Science and research are saying a lot about medical cannabis. With a quick search of the term in your browser, you will reveal a plethora of information published about medical cannabis. Accredited sources such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and Harvard Health Publishing have loads of research published about medical cannabis.
How Does Medical Cannabis Work for So Many Ailments, Conditions, and Symptoms?
According to all kinds of different people, cannabis works for them. Cannabis has been reported to help people manage the symptoms of migraine headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, menstrual cramps, mild pain, chronic pain, arthritis, stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and much more. It has shown the ability to help people going through chemotherapy treatments, as well as help, reduce seizures in patients with certain types of epilepsy. Cannabis is working wonders for the skin; it is known to help promote bone growth and reacts naturally with the body’s own endocannabinoid system.
Cannabinoid receptors like CB1, CB2, and other receptors located throughout the body, work with endogenous cannabinoids and phytocannabinoids to help the body work at achieving and maintaining homeostasis. Cannabis works as a medicine for so many people, and the number of people it works for only continues to grow. Perhaps the success of cannabinoid therapies with so many different people could be attributed to some of its main capabilities, like offering anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
This isn’t just what people are saying about cannabis; there is research out there to support this evidence. One of the most common causes of pain and discomfort is inflammation. Inflammation can be more than uncomfortable it can lead to swelling, heat, redness, and or loss of function. Inflammation can happen out of nowhere, with one of the most common causes being autoimmune disorders. Exposure to industrial pollutants and toxins can also lead to inflammation. Injury or infection are also other common causes of inflammation.
Cannabis has proven anti-inflammatory benefits. According to research published on the NCBI website, “Cannabinoids are potent anti-inflammatory agents and they exert their effects through induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, suppression of cytokine production, and induction of T-regulatory cells (TREGS).”
Cannabis works as more than an anti-inflammatory; it also works as an analgesic. An analgesic is described as a pain-relieving drug. They can be broken down into three types.
· Non-opioid analgesics like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
· Opioid analgesics
· Adjuvant analgesics
How Does Medical Cannabis Help with Epilepsy?
Science and research have also gone on to show that cannabis helps with epilepsy. According to medical research, “The off-label use of Cannabis sativa plan in treating seizures is known since ancient times.” A literature review on epilepsy and cannabis says, “There is an increasing interest in developing cannabis preparations for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy as they are observed to be more efficacious with less side effect profile.”
The Epilepsy Foundation website says, “Early evidence from laboratory studies, anecdotal reports, and small clinical studies over a number of years suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) could potentially help control seizures.” One compound of interest in cannabis, CBD, has already received FDA approval. Epidiolex is an FDA-approved prescription drug that is “purified (> 98% oil-based) CBD extract from the cannabis plant.”
Cannabis doesn’t work for everyone with epilepsy, and it doesn’t work for all types of epilepsy, but for those that it does work for, the results are truly beneficial.
How Does Cannabis Help with Stress, Depression, and Anxiety?
Are you stressed out? Do you find yourself dreading the day ahead of you, consumed with anxiety? Has life left you feeling down in the dumps and depressed feeling? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Stress, depression, and anxiety are things millions of people around the world battle daily. Oftentimes one leads to the other, and before you know it, you find yourself caught up in a Molotov cocktail of mental and physical distress.
It is normal for people to face stress, depression, and anxiety. Everyone at some point in their life will experience these feelings. These feelings are designed for us to grow from. When emotions from these feelings begin to affect our physical health, it can be devastating to daily life. Anxiety, stress, and depression can all lead to physical pain and discomfort. Muscle soreness, nausea, panic attacks, and more are common side effects associated with these conditions.
Common treatments for stress, depression, and anxiety involve cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and medications like antidepressants, nerve pills, sedatives, and anxiolytics. People have utilized the medicinal attributes of cannabis for centuries to help them reduce stress. Researchers from the University of Chicago say, “THC, the main psychoactive compound and marijuana, does reduce stress, but in a highly dose-dependent manner.”
The Journal of Cannabis Research says what many cannabis consumers already know, and that is, “Self-directed use of cannabis flower, especially that with higher THC levels, is associated with significant improvements in at least short-term feelings of distress in many users, likely a contributing factor to its widespread popularity and consumption in the U.S.”
As mentioned earlier, it is very common for one symptom to lead to others. In the case of stress, it often leads to depression. Healthline reported, “Chronic stress may suppress the brain’s production of endocannabinoids. They found that this can lead to depression-like behavior. Introducing cannabis into the system may help restore normal levels and function. This may ease symptoms of depression.”
Once again, signs and research suggest cannabis may help control symptoms of stress and depression. To cap it off, anxiety is usually in the mix of those who suffer from stress and depression. Some research points to evidence that cannabis helps with the symptoms of anxiety. Different levels of THC and CBD appear to respond differently, with CBD responding better than high levels of THC.
How Does Cannabis Benefit Our Most Neglected Organ?
So far, we have seen what science and research say about cannabis working as an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic and touched on some of the research about how cannabis helps with epilepsy, stress, depression, and anxiety. Now it’s time to talk about the most neglected organ in our body that cannabis can help, our skin.
According to Pharmacy Times, “Cannabinoids observed to reduce inflammation in various skin conditions. Cannabinoids, a component of cannabis, contain anti-inflammatory properties that could be harnessed to treat a variety of inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.” Researchers from Cedars-Sinai hospital’s cosmic dermatology program believe that “CBD may play a role in hydrating the skin and have anti-inflammatory effects.”
The next time you hear a political representative say more research on cannabis is needed, point them in the direction of this article talking about science and research supporting just a few of the various benefits of medical cannabis.
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