According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 250 million people worldwide are now cannabis users, which is an increase of more than 25 percent from 2017. To put this in perspective, this means that more people use cannabis than use the internet or go to movie theaters.
The growing popularity of marijuana has led to a surge in medical applications of the plant. As we see with most innovations, advanced technologies tend not to come organically but rather through growth and discovery.
Why Cannabis can Save Life
Cannabis is the most studied plant in the world and is used by more than 250 million people around the world. As a medical marijuana treatment, it is used to reduce pain and improve sleep quality. It is also used to relieve chronic pain, increase appetite, and reduce nausea. Experts recommend that medical marijuana should be used in conjunction with other prescribed medications, as it is not considered a replacement for them.
Recent studies have shown that people who use cannabis on a regular basis have better-coping skills with stressful situations, as they do not get so overwhelmed and are able to address them calmly. In addition, people who use cannabis are less likely to experience anxiety and are more accepting of new experiences.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
A regular cannabis user has been shown to have significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety than people who do not use it. This is because marijuana has a relaxing effect on the user’s central nervous system.
Studies have shown that those who use cannabis are less likely to develop mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. This is likely due to the fact that cannabis is a known mood stabilizer and is great for treating conditions such as bipolar disorder.
Pain Relief
Cannabis has shown promise as a pain reliever for many ailments. Recent research has found that THC and CBD, the two major active compounds in cannabis, have strong anti-inflammatory properties.
As such, people who use cannabis regularly have less severe forms of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, or fibromyalgia. This is mainly because cannabis has been shown to reduce gut inflammation, which affects approximately 50 million people in the US.
Improves Vision
Cannabis has the ability to reduce eye pressure and improve vision. While there are initial studies that found an increase in glaucoma risk among users, there have also been studies that found no risks. This is mainly due to the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis, which help to prevent the progression of glaucoma and also protect the eyes from damage caused by ultraviolet rays in sunlight.
Improves Sense of Smell
Cannabis has the ability to improve a person’s sense of smell. This is mainly due to the anti-inflammatory properties of the plant, which are great for reducing inflammation in the nasal cavity and olfactory nerve.
Helps in Weight Loss
Cannabis has been shown to reduce the amount of food intake because it has an appetite-reducing effect. Again, there is a mixed bag of results with regard to weight loss and this is mainly due to the mixed composition of cannabis, which includes over 100 components.
The components that have been found to have appetite-reducing effects include cannabinoids that have been shown to have an effect on hunger, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Other Benefits of Cannabis use
- Lung Health – Cannabis users have shown reduced rates of lung disease, such as chronic bronchitis and asthma. This is mainly due to the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis and its ability to reduce inflammation.
- Reduction in Depressed mood – Regular cannabis users have shown improvement in mood compared to those who do not use marijuana. This is mostly due to the anti-depressant effects of the plant and the ability of the user to address stressful situations more calmly.
- Better sleep – Patients who use cannabis regularly have shown improvement in their sleep patterns. This is mainly due to the anti-anxiety effects of the plant and its ability to relax the user.
- Marijuana is good medicine – The medical marijuana community continues to show new potential uses for the plant, including treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, reduction of opioid dependence, and even treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Conclusion
Cannabis has many benefits and can be used to treat a number of medical conditions. People who use it have been shown to have better-coping skills, reduced levels of stress and anxiety, reduced pain, improved vision, a better sense of smell, better sleep, and even a reduction in weight. Cannabis can be used to treat a range of conditions, has few side effects, and can be grown at home.
