Know the Benefits of Medical Marijuana for Health

Know the Benefits of Medical Marijuana for Health

The use of cannabis is quite controversial. In Indonesia, marijuana is an illegal substance and is included in illegal drugs. Even so, research shows cannabis has health benefits. Find out the full benefits of alternative medicine for cannabis leaves in the following review.

What is cannabis?

Marijuana or cannabis leaves are the leaves of a plant called Cannabis sativa.

These plants have 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids. Each ingredient has a different effect on the body.

In Indonesia, the use of cannabis in several areas was used as traditional medicine. However, the use of cannabis in Indonesia has until now been completely banned.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the main chemicals used in medicine.

Keep in mind, THC is a compound that makes you feel drunk.

Cannabinoid compounds are also naturally produced by the body to help regulate concentration, body movements, appetite, pain, and sensations in the senses.

But in cannabis leaves, some of these compounds are very strong and can cause serious health effects if misused.

In countries that have legalized cannabis, such as Britain, the United States and Thailand, this plant can be used as herbal medicine.

For alternative medicine, cannabis leaves can also be cooked by heating, distillation, or through a distillation process to produce concentrate.

Health benefits of cannabis

The use of medical cannabis in some countries, such as the United States, is primarily for pain control.

However, cannabis is not effective enough for severe pain (eg, postoperative pain or fractures).

Grinspoon also mentions that controlled cannabis use does not lead to overdose, is not addictive, and can replace non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

In addition, there are a number of other benefits of cannabis based on research findings so far.

1. Prevent glaucoma

This one plant has the potential to overcome and prevent the eyes from glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a disease that increases pressure in the eyeball, damages the optic nerve, and causes a person to lose sight.

Based on research conducted by the National Eye Institute, marijuana may be able to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), aka eye pressure, in people with normal pressure and people with glaucoma.

This effect can slow the development of glaucoma and prevent blindness.

2. Increase lung capacity

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2012) states that cannabis leaves have the potential to increase lung capacity to hold air when breathing.

This is related to how marijuana is used which is usually smoked deeply.

Therefore, the researchers concluded this might be a kind of exercise to improve lung function.

In the study, researchers sampled 5,115 young adults over 20 years.

Participants who were tobacco smokers lost lung function over time, but cannabis users showed increased lung capacity.

3. Prevent seizures due to epilepsy

A study in the journal Cureus (2018) shows that cannabis has the potential to treat epilepsy and help relieve symptoms of drug-resistant epilepsy patients.

The content of cannabinoids in cannabis leaves is believed to help relieve seizures in epilepsy patients.

This compound has a role in reducing the release of neurotransmitters (nervous stimulation signals) in the central nervous system (CNS), thereby preventing seizures.

4. Palliative therapy for cancer patients

The content in cannabis leaves according to https://elevationsdispensary.com/ might help improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

Cannabis has the potential for palliative therapy or adjuvant treatment to relieve chronic pain experienced by cancer patients.

In addition, cannabis leaves are claimed to help fight nausea and vomiting as a side effect of chemotherapy.

Although many studies have shown its safety, this herb is not effective in controlling or curing cancer.