Top 10 Benefits Of Marijuana

Times are definitely changing with regards to marijuana policy in the United States. The green crusade marches on, with states voting on partial or total legalization of marijuana in the coming election.

But the United States Federal Government still classifies Marijuana as a Schedule-1 drug, which is defined as a psychoactive or experimental substance with no documented medicinal value. Cannabis is a notoriously tricky plant to study, yet some of the most prestigious and respected scientific research institutions in the world have uncovered potential health benefits of marijuana.

We have assembled the best research done so far, with the caution that new research is always emerging and conclusive proof remains elusive. Also adding the disclaimer that we do not promote or endorse the use of any illegal drugs. We are just reporting the research as it is now.

1. Weight Loss

Studies have shown that marijuana users are generally slimmer than non-users. Marijuana lowers fasting insulin levels which promote weight loss. According to a study published in The American Journal of Medicine, researchers have found marijuana users to have smaller weight circumferences, lower BMI’s, a skinnier physique and lower obesity rates.

2. THC may decrease the progression of Alzheimer’s 

Contrary to the popular notion that THC makes individuals forgetful, the Molecular Pharmaceutics published in their journal that the active chemical in marijuana, THC, slows the process of amyloid plaques by blocking the enzyme in the brain that makes them. Results were published in an article by Maria L. de Ceballos, PhD, Group Leader in the Department of Neural Plasticity at the Cajal Institute in Spain, favoring cannabis use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. She claims that “cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease.”

3. May treat the inflammatory bowel diseases 

University of Nottingham researchers found that chemicals in marijuana, including THC and cannabidiol, combine with cells in the body that play an important role in gut health and immune responses. THC-like compounds made by the body increase the permeability of the intestines, allowing bacteria in. The plant-derived cannabinoids in marijuana block these body-cannabinoids, preventing this permeability and making the intestinal cells bond together tighter.

4. May protect the brain after a stroke and from bouts of epilepsy

In addition research from the University of Nottingham shows that marijuana may help protect the brain from damage caused by stroke, by reducing the size of the area affected by said stroke. Other research shows that the plant may help protect the brain after other traumatic events, like concussions or other head injuries. There is also research proving that there are anticonvulsant benefits in patients that suffer from epilepsy.

5. May reduce some of the pain and nausea from chemo and stimulate appetite

Research has shown repeatedly  time and time again that marijuana use has helped reduce nausea and pain in chemotherapy patients. It is not uncommon for cancer patients being treated with chemotherapy suffer from nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Medicinal marijuana can help relieve these side effects, alleviating pain, decreasing nausea, and stimulating the appetite.

6. May ease the pain of sclerosis 

The THC in marijuana binds to receptors in the nerves and muscles to relieve pain. Researcher Jody Corey-Bloom followed 30 sclerosis patients with contractions in their muscles. These patients didn’t respond to any treatments, until smoking marijuana. Within a few days they said they felt considerably less pain. Patients that participated in this study reported improved spasticity, muscle spasms, and quality of  sleep.

7. May relieve arthritis pain 

There is evidence stating the effect that those without cannabinoid receptors were more likely to develop osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become weak. As researchers announced in 2011 since marijuana alleviates pain it may help relieve pain and discomfort for people with rheumatoid arthritis. 

Researchers from rheumatology units at multiple hospitals gave their patients Sativex, a cannabinoid-based pain-relieving medicine. And after a short time, people on Sativex had a major reduction in pain and improved compared to placebo users.

8. May be used to treat Glaucoma 

Marijuana use can be used to treat and prevent the eye disease glaucoma. Glaucoma increases the pressure in the eyeball, damaging the optic nerve and causing loss of vision. According to the National Eye Institute: “Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma.”

9. Chemical found in Marijuana may help prevent cancer from spreading

With cancer being the number one killer in the United States, there has been extensive research on  proving that cannabinoids such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) has anti-tumor effects against brain cancer, leukemia, lung cancer. Researchers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco reported in 2007 that cannabidiol, or CBD, a chemical found in marijuana, may help prevent cancer from spreading. Cannabidiol stops cancer by turning off a gene called Id-1, the study, published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, found. Cancer cells make more copies of this gene than non-cancerous cells, and it helps them spread through the body. Researchers studied breast cancer cells in the lab that had high expression levels of Id-1 and treated them with cannabidiol. After treatment, the cells had decreased Id-1 expression and were less aggressive spreaders.

10. May have The Power To Fight The Spread Of HIV

Marijuana and the chemicals present within the plant have multitudes of medicinal benefits. A recent study has even depicted that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the active ingredient in marijuana) can even help stop the spread of HIV, a deadly retrovirus which can develop into a life-threatening autoimmune disease called AIDS. It is even said that the utilization of this chemical can assist those who are within the late stages of AIDS. Research has also proven that cannabinoids, which are marijuana-like compounds, have yielded powerful anti-viral effects against HIV infection. These compounds also lessened nausea, neuropathic pain, and bodily weakness in patients suffering from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Another study by UCLA, however, does state that smoking marijuana could harm HIV patients because the smoke could cause airway injury and suppresses the immune system or exposes patients to an added burden of pathogens, but the marijuana smoke versus cannabinoids is unknown. Therefore, using cannabis in the treatment of HIV should be exercised with caution and monitored by a health professional.