Health benefits of Marijuana
Cannabis Sativa, weed, are among the names used to refer to Marijuana. The substance extracted from the cannabis plant is best defined as psychoactive drug that is used for both reactional and medical purposes. It is one of the well-known most known drugs and one of the main issues that hit the news headlines from time to time. The cannabis consumers have various ways in which they use the drug such as smoking, eating with food, and vaporizing. In recent decades, the debate on whether the use of Marijuana should be legalized has taken a front seat. Initially, it was illegal to use Marijuana. The few people who couldn’t adhere to the law used it in private places to avoid the hefty penalties if they are arrested. Due to the rise in controversies about legalization of the drug, scientists have entered into intensive researches to identify the components of cannabis that contribute to its effects. This paper, therefore, attempts to identify the health benefits of Marijuana.
To determine the health effects of Marijuana, it is essential to identify the significant components of cannabis. First, the known elements of cannabis add up to 483, where the central psychoactive component of cannabis is referred to as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This compound is 1 out of 65 cannabinoids, which are attached to the body feelings which come up when an individual uses Marijuana. The component is referred to as psychoactive because its use alters the brain function, hence changing an individual’s perceptions, emotions, moods, behavior, and consciousness. Medically, these substances can be used to improve one’s performance or consciousness. On the other hand, other people use it for recreational purposes such as having heightened senses, unlocking one’s creativity, and so on.
There are very many health benefits of using cannabis, which is only justified with the prescription by doctors. Firstly, the substance is well known for helping patients to relieve chronic pain. The cannabinoids in cannabis have in the found to be relieving chronic pain because of their chemical makeup. The use of medical cannabis has become the best alternative for the old methods used to relieve pain among patients. Some of the common types of chronic pains that marijuana relieves include; the ones that result from inflammation and nerve damage. On the other hand, some of the common components responsible for relieving pain include; cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The components makeup resembles the cannabinoid chemicals that occur naturally in the body. Immediately a person inhales these components, and the THC stimulates the cannabinoid receptors found in the brain. As a result of the stimulation, it helps the brain to send signals that reduce pain levels. When THC binds with the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, it elevates the brain into a certain state that is well known as high. The feeling of highness also helps to relieve pain in an individual.
According to Abrams and Guzman (575), Marijuana has become one of the recommended medications for cancer patients. The Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid, has been used as a common medical prescription which has been approved for the treatment of cancer. The component treats cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and anorexia related to AIDS wasting syndrome. Nausea is a feeling that is induced by the brain that occurs when one or more sensory organs located in the brain, and the digestive system are stimulated. For that reason, the use of cannabinoids alters with the brain and makes the sensory nerve dysfunction normally, thereby avoiding nausea. Besides, the pains that cancer patients experience, such as synergistic, are also relieved by these cannabinoids. Likewise, the use of marijuana cannabinoids helps cancer patients by suppressing vomiting, soothing anxiety, increasing appetite, and so on. For instance, with appetite, the patients can be able to get enough energy is essential for them too. Also, food is necessary to support life among human beings; therefore, a good appetite will support the lives of cancer patients.
On the other hand, the evidence on the benefits of cannabis on diabetes ranges the experimental research and anecdotal reports on cannabinoids. According to the study conducted by Martin et al. (267), cannabinoids have a role to play in regulating body weight, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. According to their article, the main component of cannabinoid, the THC has been linked to interfering with both the activities of insulin in the body as well as their release. Martin et al.; (267) support his argument through the experiments which suggest various mechanisms of reducing neuropathy with is used for pain-relieving as compared to placebo. Moreover, the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) suggests several beneficial effects of Marijuana on people with diabetes. To begin, the substance helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, provide relief to muscle crumps, lowering arterial inflammation, keeping blood vessels open, improving blood circulation, and to relieve gastrointestinal pain. A good number of the experiments already conducted indicate a significant increment in the comfort the diabetes patients achieve after using medical cannabis.
Furthermore, increased attention has been dedicated to the importance of cannabis in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD has been one of the hardest conditions to crack in the recent past. The treatment and management of PTSD require an analysis of the actions the stressors have on neurobiological processes (Abizaid et al., 75) For instance; chronic stressors affect neurobiological processes differently, which results contribute to various conditions such as stress. Since PTSD is a condition that results from the action of stressors on the brain processes, it is therefore easy to treat the disease with cannabinoids. In essence, the cannabinoids contribute to the hyperactivation of the amygdala, hyperarousal symptoms as well as anxiety which are all symptoms of PTSD. Hyperarousal, for instance, turns to promote most of the debilitating aspects of PTSD, which include cognitive impairments, depression, altered pain sensitivity, anxiety, suicidality, and emotional numbing.
Additionally, THC and CBD, which are the common components of cannabis, are used to reduce some of the common symptoms of PTSD. The use of these components helps serve as treatment add-ons, which help to enhance sleep quality, reduce PTSD hyperarousal, reduce frequent nightmares, and so forth. THC and CBD also mitigate the tendency of inflammation, which is useful in psychological conditions that affect various processes within the brain. In other words, they help depressed individuals from suffering from this condition. CBD and THC usually act against PTSD through activating the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), which are generally responsible for supporting the anti-inflammatory actions that involve microglia. Similarly, the activities of cannabinoids on the symptoms of PTSD can also include; facilitating the extinction of fear memories, disruption of fear memory, and reducing the salience of significant stimuli.
In conclusion, the use of medical cannabis has much been employed in the medical fields in recent years. It has helped to solve quite a number of both long-term and short-term conditions affecting people. Its use has served as the best alternative for most traditional medications. For instance, Marijuana helps to treat cancer, relieve chronic pain, treat the symptoms of PTSD, and so forth. Due to this benefit, the extraction of common medical cannabis such as THC and CBD has equally increased. Regardless of the benefits, we cannot neglect the adverse effects which arise as a result of prolonged usage of the cannabis components. Thus, extensive research needs to be conducted to make the medication to be more effective.
Works Cited
Abrams, Donald I., and M. Guzman. “Cannabis in cancer care.” Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 97.6 (2015): 575-586.
Frisher, Martin, et al. “The role of cannabis and cannabinoids in diabetes.” The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease 10.6 (2010): 267-273.
Lianne Fachetti, A. B. A. “Diabetes and Marijuana: A Possible Treatment?.”
Abizaid, Alfonso, Zul Merali, and Hymie Anisman. “Cannabis: A potential efficacious intervention for PTSD or simply snake oil?.” Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience: JPN 44.2 (2019): 75.