While research on marijuana is growing due to it being legalized in more and more states across America, it is still banned on the federal level, making the research process very difficult. But, as scientists and the general public start to realize the untapped potential of marijuana, the stigma and propaganda surrounding the substance has begun to fade.
You may have heard of some of the popular medical strains of marijuana that have come to light in the media recently due to uplifting stories of children and debilitated people using marijuana to overcome the daily obstacles created by their conditions. These include Charlotte’s Web,Harlequin, Sour Tsunami and Cannatonic.
Here are five conditions that react much better to marijuana than they do prescription drugs:
Cancer
Cancer is often the big one, as the active component in marijuana, cannabinoids, have actually been seen to reduce the growth of tumors, as well as kill cancerous cells.
Additionally, researchers recently discovered that cannabidiol has the ability to ‘turn off’ the gene that causes metastasis in aggressive forms of cancer.
Fibromyalgia (FM)
The National Pain Foundation conducted an online survey of over 1300 people who suffered from FM and found that 379 of them reported using cannabis for therapy, and 62 percent of them rated cannabis as “very effective” regarding the treatment of their condition.
When compared to FM patients who used Cymbalta (Duloxene) instead, about 8 percent said the drug was “very effective” and 60 percent said the drug didn’t work at all.
Epilepsy
There are a handful of drugs used to treat epilepsy, most of which increase the prominence of side effects like fatigue and lack of appetite. They’ve also been seen to increase the risk of depression and psychoses. New evidence shows that cannabis compounds have anticonvulsant properties, much of which has been discovered by parents seeking alternative solutions to their child’s seizures.
It is now widely believed that cannabinoid therapy might just be the best possible treatment for those who suffer from chronic epilepsy.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Researchers reviewed over 2,608 studies to determine which therapies held the best evidence indicating effective treatment for MS patients and found that medical marijuana (in spray and pill form) had the most promise.
“What we learned are these specific forms of medical marijuana can ease patients’ symptoms — specific symptoms of spasticity, or muscle stiffness… and helped with frequent urination,”according to study author Dr. Pushpa Narayanaswami.
ADD & ADHD
Ritalin the drug often prescribed for those suffering from ADD and ADHD, comes with a variety of debilitating side effects. These include abnormal thought processes, hallucinations, difficulty sleeping, stomach pain, diarrhea, headaches, lack of appetite and cottonmouth.
Patients who have used cannabis to treat their ADD or ADHD have reported that their grades actually went up from Ds and Cs, to Bs and As. They said it was easier to focus in lecture, easier to focus their attention, and made it easier to stick to one task for extended periods of time.
So, you’re probably asking yourself why people aren’t taking advantage of marijuana to treat their often terrible health conditions.
The truth is that pharmaceutical drugs are a $1 billion a year industry, and legalizing a substance that could easily treat many of the conditions that their drugs are designed to treat would take a large cut out of their profits.
If you or a loved one are suffering from a debilitating chronic condition, please do not be afraid to seek out alternative treatment solutions, including medical marijuana.
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