Why Whole Plant Matters

One of Siskiyou Sungrown’s foundational practices is to formulate our wellness products with the highest quality whole plant medicine. Why do we go to the trouble of using the whole cannabis plant, rather than using isolated cannabinoids, which are cheaper and easier to obtain?

Whole plant medicine captures the full spectrum of beneficial phytochemicals found throughout the plant. Phyto is a Latin prefix for plant, thus phytochemicals are the chemicals produced by plants. Of the several hundred phytochemicals that have been described in cannabis, the most beneficial include cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids and other phenolic compounds.

There are over one hundred cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, including THC, CBD, CBG, and CBC. They interact with our body’s endocannabinoid system to influence essential physiological and cognitive processes — inflammation, pain-sensation, mood, appetite, metabolism, immune system, and more.

There are also more than a hundred terpenes produced by cannabis. Terpenes are responsible for the variety of flavors and aromas that cannabis plants express. They offer an array of beneficial pharmacological activity, including anti-cancer, anxiolytic (anxiety reducing), immunostimulating, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic.

Phenolic compounds increase antioxidant activity in humans, protecting against cellular damage and chronic disease. Dietary phenolic compound intake is associated with a reduced incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Over 20 flavonoids have been identified in cannabis, exhibiting anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, nuero-protective, and anxiolytic effects.

The cannabinoids, terpenes, phenolic compounds, and other beneficial components of the cannabis plant synergize to amplify the efficacy of whole plant medicine. This is known as the entourage effect. Many cannabis products on the market are produced using ultra-refined THC or CBD isolate, with no complementary cannabinoids, terpenes, or flavonoids. This is the exact opposite of whole plant medicine and limits the effectiveness of the product.

Siskiyou Sungrown’s commitment to organic, sun grown, full spectrum, whole plant cannabis products means that we offer the purest and most effective cannabis and hemp medicine possible, just the way nature intended.

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