
What Makes
Cannabis The Best Choice For Medicinal Purposes
Introduction
When
you have a medical condition causing you pain or discomfort, you want to do
everything in your power to relieve it.
With
the introduction of cannabis-infused products and oils on the market, more
people are turning to marijuana to ease their symptoms.
But
what exactly makes cannabis so popular?
What Makes
Cannabis the Best Choice for Medicinal Purposes
With
so many different cannabinoids in the cannabis plant and many ways to ingest
it, there's no shortage of options for medicinal consumers. The wide variety of
possible treatments makes cannabis an ideal option for those who have tried
other medications and still haven't found relief.
What
makes cannabis the best choice for medicinal purposes? As mentioned above, CBD
effectively treats seizures in people with epilepsy or Parkinson's.
It
also has treatment potential for cancer—in March 2017, researchers published
results from phase II clinical trials that showed reduced tumor growth in
patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive type of brain cancer
that typically responds poorly to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
The
study showed that adding CBD oil to standard care delayed tumor progression by
five months; six months later, they saw a reduction in size by 16%. That's not
much compared with chemotherapy—but it is significant compared to placebo
controls.
Other
studies suggest that CBD may help reduce chronic pain symptoms by targeting
TRPV1-receptors in our nervous system (known as “vanilloid receptors”).
These
receptors respond to heat and capsaicin (the spicy chemical found in chili
peppers) but are believed to be less likely than CB1 receptors (found primarily
on neurons.)
Relatively low
risk of side effects
Cannabis
is a relatively safe treatment. Although there are several possible side
effects, they are rare and generally mild. If you experience side effects, they
will usually go away after a short time.
Cannabis
has been used medicinally for centuries, so we have lots of data on how it
reacts with our bodies in different ways. This makes it cheaper to use than
other traditional medicines that have less research behind them or might cause
more severe complications if they are misused by the patient or used
incorrectly by the doctor.
Treats a lot of
symptoms and conditions
The
cannabis plant has been consumed for centuries to treat a wide range of
symptoms and conditions. Over 50 diseases and disorders can benefit from
medical marijuana use. These include:
- Pain
- Nausea
- Lack of appetite
- Anxiety
New treatments
are on the way
Cannabis
study is still in its infancy, but new studies are being published daily. These
studies are leading to new treatments for a wide variety of ailments, including
those that have traditionally proven difficult to treat.
And
the treatments themselves are arriving so quickly that it’s hard to keep track
of all the options on offer. One day you may be able to take a pill to control
your seizures; the next day, you might find yourself rubbing cannabis oil into
your gums.
Cannabis
is poised for medical breakthroughs—the same breakthroughs we've seen with
antibiotics and vaccines before—and it's only going to get better from here.
Conclusion
We
can't say for sure what the future holds for medical cannabis, but we know that
it has a bright future ahead. With more studies being conducted every year and
new strains of marijuana being created to treat specific conditions, it's clear
that we're just scratching the surface of this miracle plant's potential.