Useful for pain, cancer and autoimmune diseases

 Cannabinoids refer to chemicals found in the Cannabisplant. This is the source for hemp and marijuana. There are at least 113 chemical compounds in marijuana, but two have been identified that have been used to treat pain. They also help with a wide range of symptoms and conditions such as inflammation and cancer.

  • Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the psychoactive substance that gives you the “high”, is the psychoactive compound.
  • Cannabidiol (CBD) is often made from hemp. It does not cause a high.

Can Cannabinoids Offer Any Benefits?

Numerous positive effects have been shown to be associated with marijuana, and various CBD and THC preparations. They are used for many purposes currently, but more uses are possible in the future.

 

Current Uses

Here are some current uses for cannabinoids:

  • Chronic pain relief from conditions such as endometriosis (egg-plant), fibromyalgia and Crohn’s disease, including inflammation and pain, is possible.
  • AIDS: Increase appetite to avoid extreme weight loss
  • Conditions such as Huntington’s or Parkinson’s disease can be improved by reducing spasticity and muscle control.
  • Children especially, epileptic seizures can be controlled
  • Mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, PTSD, and multiple anxious disorders can be treated
  • Addiction treatment, including the cessation of smoking

Each use has different levels of scientific support. The FDA has approved some cannabinoid-containing pharmaceutical products, but not marijuana.

Future possibilities

Early studies have shown that cannabinoids could be effective in fighting cancer.

  • Helping kill some cancer cells
  • Other cancers can be reduced
  • The slowing of the growth of cancer cells is one of the most grave types of brain tumors
  • The treatment of nausea caused by chemotherapy
  • Radiation treatment effectiveness can be improved
  • These substances are also being studied as potential treatments for immune system diseases, such as:1
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Lupus

Multiple functions of cannabinoids could be beneficial for autoimmune conditions (MS, Lupus and Crohn’s disease), as it reduces inflammation and pain while also controlling the immune system.

How they Work: The Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid systems (ECS) is how cannabinoids influence your body. The ECS is named after cannabinoids your body naturally produces, and relies on. These substances are very similar to plant-based cannabis. ECS is thought to have many therapeutic uses.

 

Homeostasis is a key function of the ECS. It regulates many essential body functions including:

 

  • The effects of hormones on fertility
  • Heart rate
  • Temperature
  • Hunger and digestion
  • Immune function
  • Sleep
  • Mood
  • Concentration and memory
  • Pain
  • Motor control
  • Awareness of your senses

 

Your nervous system and your endocannabinoids work together to maintain acceptable levels. This makes it easy to understand that cannabinoids are able to treat many medical issues.

 

The difference between your endocannabinoids, and cannabinoids sourced from an external source is that yours work in exact coordination with the system that requires correction at the moment. You can inhale the cannabinoids found in smoking marijuana and they flood your entire body making both positive and negative changes.

FDA and Cannabinoids

Marinol (dronabinol), Cesamet (nabilone), are two of the FDA’s approved medications made from THC-lab created THC. The FDA also approved Epidiolex, which is a purified CBD CBD formula, for two forms childhood epilepsy, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (Lennox-Gastaut) and Dravet.

With increasing evidence of multiple medical benefits, it’s not surprising that medical marijuana or cannabinoids aren’t FDA-approved. Research is still in the early stages of development, so the FDA needs large studies with hundreds of participants that assess both the effectiveness of these drugs and their safety for specific populations.

This is a lengthy, costly and tedious process. With more research being done, there may be more cannabinoid based drugs on the market to treat a wider range of diseases.

Are They Legal

Federal laws have changed to allow CBD products to be legal across the country. While marijuana has been legalized in numerous states, the federal law still prohibits it from being used for recreational or medical purposes. You should be familiar with your state’s laws.

Work-related Issues

You may not be allowed to use medical marijuana or recreational marijuana in certain areas. Before using cannabinoids in your workplace, be sure to review the policies of your employer.

 

CBD products are not allowed to contain more than 0.3% THC. These products should not cause you to fail drug tests (so long as they are properly prepared, tested, labeled, and labeled by the company selling them).

 

Possible side effects

Cannabinoids can have milder side effects that many of the drugs they could replace. However, don’t mistakenly think that natural products are free from side effects. Natural products including cannabinoids can cause side reactions and interact negatively with other medications. The effects you experience will depend on the cannabinoids being taken.

Marijuana and THC

Many side effects associated with marijuana are due to its stimulation of brain areas. THC may be responsible for many side effects, including:2

  • Alternate senses (e.g. colours appearing brighter)
  • Alternate sense of time
  • Mood changes
  • Impaired motor skills
  • Difficulty thinking
  • Memory loss

Marijuana can cause serious side effects if taken in large doses or if used regularly with high potent strains.

  • Hallucinations
  • Beliefs
  • Psychosis

There are several side effects associated with smoking marijuana, including coughing and increased phlegm. The risk of lung cancer is not increased by smoking marijuana.

THC and marijuana are not addictive, so they’re a good alternative to opioids for chronic discomfort.

CBD

The potential side effects of CBD remain a mystery to researchers. These are just a few of the reported side effects:

Dry mouth

Low blood pressure

Lightheadedness

Tiredness

Alternate drug-processing liver enzymes

High doses can cause Parkinson’s disease-related tremors.

The World Health Organization suggests that side effects can include:

Modified hormone levels

At low levels, stimulation of the immune response and suppression at higher levels

If research supports the hypothesis of immunosuppression at high doses, this “side effect” could be used as a primary effect for treating autoimmune diseases or conditions that feature an overactive immune system, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

CBD is not addictive, and it does not cause overdose.4 This, along with the fact that it doesn’t impair cognition, makes it an attractive option for many people suffering from chronic pain.

For More Informative Articles on CBD do follow AtoAllinks