With Medical Marijuana spreading around the globe like fire, people are waking up to all the possibilities especially how Marijuana is helping heal chronic illnesses.
Marijuana, or Cannabis as it is medically referred to, can be an incredibly effective treatment for chronic illnesses. It can potentially help a large number of chronic illnesses by either reducing its impacting or relieving its symptoms.
Most people know its power when it comes to helping with pain management but what other chronic issues can cannabinoids help with?
In reality, Marijuana can be beneficial to numerous chronic illnesses that are frequently left out of the discussion such as HIV/AIDS, addiction, and brain damage or disorders.
In this article I will take a look into the other chronic issues Marijuana may help treat or relieve.
Marijuana Helps with HIV/AIDS
Many HIV sufferers use Marijuana (Cannabis) to ease the disease-related symptoms such as,
- Nausea
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Neuropathic pain
- Depression & Anxiety
A number of studies also show that cannabis is effective in treating the side effects of antiretroviral drugs as well as potentially helping fight the disease HIV itself!
A study conducted in Maritimes, Canada concluded
| “The majority of patients enrolled in the present study reported mild or no symptoms related to HIV. Overall, 80.5% of the cannabis-using participants reported a symptom-relieving benefit, mostly for relief of stress, anorexia or pain.” |
Marijuana to Combat Addiction
A major concern in society is the narcotics people form addictions too.
But did you know that Cannabis has been used for helping addiction for more than 100 years? That may come as a shock because the many uninformed people believe Marijuana is a culprit to drug addiction.
The Laboratory for Physiopathology of Diseases of the Central Nervous System did a study where they injected morphine-addicted rats with THC, resulting in suppressed behavioural, biochemical, and molecular dependence thus leading researchers to expect cannabis therapy to have a similar neurological effect on humans.
In short by using THC, derived from the Cannabis plant, they were able to reduce the dependency or addiction the rats had on morphine.
| “Because cannabis did not lead to physical dependence, it was found to be superior to the opiates for a number of therapeutic purposes. Birch, in 1889, reported success in treating opiate and chloral addiction with cannabis, and Mattison in 1891 recommended its use to the young physician, comparing it favorably with the opiates.” – Marijuana in Medicine” by Tod H. Mikuriya M.D. (1969): |
** Opiates definition – a drug derived from or related to opium commonly referred to Narcotics
Marijuana to Fight Alcoholism
Despite the ongoing debate about if Marijuana is the same as alcohol, there is evidence to prove that it, in fact, can HELP fight alcoholism. This in itself should say something right?
A study conducted by Amanda Reiman
| “Substituting cannabis for alcohol has been described as a radical alcohol treatment protocol. This approach could be used to address heavy alcohol use in the British Isles – people might substitute cannabis, a potentially safer drug than alcohol with less negative side-effects, if it were socially acceptable and available”. |
Marijuana for Depression, Anxiety and ADHD
People who suffer from ADHD, Anxiety and Depression can seek relief from their symptoms with the use of Marijuana.
The effects this plant can reduce the chemicals which cause the unbalance in the body and bring the sufferer more control.
Dr. Eva Milz, a psychiatrist who co-authored a study which replaced Adderall and Ritalin with Marijuana she said that standard medications were “more demanding” on patients, whereas cannabis brought them…
“control that helped them in life, love and work, without feeling intoxicated.”
A lot of people report that it is a gentler method to ease their symptoms and the only one which isn’t causing a lot of other negative side effects.
Marijuana for Treatment of Neurological Damage
With disorders which are related to the nervous system such as movement disorders, epilepsy, or Alzheimer’s there is a lot of studies surfacing on how Marijuana can help these patients in dealing with their chronic illness.
Not just help but some studies show it can repair damage!
A study done by the Oxford journal showed promising results when testing CBD to repair damage and trauma done to the brain. They stated
“Our findings confirm that minocycline decreases brain damage caused by traumatic brain injury… the activation of cannabinoid receptors is required for the neuroprotective actions of this compound.”
The sad thing is many patients have been deprived of Cannabis as an option to treat their Chronic illness and may or may not have suffered more than needed.
Marijuana to lower insulin levels in diabetics
With some major countries around the world battling obesity, chronic illnesses such as diabetes are more and more common.
But how can Marijuana impact a patient’s insulin levels?
A research paper published by the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) suggested that cannabis can help:
- Stabilise blood sugars – a large body of anecdotal evidence is building among diabetics to support this.
- Suppress some of the arterial inflammation commonly experienced by diabetics, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
- Prevent nerve inflammation and ease the pain of neuropathy – the most common complication of diabetes – by stimulating receptors in the body and brain.
- Lower blood pressure over time, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease and other diabetes complications.
- Keep blood vessels open and improve circulation
This research paper along with self-medicated user reports show promising results that CBD (cannabinoids in Cannabis) may be beneficial in not only lowering insulin levels but relieving a large majority of symptoms experienced by patients with diabetes.
Curing With Marijuana
Research is just reaching the tip-of-the-iceberg when it comes to medicinal properties of cannabis (Marijuana) among chronic illnesses making this time in our history a very exciting milestone in medicine.
The benefits of marijuana that have been discovered in recent years are giving patients and doctors worldwide much-needed hope in regards to the current medical industry which in many avenues had reached a dead end.
If you suffer from or develop one of the chronic illnesses listed above would you try treating your symptoms with cannabis?
Tell us in the comments below!
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