Medical marijuana has been made medicinally available in more and more states.
Why?
Because it packs in some pretty specific and powerful medicinal benefits that help a lot of people.
(Not to mention: that tax revenue is pretty sweet.)
But if you’re new to this whole ‘medical marijuana’ thing, and aren’t sure what’s real and what’s not—well, you’re not alone.
A lot of people are skeptical.
So in this post, you’re going to learn 5 of the most commonly cited benefits of medical marijuana, along with sources to help you dive deeper and get to the bottom of who is actually saying this stuff.
It’s really important to do your own research.
So let’s dive in and discuss it.
(Note: Keep in mind that medical marijuana is really only viable if you can get actual high-quality stuff at a local dispensary. For example, these dispensaries in Vermont are actually professional, high-quality dispensaries where you can buy real medical-grade marijuana products that you know you can trust.
So be aware of that, and always stay safe out there!)
1. It Helps With The Chronic Pain Caused By Chemotherapy
Medical marijuana has shown some pretty serious promise as being therapeutically effective to help reduce chronic pain.
Marcel Bonn-Miller, a PhD and substance abuse specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, described it like this:
“The greatest amount of evidence for the therapeutic effects of cannabis relate to its ability to reduce chronic pain, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and spasticity [tight or stiff muscles] from MS.”
2. It’s Safer Than Opiates
When talking about the pain-reducing properties of medical marijuana, it’s also important to note that it’s a lot safer than opiates.
As Harvard Health Publishing described it in this blog post:
“Part of its allure is that it is clearly safer than opiates (it is impossible to overdose on and far less addictive) and it can take the place of NSAIDs such as Advil or Aleve, if people can’t take them due to problems with their kidneys or ulcers or GERD.”
3. It May Be Safer For The Lungs Than Smoking Tobacco
According to one study, marijuana doesn’t impair lung function—at least, not when inhaled as it is by the majority of users.
Here’s an excerpt from a study that was conducted to test marijuana’s effect on the lungs:
“Our findings suggest that occasional use of marijuana for these or other purposes may not be associated with adverse consequences on pulmonary function. It is more difficult to estimate the potential effects of regular heavy use, because this pattern of use is relatively rare in our study sample; however, our findings do suggest an accelerated decline in pulmonary function with heavy use and a resulting need for caution and moderation when marijuana use is considered.”
4. Medical Marijuana May Lead To Weight Loss
Now, the science on this one is complicated.
And there are a lot of confounding factors.
But as a general rule, it definitely seems that marijuana does show some evidence for being an effective potential weight loss tool, despite the fact that the compounding factors make the ‘causation’ a bit confusing.
Check out this Healthline post for a full breakdown of these factors, and a discussion about how exactly marijuana helps to accomplish this.
5. It Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
According to a study titled A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study, CBD can lower your blood pressure—even if it’s only taken once.
The study was conducted back in 2017.
You can read it here.
For another daily dose of technical jargon, here’s an excerpt from the study conclusion:
“This data shows that acute administration of CBD reduces resting BP and the BP increase to stress in humans, associated with increased HR. These hemodynamic changes should be considered for people taking CBD. Further research is required to establish whether CBD has a role in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders.”
Conclusion
There’s definitely some compelling evidence out there for the benefits of medical marijuana use.
Of course, more research is underway—but it’s always a good idea to stay up-to-date on the latest stuff going on in regards to the amazing and mysterious qualities of everyone’s favorite ‘green’ plant!
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