10 things to know about the roots of cannabis that you might not know

While flowers and leaves are the focus of attention, the virtues of cannabis roots are just as fascinating.

For centuries its properties have been used in the manufacture of treatments and remedies in herbal medicine. Today, the roots of cannabis plants can continue to reveal their secrets. Here are the 10 things you probably didn't know about the roots of cannabis.

All about cannabis roots

Long history of medicinal use

The first recorded use of the cannabis root as a medicine dates back to around 2700 BC. AD in a work called Shennong pn Ts'ao ching. Translated as "The Classic of Herbal Medicine", this ancient Chinese text mentions that the cannabis root was a remedy for relieving pain. Dried and crushed to form a paste, the treatment was frequently used for broken bones.

In AD 79, the Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote in Naturalis Historia that the cannabis root was boiled in water for joint cramps, gout, and relief of acute pain.

In the early 18th century, English physician William Salmon echoed these claims with a blend of cannabis root and barley to treat sciatica and pelvic pain. .

Protecting the liver

While research remains limited, in 1971 ethanol extract from cannabis roots was shown to contain friedelin.

Considered an antioxidant, friedelin has properties of preservation and protection of the liver.

Variety of direct applications on the body

It is also possible to make a lip balm from cannabis roots. Likewise, soothing and healing poultices can be designed. Dried cannabis roots can easily be incorporated into countless creams for local applications.

In infusion with olive or coconut oil as well as various essential oils, they facilitate healing.

Reduces inflammation

Until the beginning of the 20th century, doctors in the United States recommended decoctions of cannabis roots for the treatment of inflammation.

Cannabis roots contain several pentacyclic triterpene ketones. These compounds are valued for their antimicrobial effects and anti-inflammatory.

Eradicates cancer cells

Triterpene pentacyclic ketones in cannabis roots are also suspected of causingapoptosis. This is programmed cell death in cancer cells.

Although research is still in its infancy, cannabis roots may have effective cancer-fighting properties.

Strengthens cell membranes

Cannabis roots contain small amounts of choline. Water soluble, choline an essential dietary nutrient precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

It is vital for the development and maintenance of healthy cell membranes.

Care according to cannabis strains

This practice is in its infancy, but cannabis roots can also have variable properties according to the strain. Although we still have a lot to learn here, the potential for future remedies in this space is enormous.

Thus, depending on the strain, particular properties found in the roots are usable.

Presence of cannabinoids

Cannabis roots contain traces of cannabinoids. The concentration is minimal compared to buds or flowers but compounds such as CBD are also found in the roots.

Used to stop bleeding

Cannabis roots, after crushing, drying and boiling, act as an anti-hemorrhagic to stop bleeding. This was especially useful for postpartum bleeding after childbirth in antiquity.

In the future, perhaps a medical research avenue for new treatments?

Soothes inflamed, burnt or irritated skin

In case of irritation on the skin, you can try applying dried cannabis root. Greek author and physician Oribasius, doctor of the Roman Emperor Julian, wrote that dry cannabis root could treat rashes when mixed with pigeon droppings.

If you guano is optional, crushed raw cannabis roots have been shown to be effective in treating various skin conditions.

Thus, cannabis roots are a source of medicinal properties and may be of much more value than we thought. By focusing not only on the upper part of the plant, but also on its roots, it could open up new perspectives in terms of research and cure of diseases. We are only at the beginnings, as this study shows.

Study: compound found in cannabis roots has anti-inflammatory effects

The researchers found that the compound cannabis sativa, present in the aqueous extract of weed roots, reduced inflammation without negative side effects. While scientific research on cannabis has mostly focused on the multitude of compounds found in the budding part of the plant, a new study is extracting therapeutic benefits from a less visible source.

The aqueous extract derived from the roots of a potted plant, of which cannabissativin (CsAqEx) is the main component, exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in mice without any negative side effects or notable toxicity, according to one study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

The root compound cannabissativine (CsAqEx) exhibits anti-inflammatory activity

Specifically, the researchers found that CsAqEx is associated with the reduction of vascular extravasation - the leakage of blood or other fluids from a blood vessel or tube - and the migration of inflammatory cells, which help reduce inflammation at affected sites. No effects on the central nervous system were observed and no spasmolytic effects - the contraction of soft tissues - were seen in the respiratory tract.

The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of CsAqEx is related to the reduction of vascular extravasation and the migration of inflammatory cells, without effects on the central nervous system. In addition, no spasmolytic effect on airway smooth muscle was observed and no toxicity was observed in mice.

The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the root compound in causing inflammation in the mice. In technical terms, with the carrageenin-induced leukocyte migration test, and the carrageenin-histamine-induced paw edema methods.

They found that CsAqEx inhibited leukocyte migration at doses of 25, 50 and 100 milligrams per kilogram. CsAqEx also showed anti-inflammatory activity after injection of carrageenan into the paws of mice, showing a reduction in swelling at all doses tested, the lowest being 12,5 milligrams per kilogram.

Airway contraction was tested in vitro in mice isolated from the trachea. In an organ bath, 729 micrograms per milliliter of CsAqEx did not produce a spasmolytic effect on isolated tracheal rings contracted by carbachol (CCh) or potassium chloride (KCl).

No negative impact on motor function was observed, which was tested using rotarod and field tests.

Researchers found no toxic effects from single-dose tests of 1 milligrams per kilogram, nor from repeated doses of 000 or 25 milligrams per kilogram over 100 days. The root compound did not produce other significant changes in the organs of the mice. Cannabis roots have a long history of medical use, but their therapeutic applications have been largely ignored in modern times.