Interesting Illnesses That Marijuana Helps Treat

Marijuana has been used to treat illnesses for thousands of years. Most people know that medical marijuana helps chronic pain, PTSD, nausea and glaucoma, but what about some uncommon uses? Here are a few illnesses that studies have found marijuana to help.

IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is painful and unpredictable. In some cases, sufferers lose control of their bowel muscles altogether. Medical marijuana can help reduce the pain. Certain marijuana strains can even help improve gastrointestinal health.

Cancer

Not all forms of cancer, but some cancers do respond to marijuana. In those cases, CBD and THC are said to kill cancer cells. Research conducted by California Pacific Medical Center identifies the ID-1 gene as the gene that needs to be turned off to stop cancer cells from reproducing.

OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) interrupts cognitive brain function and forces the brain to think differently. In some cases, the brain is all over the place trying to deal with everything that’s wrong in a situation, even if it’s something as simple as a pair of pants being mixed in with shorts in your closet. Some medical marijuana strains promote focus and concentration, which can help OCD suffers.

Alzheimer’s 

Alzheimer’s disease affects the cognitive portion of the brain, which makes it hard to think straight. It also affects memory. What this does is kills brain cells and the dead cells stay in the brain, which are called amyloid plaques. Some doctors refer to these plaques as “brain clutter.” Stroke patients can also lose brain function. But, some medical marijuana strains help clear the brain of the clutter, which slows down the progression of Alzheimer’s and improves brain function.

Final Words

Humans have an endocannabinoid system, so our bodies are therefore biologically designed to work with the chemicals found in marijuana. This means that marijuana can help humans with many illnesses, as future researchers will eventually reveal.

The side effects of medical marijuana are far less than those of prescription medications, in which some medications’ side effects are more serious than the illness they treat.