5 Common Diseases That Can Be Treated with Medical Marijuana

In generations past, treating common ailments with medicinal marijuana was as common as taking Advil for headaches; but due to modern bureaucracy and a disconnect from our ancestral wisdom, this healing herb has been demonized and outlawed for nearly a century.

Although it’s still not yet well understood by modern scientists how the endocannabinoid system works exactly, research carried out since the 1990s has proven that the activation of it via smoking or ingesting cannabis helps to regulate sleep, mood, appetite, memory, reproduction, and a plethora of other bodily functions related to homeostasis. (Stability of the body’s internal environment)

Thankfully, humanity is beginning to once again realize the incredible benefits this plant has to offer when it comes to lessening symptoms of otherwise unbearable diseases, some of which I’ve put together in today’s 420 guide - to be honest, I was surprised at what I found.

Please note that this article is meant for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before starting treatment with medical marijuana.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE 

As I’m sure you know, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease leading to severe cognitive dysfunction primarily in the part of the brain responsible for memory. What many people don’t realize is that those who suffer from this horrible condition also experience anxiety due to the constant confusion, loss of appetite because they forget to eat, and auxiliary sleep problems.

Recent studies have shown that THC found in medical marijuana helps to relieve these symptoms as well as the chronic pain associated with old age, making it an extremely beneficial treatment to assist with an otherwise debilitating cognitive disease.

CHEMOTHERAPY, RADIATION TREATMENT, AND CANCER

Although there is some research that suggests some cannabinoids may have the potential to fight cancer, it has not yet been proven with sufficient evidence.

What has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt however is that cannabis is highly effective in reducing the side effects associated with chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and cancer; these side effects include pain, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and loss of appetite.

Although we don’t know exactly how it works, we do know that the endocannabinoid system is associated with relief from pain, nausea, and vomiting as well as increasing appetite which assists with the issue of weight loss.

ALS

Remember a few years ago when everybody was doing the ice bucket challenge? This was to raise awareness of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease; a neurodegenerative disease that progressively destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in gradual paralysis.

A person suffering from ALS will progressively lose more and more of the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, leading to a variety of extremely unfortunate symptoms. When it comes to cannabis treatment, high CBD and average THC doses have been shown to reduce the symptoms of drooling, general pain, appetite loss, outlook on life, and depression.

CROHN'S DISEASE

Also known as ileitis, Crohn’s is a chronic disease of the bowel that results in inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract. Those who suffer from this condition suffer pain in the abdominal area, reduced appetite, weight loss, and malnutrition, which in turn cause insomnia and fatigue.

Medical marijuana works pretty simple here; due to the endocannabinoid system’s anti-inflammatory properties, the bowel inflammation lessens, which in turn provides relief from all of the other symptoms. Less inflammation leads to less pain, which leads to an increased appetite, which in turn helps with weight loss and malnutrition.

Glaucoma

Commonly found in the elderly, glaucoma is a group of eye conditions where the nerve connecting the eye to the brain is damaged. This results in high eye pressure which in turn results in eye pain, headaches, blurred, narrow, or low vision, nausea, and vomiting. In serious cases, it can eventually lead to complete blindness.

Cannabis has been shown to reduce the pressure of the eye, which ultimately helps to reduce all of the resulting symptoms mentioned above, and like we’ve mentioned a few times before, can also provide relief from the associated nausea and vomiting. It’s unclear as to whether cannabis treatment can prevent complete blindness, but there’s no question as to the relief it provides.

A Return to Sanity

At some point in our lifetimes, we’ll look back on the days where cannabis was outlawed and shake our heads in disbelief at the utter absurdity surrounding the illegality and restrictions around this healing herb.

Human beings have an endocannabinoid system for a simple reason; cannabis is our companion plant. If dogs are man’s best friend, then cannabis is man’s best medicine.