The general sentiment of legislators toward marijuana use is certainly evolving, and many would argue that it is long overdue! CBD has been alleged to improve a lot of people’s livelihood and alleviate any symptoms of suffering from several mental disorders.
Its application in medical intervention isn’t new. Synthesised THC has long been in circulation as a reliable means of alleviating nausea in chemo patients for decades!
What is Cannabis?
Cannabis is a controlled substance derived from the cannabis plant. It can be smoked, taken orally, or eaten (edibles). When administered orally, it’s often brewed into tea or cooked. Other names include marijuana, ganja, grass, pot, herb, weed, skunk (stronger), etc.
Because of its relaxing effect on the brain, it’s sometimes administered as a drug for various ailments, especially psychological-related conditions. Its main component, THC, alters one’s behavior and general mood, making you ‘happier.’ for it to be therapeutic, make sure to consult with experts like Medical Cannabis and CBD Oil at Magu.
Benefits of Taking Cannabis For Your Mental Health
With the growing push to decriminalize marijuana in various countries, it’s important to assess the impacts of the product on vulnerable people suffering from mental illnesses. This is especially important because they often have intense motivation to try and find short-term rewards in hitting that high.
1. Cannabis and Mental Illness
Recently, weed use as a treatment method is becoming more popular, and both psychiatrists and their care recipients must realize the link between weed use and psychological well-being. While researching cannabis’ uses is still pretty early on, scientists have been growing their body of data, making its prospective benefits hard to ignore.
When in your bloodstream, weed binds to certain receptors in your brain that trigger a happy feeling, making you more relaxed. This is especially important for patients suffering from debilitating ailments like depression, making the person more detached. Weed can help spark a new interest in life by releasing “happy chemicals.”
People who take cannabis also tend to become more talkative and laugh more, which helps alleviate symptoms of various mental disorders.
2. Cannabis and Seizures
The chemicals released from taking in weed help stimulate your brain’s electrical activity, resulting in an anti-seizure effect on your brain. This makes living with conditions like epilepsy much easier.
3. Cannabis and Chronic Ache
Studies have proven that oral prescription of HBC could help relieve chronic pains. While popular for recreational uses, statistics back the claim that up to 62% of people who take cannabis do so to alleviate severe pain.
People who experience chronic pain for extended periods tend to influence their general mood and outlook on life negatively. This usually leaves patients feeling low and depressed or anxious as they fixate on their condition. Fortunately, cannabis can help break the chain, alleviating both the physical and psychological pain a patient is feeling.
Stress, for example, causes inflammation and causes you to be tense, which aggravates your pain. Administering cannabis aids in minimizing the mental aspect from exacerbating the physical.
4. Cannabis and Schizophrenia
Some of the symptoms of schizophrenia include impaired brain activity to the point where sufferers often lose their sense of realism. Administering cannabis aids in these hallucinations due to its antipsychotic effects on one’s brain.
5. Cannabis and Sleeping Disorders
Chronic insomnia and other sleeping disorders are common issues in many people’s lives, affecting a large part of the population. With more severe cases, physicians have increasingly been turning to cannabis to cure sleeping disorders potentially.
While extended use of weed is discouraged, there have been reports on its use aiding in restoring a sleeping pattern. This is especially true for strains high in THC, which is known to induce sleep, though it is also known to alter one’s normal cycle, affecting REM sleep.
6. Cannabis and Cognitive Abilities
Taking controlled doses can enhance one’s cognitive abilities. The human brain gradually degenerates as we get older. However, with cannabis, the process is slowed down, improving your brain’s overall capability!
The calming effect also increases your ability to concentrate better and retain information in mental conditions that impede concentration.
7. Cannabis and Anxiety & Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting approximately 350 million individuals worldwide. Unfortunately, however, not all people receive the necessary treatment, owing to the stigma associated with mental health issues.
When medically prescribed, cannabis has shown signs to serve as a potential drug for relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression in different ways. High levels of stress impede your body’s production of essential chemicals, resulting in depression. Cannabis, however, has shown signs of releasing those lacking chemicals into your brain, helping you feel better.
8. Cannabis And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD results from negative past encounters that significantly impact the brain. When untreated, the patient repeatedly relives these experiences and trauma long after the incident happened. Treatment includes boosting serotonin levels released into one’s system.
Cannabis can help because it is known to stimulate the production of serotonin in the brain. It also aids in the treatment of some PTSD symptoms, such as insomnia and recurring nightmares.
9. Cannabis And Stress Management
Although most people may deny it, stress has a significant impact on your health. When you are in a stressful situation, your body may go into “fight or flight mode.” This resulted in spiked blood pressure and accelerated heart rate.
In response, your body releases a hormone – cortisol (stress hormone), which weakens your immune system, among other negative effects. Cannabis, however, enters your bloodstream and helps lift your mood by releasing happy chemicals. As a result, people prescribed cannabis products often find it easier to handle panic attacks better.
How Does Cannabis Work?
When smoked, which is the most common way of taking cannabis, it enters your bloodstream and binds to receptors, impacting your behavior and mood when it enters your brain. While various chemicals are contained in it, the most popular are CBD and THC, the most active ingredient determining how strong the weed is.
For example, the skunk is a more potent strain with higher THC concentrations, so it is stronger! CBD acts to mitigate any paranoia associated with taking cannabis. People suffering from mental disorders of various kinds can benefit from this ingredient.
Most effects from smoking or ingesting cannabis last only a couple of hours, especially when taken in moderation.
Conclusion
Whichever route you take the cannabis, make sure to do so in moderation and with caution. Cannabis, with its medicinal and soothing properties, offers a more organic approach to addressing mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, or stress.
So make sure to conduct thorough research before taking any. Consult your primary caregiver and the authorities in your state to take an acceptable dosage that’ll work best for your specific health requirements.
