The Therapeutic role of Cannabis

The Cannabis plant and its various strains are gaining popularity as the research about the benefits is maturing day by day. The beneficial compounds found in Cannabis are called cannabinoids. These Cannabinoids interact with the human body’s endocannabinoid system and help it to smoothly run the body's functions.

Although the medical experts are carrying out more and more lab tests to discover the advantages as well as disadvantages, controlled usage of some cannabinoids like THC, CBD and Delta-8, etc., has shown therapeutic benefits of the plant. 

The use of Cannabis as a “medical treatment” is not yet approved by the FDA as research on hundreds of chemical compounds is still in progress. However, there are pills, creams, balms, concentrates being sold with THC content of less than 0.3% that are giving therapeutic effects to the users. In this article, we will discuss how.

Cannabis in Chronic Pain like Arthritis 

Other than over the counter pain-killers, conventional pain medications like opioids are also being prescribed to patients with chronic pain ailments like arthritis, muscle spasms, neuropathic pain. Using opioids for such conditions relieves pain but can also be highly addictive. On the flip side, the use of cannabinoids in such pain conditions has shown significant effects on patients without forming any persistent habit. 

In a human body’s endocannabinoid system, peripheral nerves detect the pain and send the signal to the body. The use of cannabinoids blocks the pain signal and suppresses it through different mechanisms, thus relieving the inflammation and swelling caused. If that is not enough, the use of Cannabis is less habit-forming than the use of opioids.

Furthermore, a preliminary survey conducted by several research teams showed that the majority of the women who have endometriosis noticed a reduction in pain by using CBD products. Similar were the results for patients with chronic pain that revealed in a study conducted in 2019.

CBD for Cancer Treatment

Cancer patients experience severe weakness after chemotherapy that is followed by vomiting, pain, and loss of appetite. The National Cancer Institute has highlighted that the use of Cannabis can help to reduce these symptoms but with a delayed response and slow bioavailability. 

Furthermore, some lab tests on mice have shown that the use of CBD can shrink cancerous tumours. 

There is a lot to discover in Cannabis as there are hundreds of chemical compounds with different effects and side-effects, but these studies with supporting evidence are giving us hope for its beneficial use.

CBD for Neurological conditions & Migraine

The important cannabinoids & biologically active chemicals found in Cannabis are under research for their various expected and, in some cases, proven benefits. Their combinations are also being tested to maximize the impact, like using CBD with THC to enhance the pain management feature for migraine patients. 

A two-phase study was also conducted in 2017 that showed that increased dosage of both the compounds (CBD &THC) were given to migraine patients, and their pain reduced to 50%. Not only that, the frequency of their migraine attack also got reduced with this combination.

As per consumers, a compound called Delta-8 present in Cannabis is smoother, less potent, and gives a less anxious psychoactive experience. It is also influential in terms of giving instant pain relief as a small amount of delta-8 treatment gives instant relief with a pleasant buzz.  

In a human body, there are two main endocannabinoid receptors:

• CB1 receptors: Mostly found in the central nervous system
• CB2 receptors: Mostly found in your peripheral nervous system, especially immune cells

There are several experimental studies that have confirmed that cannabinoids interact well with both ECS receptors and relieves the pain by targeting the area. This shows that Cannabis has therapeutic properties, and deep research would lead to more discoveries and benefits.
 

Summing it up

A wild plant composed of different chemicals is making its way to labs, markets, and pharmacies gradually because of the research and studies being done on it. Still, there’s a lot of uncertainty about using Cannabis for chronic pain as the plant awaits go-ahead stamps and green signals from recognized research institutes & authorities. 

In the meantime, the research studies of the regions where it is legally allowed are coming in handy. People are trusting to use it not as a substitute for a tested and approved medicine but as a supporting treatment for pain management and recording their experiences. 

Till Cannabis makes it to the doctor’s prescription, people should use it after consultation from a medical practitioner as it may react with supplements & certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.