Before the CBD craze and laws changed, medical cannabis was what many people went to to help them with various medical conditions. Nonetheless, medicinal cannabis is still used widely precisely because of the benefits it affords sufferers of specific issues. Furthermore, the advantages of Marijuana outweigh those of CBD alone. However, just what medical problems can Marijuana help to treat?
When Was It First Used As A Medicine?
Records of civilizations using this herb for various ailments date back thousands of years to Central and East Asia. These civilizations understood the therapeutic qualities they possessed and built upon them. These days, Medical Marijuana was first legalized for use in 1996 in California. This was a breakthrough at the time, and subsequent states began to follow suit. Currently, cannabis is being proven to be effective as a medicine. It has been used to treat a variety of factors, including:
- Cancer.
- Anorexia.
- AIDS.
- Chronic pain.
- Glaucoma.
- Arthritis.
- Migraine.
Further uses are constantly being recognized as research continues.
Consumption Methods
Many people may be aware of cannabis and how it works, but they may not understand consumption methods apart from smoking. Some of the more prevalent modes of consumption include:
- Smoking: Smoking is the most well-known method of consumption, but it carries the same risk that conventional smoking does.
- Vaping: A vaping device will heat the cannabis oil and turn it into a vapor. It is far safer than smoking and is one of the most commonly used methods.
- Edibles: You can find these in a variety of forms, from chewable candies to baked goods. The effects last longer but also take longer to appear.
- Transdermal patches: This technique is suitable for patients who don’t want to consume it in other ways and is the least intrusive.
- Raw ingestion: Some people have found eating the raw leaves or buds directly or mixing them into smoothies and other drinks. It remains unclear as to its usefulness.
What Conditions Can It Help With?
Cancer
Marijuana is not used as an alternative treatment to chemo or radiation therapy. Instead, it is used to counteract some of the less desirable symptoms that occur due to them. When cancer patients undergo one or all of these treatments, they often experience several symptoms that can cause significant discomfort. Numerous states have approved medical cannabis to aid in the reduction of:
- Nausea.
- Chronic nerve pain.
- General pain.
- Reduced appetite.
Suffering From Glaucoma
When fluid builds up inside the eyeball, it damages the optic nerve, causing glaucoma. In a recent study published in the Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers found cannabis positively affecting eye pressure in both control and glaucoma-induced rats. Female and male rats were given cannabidiol, and the rats receiving the drug had lower eye pressure.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that results in memory impairments and other cognitive issues. Alzheimer’s disease has no cure, but research is underway to understand better if there might be triggers that cause the disease. Nevertheless, there is ongoing research into how it might help those suffering from this disease. Research has found that medical cannabis could help to reduce agitation, aggression, and confusion. Furthermore, some studies (ongoing) have shown positive signs that THC could be responsible for breaking down clumps of a protein called amyloid, which is considered to be the main contributor to Alzheimer’s
HIV/ AIDS
Retroviruses, such as HIV attack the immune system, which is why they are known as retroviruses. Over the past 30 years, researchers have tried without success to find a cure for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Medical cannabis can reduce the discomfort associated with AIDS in much the same way it reduces discomfort in cancer patients. It is especially beneficial for people with AIDS who experience excessive nerve pain.
Migraines
In migraine headaches, one or both sides of the head undergo severe pounding or throbbing pain. The severity of these attacks varies, and some people report that they are always accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, and even sensitivity to certain smells. As with most conditions related to medical cannabis, research is still ongoing. Nevertheless, there are promising signs that it could be beneficial. It works both to prevent their onset and to reduce the impacts when they arrive. Additionally, respected researcher Ethan Russo has hypothesized that migraines are related to endocannabinoid deficiency. Hence, the cannabinoids found in cannabis could prove helpful in migraine treatment if this is the case.
Conclusion
Patients with specific medical issues and diseases can benefit from medical cannabis. Those mentioned in this post are just some of the problems it can treat, but further research is needed for other conditions.