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What Makes Cannabis Medication?
Mar
Cannabis has been shown to treat a variety of conditions such as seizures, chronic pain, and depression. How can you use cannabis as medicine and what exactly is in cannabis that treats these ailments? Let’s find out!
The cannabis plant contains tons of active compounds called cannabinoids, found in a variety of places in the plant’s stalk, leaves, and flowers. The bulk of the cannabinoids are concentrated in the female cannabis plant’s buds and resin glands which are also known as ‘trichomes.’ The cannabis resin is so rich in terpenes and THC that it can be made into different cannabis products like wax and oil.
Terpenes are mainly responsible for cannabis’s different aroma and flavor as well as much of the variations in producing physical and mental effects.
Related: What are cannabis terpenes?
About our bodies natural endocannabinoid system
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are sent to the body in several ways, including through external means such as vaping or smoking. Scientists have identified over 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. The most common are THC, CBD, CBDA, and THCA. Our anatomies were discovered through a number of those cannabinoids interactions with the human endocannabinoid system via cannabinoid receptors. How THC and CBD will affect you is all based on your natural endocannabinoid system.
There are just two types of cannabinoid receptors in the human body are called CB1 and CB2. These receptors determine the behavioral effects of cannabis in each person’s individual body. The CB1 receptor is expressed predominantly in the lungs and nerve system, as well as the brain, kidneys, and liver. The CB2 receptor is especially expressed in the resistance system, hematopoietic cells, and through the intestine. THC reacts stronger to the CBD1 receptor than the CBD2 receptor.
How can we use cannabis as medication?
More than two-thirds of states in America have legalized medical marijuana use. However, the FDA has only approved it for the treatment of two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
The reason why there hasn’t been extensive research into using cannabis as a medication to treat more illnesses is due to the fact that federally, marijuana is still classified as a schedule 1 substance, like ecstasy and heroin.
During the studies that have been done, however, research shows that cannabis can be used as a medication to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions.
Researchers are studying whether medical marijuana can help treat a number of conditions including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Appetite loss
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Diseases affecting the immune system like HIV/AIDS or Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Eating disorders such as anorexia
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Mental health conditions like schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle spasms
- Nausea
- Pain
- Seizures
- Wasting syndrome (cachexia)
How does cannabis work as medication?
Cannabinoids, which we explained earlier in this article, react with our natural endocannabinoid system. Research has shown that cannabinoids can help:
- Reduce anxiety
- Reduce inflammation and relieve pain
- Control nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy
- Kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth
- Relax tight muscles in people with MS
- Stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS
Can cannabis be used to help treat seizures?
A few years ago, cannabis was found to help treat seizures in children. Many parents said that a special form of cannabis helped control seizures that there children were having. The FDA later approved Epidiolex, which is made from CBD as a medication for people with severe seizures. Many people who began taking Epidiolex found that it greatly reduced the number of seizures they were having.
How do you take medical cannabis?
There are a few ways to use cannabis as a medication. You can:
- Smoke it
- Vape it with a vaporizer
- Eat it as an edible such as a brownie or gummy
- Use it as topical in lotion, cream, or oil form
- Use a tincture and place a few drops of oil under your tongue
It is up to each individual how they would like to take it. Each method will work a bit differently in your body but the effects will be the same. For example, when you smoke cannabis you will feel the effects immediately. However, when you eat an edible, it can take up to two hours until the effects kick in.
Are there side effects of using cannabis as medication?
As is the case with any medication, cannabis does come with some side effects. The most common side effects are:
- Bloodshot eyes
- Lowered blood pressure
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Increased heartbeat
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If you’re interested in learning more about cannabis and CBD, check out our daily blog! There, you’ll find other articles like:
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