Medical cannabis (AKA medical marijuana) are cannabinoids that are prescribed to patients by a licensed medical doctor in several countries including several states in America. Past and ongoing studies have shown that medical cannabis can be used to treat a lot of medical conditions.
Here are some of the top benefits of consuming medical marijuana:
1. Management of pain
A review of 10,000 scientific research papers by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found evidence that medical cannabis can help relieve pain. It does that by suppressing the pain receptors that signal the brain when a patient is in either somatic or neuropathic pain. You can use marijuana to alleviate pain from arthritis, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and migraine. In fact, there are reliable studies that advocate for the adoption of marijuana as the safer alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Such drugs are known to harm the liver and other vital organs.
Are you interested in growing cannabis for its pain-relieving properties? If yes, it is best that you contact a cannabis consulting firm for advice on the best strains to grow. The research and expertise that a consulting firm offers will also give you invaluable ideas on how to keep your marijuana plants healthy.
2. Treatment of mental illness symptoms
Numerous articles published in the journal of Clinical Psychology Review show that marijuana can be used to manage the symptoms of mental and neurological disorders. These disorders include depression, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Marijuana is known to manipulate the parts of the brain that deal with memory and emotions (the limbic system) which makes it ideal in treating the said disorders. Medical cannabis has also shown promise in the treatment of seizures caused by epilepsy. This benefit can, however, only be realized when your brain has high levels of CB1 receptors. Other neurological conditions that can be treated using medical marijuana include Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette syndrome.
3. Management of sleep disorders
About 70 million adults in the United States suffer from sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, according to the National Sleep Foundation. If you are among these people, then medical marijuana might just be the drug that you need.
There is a growing body of evidence that shows that cannabis is effective in treating sleep disorders and causes no negative side effects. Dr. Matthew Roman postulates that lack of sleep is a result of daytime stress. According to this marijuana physician, such sleep-depriving stress can be relieved by the analgesic properties that are found in cannabis.
The best marijuana strains for sleep disorder management are the ones with higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than cannabidiol (CBD). This is because a study conducted in 2008 proved that strains with high levels of THC reduce the number of dreams that one experiences. This makes such strain ideal for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as it reduces their chances of experiencing nightmares which affect their sleep patterns.
4. Alleviation of chemotherapy side effects
You probably already know how useful weed can be in the management of cancer. But exactly how does weed help cancer patients? Well, oral cannabinoids are effective in treating vomiting and nausea which is brought about by aggressive chemotherapy treatment. Dronabinol, which is a synthetic form of cannabinoids, has been approved for use along with chemotherapy for treating the side effects of chemo. Additionally, some studies show that when you smoke marijuana, you are likely to slow down the growth of certain cancer cell types such as human brain tumors.
A study looking at the effect of THC on human tumors reported that this compound shrunk these cells in a process known as autophagy. THC has also been effective in treating recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (a type of aggressive tumor of the brain) among patients. Given the direction that cannabis research is taking in the field of oncology, it might provide new approaches to treating human cancers. This advantage will lead to widespread acceptance for use of medical cannabis among cancer patients.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that medical cannabis offers numerous health benefits to patients. However, you need a prescription from a licensed doctor to procure it. However, marijuana is still illegal in Kenya though it is in use in particular states where it has been legalized in America. However, African nations may soon see the benefit of legalizing this miracle herb.
This article was written by Vincent Rubin.
He is a life coach with 7 years of experience with a focus on family relationships. In his free time, he likes to read and spend time with his family doing outdoor activities. Right now he is focused on sharing his expertise with a wider audience through his writing.
