5 Conditions You Didn’t Know Cannabis Helped Treat

Medical marijuana is now legal in 36 states and several US territories. Its medical uses are growing wider as cannabis becomes a mainstream treatment option in this country.

With this improved accessibility, marijuana is now being researched and used to treat more medical conditions, and some of these may surprise you.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Those suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis turn to cannabis for relief. Studies have shown that cannabis cannot cure these diseases or stop symptoms. However, there are reports that the use of marijuana to treat the painful symptoms has been shown to be successful.

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Corresponding TIME, “Patients who consumed cannabinoids reported significant improvements in abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, appetite, and general well-being.” Cannabis cannot prevent these painful diseases, but when used to relieve symptoms it can be very effective.

epilepsy

Cannabis has shown promise when used to treat some forms of epilepsy, particularly more severe types of the disease. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome are two rare epileptic diseases. Recently the FDA approved a cannabis-based drug Epidiolexto treat these rarer diseases.

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According to FDA website, Epidolex is “the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified active ingredient derived from marijuana. It is also the first FDA approval of a drug for the treatment of patients with Dravet syndrome. ”This marijuana-based drug is used to treat seizures associated with these diseases and has shown tremendous success.

asthma

There is some debate as to whether or not marijuana will help with asthma symptoms. Smoking any substance is very harmful to asthmatics. Some say cannabis should generally be avoided if you have asthma. Others have noted some benefits of using cannabinoids to treat symptoms of asthma.

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“Consuming other forms of the plant that don’t need to be smoked may benefit people with asthma,” she said HDeath. Research into the use of cannabinoids to treat asthma is still very new and controversial. It will take time and more research before we can determine whether cannabis is beneficial or painful for asthma.

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Alzheimer

Alziehmer’s patients found medical marijuana useful for a number of reasons. Not only has marijuana helped Alzeiemer’s patients gain much-needed weight, it has also helped curb the often excited moods and behaviors of many who suffer from Alzeiemer’s experiences.

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Additionally, there was a recent study that linked marijuana to slowing down a process that may or may not cause the disease on its own. “In a cell study, researchers found that it slowed the progress of protein deposits in the brain,” wrote CNN. “Scientists believe that these proteins could be part of the cause of Alzheimer’s, although no one knows what causes the disease,” the article goes on to say.

multiple sclerosis

Medical marijuana has been shown to be particularly effective in treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis. “In particular, marijuana appears to relieve multiple sclerosis (MS) pain and nerve pain in general,” according to Harvard Medical School website.

Marijuana is often helpful for symptoms such as stiffness, pain, and cramps. Other MS pain relievers can be very strong and have side effects that are just as strong. Cannabis can help relieve pain without causing heavy brain fog or other serious side effects.