What is Phoenix Tears? Deadly drug fiction and reality
Only the opening paragraph in the article from the commercial TV station, tn.nova.cz, tells us only the reality that the authors know nothing about the topic since they wrote.
“According to the police, a new drug is spreading rapidly in the Czech Republic, the so-called Phoenix Tears. This powerful marijuana extract is presented as a medicament, but criminologists say it can cause death at higher doses.”
Can Phoenix Tears cause death?
This bold claim made by Jaromir Badin, the then director of the Prague Drug Control Department, was not supported by any evidence. At the same time, the scientific literature clearly states that it is not possible to get fatally overdosed with cannabis. Compared to other drugs, it has been repeatedly confirmed that the amount of cannabis that could kill a person is virtually impossible to consume. At the same time, legal alcohol, for example, is many times more dangerous in this regard, not to mention other illegal drugs and even legal medicaments.
Who is Rick Simpson?
Worldwide, the name Phoenix Tears was promoted by the well-known Canadian activist Rick Simpson, who allegedly cured thousands of people from various cancers and other diseases with this cannabis extract. However, clinical trials on human patients have not yet confirmed most of the claimed positive effects on cancer. Almost none have taken place yet. Despite tens of thousands of people, especially in North America and Central and Eastern Europe, are testing this form of natural treatment. Many of these people sometimes share hard-to-believe results on social media.
What is the composition of Phoenix Tears?
Phoenix Tears are prepared from dried female cannabis flowers, containing as much psychoactive THC or non-psychoactive CBD as possible. Rick Simpson initially worked with extracts that had around 90 % of THC and almost no CBD. However, in recent years, it has been shown that the combination of THC and CBD in various cases may be more effective, for example, in epilepsy, even with significantly higher amounts of CBD than THC.
In extracts high in THC, there is a risk (in addition to criminal sanctions) of strong psychoactive effects, which can be unpleasant for many, particularly inexperienced patients. The important thing is to stick to the golden rule – start with small doses and carefully increase them so that the body can get used to it. Observe the body’s reactions.
Application of cannabis extract
High concentrations of active ingredients and more thick consistency of the extract are also why Phoenix Tears are often distributed in syringes. They allow easily measure the amount in milliliters or squeeze out the amount of a rice grain size. For example, in the United States, the extract is also available in capsules with a precisely set amount.
Thus, a concentrated cannabis extract is not intended for intravenous application (directly into the vein), nor is it known to be used as such. Unfortunately, this has given a wholly misunderstood impression since heavy drug addicts use synergies for intravenous drug application. This idea then was provoked by the reportage from TV Nova.
Production and risks
The preparation of cannabis extracts containing more than 0.3 % of THC is illegal. Moreover, because the production usually requires handling dangerous and flammable solvents, it can be hazardous in homemade labs.
Rick Simpson would often use benzine. However, the vast majority of experts in this area do not recommend it. According to various research, for example, isopropanol is better considering its much healthier properties. However, even this is a highly flammable compound, and strict safety measures must be followed during the production.
An interesting study presented by Italian scientists in 2014, which compared various solvents used in the home environment to produce cannabis extract concluded that due to the risks of working with flammable substances, the damage of essential terpenes by high temperatures, and the possible occurrence of harmful residues in the final product. Therefore, olive oil is the most suitable solvent for domestic production.
Is there a legal way?
If you are not a registered cannabis patient and do not have a prescription from your physician, you will not legally get an extract that contains more than 0.3 % of THC.
Fortunately, we offer products containing broad-spectrum plant extracts, which have less than 0.3 % of THC but contain CBD and other cannabinoids as well as terpenes. You can find them in the CBD category in our e-shop.
All CBD products, which will suit your needs, can be found here.
If you need help with your selection, please write us at office@canatura.com or call +420 774 426 555.