the menopause. This remedy has received a great deal of attention in its adaptability in cerebro-spinal meningitis, and with varying but encouraging results, especially in the earlier stages if irritation and congestion. It is useful also in hydrophobia, and in large doses it is sometimes palliative to the distressing symptoms. Minute doses will cure some cases of tinnitus aurium."17 Other conditions for which the herb is recommended by Ellingwood include nervous breakdown, paralysis agitans, passing graven, menorrhagia, neuralgic dysmenorrhoea and much more.
"Its psychoactive ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), may produce euphoria, alterations in mood and judgment, changes in sensory perception, cognition, and psychomotor coordination. Driving and other machine-operating skills may therefore be seriously affected. Users of marijuana have impaired short-term memory; its use also slows learning. Depending on the dose of the drug and the underlying psychological conditions of the user, marijuana may cause transient episodes of confusion, anxiety, or delirium. Its use may exacerbate pre-existing mental illness, esp. schizophrenia. Long-term, relatively heavy use may be associated with behavioral disorders and a kind of ennui called the amotivational syndrome, but it is not known whether use of the drug is a cause or a result of this condition. Transient symptoms occur on withdrawal, indicating that the drug can lead to physical dependence. There has been considerable interest in the effects of marijuana on pregnancy and fetal growth but because substance abusers often abuse more than a single substance, it is difficult to evaluate the effects of individual substances on the outcome of pregnancy or fetal development. There is no definitive evidence that prolonged heavy smoking of marijuana leads to impaired pulmonary function. The p;ossibility that chronic marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of developing head and neck cancer exists, but it has not been proven. THC, also known as dronabinol, is approved for use in treating nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatment, and treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Marijuana has also been approved for other medical uses in some states, although such use violates federal drug enforcement administration standards."18
In India, the whole plant is used "for epilepsy, convulsons (with root of Bryonopsis laciniosa and Melothria heterophylla and opium); on sores; for cough, cold." The leaf is used "for dyspepsia, gonorrhoea, bowel complaints; narcotic nerve stimulant, for skin diseases." Jain writes that "three important drugs and narcotis are obtained form this plant; these are ‘bhang’ (dried leaves and inflorescences of male and female plants); ‘charas’ (resinous exudate from leaves of male and female plants); and ganja (dried flowers and flowering tops of female plants from which charas has not been removed."19
A listing in Duke’s Amazonian Ethnobotany text describes it as a cultivated species which is "narcotic, hallucinogen, often a drug of abuse. Useful in glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and the nausea of chemotherapy."20
"The herb and resin have been used for centuries both medicinally and recreationally, however the use is illegal in most countries except for certain medical and scientific purposes. Recently the constituents of cannabis have been reinvestigated as therapeutic agents and pharmacological probes; they and their derivatives are being suggested for treating glaucoma, as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents and cannabinoid derivative is in clinical use as an antiemetic in cancer chemotherapy. The cataleptic, hypotensive and analgesic effects have been confirmed in animals and further work is continuing into their mode of action. Biochemical work has shown the basis for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity to be the interaction of some of the constituents with the enzymes involved in the inflammatory process, particularly cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and phospholipase A2. Although THC is the major psychoactive agent, it is not as potent in some of its other effects, such as anti-inflammatory activity, as for example the cannabinoids cannabigerol and cannabidiol, and the noncannabinoids olivetol and some of the flavonoids. Flavocannabiside and flavosativaside are lens aldose reductase inhibitors which may help to explain some of the effects on the eye."21
"In the USA, a cannabis preparation has been recommended for the treatment of glaucoma. it is said to reduce intra-ocular pressure and encourage the discharge of aqueous humour. Cannabis is also recommended for vomiting during cytostatic therapy, a condition often very difficult to treat. Oral doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have been shown to have much better anti-emetic properties than placebo."22
Cannabis is known for its medicinal uses in China. "The herb was listed in the Herbal Classic as a mild laxative, which acts by stimulation of the mucosa, causing an increase in intestinal secretions and peristalsis. It was used to treat constipation of debilitated or elderly persons. The normal dose in these treatments is 9 to 15 g of seed. Neither the Herbal Classic nor other Chinese pharmacopoeias had ever mentioned that this herb has the hallucinogenic effect on the CNS. Because of its content of muscarine, administration of large doses of Huo Ma Ren would cause cholinergic intoxication, manifested as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, and coma."23
Dosage:
Dosage: Use is prohibited in the U.S. by federal law.
Dosage [PDR]: The former average oral single dose of the [dried herb] was 0.1 gm.
External:
"Cannabis extract used to be a popular ingredient of external applications for the treatment of corns, because of its effect of reducing pain locally and also because it is easily soluble in collodion."24
- Cannabis sativa
- Saturn, Neptune
- Pisces
- Herbe of Love ... Magickal Herbe ... Visionary Herbe
lore
Although hemp has been used as a medicinal and recreational drug within many cultures, surprisingly, this herbe has not entered the mythos of very many belief systems.
In Bavaria Midsummer was the time when the bonfires were to encourage the hemp crop to be bountiful.25
usage
In researching spell magick found in the mid-twentieth century (particularly the 1970’s), hemp seeds are sometimes used in love spells. The Master Book cites "one in which a young woman sews the seed in a large circle around a church on Midsummer's Eve. Any maiden capable of doing this without notice, surely deserves her beloved."26
Hemp is seductive in many ways. It is unfortunate that many practitioners are seduced by the pleasant effects of this herbe. The majority of magickal and religious use which would otherwise be available is diluted by false beliefs. The ability of this herbe to promote entry into the astral is as illusory as are the sensations promoted by its resins. Despite the numbers of those believing hemp enhances their ability to meditate or work within the astral, the reality is that serious spiritual work would, were it to work with this herbe internally, use it on but rare occasion and that only following intensive fasting, seclusion and preparation under the auspices of trained guides. If hemp is to be treated as a sacrament then one ought be willing to live the appropriate lifestyle, partaking of the herbe on very infrequent occasion and only when properly prepared and, at all other times abstaining completely from the herbe. If you choose to use it as a recreational substance outside the law, then we urge you as strongly as we can to avoid using it spiritually in any way or connecting that energy with any others in ritual unless you have their consent. Avoiding the latter requires six or seven days’ abstention prior to sitting in Circle with others.
The only safe use of this herbe we can recommend is the extraction of fresh juice which is saved (alcohol may be added to create a tincture) and used to anoint one’s divinatory tools prior to moving into a state of mediumship. It should be noted that this does not imply that one’s internal physical body should be ‘anointed’ (i.e. ingesting marijuana under the mistaken belief that it will make you psychic!).
- A Modern Herbal, page 396
- Herbs: The Visual Guide, page 236
- Potter’s New Cyclopaedia, page 153
- PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd edition, page 500
- Herbal Medicine, Weiss, page 294
- Drugs of Natural Origin, pages 273-274
- PDR for Herbal Medicine, 2nd edition, page 500
- Drugs of Natural Origin, page 269
- Drugs of Natural Origin, pages 275-276
- Native American Ethnobotany, page 136
- A Modern Herbal, page 397
- PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd edition, page 501
- Drugs of Natural Origin, pages 274-275
- Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs, page 236
- Herbs: The Visual Guide, page 236
- PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd edition, pages 500-501
- American Material Medica, pages 105-106
- Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 19th edition, pages 1242-1243
- Medicinal Plants of India, page 220-223
- Amazonian Ethnobotany, page 40
- Potter’s New Cyclopaedia, page 153
- Herbal Medicine, Weiss, page 295
- The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs, page 236
- Herbal Medicine, Weiss, page 294
- The Golden Bough, page 723
- The Master Book of Herbalism, page 223