When we talk about drugs, we tend to focus on the harmful effects they cause, which increase with consumer addiction. However, remember that drugs, such as morphine, codeine and more, are used medicinally, as is medical cannabis according to recent studies, which have found a number of benefits for the human body. Therapeutic use often occurs in the absence of the criteria that give cannabis medical quality. It is called Medical Grade Cannabis that has quality control, whose production is standardized and that meets international standards for herbal medicines. The medicinal use of cannabis refers above all to the end we give it and not to its quality.
How does medical cannabis affect our bodies?
Cannabis contains substances that resemble our natural brain neurotransmitters. One of them is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which in the short term produces a sense of well-being and amplification of pleasurable sensations, elevation of the pain threshold – but also some interference with the formation of memories and with motor functions.
Cannabis contains another substance called cannabidiol or CBD, which increases the levels of another endogenous neurotransmitter called 2-AG. This neurotransmitter, deals with the regulation of the immune system and pain. THC is psychotropic, and it’s the part of the cannabis that gives you the “recreational” effects, but CBD does not produce these effects: on the contrary, it does affect brain function and overall health, in many cases in a beneficial way.
Reduces chronic pain
After reviewing many studies, the report of the National Academy of Science in the US concluded that the treatment of chronic pain was the main use of cannabis, and the reason why many people used it as a medical indication. These effects depend on both THC and CBD. It is also effective against muscle spasms, for example of the diaphragm, that do not respond to other medications.
Slows down the development of cancer and alleviate the effects of chemotherapy
The same CBD component can slow the development of breast cancer according to the San Francisco University study. Other studies with mice have shown that THC also slows the growth of tumors, and a more recent one, combining CBD and THC, found that adding radiation therapy achieved a more effective treatment to stop the development of glioma, the most common brain tumor . However, these results have not yet been replicated in humans.
Cancer patients treated with chemotherapy experience nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Several studies have proven that smoking marijuana or using THC-based drugs can relieve these symptoms.
Helps with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis
Smoking cannabis has beneficial effects on neurodegenerative diseases. THC slows down the development of amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, thus slowing down the disease. The mixture of CBD and THC can also help preserve memory and dronabinol, another cannabinoid, can lessen behavioural disorders in Alzheimer’s patients. Multiple sclerosis patients who smoked cannabis also saw their muscle spasms and pain reduced, and in the case of Parkinson’s, it also helped reduce tremors and pain according to studies university Tel Avid.
Reduces post-traumatic stress and schizophrenia symptoms
In the USA, post-traumatic stress syndrome is the most common reason for prescribing cannabis to patients. Several studies with war veterans indicate that it reduces feelings of fear and anxiety. Other studies indicate that CBD relieves seizures in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Glaucoma treatment
Since the 70s there are studies that prove that the use of marijuana relieves intraocular pressure for several hours, and can be used for short-term treatment of glaucoma. The treatment has the side effects of using marijuana, and it is not better or worse than other
medications on the market, so a more durable and less invasive treatment is being developed from the plant.
