Cannabis is a plant that has been used for many thousands of years to treat pain, nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, weight loss and mental health conditions. The effects of cannabis are not fully understood yet but initial research suggests that it may be able to relieve depression and anxiety; reduce inflammation; stimulate parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning; control seizures in some forms of epilepsy such as Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of the disease; reduce spasms in people with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries or diseases.
Relieving pain
- How it works: The THC in cannabis is a natural pain reliever, and it acts on receptors throughout your body. The more receptors that are activated, the better this drug works as a treatment for pain.
- What kind of pain it can help with: Cannabinoids may be useful in treating many types of chronic pain associated with arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis), multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer and other conditions. They also appear to reduce muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries.
- What kind of pain it cannot help with: Since there are so many different types of medical marijuana products available today—and because each person responds differently to cannabis—it’s difficult to say exactly what type of ailment will respond well to using them as part-time alternative medicines or full-blown prescriptions; however
Reducing or eliminating nausea and vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy, as well as other types of medical treatments. Cannabis can reduce nausea and vomiting in some people, but it’s not clear if it works for everyone. Some studies have found that using cannabis to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy may be helpful for some people with cancer who aren’t getting better on standard therapies.
Increasing appetite
Marijuana can increase appetite and make you eat more. There is evidence that marijuana can help people with cancer, AIDS, and other conditions that cause weight loss. It may also help people with eating disorders such as anorexia.
Preventing obesity by reducing insulin resistance and helping with weight loss
Cannabis can also help with weight loss. It has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and this helps you lose weight by reducing your appetite.
Cannabis can also be used for treating diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. There are some studies that suggest that treatment with cannabis may improve the management of DM in patients who have failed conventional therapy for episodes of hyperglycemia or glycosylated hemoglobin A1c levels greater than 10%.
Reducing inflammation
Inflammation is a process that helps the body fight infection and repair wounds. It’s part of the immune system, which sends cells to the site of an injury or disease. The inflammation process starts with white blood cells called neutrophils that bite into and destroy bacteria in your skin; they also release chemicals (chemotoxins), which can cause pain, swelling and redness.
The effects of cannabis on inflammation are still unclear; however, studies show it may have some beneficial effects on chronic diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease by reducing pain without causing side effects like nausea or drowsiness.
Treating depression and anxiety
Marijuana has been shown to improve mood in people who are depressed. It can also help people with anxiety disorders, PTSD, and social anxiety disorder.
Treating psychosis and schizophrenia symptoms
- Cannabis can help reduce symptoms of psychosis, schizophrenia and related disorders.
- Cannabis can also help people with these conditions to get off antipsychotic drugs.
- It’s possible that cannabis could be used in combination with other pharmaceuticals to treat depression, anxiety and stress.
Relaxing muscles in people with multiple sclerosis
In the past, medical marijuana has been used to treat muscle spasms and pain in people with multiple sclerosis.
After an initial trial period, researchers found that cannabis increased relaxation of muscles in individuals with MS. It also reduced muscle stiffness, which is often caused by spasms or cramps.
Stimulating parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning
Cannabis can have a positive effect on the brains of people with dementia, PTSD, depression and anxiety.
It is thought that cannabis’s ability to activate parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning may help with these conditions.
Controlling seizures in some forms of epilepsy such as Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of the disease
Cannabis has been shown to help with seizures in some forms of epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome. Dravet syndrome is a rare and severe form of epilepsy that begins during infancy or childhood. It’s also known as “infantile spasms.”
In studies conducted at the University of California San Diego Medical Center and published in the journal Epilepsia (a medical journal), researchers studied the effects of using cannabis on patients with this type of seizure disorder. The results showed:
- Patients who used small doses (between one and five grams) experienced improvements in their symptoms;
- Those who used larger quantities (10-25 grams) saw no significant changes;
- However, there were some differences between these two groups based on gender—women experienced greater improvement than men did when taking large amounts of marijuana daily for three months
Reducing spasms in people with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries or diseases. Stimulating relaxation to help people sleep.
Cannabis can help people with MS and spinal cord injuries or diseases. At the same time, it may also be helpful in reducing spasms of muscles found in the brain that are caused by MS.
Cannabis is also known to reduce muscle tension and improve sleep quality by stimulating relaxation in your body.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has given you some insight into the effects of cannabis. As we’ve seen, there are many different ways in which it can be used to benefit your health and wellbeing. However, as always, it’s important to keep in mind that every individual reacts differently to drugs so always consult a medical professional before taking any new medication or supplement!
