What is marijuana?
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a psychoactive drug produced by the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant has two types of chemicals namely, tetrahydrocannabinol(THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Marijuana is known to contain THC which is a toxicant that may alter your body’s normal functioning system if used. It is used for recreational and medicinal purposes.
Is marijuana a medical drug?
More scientific research is being done to allow the approval of the use of marijuana as a treatment for medical conditions. However, preliminary evidence shows that marijuana can be used to treat certain health conditions including cancer, Crohn’s disease, arthritis, epilepsy, mental health conditions like stress, appetite loss, and muscle spasms. Scientist suggests that the THC in marijuana itself has proven to have medical benefits.
Health benefits of marijuana
The following are some of the uses of medicinal marijuana known to treat or rather reduce health conditions.
- Helps with mental health conditions- marijuana is commonly known to help with posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD). Marijuana reduces activity in the part of the brain that triggers trauma and emotional distress, hence therapeutic for PTSD patients.
- Chronic pain relief- the chemical compound in marijuana known as THC interacts with the body’s natural cannabinoid receptors, changing pain perception and reducing it temporarily.
- Regulates diabetes- for patients with diabetes, marijuana regulates or reduces it by stabilizing blood sugar levels due to its antioxidant properties.
- Cancer- the cannabinoids in marijuana are identified by scientists to be biologically active which can help in nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.
- Regulate seizures- marijuana is known to calm seizures by releasing THC to the brain cells. Ongoing studies trying to understand its effects.
- Treats glaucoma- research shows that marijuana reduces intraocular pressure. Intraocular pressure contributes to the causes of glaucoma.
- Appetite –marijuana is known to stimulate our brain receptors that release a hormone that increases food intake. This also contributes to gaining weight for patients with HIV.
Effects of medical marijuana
Although there are many pros than cons to the uses of medical marijuana, research shows that there are possible side effects which may include;
- Increased heart rate- marijuana has effects on our cardiovascular system making the heartbeat increase per minute hence the heart pumps faster and harder. This increases the chances of having a heart attack for the consumers who smoke it.
- Impaired memory – the THC in marijuana from shiva buz weed store alters the brain area responsible for processing information which affects our normal way of concentration.
- Dizziness- marijuana lowers our blood pressure and cerebra blood flow this slows our normal body functioning system leading to dizziness.
Conclusion
The uses of medical marijuana have been researched by scientists, however, more research needs to be done into medical marijuana’s effectiveness since it has not been legalized in many parts of the world. It is advised to work with a qualified marijuana clinician as they can write a recommendation or certify patents for its use.