It’s hard to say whether one should smoke weed or not. Pot smokers say smoking weed is the best thing in the world. On the other hand, people compare weed with any other recreational drug and want a complete ban on it.
But the debate around the consumption of weed shouldn’t make us forget about its potential health benefits. Keep reading this blog to find twelve potential health benefits of weed that suggest we should continue research on medicinal uses of weed.
1. Reduces Chronic Pain
Chronic diseases like arthritis and cancer cause chronic pain in the body. Patients who suffer from chronic pain are still waiting for a single, harmless medication that can lower pain and help them live a normal life.
The common NSAIDs prescribed to lower chronic pain produce side effects like gastrointestinal problems. But researchers suggest that weed can be a great medication to control chronic pain without producing side effects. Compounds present in weed can lower inflammation and fight pain effectively.
Not everyone likes to smoke weed, even if they know about its potential health benefits. However, patients who don’t want to smoke weed can consume it by eating CBD edibles.
Online stores like https://joyorganics.com/products/delta-9-thc-gummies-2-5mg-beach-chill sell CBD gummies and other CBD edibles that are easy to consume and allow patients to consume CBD without smoking weed.
2. Cures ALS Symptoms
ALS is one of the deadly diseases that make it difficult for a person to live a normal life. Patients who suffer from ALS lose control over their muscles. ALS causes the degeneration of nerves less, which causes muscle spasticity.
Studies have shown that weed can cure ALS symptoms over time. CBD and THC, active compounds found in weed, relieve symptoms like muscle stiffness caused by ALS. The “Entourage Effect” produced by weed allows ALS patients to live better lives.
Muscle-relieving properties of weed also make it a great medication for ALS patients to regain control of body muscles.
3. Eases Symptoms of Anxiety
Mental health problems like anxiety disorders are as dangerous as any physical health problem. A person who suffers from nervousness, sadness, or anger cannot live a healthy life. Most people who fall victim to drugs like opium try drugs to overcome anxiety in the first place.
However, the addictive properties of drugs worsen the quality of a person suffering from anxiety instead of helping them. Weed is considered effective for patients who suffer from anxiety. Studies have revealed that regular or higher doses of THC (a compound present in weed) lower anxiety levels.
The present research data shows that doses of CBD and THC appear to control anxiety in all lab studies. It’s expected that weed might prove to be a safe antidepressant for patients with chronic anxiety.
4. Improves Appetite
Decreased appetite can be caused by several diseases, and it results in malnutrition. Patients who cannot eat properly find it difficult to recover from diseases. Studies have shown that weed might be a good appetite stimulant for patients who cannot regulate their diet.
Edible weed products can stimulate a diet and encourage a patient to eat properly. However, the lab data collected from studies have led researchers to believe that smoking marijuana has better diet-stimulant properties compared to edible weed products.
5. Boosts Immune System
A weaker immune system can make it difficult for a person to live a healthy life. Some studies have shown that weed can boost the performance of the immune system and allow a patient to be better prepared against diseases.
Experts suggest that weed is useful for autoimmune diseases, including:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Huntington disease
Due to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, weed can also curb the symptoms produced by specific autoimmune diseases.
6. Overcomes PTSD Symptoms
Patients with PTSD find it difficult to get back to normal life. The symptoms of PTSD grow in severity if not controlled in time. Some studies reveal that weed might also help patients who suffer from severe PTSD attacks.
A prolonged study on weed consumption and PTSD symptoms revealed that patients who consumed weed reported lower PTSD symptoms after consuming weed for a year. However, more research is required to conclude if weed is truly effective for PTSD patients.
7. Aids in Diabetes Management
Over 11% of the US Population suffers from diabetes, as per the statistics. Patients with diabetes find it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle even after taking proper medicines. However, it seems that things for diabetic patients might change in future.
Some researchers suggest that weed offers the following benefits to diabetic patients:
- Manages blood sugar levels
- Lowers arterial inflammation
- Reduces neuropathic pain
There’s no solid evidence to prove if weed has all these aforementioned benefits for diabetic patients. More research is required to prove the claims made by weed advocates about its effectiveness in controlling symptoms of diabetes.
8. Enhances Neuroprotection
One of the surprising medicinal properties of weed is that it provides neuroprotection. Several studies have found that weed can:
- Provide protection against excitotoxicity
- Curb symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
- Protect against NMDA-induced retinal injury
It’s unclear how weed should be administered to patients so it can provide the best neuroprotective properties.
9. Controls Growth of Cancer Cells
Cancerous diseases are caused by abnormal cellular growth. Any compound that can curb the growth of abnormal cells can enable patients to fight cancer. Recent studies have shown that THC and other compounds found in weed can slow down the growth of cancer cells or cause their death.
10. Helps in Opioid Recovery
Opioid addiction can prove fatal if not controlled on time. Studies have shown that weed is effective for people who want to overcome their consumption of opioids. Weed can lower the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms and can also be used as a prescription drug for opioid addicts.
11. Improves Lung Health
Some studies link smoking weed with improved lung capacity. Experts suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of weed make it good for the lungs. The act of inhaling and exhaling weed smoke might also boost a person’s ability to hold a breath.
12. Controls HIV Symptoms
HIV patients report a weaker immune system and lack of appetite, among many symptoms they suffer from. The appetite-stimulating and immune-boosting properties of weed make it great for HIV patients to help them live better lives.
