Cannabis is a miraculous plant that has so much to offer us. From our own health to the health of our planet, cannabis has something for us all. Unfortunately, thanks to outdated government policy regarding cannabis, the proven medicinal progress of cannabinoid therapies in America is behind the times compared to other places like Israel.
Despite an abundance of scientific research and thousands of anecdotal testimonies, we can’t truly talk about all the good things that cannabis has to offer in terms of therapeutic value to our health. We can, however, share with you what the science says and allow you to form your own opinion as long as we say may, could, or beat around the bush another way!
Even the medical community knows that cannabis is a medicine. They just have to tiptoe around the wording because of a bunch of overaged, overpriced suit and tie-wearing, outdated politicians clinging to the old draconian ways of their past. They stop positive cannabis reform at every chance they get, as is the case with the U.S. Senate. It’s time to refresh that branch on the tree of patriotism with newly-elected representatives. Ones that favor the will of the people over private agendas.
Medical cannabis research is advancing despite the ill will of members of our elected government. It won’t be much longer, and the federal government will have to reverse its misinformed stance on cannabis, something that should have happened years ago. You can only stand in the way of progress before so long before a wave of truth overcomes you.
Cannabis doesn’t always work for everyone. Sometimes people have to try different formulas and combinations of cannabinoids/terpenes to find the balance that’s right for them. Sit back and puff up some knowledge about cannabis as we explore its potential therapeutic benefits. In this article, we will beat around the bush and discuss ten things that cannabis may be doing that we can’t actually say it does.
Cannabis May Reduce Seizures
Cannabis may help reduce seizures. This is very true though it may not always work for everyone. But, to deny it has medical properties is absurd. Just ask the countless people who suffer from a seizure disorder that found relief from medicinal cannabis if it worked for them. Alexis Bortell is a shining star example of what cannabis “MAY” be able to do. This vibrant young lady has an amazing story that was sparked by a rare medical condition and cannabis.
Alexis lives with a rare form of epilepsy. Doctors told her parents to start making the final arrangements for their daughter. Defying all odds, with the help of her family and cannabis, Alexis is alive and thriving today. She is also on the frontlines of positive cannabis reform, standing up for the rights of others like herself. Others whom our federal government continues to ignore. You can learn more about Alexis Bortell here.
“These are exciting times for research in cannabinoids. After almost four millennia of their documented medical use in the treatment of seizure disorders, we are very close to obtaining conclusive evidence of their efficacy in some severe epilepsy syndromes. The era of evidence-based prescription of a cannabis product is within our sight.”-NCBI
Cannabis May Decrease Pain
Have you heard the one about how cannabis might help you not hurt? A joint may be just the thing to help those achy joints. Do you find yourself stiff and rusty, feeling sort of like the Tin Man? Then maybe, like the Tin Man, a dab of oil is what you need to get your parts moving right. Cannabis may help decrease pain. According to thousands of patients, cannabis “DOES” decrease pain.
Cannabis flowers, vapes, concentrates, oils, tinctures, creams, lotions, sprays, and transdermal patches help people from all walks of life to feel better. A growing community of professional and retired athletes is coming out in support of cannabis for helping with pain management. Athletes are finally being heard by professional sporting groups like the NFL, showing that they are finally listening to what their players and legends are saying about cannabis.
The NFL has decided, after fining and penalizing so many of their players over cannabis, to fund some research into the effectiveness of cannabis for pain management. It’s not just high THC cannabis that is working to help people manage their pain, non-psychoactive cannabis-derived CBD is helping too! If you’re curious as to whether or not cannabis might help you with pain, the best way to find out is to give it a try. A trip to Colorado, California, Oregon, or another legal recreational cannabis state is a great way to find out for sure.
Cannabis May Offer Anti-inflammatory Properties
This has to be true because every time I hear a politician open their mouth, I become inflamed with anger unless I have some weed to smoke. Actually, that has nothing to do with inflammation but still.
Cannabis seems to be helping lots of people control the symptoms of inflammation. It may just do the same for you. Cannabis is embraced for its potential ability to reduce pain by getting to the root of the most common source, inflammation.
“Cannabinoids are potent anti-inflammatory agents, and they exert their effects through induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, suppression of cytokine production and induction of T-regulatory cells (Tregs).”-NCBI
Limonene, Myrcene, Delta-3 Carene, Eucalyptol, Alpha Bisabolol, Borneol, Linalool, and Caryophyllene are all common terpenes found in cannabis that are shown to be effective at helping to manage inflammation. Compared to prescription drugs like hydrocodone, valium, and others used to manage inflammation, cannabis holds its own and, according to many, does the job better and safer.
Cannabis May Act as an Antioxidant
Cannabis could also work as an effective antioxidant. According to researchers at Harvard health, “Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by giving up some of their own electrons. In making this sacrifice, they act as a natural “off” switch for the free radicals. This helps break a chain reaction that can affect other molecules in the cell and other cells in the body.”
Researchers say that “Using cyclic voltammetry and a fenton reaction-based system, it was demonstrated that Cannabidiol, THC and other cannabinoids are potent antioxidants. As evidence that cannabinoids can act as antioxidants in neuronal cultures, cannabidiol was demonstrated to reduce hydroperoxide toxicity in neurons. In a head-to-head trial of the abilities of various antioxidants to prevent glutamate toxicity, cannabidiol (CBD) was SUPERIOR to both alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate in protective capacity.”-NCBI
Other researchers have shown that “Cannabidiol, THC and several synthetic cannabinoids all were demonstrated to be antioxidants by cyclic voltammetry. Cannabidiol and THC also were shown to prevent hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage as well as or better than other antioxidants in a chemical (Fenton reaction) system and neuronal cultures.”-PNAS
The research is out there to support cannabinoids as effective antioxidants. In fact, there are a few studies that prove that it is even more potent as an antioxidant than vitamin C or vitamin E. CBD offers such a significant level of antioxidant properties that the U.S. government holds a patent specifically on the neuroprotectant and antioxidant properties of cannabinoids. This patent lays out how cannabinoids such as CBD may help to repair oxidative damage.
“This invention provides antioxidant compounds and compositions, such as pharmaceutical compositions, that include cannabinoids that act as free radical scavengers for use in prophylaxis and treatment of disease. The invention also includes methods for using the antioxidants in prevention and treatment of pathological conditions such as ischemia (tissue hypoxia), and in subjects who have been exposed to oxidant inducing agents such as cancer chemotherapy, toxins, radiation, or other sources of oxidative stress.”
Will it work for you? You be the judge.
Cannabis May Help Cancer Patients
I’m going to go out on a limb here and just say it’s almost undeniable that cannabis offers potential benefits for cancer patients. Where do I start? Improved sleep, appetite, mood, and reduced nausea and pain. I mean, let’s face it, there are several ways that cannabis may help cancer patients. Let’s look at what researchers have to say about cannabis and cancer.
The American Cancer Society reports that “a number of small studies of smoked marijuana found that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy.”
According to the results of a study published in 2019,
“Cannabinoids are a large and important class of complex compounds that have a promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of variety of diseases, including cancer. In this review, we focused on studies that provided evidence for anticancer effects of plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids and their potential mechanisms of action. Cannabinoids were able to effectively modulate tumor growth in different in vitro and in vivo cancer models, however, these anticancer effects appears to be dependent on cancer type and drug dose.”
And then there is the FDA.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved cannabis or cannabinoids for use as a cancer treatment. Cannabis is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of any cancer-related symptom or side effect of cancer therapy.” Of course, they must know better than medical professionals who have dedicated their lives to the health care of humanity.
The FDA has to be in for the money. They contradict themselves in so many ways. The above statement by them is a great example. They say they don’t approve of cannabis as a treatment for cancer. If that’s true, what is Marinol? I will tell you what Marinol is. It is a cannabis-based cancer drug.
According to cancer.org, “Dronabinol (Marinol®) is a gelatin capsule containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy as well as weight loss and poor appetite in patients with AIDS.”
Notice that the quote says, “APPROVED BY THE U.S. FDA.” Not really sure I would feel safe about anything the FDA says.
Cannabis May Assist with Mental Health Issues (Anxiety/Depression/PTSD)
Cannabis may help you to manage and even control the symptoms of mental health conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. If you have a lot of triggers and find yourself going coo-coo for coco puffs a little too often, maybe it’s time to give cannabis a try. Cannabis has helped countless people battling these conditions. I know this because I am one of them. After the loss of my son and daughter, doctors offered me all kinds of pills to help. I never needed them because I had cannabis to help me with issues I faced. Cannabis didn’t make it all better, nothing could, but it did help me pull through the tough days. It also helped keep the tough days fewer and farther in between. Did cannabis help me with depression? Yes.
Does weed make you paranoid and anxious? It is certainly possible. According to a University of Washington study, “Many people report using marijuana to cope with anxiety, especially those with social anxiety disorder. THC appears to decrease anxiety at lower doses and increase anxiety at higher doses. CBD appears to decrease anxiety at all doses that have been tested.”
Some studies suggest that cannabis can increase anxiety. I feel this is true in states that still support outdated federal cannabis policy. I mean, it’s only common sense that if you are smoking a joint and face jail time if you get caught, you’re going to be a little paranoid. Not me though. I’m a med patient in Oklahoma. I will call the police smoking a joint and answer my door while I’m still smoking it if I have to. Not one bit of anxiety about it here. Now where I used to live in Tennessee, I had anxiety just leaving the house, fearing a K-9 officer would attack me while I was getting gas or at the store. Just imagine the scary trips to re-up.
When it comes to conditions like PTSD, Cannabis is helping veterans and others who suffer from this condition. The VFW did some research on PTSD/cannabis and said, “Over the course of a year, the study found that cannabis users reported a greater decrease in the severity of their PTSD symptoms. They also were more than 2.5 times as likely to no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD as those who did not use cannabis.”
Authorities like to say more people with mental health problems are using cannabis, suggesting that the plant is part of the problem. Entertain this for a moment though. What if more people with mental health issues are turning to cannabis because it helps when prescription drugs fail them?
Cannabis May Treat Autoimmune Disorders
For those of you who aren’t familiar with autoimmune disorders, they’re a condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly launches an attack on the body itself. This can lead to many complications. Many people with autoimmune disorders report finding relief with cannabis.
“Cannabis medicine may also treat symptoms of specific autoimmune diseases like ALS, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s, fibromyalgia, Huntington disease, multiple sclerosis, and others. The plant may decrease chronic pain, inflammation, and spasms associated with some of these conditions.”-Fundacion-canna.es
Back in 2014, A team of researchers out of South Carolina discovered “a novel pathway through which marijuana’s main active constituent, THC, can suppress the body’s immune functions. The recent findings show that THC can change critical molecules of epigenome called histones, leading to suppression of inflammation.” I would say these findings lean towards it being a yes that cannabis may help treat autoimmune disorders.
Cannabis May Assist in Autism Treatment
According to the Psychiatric Times, “Cannabis is prescribed as a treatment for autism in 14 states.” I mean, you might say this qualifies as helping to manage, control, or even treat Autism. Some studies like the one found on Spectrum News say, “A 20-to-1 ratio of CBD to THC relieves aggressive outbursts in autistic children.”
News like this is promising for parents looking to find help for their children. One mother was quoted telling CNN that Cannabis was responsible for her “Getting her boy back.” The CDC defines Autism as “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.”
When it comes to Autism, the different types and levels of severity of symptoms can be quite different from person to person. Some of the most common symptoms associated with Autism are obsessive interests, difficulty with communication, social interactions, and those with this condition often exhibit repetitive behaviors.
Research is starting to become more focused on cannabis and Autism. If the federal government were to remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances or even reschedule it from a schedule 1 drug, the possibility of it being proven as being an effective treatment for Autism could be a reality.
Cannabis May Help ADD/ADHD Patients
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects more than 6.1 million children in the United States. Could cannabis help these children? Like with many other conditions, cannabis may help control or manage symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD.
The problem with cannabis and this condition is that it typically involves children at a young age. Cannabis can have negative effects on young children, but what negative effects are these, and do they outweigh the effects of ADD/ADHD, and they couldn’t possibly be worse than the side effects of ADD/ADHD pharmaceuticals, could they?
Studies about cannabis have been twisted to who funds the study and to please the deaf ears of the American government. If they would end what should never have been in the first place and put away their grudge against people of color and greed, we could actually study the effectiveness of cannabis at managing and even possibly treating ADD/ADHD in human subjects.
A case report from 2022 described “3 patients with ADHD who added cannabis to their treatment regimen and experienced positive therapeutic effects. The improvements in their symptoms and quality of life were substantial, such as the ability to keep emotions in check (3 patients) or to obtain and excel at a new job with more responsibility (2 patients). Objective measures accompanied these narratives with all three patients experiencing improvements in validated rating scales for measures of mental health.”
Cannabis May Help Prevent/Regulate Diabetes
Cannabis could help regulate diabetes and maybe even prevent it. For that to happen, though, the government must ban all snack cakes. Weed gives you the munchies. Everyone has heard of the gateway drug theory. Those who consume know that it is, in fact, a gateway to the fridge and munchie cabinet. Just kidding, not all cannabis lovers munch out on fast food, snacks, and junk. In fact, many consumers are vegan or vegetarian and live healthy, active lifestyles.
In all seriousness, though, Very Well Health has an article that says, “Marijuana may be able to help with managing your blood sugar levels, and it could help to improve insulin resistance with type 2 diabetes.” According to research, cannabis could help increase insulin sensitivity, in return, helping to manage diabetes. Cannabis can also help control another factor associated with diabetes, weight. According to an article on Healthline, “High amounts of cannabis appear to increase metabolism and reduce energy storage, resulting in a lower BMI.” This reduced weight also comes with a reduced risk of diabetes.
The American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) suggests that cannabinoid therapies may offer potential benefits for diabetic patients, such as stabilizing blood sugar levels, reducing neuropathic related pain common with diabetes, and lowering overall arterial inflammation through its antioxidant properties.
We Can’t Forget About the Potential Skin Benefits
We can’t write an article discussing the potential benefits of cannabinoids without touching on the research regarding what this plant seems to be doing for the health of our bodies largest and most neglected organs, our skin!
Free radicals are one of the skin’s biggest arch-nemesis. They increase the aging process, resulting in the appearance of broken blood vessels under the skin and brown spots and reducing the skin’s collagen, resulting in the weakening of the skin’s elasticity and wrinkles.
Antioxidants fight free radicals. Some of the most potent antioxidants that you may be familiar with include green tea extract, turmeric, and vitamins A, C, and E. What you may not know is that cannabidiol, or CBD for short, is a potent antioxidant and can offer effective defense against free radical damage to the skin. A study dating back to 1998 shows that CBD is even more powerful of an antioxidant than vitamin c or E.
CBD has also been shown through research to potentially counteract the damage done by free radicals, to potentially improve moisture retention in the skin, and to potentially slow the process of collagen loss, improving elasticity and firmness. Additionally, this compound found in cannabis has also been found to possess anti-inflammatory properties. This natural ability to potentially reduce inflammation is a win-win for the skin, especially considering that many skin conditions are caused by underlying inflammatory issues.
Can This Plant Really Do It All?
Cannabis can do a lot of things for a lot of people; well, at least that sure is the way it seems if you read the millions of testimonials from patients utilizing the plant for a plethora of illnesses and conditions in cultures around the globe. But it can’t do everything for everyone. When it comes to this plant, you might say there are different strokes for different folks. There are all kinds of different types of cannabis, and there are several delivery methods for consumption. Different combinations of cannabinoids combined with different delivery methods produce different results for different people.
Now that you have a better understanding of all the things cannabis is likely doing that, we can’t actually say it’s doing, you be the judge. If you need a few minutes to process this information, check out the before and after deck of what the Potency Gold Serum has been doing with its plant oil powers, including those of CBD and CBG!