Posts by Steve Gold
Serotonin During THC Recovery: When the System Loses Its Buffer
Why early recovery can feel persistently intense Early recovery after long-term THC exposure is often expected to follow a pattern of fluctuation. Many people anticipate waves of symptoms, gradual improvement, or periods of relief between difficult days. In practice, the experience for some individuals is very different. Instead of variation, the nervous system may enter…
Read MoreTHCA and CBDA: Similar Chemistry, Different Roles
How closely related cannabinoids behave differently At first glance, THCA and CBDA appear nearly identical. Both are acidic cannabinoids found in raw cannabis, and both are non-intoxicating in their natural form. Because they belong to the same chemical class and originate from the plant’s unheated state, they are often treated as interchangeable—different versions of compounds…
Read MoreO’Shaughnessy and the Birth of Cannabis as Medicine
How cannabis became a clinical subject Cannabis did not become medicine when it was named, isolated, or standardized. It became medicine when it was first treated as a clinical object rather than a cultural one. Long before Western physicians encountered it, cannabis was already embedded in regional systems of care, used pragmatically to manage pain,…
Read MoreTopical THCA & the Skin Barrier
Systemic limits of topical delivery Topical THCA preparations begin with a material that already has constraints. When a topical is made from THCA‑rich ice water hash—a mechanical separation of intact resin heads rather than a solvent extract—the chemical form and physical structure of the material are largely set before it ever touches the body. Once…
Read MoreParticle Reduction and the Limits of Smaller
How particle size changes biological behavior THCA ice water hash preparations begin with a material that already has structure. Ice water hash is a mechanical separation of intact resin heads, not an amorphous extract or a chemically reconstructed concentrate. Each intact resin head carries its own internal composition and physical history before it ever enters…
Read More