Cannabis and CBD... These two have been considered quite taboo in the United States since the anti-marijuana movie, “Reefer Madness” was released in 1936. That being said, in the past 10-15 years cannabis and CBD have made huge strides in their overall perception, and many people are understanding that they have huge health benefits! So let’s get right down into, what are the top 5 health benefits of cannabis and also CBD?
Relief of Chronic Pain and Inflammation
One of the reasons that medicinal cannabis in the United States has gotten so popular was because of its relief from chronic pain and inflammation. Kind Seeds explains that cannabis has an ingredient called cannabinoids which have been scientifically proven to combat pain and inflammation without the hazardous side effects of traditional pain treatments like pills. That’s why medicinal cannabis has been linked so heavily to treat diseases such as cancer, Crohn’s disease, and other chronic issues which often have pain or inflammation as their symptoms.
Helps Maintain and Even Lose Weight
Another great benefit of cannabis is that it actually helps your body regulate and maintain a healthy weight by aiding with your body's natural insulin production and regulation. This helps you to stay at a healthier weight and also can help you lose weight if that’s your goal. This also has benefits with diabetes because it aids the body’s insulin regulation.
A 2018 study helped to theorize that in long term cannabis users, although appetite is sometimes stimulated with cannabis, the body’s metabolism is also stimulated which helps your body store less fat and maintain a more healthy weight.
Helps Treat Depression and Other Mental Health Issues
Cannabis has been linked with better mental health because it works to help regulate your endocannabinoid system which leads to faster nervous tissue growth. This helps to stabilize your mood and also helps boost your overall mood. Overall cannabis helps to give its users peace of mind and calms symptoms.
In 2006, researchers at McGill University in Montreal discovered that when intaking lower amounts of THC, it actually is more effective than most traditional anti-depression medicine, and has considerably less side effects than traditional medicine.
Helps to Regulate Seizures:
One of the most popular benefits of cannabis has to be its regulation of seizures. Medicinal cannabis gained huge amounts of news coverage involving a young child named Charlotte Figi who was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome which is a severe form of epilepsy. Her parents tried nearly every traditional medicine available, but nothing was reducing the number of seizures she was facing. Until they tried the newly named, Charlotte’s Web strain, which was designed with a very high CBD to THC ratio which was one of the reasons it was so effective in reducing the seizures.
Alleviates Anxiety
If you’re someone that deals with anxiety on the daily, then your answer could lie with cannabis. There are many people who might have seen the opposite, and can actually get some anxiety by smoking cannabis. But that’s usually because they are taking too high of a dosage or they are taking the wrong strain. By taking a lower dosage of cannabis or even CBD oil you can usually find a good amount of relief from your anxiety while still being able to function 100% normally.
Final Thoughts on the Health Benefits of Cannabis and CBD
For years, cannabis and CBD has been seen as a taboo subject, and it has taken years for this stigma to wear off. In the past few years we’ve seen huge amounts of improvement in the overall stigma of cannabis, and many states have lately implemented the legality of recreational marijuana. Overall, there are numerous health benefits to cannabis, and if you’re someone that is looking for relief from pain or inflammation, looking for help with your body weight, have mental health issues, or looking to alleviate anxiety, then I would recommend looking into cannabis or CBD as a treatment.
