Surprising Health Benefits of Cannabis
Cannabis has long been a substance surrounded by much controversy. For many decades, it was considered a degenerative and dangerous drug. I recently had time to watch a documentary on TV and do some research, (never before have I made better use of my Spectrum Internet Only). What I found out was astonishing. Not only is cannabis not a “dangerous drug” but it also has a multitude of health benefits that people have been unaware of for decades. I am listing some of the more important ones here to try and clear some of the common misconceptions about cannabis.
You would be surprised to know that Cannabis can help patients suffering from the following diseases:
1) PTSD:
One common feeling users describe after taking marijuana is the feel-good, relaxed state of mind they reach. In the past, it was believed that cannabis use damage memory retention and emotional capabilities. This has proven to be false. What people don’t know is that THC (the active chemical in Cannabis) works on the part of the brain dealing with fear and anxiety. This gives PTSD sufferers a much needed relief as many of them are mentally incapable of moving beyond those traumatic events.
One common symptom of PTSD is that the traumatic event ingrains itself in the brain’s process. It causes distress, emotional inadequacy and even inability to function as before. As a solution, doctors now believe cannabis can replace bad memories of a traumatic event with new, calming memories. It may even lower anxiety levels in people suffering from PTSD. In effect, cannabis helps people break free of the mental trauma loop and return to some normality in their lives. It can be hypothesized that medical marijuana will one day replace most antipsychotics or antidepressants.
2) Cancer:
For decades, chemo was thought to be the only, albeit unassured, option to fight cancer at later stages. However, the pain and suffering that comes from chemotherapy are almost as bad as the disease itself. There is no guarantee that the treatment will work. It does not specifically target cancer cells or tumors. Instead, it ravages the whole body and causes acute discomfort, nausea, and pain not to mention hair loss. Unlike chemotherapy, use of medical marijuana has shown significant reductions in size and weight of cancer tumors due to THC.
Medical marijuana solely targets cancer cells, leaving other cells unharmed as opposed to most contemporary treatments for cancer. Cannabidiol or CBD (the other active chemical in cannabis) also exhibits anti-tumor properties and has been known to inhibit the growth of brain tumors. Compared to traditional chemotherapy, medical marijuana is a much cheaper and pain free alternative and one that yields results.
3) Asthma:
For many years it was believed that smoking marijuana causes cancer tumors in the lungs. It was also thought to lead to bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. While this may seem counterintuitive, smoking cannabis doesn’t actually harm your lungs. In fact, it slashes the risk of lung cancer and growth of tumors. Surprisingly cannabis has also been proven to help people suffering from chronic asthma. 35 million Americans are currently affected by asthma, but marijuana may just be the answer to their problems. Studies have proven it can reverse induced asthma and even widens the airways, much like a conventional inhaler. The only issue is the difficulty to regulate the dosage, but the obvious fact is that smoking cannabis is healthy.
4) Multiple Sclerosis:
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a painful condition that affects the spinal cord, brain and optical nerves. It can lead to problems with eyesight, balance and basic body functions to a very large extent. MS is a devastating condition and can cause permanent disability or death. Recent studies reveal that Cannabis helps calm spasms related to MS. Not only that but it also helps the patient to deal with fatigue, depression and chronic pain. In many ways, Cannabis is a godsend for people who suffer from devastating diseases like MS. While it cannot actually reverse the effects of MS, it can ease the suffering of many people across the world and make it easier on them.
Cannabis – An Effective Painkiller:
You may have seen football athletes or MMA fighters smoking vapes after a game or a fight. It is a common enough sight these days. But it’s not just because vaping is trendy these days. Inhaling vaporized marijuana has 2 merit points to consider. Firstly, it is almost 20 times more potent that over the counter pain relievers like aspirin or Advil. Even higher doses of cannabis are roughly equivalent, in terms of pain relief, to controlled drugs like codeine. Secondly, as a pain reliever, cannabis is very fast acting. Patients have described a lessening in pain within a few minutes of inhaling cannabis. This includes lessening in inflammation, cramps, and soreness.
As of now, twenty-three US states have legalized cannabis. Many doctors support this legalization and 7 other states have legislation pending. Many jobs do not screen for cannabis anymore in drug tests. In fact, at my last job with Spectrum Internet Speeds, in Colorado, I was not screened for THC or CBD. Unfortunately, it is still illegal in most parts of the country. People genuinely suffering have no hope of getting access to the possible cure for their illnesses any time soon.