Medical marijuana is a term used to describe the extract of cannabis plants used to treat several health conditions. Cannabis plants contain several chemical compounds, with cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as the most prevalent cannabinoids. Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is popularly known to be psychoactive, while cannabidiol (CBD) is non-psychoactive. Both cannabinoids have proven effective in treating several medical conditions. Continue reading to learn about medical cannabis conditions from DigiDrs.
Medical Conditions that Medical Marijuana can effectively treat
Recreational cannabis has been legalized and approved for adults used in 18 states in the United States. However, medical marijuana is approved in 38 states in the US. If you’re interested in using medical marijuana to treat a medical condition, ensure that you have a qualifying medical condition and learn about the laws guiding the use of medical marijuana in your state. Here are some of the medical conditions that medical marijuana can treat;
Chronic pain
Medical marijuana is an effective treatment for chronic pain caused by several medical conditions such as; back pain, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, arthritis, muscle and joint pain, cancer, and other agonizing medical conditions. Medical marijuana helps relieve pain because of its chemical components that actively numb the feeling of pain. These chemical compounds, such as CBD, prevent the brain from receiving pain signals.
Insomnia
An adequate amount of sleep helps prevent the development of several health conditions. Nevertheless, reports have shown that millions of people experience sleepiness. Medical marijuana has proven to help patients experiencing insomnia due to chronic health conditions such as; obstructive sleep apnea, cancer, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis. THC and CBD work with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain cells to help people sleep better. However, if you’re using THC for a sleep disorder, a small quantity will help you sleep, but too much THC can make you stay active. Using CBD, a higher dose might help you sleep longer while waking up intermittently.
PTSD, Depression, and anxiety
Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are medical conditions associated with cognitive behavior. Most patients experiencing these medical conditions often feel less motivation and morale. Medical marijuana can help patients feel motivated by improving moods and cognitive thinking.
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a condition that causes the immune system to remove the covering around the nerves gradually. MS is characterized by several symptoms such as pain, loss of sight, fatigue, muscle spasm, and disrupted coordination. Medical marijuana helps relieve the pain and muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.
Cancer
Medical marijuana effectively relieves cancer symptoms and the adverse side effects of chemotherapy. It helps to lessen the pain and enable cancer patients to sleep better. Also, medical marijuana helps to increase the potency of other cancer medications.
Chemotherapy causes side effects such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss which you can reduce with medical marijuana.
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease can find relief to their symptoms using medical marijuana. CBD and THC help to boost the immune response and help the intestines function appropriately. Medical marijuana inhibits the growth and effects of bacteria in the intestines. It also reduces inflammation in the intestines.
Epilepsy
Medical marijuana is one of the most effective drugs for combating seizures associated with epilepsy and neurological disorders. It decreases the severity and frequency of seizures. In pediatric epilepsy, research shows that cannabidiol lessens the frequency of seizures by more than 50%. Also, in Dravet syndrome, research shows that CBD lessens seizures by more than 43%.
Heals Fractured Bones
CBD helps patients with fractured bones to heal faster. According to some studies, CBD helps strengthen the bones and prevents it’s from breaking.
Helps with ADHD/ADD
ADHD and ADD are medical conditions associated with deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADD is used to describe the symptoms of distractibility, inattention, and poor working memory. On the other hand, ADHD is the term used to describe the other symptoms of impulsivity and hyperactivity. Patients with these conditions often have issues in focusing and cognitive performance. Medical marijuana has proven to treat ADHD/ADD by enhancing cognitive behavior.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive condition that causes degeneration in cognitive reasoning. The degeneration is usually unavoidable, but you can reduce the progression. The inflammation of brain cells causes this disease. Medical marijuana has anti-inflammatory properties that help combat the cause of Alzheimer’s disease; hence, it reduces the progression of the disease.