Two Major Benefits of Medical Cannabis

There are a host of valid reasons why someone might want to use medical cannabis. With more than 100 cannabinoid compounds that have varying degrees of potential health benefits, the advantages of the plant are far broader than many people might assume. Here are two of the most interesting well-researched health impacts of cannabis.

  1. Reducing Nausea

Research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology in 2012 found that CBD, one of the primary cannabinoid compounds used for medicinal purposes, could prevent nausea and vomiting in animal test models. This research also cited the fact that the cannabis plant has been known as a nausea suppressant for hundreds of years. Today, numerous cancer patients continue to use cannabis in various forms to deal with the heightened nausea associated with going through chemotherapy.

Using cannabis as a nausea suppressant may not work for everyone — A small percentage of patients actually appear to have the opposite reaction to cannabinoids such as THC. As with any other powerful medical substance, working with professionals who can help you choose an appropriate evidence-based cannabinoid therapy and recommend safer alternatives to smoking, such as consuming edibles, is the wisest option.

2. Potentially Safer Pain Relief

Cannabis is a well-known tool for self-managed pain relief. In addition to producing analgesic, or painkilling, effects via well-known cannabinoids, such as CBD and THC, the plant includes other compounds, like CBG and CBC, that may provide heightened pain mitigation results.

Although the pain relief properties of cannabis have long been anecdotally known, modern research seems to suggest that using products from the plant may be a more viable option than some other alternatives. In addition to being regarded as mostly safe for chronic pain sufferers, cannabis may be less hazardous than opioids, which have significant addictive properties and potentially fatal long-term side effects. What’s more, studies from as recently as 2017 appear to support the idea that people who have access to legalized medical marijuana are less likely to end up hospitalized for opioid problems.

Taking Advantage of the Potential

So, should you get a prescription for medical cannabis? If you’re in Canada, it might be a viable way to deal with everything from depression, insomnia, and PTSD to fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis. Although there’s no such thing as a catch-all solution to the world’s health issues, this ancient medicine has a broad range of possible benefits that could change your outlook on life.