Cannabis for improved health: exploring its therapeutic effects

Cannabis. You keep hearing about it a lot lately, as more and more people find this plant very appealing. But why? Many studies conducted up to this point show that cannabis has potential health benefits. Cannabis consists of more than 120 components, known as cannabinoids. While experts haven’t yet discovered the effects of every cannabinoid, they do have a thorough understanding of two of them: CBD and THC. The former is a non-euphoric and non-intoxicating cannabinoid, while the latter is psychoactive, which means it can get you high.

Cannabis plants contain CBD, which may benefit the central nervous system due to its anti-inflammatory effects. This translates into multiple therapeutic effects on the body.

Exploring cannabis benefits

Cannabis comes into two synthetic versions that doctors prescribe for chemotherapy side effects and the treatment of epilepsy. The following benefits are widely discussed in scientific studies and anecdotally.

Reduced inflammation

CBD in cannabis is believed to reduce inflammation. This may benefit conditions like:

Rheumatoid arthritis;
Crohn’s disease;
Irritable bowel syndrome.

Reducing inflammation in your body can also enhance your overall health.

Pain management

Cannabinoids in the cannabis plant may also decrease pain by changing pathways in the brain responsible for pain perception. This may be an aid for conditions that lead to chronic pain, such as:

Migraine;
Arthritis;
Endometriosis;
Fibromyalgia.

It may even be able to reduce cancer treatment side effects, such as appetite loss. Moreover, medical cannabis may also be a better alternative to pharmaceutical drugs like ibuprofen, eliminating the adverse side effects.

Sleep management

It’s undeniable that regular, restful sleep is vital for a healthy lifestyle, as multiple studies have consistently shown. On the contrary, sleep deficiencies can affect your immune function, brain health, cognition, mental health, and more. Luckily, throughout time, multiple solutions for improving sleep have been discovered. Antihistamines and sedatives are not the only choices; there are also meditation, hot baths, yoga, herbal supplements, and of course, CBD.

Unsurprisingly, CBD also plays a role in improving sleep disorders like insomnia. What’s more, your sleep may also improve once pain reduces due to cannabis usage.

Neurological and mental health conditions

Medical experts sometimes prescribe cannabis for neurological and mental disorders, such as:

Parkinson’s disease;
Tourette syndrome;
Epilepsy;
Anxiety;
Multiple sclerosis;
Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cannabis may be effective for these disorders because it impacts the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotional and behavioral responses.

In fact, the FDA has approved a CBD-based drug, namely Epidiolex, as a treatment for two rare and severe forms of epilepsy: Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which hardly respond to other types of medication. The approval of this drug was based on clinical trials and findings from several studies. This study found that CBD reduced seizures among children suffering from Dravet syndrome, unlike a placebo. Dravet syndrome seizures are repetitive and prolonged and can even lead to death. 120 children and teenagers aged between 2-18 participated in the study. They received an oral CBD solution and a placebo as a complementary treatments for their condition. The study concluded that CBD decreased seizures dramatically, as children went from having 12 of them every month to having only six. With placebo, the reduction in seizures was slight, as the number reduced from 15 to 14. This shows that cannabis is effective in treating epilepsy, and one can’t help but wonder what else this miraculous plant can do.

Cannabis promotes relaxation, shifting your focus away from stress and helping you move towards healing. Some studies even suggest cannabis may benefit those with Alzheimer’s disease; however, it’s too soon to draw conclusions, as more research is needed regarding this. But what can’t be denied is that cannabis has many promising effects, and researchers are likely to discover more health benefits from the plant.

Growing your own cannabis can be very rewarding

Growing cannabis – whether outdoors or indoors- can be fun and rewarding. But it is also challenging and requires time and patience. However, nothing compares to consuming cannabis you’ve grown yourself; therefore, it’s worth all your efforts. First, you must determine whether you want to grow cannabis indoors or outdoors. To do this, you must learn the differences between the two. Growing indoors is more expensive than growing outdoors because you need to purchase the equipment and utilities necessary for the process. However, growing marijuana indoors is great because it ensures quality and potency.

Next, you should consider the resources you wish to put into growing your cannabis, as the type of seed you pick will determine different effects. Everyone has different preferences, so it’s essential to choose what’s best for you. For instance, you can pick among regular, feminized, and autoflowering cannabis seeds. There are key differences between these types of seeds, each with its advantages. So before making up your mind, do your research, and learn as much as possible about these seeds.

When choosing a strain to grow, you must consider factors like climate and environment, garden space, length of time required for growth, and difficulty of growing. And obviously, you should purchase your seeds from a reputable provider, such as Seedsman. This is important for ensuring the high quality of the seeds.

Integrating cannabis in your life to improve wellness

When thinking of wellness, many people associate it with physical health. But wellness goes beyond this, as it is multidimensional, incorporating mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental aspects. Wellness is not a passive state but an active pursuit, meaning it’s all about your choices.