When we talk about the positive effects of drugs on health, we often come across a debate between those who defend their use and those who do not.Especially when we talk about substances that have a recreational purpose, as is the case with Marijuana.
Research on the effects of Marijuana
In recent years, many studies have been carried out regarding this drug, and some claim that it has benefits for our body. Those who defend this argument explain that this substance should be taken into account for the beneficial effects of its use as a medicine.
There is surely a deep moral debate about the legalization of Cannabis, however, it is clear that it can be good for some people. But… beware, it also has negative consequences! In this article we will deal with this topic: we will review the benefits of marijuana that have been scientifically proven and we will talk about some negative consequences of its use.
Not everything that is said is true
On issues like the one we are going to deal with, in which there are so many people who use this substance, it is normal for public opinion to position itself in favor of the normalized use of marijuana. For example, if you are a regular consumer of cannabis, you will logically defend its use and consumption, since it is a substance that you find pleasurable and with which you enjoy and spend your free time.
This means that many times we hear opinions that do not have any type of scientific backing and causes a large amount of misleading information to circulate through the network. That is why the benefits that we are going to tell you below are the result of some research.
Benefits of Cannabis according to science
More and more countries are legalizing the use of this drug. Smoking a joint (also called colloquially: mai or peta) is legally possible in 16 countries. A large part of the compelling reasons for the consumption of this substance is its therapeutic and medicinal use.
That is why the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of the USA has carried out a review of more than 10,000 investigations to really know what the medical benefits of cannabis are. The results have been presented in a 400-page report.
This paper classifies the benefits of Cannabis from these studies into different categories: conclusive evidence, moderate evidence, and limited or no evidence. The most conclusive results affirm that Marijuana is effective for the treatment of chronic pain, the reduction of nausea after chemotherapy and the reduction of symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
Marijuana and pain
The conclusions, therefore, seem to indicate that Marijuana is effective for the treatment of pain. Especially in the case of chronic pain, opiate narcotics such as codeine, morphine, oxycodone and methadone are often used, which are highly addictive and to which patients can develop tolerance to their effects.
Although there are non-addictive synthetic pain relievers (for example, acetaminophen), they are not strong enough to relieve this type of pain, and some of these medications pose a serious risk of liver damage in excessive doses. It appears that smoking Marijuana can completely eliminate the need for more harmful drugs like opiate narcotics.
Other benefits of marijuana
In addition to these benefits, it appears that using marijuana also helps:
Relaxing: Smoking marijuana can have a relaxing effect, especially for those who are highly active. These effects can be seen within a few minutes and, for example, it is hypothesized that it can be a useful phenomenon for people with anxiety problems.
Be creative: The frontal lobe is the executive director of the brain. Working memory, language, movement or self-awareness depend on the frontal lobe, as well as originality and creativity. Within half an hour of consuming this substance, this brain region is fully activated, which is why studies show that it improves creativity. Additionally, Cannabis helps connect abstract thoughts.
Better sleep: Cannabinoids like THC induce sleep and extend the time you are in deep sleep. Deep sleep occurs during the third and fourth sleep cycles, and this is when the body repairs itself. That is why it is called restorative sleep, in which the immune system is revitalized and recharged.
Eating: Sometimes people when they are not well have less appetite. Marijuana, by stimulating the receptors, improves appetite. Although the full mechanism is unknown, it is known that there is a high density of CB1 receptors in the paraventricular and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus, brain areas involved in appetite regulation.
Reduce nausea: As stated in the study by the “National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of the USA”, the THC found in marijuana has a powerful antiemetic effect (reduces nausea and vomiting) and is therefore ideal for the treatment of patients undergoing chemotherapy.
As an anticonvulsant: There is more and more research on the benefits of Cannabis as an anticonvulsant, and it is especially applied in diseases such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
The secret is in the active ingredient
Although there are many organizations in favor of the normalization of the use of Cannabis, it must be taken into account that the possible positive effects of this compound do not imply any specific political measure or that the consumption of the plant in any of its forms is desirable.
With regard to clinical and pharmacological intervention, research on the therapeutic potential of marijuana serves to discover the active ingredient that is useful for certain patients and, thus, be able to isolate it and use it in the form of a conventional drug, so that the concentration and dose are controlled.
This means that the fact that Marijuana can be very useful for extracting substances from it to treat sick people does not make its consumption by smoke inhalation a practice. This custom has several significant effects comparable to those of alcohol, many of which surely leave irreversible sequelae if the substance is abused.
Negative consequences of Cannabis
There seems to be, therefore, great therapeutic benefits in the consumption of Marijuana. However, Marijuana also has a series of harmful effects on the body, especially when it is smoked and used frequently.
In the case of smoking it, the consequences among the harmful consequences we can find that it worsens respiratory problems, and can trigger problems just as serious as tobacco, with which it is usually combined for recreational use. Marijuana can cause temporary sterility in men and disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle.
This drug can not only have consequences on physical health, it can cause brain abnormalities, especially with long-term use. Neural changes can affect memory, attention and learning ability.
In addition, cannabis can increase the probability of suffering traffic accidents, can contribute to low birth weight babies and increases the probability of suffering a psychotic break (paranoia and schizophrenia), as explained in the article by psychologist Oscar Castillero: “Cannabis increases the risk of a psychotic break by 40%.”
