Okie, I have an idea. 
Could we dedicate a week to a particular herb? Discuss it and its benefits, etc?
I say we start with Witch Hazel. (Shahreen, I know you’ll be up for this one)
Re: Herb of the Week
I do really like your idea. Do you want people to share only their ideas or they can share info and photographs taken off the net?
Witch Hazel is good for insect bites, sun burns, acne, eczema etc. It is also used as a toner/astringent and that's the main reason it was used at my previous work location. Oh yes, and when we used to do waxing at work.. we used to wipe the area that needed to be waxed with witch hazel to prevent redness etc from waxing
Re: Herb of the Week
I have this toner that works great - and I haven't gotten a better toner ever. It has vitamin C in it. So, witch hazel can also be used as a toner? Does it work well or is it drying on the skin?
The vitamin C one makes my skin glow. Literally.
Re: Herb of the Week
vitamin c is a herb? since when?
Re: Herb of the Week
I think she meant the vitamin c version of the toner.
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no no vitamin C is not a herb. I'm comparing vitamin C toner vs. witch hazel as a toner.
Re: Herb of the Week
oww owkay. I’m on rooibos these days - rooibos tea from the rooibos plant, indigenous to southern africa. Its got no caffeine and high in antioxidants. http://www.africantea.com/Rooibos-Health/rooibos-health.html
Re: Herb of the Week
Medical Use of Marijuana (Cannabis)
Cannabis is a herbaceous plant belonging to the hemp family and has two subspecies - cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. It is cannabis indica which is the main source of the drug marijuana and various other preparations .
Cannabis usage usually takes the form of smoking herbal cannabis (marijuana) consisting of dried leaves and female flower heads.
Cannabis has 21 chemically-related carbon alkaloids which are called cannabinoids of which the most notable are delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (known as THC) and cannabidiol. Cannabinoid receptors are found in distinct areas of the brain and spinal column.
Cannabinoids act as moderate analgesics with low toxicity and they have a potency several times that of codeine and have a longer duration in the body. These compounds can be addictive or have a complementary effect when used with other drugs.
‘Cannabinoids’ also refer to pharmaceutical quality drugs that act in the same way in the body as cannabis substances. Two such drugs are nabilone, which is THC in a capsule form (available in the UK) and dronabinol which is synthetic THC (available in the US). No cannabinoid drugs are available in Australia.
A report prepared in 1998 by the South Australian Drug and Alcohol Council for the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy concluded that the greatest potential for therapeutic use of cannabis lies in three areas :
- As an appetite-stimulant, used in conjunction with drugs with anabolic properties to promote lean body mass, good nutrition and exercise
- In the management of neuropathic pain
- In the quick relief of nausea, such as associated with some cancer chemotherapy treatments.
A Working Party established by the NSW Government to examine the use of cannabis for medical purposes concluded in its final report (August 2000) that medical conditions for which cannabis may be of medical benefit are :
- HIV-related wasting and cancer related wasting
- Pain unrelieved by conventional treatments
- Neurological disorders including (but not limited to) multiple sclerosis (MS), Tourette’s syndrome and motor neurone disease
- Nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy which does not respond to conventional treatments.
The existing legal framework in Australia prohibits the cultivation of plants containing narcotic or psychotropic substances including cannabis [Australia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances]. Cannabis is listed as an illegal drug under Australian law - specifically the Crimes (Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act 1990 and the Customs Act 1901.
Cannabis is not currently approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for therapeutic use in Australia. Application or notification would need to be made to the TGA to exempt the supply or importation of cannabis from restriction and it is not clear that this can occur.
There is considerable debate as to the optimum delivery of cannabinoids treatment to patients. Smoked cannabis is unlikely to be prescribed in Australia as a smoked plant product will not satisfy the requirements for registration as a ‘therapeutic good’. The synthetic drugs currently registered in the US and UK are not popular nor widely used by eligible patients as the drugs need to be taken orally and the beneficial components are not well-absorbed into the body.
In 1997, the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledged the moderate efficacy and safety of THC as demonstrated in a number of experiments (such as reducing nausea from cancer chemotherapy) and other possible therapeutic uses. WHO concluded however that further research was needed on the central and peripheral mechanisms of the effects of cannabinoids (such as on gastrointestinal function and the neuropharmacology of THC).
The United States conducted an extensive investigation of the medical use of marijuana with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) being commissioned by the White House Office of National Drug Policy to undertake this project in 1999. The report from the IOM made a number of key recommendations which included:
- Research should continue into the physiological effects of synthetic and plant-derived cannabinoids and the natural function of cannabinoids found in the body (not just THC alone)
- Clinical trials of cannabinoid drugs for symptom management should be conducted with the goal of developing rapid-onset, reliable, and safe delivery systems.
Medical cannabis programs exist in various jurisdictions in the United States (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington).
In the United Kingdom, the Select Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Lords in 2001 recommended that clinical trials of cannabis for the treatment of MS and chronic pain should be mounted as a matter of urgency. Further the Committee also recommended that research be promoted into alternative modes of administration which would retain the benefit of rapid absorption offered by smoking without the adverse effects.
Cannabis-based medicines for treating chronic illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis have been trialed in the UK, however the results to date have been limited. A recent study published in The Lancet in November 2003 found patients with multiple sclerosis benefited from using the drug. The report concluded there is enough evidence to warrant licensing the treatment for that illness.
Medical cannabis was permitted in the Netherlands from September 2003 which involves the use of plant-based substances. Two licensed companies grow a special strain to sell to the Dutch Health Ministry which labels and packages the drug into small tubs to supply to pharmacies. Patients are advised to dilute the cannabis into tea or into a spray, as the drug is supplied in the form of dried marijuana flowers.
Research into cannabis-based medicinal extract products continues with a major pharmaceutical company announcing in May 2003 developments with a whole plant medicinal cannabis extract containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) as its principal components. The medicine is administered by means of a spray into the mouth.
There is general agreement in many jurisdictions that there is sufficient pre-clinical evidence to justify more extensive controlled clinical trials.
Re: Herb of the Week
Did you just cut-paste? Are you going to tell me you wanna have an intellectual discussion on the clinical aspects of marijuana, and then you come and cut-paste some article? Are ya kidding me?
Re: Herb of the Week
not cut-paste…
copy-paste… it’s the knowledge… copy-pasting does not mean it’s wrong…
tauba tauba … you asked me to put some research.. I googled as you suggested 
click on the LINK at the bottom of last message 
Re: Herb of the Week
First of all, you didn't wait for a week to pass, we were still on witch hazel, you old witch.
Second, what do YOU have to say about marijuana in your own words. Erase all that copy-paste, and put up what YOU think about marijuana. You're older on these forums than I am, you should know better.
Re: Herb of the Week
PCG: you can run but you can not hide 
I wanted to have a discussion over paan and poppy seeds but you let my comments erased… that was so discriminative to say the least… and now when you asked me to put some medical research on Marijuana here, you have become Judge Judy all of a sudden… 
Re: Herb of the Week
Ah this free freeee country I live in 
(marijuana)
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a nice thread PCG :) (till post # 7)
i dunno much about hazel but will love to read ....:)
n btw,
can we get to see any pics of the herbs in question too ???
Re: Herb of the Week
^^ like Afia i dont really know much about witch hazel.. I don't think it is used that much here in Pakistan, but would love to kno about it. I would also like to kno if we can grow that herb in our yard?
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pcg, usually witch hazel toner is used for oily skin or combination skin types..but if you use it in diluted form then it can be used on any skin types..and its always wise to use a moisturizer after the toner.
Vitamin c is great for skin..i have came across toners that contain vitamin c, witch hazel, aloe vera and rose water..altogether..
Aleezay, witch hazel is usually found in American continent..it was a native american herb..it is also found in parts of europe..one can order the extract and dried stuff online..but i am not sure how you can get a fresh plant in pakistan..
Here’s some information for Afia and Aleezay 
Re: Herb of the Week
Does it taste good?
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It has a distinct flavour - few years ago I hated it, now I love herbal teas. Rooibos is quite popular, I'm sure you can get it in the US. They also give it to soothe crying babies.
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after that it’s all about facts naa 