Medical cannabis is a highly debated topic, and with everything changing by the minute it seems, should people also consider changing the way they see and feel about health and medication?
For many illnesses, traditional western medicine is certainly the way to go.
However, the related side effects, particularly pertaining to long-term medication for pain relief, may not be worth the risk and, taking it one step further, a more natural approach could help many manage their pain and get respite without unwanted side effects.
This article aims to shed light on a trend towards natural healing and the benefits of choosing to go natural.
Every sunset is an opportunity to reset
Managing a disease or illness, whether it’s you personally or a loved on going through the ringer, is a burdensome endeavour.
It can leave many people feeling completely isolated and alone in their pain, which could be even worse than the pain itself.
While there are traditional methods to tackle pain, namely pharmaceuticals, some individuals have now opted to switch their medication for a medical cannabis approach.
However, please remember that any change must be discussed with a healthcare professional and shouldn’t be attempted without proper assistance.
If you feel like the side effects you experience using pharmaceuticals don’t warrant the pain relief you achieve and you’re keen to try new things, remember that there are specialised companies like Releaf in London that offer tailor-made solutions for patients.
From drops and cannabis oil all the way to vaporisers, medical professionals offer ongoing care, unlimited access to a patient support team as well as legal, high-quality cannabis-based products.
The difference between using cannabis medically instead of recreationally
Mental health is a widely popular and often-used term these days, and people have taken different routes to becoming and staying mentally healthy.
This is already challenging with a fully functioning brain and body, but health-related issues can put a dampener on absolutely everything in one’s life.
With a significant number of people struggling with some form of mental health issue resulting from a multitude of things like illness and loneliness for example, many are looking to find new ways of coping.
There’s a huge difference between using pills or cannabis in the medical sense as opposed to recreationally.
When you smoke a joint with friends for fun, your goal is to let go and leave the world behind, to laugh until your stomach hurts and hopefully not remember too much about it tomorrow.
However, medical marijuana is a whole different story. The aim is to calm you down, relax your nervous system, and above all to relieve pain for patients suffering from a variety of illnesses.
From chronic pain or neurological and sleeping disorders, all the way to oncological support, medical cannabis has shown to be incredibly helpful.
There is most certainly an enormous difference between zoning out and using small amounts of cannabis so that you can live your life the way you’d like to.
The benefits of medical cannabis
There are obvious benefits like relaxation and lightheartedness, but also interesting ones such as medical cannabis helping cancer patients to eat more, thereby keeping their bodies stronger thanks to adequate nutrition.
A study conducted by JCI Insight in 2017 found that CBD lowered the blood pressure of human participants on the whole.
It reduced their resting blood pressure as well as their blood pressure after undergoing stress tests including mental arithmetic, isometric exercise and the cold pressor test.
Another study one year later in 2018, discovered that CBD can be useful in helping people who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction.
A preclinical trial with lab rats determined that CBD reduced the stress-induced cravings, anxiety and lack of impulse control that often cause people to relapse.
Stress has an immense (and not in a good way) effect on the human gut, allowing for dangerous bacteria to invade the system and causing a kind of negative ripple effect if that stress is accompanied by unhealthy food and alcohol.
A study recently found that CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids can effectively be used to prevent and treat GI disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and more.
What makes medical cannabis so useful in this case is the anti-inflammatory properties it has on the body, reducing and preventing symptoms.
Researchers have been going at it in the labs for decades, trying to ascertain whether CBD can help treat epilepsy and other seizure syndromes, and a recent study indeed showed it can have positive effects in reducing symptoms and seizure frequency.
These are all promising results and studies, things to read up on if you’re interested.
Stay safe and responsible
As with anything in life, do it safely and responsibly.
Speak to your doctor about perhaps using medical cannabis in your treatment plan as well as whether they think you would be suitable for this type of treatment.
One thing to keep in mind and be aware of is whether you have a tendency towards psychotic behaviour, which can be influenced badly by marijuana in any form.
It’s essential to get all the information you need before making a decision and then approach your health—both mentally and physically—in a holistic manner.
