On a TV ad featured in New York, Burton Aldrich tells his story. “I am in extreme pain right now. Everywhere. My arms, my legs, are feeling like I’m dipped in an acid.” This man has quadriplegia, is confined to a wheelchair, and yet he has found the best treatment for his agony. “Within five minutes of smoking marijuana, the spasms have gone away, and the neuropathic pain has just about disappeared.” (1)
Marijuana for Healing
This drug is surrounded by controversy so let’s get the facts straight.
- Marijuana plants, i.e., cannabis, hold hundreds of chemicals and 109 of them fall under a category called cannabinoids.
- One such cannabinoid is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and it is responsible for the chemical effects on the brain.
- When a human consumes marijuana, THC, and other chemicals make their way into the bloodstream, to the brain and the rest of the body.
- Smoking is the most common way to use it, and it guarantees faster results than ingestion or other methods.
- THC’s interaction with the brain may cause the user’s pupils to dilate, colors become more intense, other senses enhance, and a feeling of haziness. Motor coordination and memory can be impaired while under the influence. (2)
How Medical Marijuana Works
The human body can produce its own version of cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, which help regulate bodily responses to stimuli. Endocannabinoids are produced when needed by the body, yet the effects can be very brief. Its receptors are focused in the brain but are featured all around the body.
Marijuana’s cannabinoids, like THC, binds to the receptors to create medicinal properties, such as reducing anxiety or pain, along with the feeling of being “high.” (3)
Therefore, medical marijuana is commonly prescribed to those with chronic illness so they can lead normal lives pain-free.
Conditions Treatable With Medical Marijuana
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Spinal Cord Injury/Disease
- Severe Arthritis
- Eating Disorders
- Auto Accident(s)
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Brain Injury
- Chronic Nausea
- Crohn’s Disease
- Chronic Pain
- Kidney Failure/Dialysis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Muscle Spasms
- Irritable Bowl Syndrome
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Sleep Disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Hepatitis C
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Back & Neck Problems
- Sexual Dysfunction (4)
Replacing Prescription Drugs?
Pharmaceuticals are known to be dangerous. They are considered among the leading causes of death in the USA, killing tens of thousands of individuals. For example, the painkiller Vioxx killed 60,000 before being taken off the market.
Prescription drugs cause gastrointestinal damage, kidney toxicity, nerve damage, and fatality. Cannabis has no detrimental side effects to the body, and it is proven to be more effective at pain control by studies done by the Center for Medical Cannabis Research.
Opioid painkillers can slow respiration, and excess consumption brings death. The risks are mounted with alcohol in the picture. Compare this to cannabis, where an overdose cannot kill you since there are no cannabinoid receptors in the region of your brain where the heart and respiration are controlled. (5)
Smoking marijuana may not be the healthiest of methods but do not fear because there are many other ways to reap its incredible benefits.
- Vaporizer uses a similar technique as smoking but without the smoke inhalation.
- Sativex is an oral spray based on the natural extract of marijuana.
- Marinol is a pill that contains the synthetic form of THC. This is already approved by the FDA and is used to treat nausea in cancer and AIDS patients. (Some argue that it is less efficient than actual marijuana). (6)
- Tea with cannabis is very popular and is particularly useful with relaxation and de-stressing. (7)
There are many versions to choose from, so you can pick the form that targets your ailment to enjoy symptom-free results! Here’s to hoping that the regulation of medicinal marijuana continues to grow and allow for much more widespread relief for everyone who really needs it.
This article was written by The Hearty Soul. The Hearty Soul is a rapidly growing community dedicated to helping you discover your most healthy, balanced, and natural life.
(1) (3) (6) Jacob Silverman http://science.howstuffworks.com/medical-marijuana.htm
(2) Kevin Bonsor and Nicholas Gerbis http://science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana1.htm
(4) Medical Marijuana.ca https://medicalmarijuana.ca/for-patients/who-is-eligible
(7) Medicinal Marijuana Association (May 19, 2014) http://www.medicinalmarijuanaassociation.com/medical-marijuana-blog/3-lessons-learned-about-cannabis-tea