It’s no secret that there are myriad health benefits cannabis offers. After all, medical marijuana use is legal in most states across the country, with many others also legalizing recreational cannabis use.
So while the stigma of cannabis consumption is slowly but surely fading, there are still some mysteries about its health properties.
Even if you’re aware it can boost health, you may not know exactly how and why. In that case, stick around to learn the five health benefits of cannabis that everyone should know.
1. Cannabis Can Alleviate Chronic Pain
One of the main health benefits of cannabis is its ability to reduce chronic pain.
For anyone who suffers chronic pain, whether due to an injury or a specific health condition, the fact that a plant can reduce their pain naturally is itself a balm to the soul.
So how does cannabis consumption relate to pain reduction?
We feel pain sensations in the first place because of our nerve receptors. The cannabis’s cannabinoid components block these receptors, effectively eliminating the body’s ability to feel pain.
Cannabis is also anti-inflammatory, further reducing pain and providing a host of other health benefits.
Though more and more research is still needed in this field, of course, the studies we know about now are exciting. Imagine a society less dependent on opioids to manage chronic pain!
While opioid addiction and death rate is high and continues to grow, death attributed to cannabis use is virtually nonexistent.
2. Cannabis Can Stimulate Appetite
Not everyone will see this as a health benefit, obviously!
But this is a huge health benefit for people who have severe diseases like cancer and AIDS.
Why?
Because people who have these conditions take medications that make them feel nauseous and that put a serious damper on their appetite.
In fact, people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and who take antiretroviral treatments for HIV/AIDS can suffer wasting. This quite literally means you have no appetite, cannot keep food down even when you do eat, and your body wastes away from a lack of sustenance.
Luckily, this is another arena in which cannabis consumption can help.
Cannabis can stimulate the appetite while also reducing nausea, making it a superb addition to the medicines cancer and HIV/AIDS patients take.
3. Cannabis Reduces Anxiety
Another health benefit of cannabis is its ability to reduce anxiety.
Millions of people across the United States suffer from at least one form of anxiety. It is the most common mental illness.
While some people may think that those with anxiety just need to take a “chill pill” and get on with their day, anxiety can be truly debilitating. When severe enough, your anxiety can disrupt your entire day.
And yes, there are plenty of antidepressants that someone with anxiety can take to quell their symptoms in an attempt to live a “normal” life. But it isn’t always quite that simple, either.
Antidepressants, like any other medication, are both beneficial and detrimental.
And let’s be honest: most people aren’t thrilled about taking pills.
But again, cannabis is a natural anxiety reducer. This is because cannabis shuts down the brain’s GABA transmitters, the receptors that kick into gear when you feel anxious.
Cannabis also lowers cortisol levels. Cortisol is the often demonized hormone your body releases in response to stress. And lowering levels of cortisol is a very good idea since high levels of this hormone lead to heart disease
4. Cannabis Can Reduce Seizures
Cannabis use reduces seizures in people with seizure disorders, like epilepsy. People with diseases like Multiple Sclerosis also report a reduction in tremors when they use cannabis.
And the use of cannabis in these types of disorders with violent physical side effects is becoming common practice.
So much so that the FDA approved the drug Epidiolex, which is a medicine that includes the cannabis compound CBD.
5. Cannabis Can Slow Tumor Growth
Specific cannabis compounds actually kill cancer cells, slowing and preventing tumor growth.
This is another exciting medical area that needs more research, but that looks promising. It’s also worth noting that studies find no link in cannabis use negatively affecting cancer patients, either.
However, someone with mouth, throat, or lung cancer will obviously not want to smoke a cannabis cigarette. And that’s where beneficial cannabis tinctures come in handy!
These are just a few of the most prominent health benefits of cannabis use that everyone should know.
While we still have a lot to learn about the specifics of cannabis health benefits, what we know already is leading to medical breakthroughs.
With less cannabis judgment and a more open mind on its health potentials, we may put an end to countless diseases and their unfortunate side effects.