How Medical Marijuana Can Help Someone With a Chronic Illness

Few topics can stir up emotions among doctors, researchers, lawmakers, and the public like medical marijuana. Is it really the wonder drug that it’s reputed to be? Hot topics of debate aside, growing evidence suggests that it’s beneficial in alleviating symptoms for those who live with chronic illness. Here’s how medical marijuana can help someone with a chronic illness, but it’s important for each individual to reach out to their doctor to see if medical marijuana is ideal for their health specifics.

Medical Marijuana and Pain Management: What We Know

So far, there isn’t much research on how cannabis helps with long-lasting (chronic) pain. Researchers do know that there are receptors in the body that respond to it and that our bodies naturally produce certain cannabinoids. But there’s still much to uncover about how these components interact or why they seem to alleviate pain.

No pain medication can get rid of all chronic pain; the goal of medical marijuana is to reduce the pain so that you can live your life again.

Possible Side Effects

Regardless of the form of medical marijuana you use, cannabinoids can have side effects including the following:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Sleepiness
• Blurry vision
• Cyclical vomiting
• Memory problems
• Depression, anxiety, or hallucinations

How Can Medical Marijuana Fight Chronic Pain?

It likely goes without saying that cannabis has become incredibly popular as it’s spawned a whole new industry. Though researchers are still working to figure out how effective it is in medical settings, it’s hard to deny the promising results that have come so far. Here are a few ways that it can help fight against chronic pain.

1. Lowers Blood Pressure

Studies have shown that medical marijuana, and CBD in particular, lowered the blood pressure of those who participated. Not only did it reduce their resting blood pressure, it also reduced their blood pressure after stress tests, including exercise and mental arithmetic.

2. Reduce Inflammation

Medical marijuana is also known to reduce inflammation and the subsequent pain that can occur. It can also treat the anxiety that accompanies pain of an unknown duration.

3. Treats Gastrointestinal Disorders

Another study has shown that CBD and other medical marijuana without psychoactive compounds are effective at treating as well as preventing gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including Crohn’s, inflammatory bowel disease (IDB), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, and many others. This is likely due to CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Prevents Seizures

Yet another study revealed the potentially positive effects of using non-psychoactive medical marijuana to treat epilepsy and similar seizure symptoms. Medication has resulted in reducing the intensity of the symptoms as well as the frequency of the seizures.

5. Helps Fight Cancer

As unbelievable as it may sound, some studies suggest that CBD can prevent cancer cell growth while stimulating the immune system.

Of course, the debate surrounding the benefits and drawbacks of medical marijuana will undoubtedly persist for some time, but ongoing research shows that it does indeed seem to help with chronic illness. Be sure to reach out to your healthcare provider on which type of medical marijuana is best for you.