Medical Marijuana and Mental Health

Cannabis is one of the medicinal plants used to treat a wide variety of diseases since 3,000 years ago. However, in the 19th century, the use and propagation of marijuana were deemed illegal not just in the US but across the globe.

Fortunately, because of the continuous conduct of studies and researches, the medical community slowly proves that marijuana is used to treat a myriad of diseases causing millions to suffer.

Some of the common use of cannabis in the medical field are the following:

• relieves nausea and vomiting in some chemotherapy patients
• stimulates appetite and weight gain in AIDS, cancer and anorexia nervosa patients
• alleviates chronic pain
• decreases spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis (MS)
• helps with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• relieves the symptoms associated with spinal cord injury in some patients
• reduces headaches and migraine attacks in some patients
• helps with osteoarthritis (OA) by preventing cartilage breakdown
• relieves rheumatoid arthritis pain and stop its progress
• helps with all symptoms associated with fibromyalgia
• helps with osteoporosis by stimulating bone formation
• prevents degenerative disc disease (DDD)
• improves symptoms associated with dystonia up to 50%
• weakens the progression of Huntington’s disease (HD) among others.

Even though most of these treatments still need to undergo rigorous research, we can’t deny the fact that it’s a breakthrough in the field of health and medicine. With this, it’s safe to say that medical marijuana has good potential. A recent study shows that medical marijuana can also help patients suffering from mental health disorders.

Marijuana use can lead to feelings of euphoria and total relaxation

Even though this one’s generally not related to medicine, the substance actively available in cannabis can make a patient feel light and euphoric. As a result, the patient feels more relaxed and happy about himself. It basically helps to make the person more comfortable and confident about himself.

In a review study that looked at 12 self-report studies, it was found that two of the most common feelings that were felt under the control of cannabis were euphoria and relaxation.

Cannabis can help reduce anxiety

If you feel anxious at all times, looking into the health benefits of medical marijuana can help out. It’s true that marijuana can cause anxiety. But, a 2011 study revealed that the cannabinoid or CBD, significantly reduced cognitive impairment and discomfort in speech performance, anxiety, and significantly decreased alert in the anticipatory speech of patients suffering from Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder.

Just a heads up, most marijuana strains used to reduce anxiety contain very low CBD. That said, if you want this effect, you need to get the best strain of sativa depending on the prescription of your physician.

Cannabis acts as an anti-depressant

Aside from being good at reducing anxiety, cannabis can be used as an efficient anti-depressant substance. Depression is a mental health problem that is complex. Thus, it should always be treated by looking at the deeper underlying causes.

Thus, if you’re looking for a temporary mood booster, taking tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can be an effective anti-depressant which increases the feel-good neurotransmitter: serotonin in your brain. As a matter of fact, a 2007 research found that low doses of THC actually help the anti-depressant mechanism of the brain making the person feel better.

Cannabis can help ease sleep disorders improving sleep quality

Occasional cannabis users know how easy it is to fall deep asleep after a good smoking session. Did you know that cannabis and medical marijuana medicines are prescribed as official medication for people dealing with mild to severe sleep disorders?

Are you hesitant to try cannabis-based medicines? In a 2007 study, research proved that the use of Sativex (a cannabis-based medicine) demonstrated a notable improvement in sleep parameters in 2000 subjects. The study included 1000 patients suffering from various pain conditions. Among 2000 subjects, 40–50% “attained good or very good sleep quality, a key source of disability in chronic pain syndromes that may contribute to patients’ quality of life.”

Marijuana can help eliminate nightmares associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A post-traumatic sleep disorder (PTSD) is a serious condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic or terrifying event that led to a harmful threat. It is a lasting consequence of traumatic events that causes intense fear on the part of the patient. For decades, doctors don’t have a specific way to treat and assist the patients with PTSD but as time goes by, research shows that many forms of medications are readily available.

One of the PTSD medications gaining popularity in recent years, cannabis-based medicines are produced for patients’ consumption. These medications alleviate the nightmares caused by PTSD by relaxing the patients’ minds. It has the same euphoric effect that calms the patient.

Marijuana is tagged as a feel-good substance. Fortunately, because of the studies, it was proven that cannabis-based medications can completely eliminate nightmares associated with PTSD. As a matter of fact, a 2009 research proved that nabilone, a cannabis-based drug, lessened daytime flashbacks and enhanced overall sleep-quality in patients who suffer from PTSD.

Cannabinoid (CBD) is a potent antipsychotic for schizophrenia patients

Marijuana and cannabis use has been linked to the positive development of schizophrenia and psychosis in persons that already have susceptibility towards psychiatric disorders. In addition to that, most of us don’t know that CBD, the second most well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, is a very potent antipsychotic.

In a 2012 study, CBD proved to be a similarly potent antipsychotic herbal medicine as amisulpride, one of the most used conventional medicines in treating schizophrenia. In addition to that, researchers found that CBD had fewer negative side-effects than conventional amisulpride. This is not surprising since marijuana is considered as a herbal medicine in the past decades.

To reap the benefits of CBD, we highly recommend purchasing CBD oil from online dispensaries offering high-quality cannabis-based oils and medicines.

Final Thoughts

In the kind of world, we live in; looking for ways to treat disease and mental health conditions is easier than ever. Thanks to the never-ending search for treatments done by professionals in the medical field and the availability of herbal medicines, it’s easier to deal with conditions we never imagined will be treated.

Author Bio:

Sarah Brooks is a passionate blogger who loves to write about innovative ideas on promoting mental and physical health. She is currently working with GreenSociety, the best herbal dispatch alternative, which offers the best and top quality weed online.