Health Benefits of Marijuana Natalie Turner

For the longest time marijuana has been looked at as a gateway drug, or in some cases as bad as cocaine. The more time that has passed the more we understand the true benefits of marijuana. Not only has it been proven to work just as well as pain medication, it has also been proven to not be addictive. The more we research this product the more we understand that it is not a drug, but in fact a step forward into the medical world.

According to this pie chart, Marijuana helped with 95% overall. That includes the very effective and helped a little, but overall only 5% of those people got no relief.

According to the webster dictionary, “: the psychoactive dried resinous flower buds and leaves of the female hemp or cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa or C. indica) that contain high levels of THC and are smoked, vaped, or ingested (as in baked goods) especially for their intoxicating effect: Cannabis”. In recent studies we have found that the powerful effect it has can help with pain management, and illnesses.

After looking at many studies and articles scientists have found a way to extract the oil from cannabis and make different strains for different illnesses. By doing this they have also figured out how to do this without giving the patient the “high effect” that cannabis produces. According to How Stuff Works, “Cannabinoid receptors are activated by a neurotransmitter called anandamide.

Like THC, anandamide is a cannabinoid, but one that your body makes.

Get quality help now

KarrieWrites

Verified

Proficient in: Marijuana Legalization

5 (339)

“ KarrieWrites did such a phenomenal job on this assignment! He completed it prior to its deadline and was thorough and informative. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

THC mimics the actions of anandamide, meaning that THC binds with cannabinoid receptors and activates neurons, which causes adverse effects on the mind and body”  The more I read about this product the more I understand the medical benefits it produces. Recently it is found that putting the specific strain of oil in food or just by rubbing it on your hand it can make a difference medically without the effect of your mind being altered or having any bad effects. The overall impact of Marijuana is incredible and is growing more every day. Hopefully, we keep studying this plant and find more medical advances.

In this picture it shows how Opioids can be severely dangerous compared to using Marijuana. There is no proven study that says you can overdose on Marijuana and die, but we see kids overdosing and dying while using opioids every day. In the article it talks about the amount of lives that could be saved by switching to Medical Marijuana instead of opioids. While looking for more answers on the benefits of this plant I found that it is used very frequently when it comes to common illnesses such as depression and anxiety. According to Medical Daily, “The use of marijuana for anxiety disorders, and just plain stress, comes from the fact that the brain naturally produces cannabinoids, which are the active chemicals in marijuana — namely, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — and what help regulate how fear is processed in the brain”.

It has also been shown to help many depression cases. It has not been proven to increase or decrease depression so more studies need to be conducted, but I have read many cases where it has helped a lot of people suffering from depression. As you can see there are many benefits when it comes to using this product. There have been no proven effects of long-term use of marijuana and that is why it is starting to be legalized more and studied more. This picture explains how CBD can mimic natural serotonin and reduce depression and anxiety. Although this is not a permanent solution it definitely can give relief for a few hours, which can improve people’s lives dramatically. A huge topic that has been talked about a lot recently is seizures and the benefits marijuana provides for them.

According to Healthline, “Of the many chemical components found in marijuana, researchers determined that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most abundant cannabinoid found in the plant, improved nausea and vomiting for young chemotherapy patients.  Cannabidiol (CBD) another cannabinoid present in marijuana was determined to have an effect on seizures. Some advocates have hailed these results as further proof of the effectiveness of medical marijuana, particularly in cases where children haven’t responded to other traditional treatments”. As you can see this product has been found to be very beneficial when it comes to important things like chemotherapy, or seizures. It has been proven to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from seizures and do not want their kids getting addicted to painkillers.

Another huge illness that it has been proven to help with dramatically is Parkinson’s disease. According to a study found in Parkinson’s today, after six months of use almost ninety-four percent of patients reported that it helped with their pain and quality of life. This graph shows just how effective Marijuana can be when used for seizures. It reduces the amount of activity of seizures by a tremendous amount, without leaving any long-lasting effects.

After researching this topic for a while I think it is very understated just how amazing this Cannabis is medical. It has been proven to be better than opioids and also to not be addictive. When you read the news all you used to see is how damaging the plant was to your body and how it was just as bad as cocaine and other drugs. But after we stopped assuming what the product was, we started researching it more and running tests and found that it was in fact a medical step forward. To be able to give your loved one this and not have to worry about them being addicted or feeling high is incredible. Not to mention the stress it must take off of parents to not give their children suffering a pain killer that could make them highly addicted to it. As of today Marijuana is still being studied and we are still finding out new advances in medicine every day.

References

1. Bonsor, K., & Gerbis, N. (n.d.). How Marijuana Works. N.p.: How Stuff Works. Retrieved from https://science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana3.htm
2. Rivas, A. (2014). Health Benefits Of Medical Marijuana: 3 Major Ways Cannabis Helps Sick People Live Normal Lives. N.p.: Medical Daily. Retrieved from https://www.medicaldaily.com/health-benefits-medical-marijuana-3-major-ways-cannabis-helps-sick-people-live-normal-lives-283388
3. How CBD Works. (n.d.). N.p.: Project CBD. Retrieved from https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cannabis-pharmacology/how-cbd-works
4. Mammoser, G. (2017). Marijuana Can Help Children with Seizures, Cancer Nausea. N.p.: Health Line. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/marijuana-can-help-children-with-seizures-cancer-nausea
5. Mumal, I. (2018). Medical Cannabis Helps Older People with Parkinson’s, Other Diseases, Study Finds. N.p.: Parkinson’s News Today. Retrieved from https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/02/19/medical-cannabis-safe-effective-older-patients-parkinsons/
6. Doheny, K. (2018). Can Marijuana Be The Answer For Pain? N.p.: Web MD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20180420/can-marijuana-be-the-answer-for-pain
7. (n.d.). N.p.: Merriam Webster. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marijuana
8. How Medical Cannabis Legalization is Driving Down Opioid Addiction and Death. (2017). N.p.: Agrimed. Retrieved from https://agrimedindustries.com/2017/11/02/medical-cannabis-opioid-addiction/
9. MARIJUANA TREATS ANXIETY—WITHOUT THE HIGH FEELING. (2017). N.p.: Connection in Recovery. Retrieved from http://cirnewyork.com/marijuana-treats-anxiety-without-high-feeling
10. Marijuana For Epilepsy. (n.d.). N.p.: The University of Malta. Retrieved from https://www.um.edu.mt/think/marijuana-for-epilepsy/
11. Survey: Marijuana Rated Most Effective for Treating Fibromyalgia. (2015). N.p.: Cannabis Patience Alliance. Retrieved from https://cannabispatientsalliance.org/2015/09/29/survey-marijuana-rated-most-effective-for-treating-fibromyalgia/