Medical Marijuana and Vaporizer Use
What is Marijuana?
Most of all of you will probably know what marijuana is, but we have decided to start with the basics.
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, is a plant used for recreational and / or medicinal purposes because it has a psychoactive and healing effect thanks to the chemical compounds that we find in it.
Marijuana is one of the most consumed plants in the world due to its many properties that we will talk about later. It is a combination of leaves, seeds and dried buds of the Cannabis Sativa L plant , a herbaceous species of the Cannabiaceae family . It has a green to grayish color and a very characteristic strong smell.
It is used primarily for recreational purposes, but more and more we see an increase in its use for medicinal purposes. The medicinal marijuana is used in the treatment of various diseases such as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, cancer, insomnia and chronic pain, among others.
In fact, a series of studies have been carried out on the chemicals in marijuana called “cannabinoids” with remarkable results. These studies have led to the creation of some drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as Sati vex.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC
This cannabinoid is the best known of all those present in the cannabis plant.
Depending on the plant, we can find different percentages of THC in it, but normally there are concentrations between 0.5 and 5%. When consuming cannabis with THC content, it causes in us a series of symptoms such as: relaxation, alteration of the visual, olfactory, auditory senses and stimulation of appetite.
Cannabidiol, CBD
CBD or Cannabidiol is another of the most famous chemical compounds in cannabis.
It is one of the main cannabinoids in marijuana and the main component of the plant, being found in approximately 40% of its extracts. Unlike THC, it does not produce a psychoactive effect but it does have great medicinal benefits.
CBD has a sedative effect that inhibits the transmission of pain signals and has been shown to have beneficial effects in the treatment of epilepsy, West syndrome, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc. In addition, it has been proven that it can slow the growth of breast cancer cells, reducing its invasive effect. That is why, currently, we find a wide variety of CBD products, intended for therapeutic treatments.
Hemp vs Cannabis
Hemp is a plant that is grown mainly for the production of raw materials such as paper, textiles, oils, etc. This can be distinguished with the naked eye from a cannabis plant since it is usually 2 to 5 meters high, while cannabis is usually smaller and leafier, presenting more hemp flower.
Both need different growing conditions: while hemp has to be outdoors, marijuana must be harvested indoors with a specific disposition to light, temperature, humidity and air. On the other hand, when it comes to pollinating, hemp plants are planted all together in places where there is wind so that they pollinate more efficiently and have greater production. Regarding cannabis, the females have to be separated from the males, since if they are together they pollinate, having plants with a lower THC content, fewer flowers and seeds in the buds, something that cannabis users do not want.
Applications of medical marijuana
1. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the build-up of pressure in the eye by blocking or slowing the flow of watery fluid. This pressure causes blindness and is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States. Therefore, we see that the use of cannabis to treat this pathology is so widespread in the North American country.
Cannabis has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps watery fluid circulate normally by lowering the pressure in the eye caused by glaucoma.
2. Epileptic seizures
One third of those affected by epilepsy do not respond to conventional treatments, causing severe damage. Some diseases such as Drave syndrome and Lennox-Gas taut syndrome could benefit from treatments based on pure CBD for its anticonvulsant effect.
3. Cancer
Above all, improvements have been observed in cancers such as breast cancer, reducing the aggressiveness of this and even avoiding it. Well, according to a study by the Completeness University of Madrid, some compounds in cannabis could treat between 25 and 30% of women affected by breast cancer. Although the study is in the pre-clinical phase, the powerful antitumor effect of this plant has been seen.
4. Reduce anxiety
One of the main benefits of hemp medical marijuana is its sedative power capable of relaxing us. For this reason, cannabis is often indicated as an anti-anxiety treatment even though it has always been thought to have the opposite effect.
CBD could help us thanks to its anxiolytic properties. As it does not contain THC, it is a non-addictive option to pharmaceutical anxiolytics that, in addition, does not have harmful adverse effects for the patient.
5. Reduces the progress of Alzheimer's disease
This inflammation is caused by the accumulation of beta amyloid, also known as the Alzheimer's protein.
6. Relieves pain from multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. The damage, caused by inflammation, causes tingling, loss of sensation and paralysis of the extremities; in addition to other symptoms such as fatigue, lack of balance, pain, visual and cognitive disturbances, speech difficulties, tremor, etc.
7. Possibly relieves other types of muscle spasm
Given the effectiveness in multiple sclerosis thanks to drugs such as Sativex, it has been proven effective in other types of muscle spasm.
Muscle spasm are involuntary contractions of the muscles that can be caused by conditions such as fibromyalgia. Spasms can cause muscle wasting, nerve irritation, lack of mineral salts, and sudden exposure to cold, among other things.
The treatment usually indicated is usually to take antispasmodics, but cannabis can be an alternative. Well, cannabinoids are good muscle relaxants that can naturally help prevent muscle stiffness caused by spasm.
7. Possibly relieves other types of muscle spasm
Given the effectiveness in multiple sclerosis thanks to drugs such as Sativex, it has been proven effective in other types of muscle spasm.
Muscle spasm is involuntary contractions of the muscles that can be caused by conditions such as fibromyalgia. Spasms can cause muscle wasting, nerve irritation, lack of mineral salts, and sudden exposure to cold, among other things.
8. Decreases the side effects of hepatitis C treatment and increases the effectiveness of treatment
Hepatitis C is a viral and contagious disease that affects the liver and can cause cirrhosis. There are many treatments for this disease, but its adverse effects are very powerful. Loss of weight and appetite, muscle aches and depression are some of the side effects of interferon treatments. Therefore, cannabis is a treatment indicated to help pass these adverse effects because it is antiemetic (prevents nausea), analgesic, appetite stimulant and antidepressant.
9. Treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, including Cohn’s disease
Cohn’s disease is an inflammation of the intestinal tract that causes pain in the abdomen and diarrhea among other symptoms.
Thanks to the anti-inflammatory effects of medical marijuana, CBD is a highly effective treatment in patients suffering from these diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effect.
10. Arthritic discomfort
Some diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis or osteoporosis cause the patient to suffer from chronic pain and inflammation.
Through the use of medical marijuana ( especially CBD ), the patient can experience relief from that pain and a reduction in inflammation , as well as improving the patient's quality of life with its sedative effect.