Dedication
This book is dedicated to my beautiful wife Stephanie, my healthy happy and fit young son Robert and to the developers at the Apple computer company. Without the use of their iPad and iPhone products, this book very well may never have been written, as its text was composed on those devices exclusively. I’d also like to thank Wikipedia, the website which provided much of the scientific data I have used in this book. In addition, thanks to Amazon and Amazon Kindle for giving me the platform to publish my research. Finally I would like to send my earnest thanks to Dr.Jordan Peterson for his inspirational writings. Presently he is in rehab for addiction to Klonopin and I do wish him the best as his writings and research have laid the groundwork for this book.
Preface
By Jim Sotherby, Bestselling author of CBDopolis: The Ubiquitous Substance that Will Save the World
When Moshe C. Bragge sent me the first draft of the tome you are about to imbibe I was highly skeptical to say the least. I’d never heard of Dr. Bragge, and quite honestly I felt that he was stepping on my toes. CBD research and writing has been my field for years and to have a young upstart try to make CBD their topic felt just plain wrong. I went into the reading of his manuscript with that type of jealous skepticism in mind. But after just a few pages I completely changed my tune. Dr. Bragge’s research is both groundbreaking within the field of Psychology and deeply moving in its emotional honesty and complexity. You, the reader, are in for a real treat with this book. The original manuscript that Dr. Bragge sent me was over 300 pages. I strongly encouraged him to heavily edit the book down to just a few pages of the most important information. My opinion as a medical writer and clinician is that a strong, urgent and brief piece of work will have the greatest effect on society as a whole. Enjoy The Miracles of CBD Therapy.
The Miracles of CBD Therapy
Introduction
Five years ago I was the very picture of dysfunction. My life was falling apart before my eyes and everything seemed hopeless. I had lost the will to live and was on the brink of suicide. I found myself standing at a lake. I was so far gone that I had lost the ability to even feel pain and I was ready to jump. The thought of ending it all filled me with so much relaxation and comfort that I’d enter a revery just thinking about abandoning the hardships of this world. Would I be leaving behind my wife Stephanie and my little boy Robert? Yes. I love my wife and my son, but the pain was too great. Since childhood I’ve suffered from acute anxiety and depression. I’ve been to every shrink in town and been prescribed every medication in the book. I’ve also self medicated with illicit drugs and alcohol for decades. Using drugs and alcohol to solve your problems is like banging your head against a wall to get rid of a headache; it only makes things worse. My daily routine around this time looked something like this: wake up at 10am, hit my bong and take 2 Xanax and 2 Percocet. When the pills started to do their job I’d take a shot or two of Jameson and then call an Uber to work (I was a clinical psychologist at Johns Hopkins, my alma mater). I’d arrive at about noon and sit motionless staring at the screensaver on my desktop trying to escape the pain between cocaine snorting sessions in the bathroom. When lunch time came around at 1:30pm I’d go to the local pub and eat a massive platter of chicken, vegetables,and 4-5 Spiked Seltzers (I was and still am on the Keto diet). I’d return to the office at around 3:30 pm, take a nap, then leave work at 4:30pm to imbibe any drug I could get my hands. I’d go to the local bars and meet other nefarious addicts who would often wind up at my home, much to the chagrin of Stephanie. Wash, rinse, repeat every day for years on end. My cycles of addiction and depravity were more predictable than a romantic comedy. I could only console myself with the fact that I wasn’t overweight, thanks to the Keto diet.
On that fateful day five years ago, I stood at the lake ready to jump in and drown myself when suddenly I was interrupted by a gaggle of young adults at the other side of the park puffing on what appeared to be marijuana vape. I approached them with the intention of asking for a puff, thinking it mightt be nice to die with a little buzz. “Hey dude, let me get a puff of that weed” I said. “Huh?” the young boy, who couldn’t have been older than 14 responded. “This isn’t weed, this is CBD.”
“CBD? What’s that?” I asked.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants and accounts for up to 40% of the plant’s extract.[7] In 2018, clinical research on cannabidiol included preliminary studies of anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain.” said the boy.
“Will it get me high?” I said.
“It’s not about that! It’s an effective way to treat anxiety and many other disorders.”
“Let me try that shit” I said to the boy. I rudely pulled the vapor pen out of his hands and took a puff. My life has never been the same since. All of the depression and worry instantly melted away, like a snowman on a warm winter’s day. But unlike the macabre image of a dying snowman, I was filled with a joy and a lust for life the likes of which I had never experienced. Needless to say, I did not kill myslef that fateful day. And it’s all thanks to CBD and to the little boy who shared his vape pen with me, whose name I never did get (If you’re out there, please email me at moshecbraggeMD@yahoo.com and let me know what your name is so that I can edit future editions of this book with that information.)
Read on to find out the who, what, why, where and when of using CBD to change your life!
Chapter One: Drastic Times Call for Drastic Pleasures
Before I talk about the primary subject of this book (CBD), I want to get one thing out of the way. It’s 2019 and while marijuana is becoming increasingly tolerated and easy to obtain in this country it is still the dangerous and potentially life threatening intoxicant that it has always been. In addition to triggering both visual and auditory hallucinations, marijuana can provoke rather intensive paranoia and anxiety. In other words, it’s far from the ‘recreational’ substance that it’s known to be. I’ll go on record now in stating that I strongly oppose the legalization of Marijuana in any form and feel that those who distribute it should be dealt the harshest punishments available under the law. Now, that being said, I must admit that without the efforts of those in the marijuana legalization communities, CBD may never have been legalized. And for that I must give them credit. Because of their tireless efforts, CBD is available for purchase at every gas station, Pharmacy and corner store across this great land (america). But I want to go on record that this book in no way endorses or intends to glamorize the use of marijuana, which is in my opinion one of the most nefarious illicit drugs on the market. There’s a reason why it has been illegal for so many decades and I hope to god that that does not change. I am an MD, and my professional medical opinion is that marijuana is NOT good.
CBD, on the other hand, is a risk-free and holistic substance that I’ve seen used to better the lives of many people. So what is the difference between marijuana and CBD?
According to www.healthline.com, “Both CBD and THC have the exact same molecular structure: 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. A slight difference in how the atoms are arranged accounts for the differing effects on your body.”
In layman’s terms, this means that scientists have taken the atoms, which are very tiny balls that can be arranged to make things, and rearranged them to change the marijuana from a bad illicit substance into a good legal one (CBD). When my colleagues in the medical community initially told me about the CBD, I was highly skeptical. My medical opinion was that I did not think that the atoms could be moved around in such a way, but I was wrong. As it turns out, CBD is truly a miracle cure for all that ails me (and others).
Experiencing the depths of despair and drug addiction and reaching rock bottom are what helped guide me to the CBD, via the nameless boy mentioned in the book’s preface. But the moment I took my first hit of CBD things changed. I had focus. I had energy. The anxiety I had experienced for so many years was gone. It was like I had been living my life in a cave and CBD was the proverbial ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’
I am a medical professional, which is a stressful job to say the least. The stress of being a Dr. can weigh on a person, but knowing that there is a fat blunt of CBD waiting for me to smoke when I get home helps me get through the day. I like to think about how the CBD smoke will taste on my lips as I smoke it on the couch while little Robert plays video games and Stephanie does the dishes. I also stop at the local vape shop on the way to work each day to get a 35ml bottle of CBD tincture, which I drink throughout the day. If that is not sufficient, I may supplement it with a package of CBD gummies and/or a puff of my CBD pen. This helps regulate my anxiety and stress so that I can do a better job throughout the work day and be the best doctor I can be.
Chapter Two: What Can CBD do for you?
CBD is most immediately recognized as being an effective treatment for psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. And it most certainly is that. You’re probably asking yourself “can i just puff the CBD vape like Dr. Bragge did and get rid of the problems I have?”
The answer is complex. Yes, smoking CBD will instantly relieve most of your problems and irrational worries. But it will not make everything go away magically. Our neuroses stem from deep seated issues that are difficult to untangle. Dr Sigmund Freud realized that many of the problems we have are the ones from childhood, and it’s hard to go back in time to erase those problems from our past. We are humans; very intelligent and complex animals (much like dogs, who also use CBD–more on that later). In order to unravel the complex web of emotions, CBD treatment is recommended to be supplemented with intensive psychotherapy. For example, if you get ahold of some powerful CBD you will feel good. But if you combine CBD with therapy, you will feel great, and be able to get rid of many of the problems you have. You could also use a powerful psychological tool like EST (Electro Shock Therapy) in combination with CBD to get a very large amount of therapy at once!
Many people cannot afford therapy, as it is quite expensive. In this case, I recommend purchasing Dr. Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules of Life. This was the psychology book that inspired me to go to med school and get my doctorate in psychology. Dr. Peterson’s book is a guide for how to be a good person and do things the right way. Supplemented with CBD, it is a pipe bomb of explosive rationality and functionality. 12 Rules in Life is “The book is divided into chapters with each title representing a specific rule for life explained in an essay” according to Wikipedia. The chapters are all good and deal with a different rules of life. I have devised the ultimate plan for reading Dr. Peterson’s book, combining each chapter (or rule) with a different CBD product.
- Stand up straight with your shoulders back (MediHaze)
- Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping (Ringo’s Gift)
- Make friends with people who want the best for you (Charlotte’s Web)
- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today (Remedy)
- Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them Dancehall
- Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world ACDC
- Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient) Harlequin
- Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie Sweet and Sour Widow
- Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t Stephen Hawking Kush
- Be precise in your speech Cannatonic
- Do not bother children when they are skateboarding Sour Tsunami
- Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street Pennywise
Pairing these CBD strains with each respective chapter of Dr. Peterson’s masterpiece guarantees a sound mind and will be far cheaper than years of pricey clinical psychotherapy. I recommend mixing up your method of consumption as well. Like, for Rule 1 use a tincture, but for Rule 2 smoke a CBD blunt and for Rule 3 use a vape. You can mix and match however you like. Everyone must find their own path for discovering inner peace. It’s not supposed to be easy–but with CBD it’s a heck of a lot easier than it was before.
CBD for Pets
It’s all the rage these days–pet stores that specialize in CBD treats to calm ‘man’s best friend’–the dog. I personally have mixed feelings about the ethics and efficacy of feeding CBD to animals. Because I use CBD, feeding my animal the same substance disrupts the inherent hierarchical relationship a dog must necessarily have with its master. The dog will begin to think he is as good or better than the human which can lead to dog attacks and bites when they realize they cannot speak or stand on their hind legs like a human can.
This chart shows a very clear trend that dog attacks and bites are on the rise. These numbers were far lower years ago, and it is no coincidence that the rise in dog bites corresponds precisely with the trend of feeding CBD to pets, especially dogs. If dog is really “man’s best friend” as common parlance would have us believe, why would they be attacking us at such startling rates? The answer is that they WERE our best friends, until we began force feeding them CBD and rapidly dissolving the structure that humans have been developing with dogs for over 500 years.
That said, some animals do well with CBD, and in that case I encourage you to feed it to them.
CBD and Diet
Being healthy and happy is what we all want out of our lives. CBD can help us get there, but we will never be happy if we are fat. Being fat is one of the leading causes of unhappiness among people these days. BMI numbers are through the roof and obesity is an epidemic. We try to treat ourselves using CBD therapy, which is very effective. However, the presence of the notorious “CBD munchies” doesn’t help much in keeping us slim and trim.
In order to stay fit, trim and attractive, my family and I have been practicing the Keto diet for many years with wonderful results. Dr. Jordan Peterson has taken the Keto one step further and consumes only beef and water and this has cured him of various cancers. He is also very healthy and good looking. Even though Dr. Peterson only eats beef, people respect his medical and philosophical opinions. THe big question is: does he use CBD products?
It is not common for others in the medical establishment to encourage an alternative diet such as the Keto, but my professional medical opinion is that the Keto is the natural way humans were supposed to live. In our primitive past we did not have access to processed sugars and bags of enriched flour, but rather we would eat the animals we could find and kill. We ate the animals without any seasonings (like Jordan Peterson does).
Jordan Peterson is naturally accustomed to using fewer seasonings and eating less flavorful food, as he is from Canada. The animals our primitive ancestors would hunt included deer and fishes, or in the case of arctic natives, seals and walrus. These dead animals are naturally keto because they do not contain the carbs which make us fat.
I have written extensively about the Keto diet in my previous publication Keto for Kids, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com as a Kindle Book. It will help you to avoid the pitfalls that many parents (who are bad) fall into, in letting their child become a fat pig. Slim, healthy and attractive children are one of the finest things in life. When they become fat and grotesque it is unsightly, unhealthy and flat out disgusting.
The CBD munchies are a real problem, but as long as you munch on Keto friendly snacks like beef liver, beef heart, ground beef or fish, it will not interrupt the Ketosis happening in your body.
CBD and Sexuality
Many people these days are interested in having sexual experiences and engaging in sexual activities, such as coitus. In fact, according to Doctors, Having an active and healthy sex life is critical in maintaing a balanced and good life. How can CBD effect your sex life?
The fact of the matter is, sex on CBD is one of the most profoundly beautiful things I’ve ever experienced. When I make love to my wife Stephanie, I always take 10 puffs of the CBD vape before, during and after. Unfortunately Stephanie does not partake of the CBD and is therefore deeply unhappy and does not enjoy the sexual experiences as much as I do. I have encouraged her time and again to use the CBD regularly. She always claims that it “doesn’t do anything.” My medical diagnosis is that it DOES do something. I am a doctor, and she is not, therefore I know that it works.
Because I use CBD to regulate my anxiety and depression, I am a well balanced person and am able to have a functional relationship with Stephanie even though she is deeply sad and miserable to be around. When things get really bad, I supplement my CBD intake with several shots of Vodka (which is naturally ketogenic). I do not wish to drink alcohol, but Stephanie’s fragile emotional state forces me to. For the love of God, I wish that she would start taking CBD to become a happier and better person. This would make both of our lives (and the life of our young Robert) so much better.
CBD and Crime
Because CBD is a legal substance, it is not against the law to carry or sell it, which is one of many reasons why it is very different from marijuana.
This chart shows that compared to the times when weed was popular (1996) the violent crimes were very high, but now that CBD is popular, the crimes are just getting less and less.
This is great for various reasons, but for me as a medical doctor, it makes my life easier. Because there are fewer violently wounded people coming into my doctor’s office, I can take more time to relax. It is my medical opinion that the decrease in crime rate is correlated precisely with the preponderance of CBD. I look forward to a future where CBD is administered to all people every day. It is not until we implement such policies that crime will be eradicated all together.
Our society is a very crime infested place. Many people are scared to even leave their homes for fear of being brutally murdered or killed. The criminals out there are the people who are not using CBD. In fact, criminals often use illegal drugs like marijuana. By using illegal drugs, you are breaking the law, and therefore a criminal to begin with. Get the picture?
CBD is legal, so there is nothing wrong with using it, and if you are doing so it does not mean you are a criminal.
CBD and Religious Experience
Throughout human history people have been using psychoactive chemicals such as LSD, mushrooms, peyote and yage to achieve transcendent spiritual experiences. This has been done through self medication, or guided with a guru or shaman. These hallucinogenic chemicals can lead to profound religious experiences that are otherwise only attainable through prolonged meditation sessions. Religion and ritual are a timeless aspect of human existence and are key to navigating man’s relation to nature and the beyond. The drugs that people typically use to experience revelatory psychedelic trips are highly illegal, and for good reason. They are dangerous and can lead to schizophrenia in those who are predisposed. CBD is not a psychoactive chemical, so it would not be useful for those attempting have a transcendent religious experience.
Faster than a Bird, Faster than a Plane: How to Boost Self Confidence and Feel Like Superman Using CBD
One of the top worst problems facing American’s today is low self-esteem. As a doctor, I see patient after patient utterly crippled by debilitating lack of confidence. One of my favorite analogies is Superman. He’s a very great and confident hero who is strong and has the ability to fly. The only thing that makes him not as good is a green substance called Kryptonite. So CBD is much like kryptonite, in that it is exactly its opposite. Instead of making you not as good, it makes you better…and can even make you as good as SuperMan.
I am just a Dr. I’m not a wizard or a saint. But I feel like a mythical strongman when I use CBD. I am Superman when i drip those 4 drops of oil under my tongue and wait for the anxiety to fade and the power to expand.
There is so much sadness in America today, and suicide rates are at an all time high. Why the suicide hotlines aren’t mandated to send a complimentary bottle of CBD tincture to anyone who calls in is beyond me. Parents: if your children are suicidal I urge you to dose their beverages with CBD and just watch the difference it makes.
When my little Robert was born he would wake us up at all hours of the night needing to be fed just so he could go back to sleep. Stephanie and I were not getting good sleep and could barely function. We started giving Robert 4-5 drops of CBD every time he’d wake up, and it really did the trick in having him chill out and stop crying.
Not all heroes wear capes. But in this case, I did feel like Super Man even though I didn’t have a cape on.
Break Up to Make Up: CBD Marriage Counseling
I am happily married to my wife Stephanie and I love her to death. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. She’s beautiful, intelligent and understands who I am deep down inside. It can be difficult for those of us in the medical profession to be honest and open about our feelings. We are inundated by our workload and taught that life is a process dictated by biologies which we are still learning to understand. Feelings don’t enter the equation. With Stephanie, I am able to open up and be honest about my feelings. In other words, I can be me!
BUt things weren’t always so easy. We have been through many vicious fights and ups and downs. Stephanie can be a very difficult person. She does not like to admit her mistakes, and when rules are established it goes without saying that she will break them.
As a medical doctor, my diagnosis is that Stephanie is a deeply maligned and troubled person. She’s lucky to have a tolerant, forgiving and financially stable partner like myself.
At some point about 5 years ago it seemed like divorce was inevitable for us. I was at the height of my addiction to drugs and alcohol. Stephanie was not supportive of me at all. She kept threatening to leave me and telling me to get a job. THese negative threats hurt my already fragile ego even more and forced me down a deeper rabbit hole of depravity. When I took $600 from her purse to fund a 2 night cocaine binge with a female friend, she screamed and cried for almost an hour. She forgave me shortly thereafter, but the histrionic reaction she had made me realize that she was not well. I took it upon myself to get clean so that I could responsibly handle my unstable wife and her various issues. How could I expect to care for another person if I could not adequately care for myself?
When CBD entered the picture and I got clean, things changed. My marriage to Stephanie is much better now. She doesn’t scream and cry as much. We have learned to give each other distance and space. For example, if our baby Robert is crying and screaming and Stephanie is getting stressed out about it, I will leave the house and go to the vape shop to try some new CBD strains, or maybe even go catch a movie or concert. No point in being around the stress and negativity, as those are signs that Stephanie needs time to herself to tend to the baby.
I couldn’t have come to this realization through traditional science or medicine. I needed to use CBD to find these answers for myself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, CBD has helped me become the person I am today. In addition to reading Dr. Jordan Peterson’s books and listening to his podcast, CBD has shaped my positive and productive outlook on life. The words I have written in this tome are not to be taken lightly and should be read and re-read. For that reason, following this page, the content of the book repeats itself 5 times. It is recommended that readers read this book AT LEAST 5 times (if not more) in order to absorb its full message.
It is my medical opinion as a Dr. that many people will benefit from the effects of this book and of CBD. Congratulations on reading this book and bettering yourself.