Medical marijuana doctors recommend MMJ to patients looking for alternative treatment to disease like glaucoma. But what is medical marijuana and what are its health benefits?
Also, how can it possibly help treat glaucoma? Discover in the following:
Medical Marijuana
There are over 100 cannabinoids, the chemicals in the cannabis plant, but each of them acts and gives the body a specific effect.
The main compounds in the plant are cannabidiol (CBD) and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC produces a high associated with smoking pot or eating edibles. CBD, on the other hand, offers therapeutic benefits as well as neutralizes the effects of THC in the body.
What is medical cannabis? It uses cannabis chemicals or plants to treat medical conditions or diseases. Medical marijuana is taken for medical purposes unlike recreational pot consumed for the high.
MMJ can treat symptoms of diseases. Some of these include lack of appetite, nausea, and pain. It may also be effective in the treatment of AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis.
But for the best results, patients should know what strains to choose. For this reason, patients looking for pain relief, for example, should go for a strain containing a higher ratio of CBD to THC.
Otherwise, his/her judgment, decision-making and coordination will be affected.
It is also because of the different strains each with THC to CBD ratio or vice versa that the patients are advised to consult medical marijuana doctors [1]. They can advise you about the strains to try for your medical condition and their effects, risks, and dosing.
The Health Benefits
After knowing what medical marijuana is, let’s discuss what its health benefits are. Through the years, research and studies have explored on and discovered the promising benefits of MMJ on human health.
Many of them have pointed out that medical cannabis may have its promising potentials in the treatment of a wide range of health conditions.
Chronic pain
Based on a large review composed of more than 10,000 studies from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, medical marijuana could help in treating chronic pain, which is the leading cause of disability in the US that affects more than 25 million adults.
The review discovered that medical marijuana that has cannabinoids can help at relieving chronic pain.
Mental disorders (posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and social anxiety)
Clinical Psychology Review conducted a review that assessed and investigated on marijuana use in treating mental illnesses. It found that MMJ could treat mental health conditions and relieve the symptoms of PTSD and depression. It also indicated that medical cannabis could alleviate social anxiety symptoms.
Drug addiction and alcoholism
Medical marijuana could help people with fighting their opioid and alcohol dependence, according to a review published in the Clinical Psychology Review journal.
Neuropathy
Traditional nerve damage medications, such as oxycodone and morphine are effective but aren’t without the side effects including increased risk of dependence and addiction. And when administered in an improper amount, they can also be fatal. So for those looking for a safer treatment approach, they ask MMJ doctors about cannabis recommendation against neuropathy. It offers less risk of health issues and substance abuse. It may be a more effective and safer treatment against nerve damage due to its cannabinoids that can also have nerve-protecting properties.
Appetite and nausea
Patients experiencing loss of appetite and chronic nausea due to chemotherapy can benefit from a medical weed that can alleviate these cancer-treatment-related symptoms. So for patients looking to keep a healthy appetite and reduce, they turn to cannabis to restore it and prevent chemo-induced nausea.
Other conditions where MMJ can help also include,
- Hepatitis C
- Multiple sclerosis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- Other debilitating conditions, including anorexia, insomnia, chronic back pain, and rheumatoid arthritis
Researches on Glaucoma and Medical Marijuana
In as early as the 70s, research findings discovered that THC and marijuana could reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), which is one of the main contributors to person’s glaucoma.
It discovered that both can lower IOP by up to 65%, and this applied for both glaucoma patients and normal individuals. On the other hand, its inhalation is also discovered to increase heart rate and reduce IOP in 18 patient subjects.
Final Thoughts
Medical marijuana has certain benefits, including mental health disorders and pain.
Today, more research and studies have also been pointing out that MMJ’s benefits extend to treating glaucoma because it can lower eye pressure, especially when smoked among patients who cannot tolerate traditional medications and among normal individuals without glaucoma.
While studies are non-conclusive, preliminary results look promising regarding the health benefits of marijuana including on glaucoma.
This post was last modified on November 16, 2022 2:21 am