What different types of medicinal cannabis products are there?
This page is for anyone who wants to try cannabis medicinally but does not know what it takes to become a Californian patient. If your doctor has recommended that you try cannabis or if you’re wondering whether medical marijuana could help you, this guide can (hopefully!) assist you in understanding: how to become an official medical cannabis patient.
What is cannabis and what does it do to the body? Cannabis was used in medicine as early as 4,000 B.C. It is used as a term to refer to the dry buds and fresh plants used for smoking/vaporizing. (We call foods made with cannabis-derived extracts edibles). Although the effectiveness of medical cannabis has been disputed by most governments (please visit this link to find out why and how cannabis became Learn More illegal in the first place), medical cannabis/compassionate use programs now exist in 15 states nationally.
Research suggests cannabis can be used to treat a range of conditions. There are many benefits of cannabis, including pain relief, particularly neuropathic or nerve-related pain. Other uses include nausea, migraines, arthritis, movement disorders, glaucoma and spasticity. Marijuana also acts as a strong appetite stimulant for people with HIV, AIDS wasting, dementia, or anorexia. There is evidence that marijuana can help with Post-Traumatic Stress and gastro-intestinal conditions. New research shows that marijuana has medicinal properties which may help protect the body from certain malignant tumors.
Patients have also found relief for many mental health issues. The dispensary is often flooded with patients who are using medical cannabis to treat depression, anxiety and insomnia. What makes cannabis so effective in treating so many illnesses and symptoms? Cannabis’s efficacy is well proven using the endocannabinoid (ECS) system. This system plays a role in various physiological processes such as appetite, pain sensation, mood, and memories. It also mediates cannabis’ psychoactive effect.
Cannabinoids derived from the Cannabis plant are compatible with human receptors. Cannabinoids can therefore be used to benefit the human cannabinoid systems. Public Medical.gov contains many articles that explain the function of our endocannabinoid. You can find the information by typing “endocannabinoid in the search field.
THC is one of the more abundant cannabinoids found in marijuana. It produces an euphoric sensation. Cannabis’ other cannabinoids don’t. CBD is a second cannabinoid that occurs in cannabis. CBD can be used as a medicine both with THC and without it. Although there are fewer data, other cannabinoids may also be useful for medicinal purposes.
It’s true, as we have already mentioned, that sativas are more energetic and indicas make you sleepy, but it is not so straightforward. While this is a useful rule when it comes to selecting cannabis strains, each individual will react differently. Akhavan explains that, whether it is edibles, flowers, or topicals you choose, each person will respond differently to the cannabis. This can be due to their tolerance, metabolism or what they have eaten before.
