Benefits and damages of cannabis - My MMJ Doctor

Hemp, cannabis, Marijuana: when we talk about "grass," we often see terminological confusion. Marijuana is a psychoactive substance obtained by drying the inflorescences of Cannabis sativa. Not all varieties of this plant are, however, exploited for recreational purposes: only those belonging to the THCAS genotype (commonly defined as "Indian hemp") have psychoactive effects due to the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

 It is a "drug" useful in various diseases, without side effects. It is a substance that can induce addiction and, in the long run, cause damage to the body and mind. The debate on cannabis, with different nuances, has been rotating for a long time on these two positions in stark contrast.

A new influential report published by the American National Academies of Sciences has examined the amount of research that has been issued for years on the use of cannabis for medical or recreational purposes, establishing for the first time with a certain clarity what are the positive and negative effects on proven health.

 

HOW IT WORKS. First of all, the effect of cannabis as a drug is based on the compounds it contains, cannabinoids. The best known, THC, is at the origin of both the psychoactive effects of cannabis and its pharmacological properties. It is, in fact, able to bind specifically to receptors on the surface of the cells of our body, which naturally produces molecules such as endocannabinoids, involved in many physiological functions, from appetite to metabolism, from memory to reproduction.

 

The debate is heated between those considering cannabis a valuable medical aid and those who believe the benefits are overestimated. The health risks are not negligible: every topic of appropriate importance in the United States, where some states are proceeding to legalize the consumption of cannabis even for recreational purposes.

 

WHERE IT IS EFFECTIVE, the new report, a review of the scientific literature published since 1999 - over 10 thousand studies - confirms that cannabis is a very effective treatment of chronicpain in adults, especially that due to spasticity in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

 

The evidence is defined as "conclusive," and cannabis is a valid and even safer drug than opioid drugs in this sector. The other field is confirmed to be effective in treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer.

 

Cultivating cannabis, however, is not a "green" activity unless it is grown outdoors or under low-energy consumption LEDs.

 

WHERE PERHAPS IT SERVES, BUT IT IS NOT SAID. 

 

There is evidence, but less solid and more nuanced - "moderate evidence" defines the relationship - that medical cannabis improves sleep disorders of patients suffering from certain diseases.

It is evidence of some weight - but even more limited - that helps to improve the appetite and weight loss of people with AIDS, to improve the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome, a neurological disease, or anxiety disorder, all conditions for which it has been tested or used by patients.

 

It does not seem to serve in any way for a whole list of diseases ranging from glaucoma to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome to Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy (there is no evidence either in one way or another or in 'other, it serves no purpose).

 

POSSIBLE DAMAGES. Regarding the potential adverse health effects of those who smoke marijuana, the report confirms the idea that it is generally "less dangerous" than other drugs, first of all, because even one death from cannabis overdose has never been established with certainty.

 

But it is not even as harmless as many would tend to believe. The analysis confirms some of the suspicions of damage. First of all, long-time smokers are more at risk of bronchitis and other respiratory symptoms. Pregnant women who use them are more likely to give birth to kids with lower birth weight. And, in general, those who apply it habitually have a higher risk of schizophrenia and psychosis, in addition to accidents in the car.

 

Smoky sensations and half-pleasures: the long-term effects of cannabis use. There are indications, but less convincing, that the frequent use of marijuana can worsen symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts and anxiety. It has to do with some diseases that have sometimes been associated with consumption, such as cancer, to the testicles, or a heart attack.

 

On the other hand, there is non-definitive, but still moderate, evidence that worsens learning, memory, and attention. No link has been established with tumors commonly associated with cigarette smoking, such as lung cancer and other types of tumors, asthma, or cardiovascular disease.