Medical marijuana has seen tremendous popularity across the U.S., with nearly two-thirds of states legalizing it for these purposes. Estimates reveal there are around 3.6 million state-legal medical cannabis patients.
Doctors can prescribe medical weed for a range of conditions, with this list increasing as we learn more about the effects of marijuana on the body.
Here are several health benefits of medical marijuana that might surprise you.
Epileptic Seizures
Seizures occur due to abnormal brain activity. Neurons misfire, causing strange, uncoordinated movements. While disconcerting to anyone in the presence of someone having a seizure, they’re often non-fatal.
Anyone can have a seizure, regardless of age, gender, or race. One study found that cannabinol is effective at treating child-onset epilepsy.
The FDA went one step further and authorized medical cannabis to treat this form of epilepsy, otherwise known as Dravet syndrome.
Autism
Firstly, a full disclaimer is that no study has proven that medical cannabis can cure autism. There is no documented cure for autism. Most of the science of today, instead, focuses on alleviating symptoms.
Autism is more common than many people think, with one in 44 children diagnosed with autism.
A rare study into medical cannabis and its efficacy regarding autism symptoms found that 50% of children experienced a modest improvement six months after treatment. Scientists have pinpointed the role of CBD in providing these results.
Despite these positive results, the same study caused 25% of participants to exhibit side effects, such as restlessness.
Sleep Disorders
Everyone has a bad night’s sleep every so often, but some people struggle with it more than others. An estimated 80 million Americans suffer from some sleep disorder, ranging from apnea to restless leg syndrome.
Medical cannabis is a known cure for several sleep disorders, including hypersomnolence in children.
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, you may be looking into how to get a medical marijuana card in KY, but if you cannot get it, CBD-only products are also known to be effective.
Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD)
Nobody is safe from IBD, including adolescents. Contrary to what many people think, many types of IBD exist, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
The CBD within medical cannabis is an effective treatment because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics. Another exciting discovery is that CBD triggers the body’s receptors associated with bowel movements and digestion, benefiting IBD sufferers.
Chemotherapy
Undergoing chemotherapy is a traumatic time, even if the prognosis is favorable. The symptoms of chemotherapy are severe, including pain, lack of appetite, and nausea.
Relieving the struggles of taking chemotherapeutic drugs is a struggle because many pharmaceuticals also have side effects.
However, cannabis has been shown to benefit chemotherapy patients in several ways, including alleviating pain, reducing symptoms of nausea, and stimulating appetite.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons why medical cannabis is prescribed in the first place. Chronic pain sufferers can find it nearly impossible to function, leaving them feeling powerless.
Sadly, chronic pain is something that results from a range of illnesses. Traditionally, the natural reaction would be to take prescription painkillers. Opioid drugs come with several side effects and can lead to lifelong addictions.
Medical cannabis has been studied extensively and offers the same pain relief without the risk of addiction and side effects.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders often affect teens and pre-teens, but conditions like anorexia and bulimia can hit people of any age. Many reasons exist as to why these conditions develop. Treatment is often multi-faceted to account for the complex physical and mental needs of patients diagnosed with any of these conditions.
Medical cannabis can support treatment programs by reducing the risk of purging and increasing appetite.
However, it must be emphasized that medical cannabis alone isn’t enough to tackle eating disorders.
Conclusion
Medical cannabis has demonstrated enormous potential to become a pillar of the modern approach to medicine. Unfortunately, outdated stereotypes and myths continue to halt progress.
Despite these problems, the world of medical cannabis has expanded in the last 20 years, leading to massive discoveries that have changed the lives of millions of Americans. With so much potential inherent, the future is bright for medical weed.
Have you got your medical marijuana card yet?
