A growing amount of Australians support the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal purposes, but doctors in Australia are reluctant to prescribe medical marijuana because of the lack of knowledge about the positive effects of cannabis. When people are suffering needlessly, it should be a human right to be able to access medical cannabis.
We still don’t know all of the benefits that this plant can deliver but for now here are our Top 15 Health Benefits and reasons why medical cannabis should be readily available for patients in need.
1. It can offer stress relief and help minimize anxiety.
Treating stress is one of the most well-known uses of cannabis as a medicine. Cannabis naturally reduces stress and restores the body’s overall balance. Cannabinoid treatment after a traumatic experience can minimise the stress receptors in our brain, preventing further sensory and emotional damage. Components in the cannabis plant work the same way as the natural cannabinoids in our own body, they help activate the communication in our central nervous system which brings back the balance and reduces stress. CBD and CBN have been found to have tremendous results in people who suffer from anxiety.
2. Helps with severe pain.
Severe pain is the most common reason why people use medical cannabis. There is a lot of evidence from patients that cannabinoids can stop the neuronal transmission in pain pathways. Cannabis relieves pain and reduces inflammation. People have used it to help with pain management for thousands of years. A single dose of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis oil three times daily for five days can dramatically reduce the intensity of pain.
3. It can help to regulate sleep patterns.
Cannabis oil helps to relax your body and lower your heart rate so it will be easier to fall asleep.Cannabis has a calming effect, helping with restlessness and thought processes, switching on your pleasure center. Cannabis is widely used to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, as it helps with controlling anxiety and fear in the brain and body.
4. It regulates your appetite.
Cannabis is well known for enhancing appetite. It regulates appetite and switches on the digestive system, making you feel hungry. Cannabis helps people who go through chemotherapy and treatment for AIDS by helping to enhance their appetite and reduce the side effects of the toxic treatment they are receiving. Cannabis users can also have a healthier response to sugar.
5. Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients benefit from cannabis use.
The 1 to 1 ratio of THC and CBD interact with the body, switching on the gut’s immune system. Medical cannabis can also help people who are suffering from ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. It is not the cure, but it can help with the symptoms, some people are even saying that cannabinoid therapy is the most effective one.
6. Cannabis therapy can strengthen the heart.
Medical cannabis improves the heart health by strengthening the cardiovascular system and getting rid of cholesterol. Cannabinoids stimulate antioxidant processes in the body, also causing blood vessels to relax and widen, giving the heart an extra health boost. Cannabis can potentially help to prevent heart attacks, stroke, hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. The extracts of the cannabis plant can help lower blood pressure and improve circulation.
7. Helps with eye health.
As we age, our eyes also age. In worst cases, ageing can result in some form of vision loss and blindness. One way to help ourselves is to use cannabis oil as a medicine to keep the eyes healthy. Cannabis helps with macular degeneration and it helps to reduces glaucoma. It has been show to benefit the patient by lowering the intraocular pressure in the eye. When this pressure is not treated it can permanently damage the vision in the eye. Although cannabis works only for a short time, it is still a fantastic and natural way to keep the pressure in the eye down.
8. Cannabis can even help with skin and acne problems.
Cannabinoids help the body with lipid production, regulating skin moisture and acne. Cannabis oil-based products could be a smart addition to any skin treatment plan, as they promote skin cell renewal. Cannabis is also high in antioxidants, therefore helping the skin fight with free radicals, which can cause skin ageing.
9. Medical cannabis and Cancer treatment.
Researchers and their studies show that cannabis has anti-cancer properties. Tests have shown that THC can potentially help cause cancer cells to die while leaving healthy cells untouched! It’s a remarkable discovery. It can also help stop and slow tumor growth and assist in pain and appetite management.Although cannabis is not yet officially approved as an ‘anticancer’ medicine in Australia, it might be something that could still help with any current cancer treatment, as cannabis works very well with other procedures like chemotherapy.
10. Helps with epilepsy and seizures.
Cannabinoid CBD has been established as a safe and effective epilepsy treatment with only mild side effects. Cannabis has been used for centuries in seizure treatment, but only now it has been more closely examined and tested for all its possibilities in treating people with epilepsy. The result of the CBD in the body has reduced some patients and their epilepsy seizures from 500 seizures a week down to NONE. Zero! What that does to the lifestyle of the patient and their family is nothing short of miraculous.
11. Cannabis helps with tremors, muscle spasms.
The THC, CBD and CBN cannabinoids are able to help with pain management and relaxation, slowing down tremors and helping restore motor skills. Medical Marijuana can improve Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The cannabis molecules can attach to receptors in our nerves, controlling relaxation and relieving pain and spasms. Cannabis-based medicine works well also with multiple sclerosis treatments.
12. Helps with Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients
Cannabis as a medicine can help people with dementia control their aggression and enhance their mood. Also, it’s a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Some studies have shown that THC appears to remove the Alzheimer’s hallmark amyloid plaque, which has led to dramatic improvements in a patients state of mental health.
13. Helps our brain after stroke or severe head trauma.
Cannabis can protect your brain by reducing the swelling and inflammation of the affected area after the traumatic event.Cannabinoids switch on the growth of brain cells in areas of damage or disease. CBD is a beneficial antioxidant helping with cognitive functioning and regulating inflammation and improving the blood flow. We have a patient who was suffering from constant migraines every day, she started using the CBD oil and it has now helped the brain to a point where she is able to manage and control the migraines, as she feels when they are starting and simply applies CBD oil under her tongue and the onset of the migraine disappears.
14. Helps arthritis patients to manage their symptoms.
People with arthritis find help in medicine that contains THC and THCa. The cannabis oil as a medicine promotes relaxation, reduces pain and inflammation. For example, studies have shown that taking cannabis oil does not just lower the pain in the brain but also does the work of healing in the joint itself; it makes it a very beneficial medicine for people with arthritis.
15. Helps people who struggle with addictions.
Cannabis is not risk-free and might not be the cure for addiction, but it is much less addictive option than alcohol or opioids and painkillers. People have used very strong doses of THC based medical cannabis to quit alcohol, prescription drugs and other illegal drugs. There are patients who have gotten off methadone addictions through high amounts of THC being used as a medicine to help them combat the withdrawals. Medical cannabis has shown to decrease pharmaceutical overdose deaths rates in places around the world where it is legal. It also causes less physical damage than alcohol or other illegal drug abuse, making it a much safer substitute.
