Cannabis is the most misunderstood herb of all time because, in spite of it being beneficial in more ways than one, it is still classified as an illegal drug in some US states, and also in countries outside the US. However, things are improving as the positive effects of cannabis and its medicinal potential have now come to light. Even for recreational use, it is a lot safer than alcohol, which is, ironically enough, legal almost everywhere. A lot of the benefits of cannabis have not yet been discovered, but here are five reasons why the herb has started to gain worldwide attention and has been legalized in 29 states.
It Can Be Used To Treat Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a disease that can eventually turn the patient completely blind by increasing intraocular pressure and damaging the optic nerve quite rapidly. Marijuana has been found to help here because it lowers the pressure in eyes automatically, even when simply used for recreational purposes. However, scientific usage of this property of marijuana can magnify the effects to a degree that’s sufficient enough to halt or at least slow the eventual damage caused by glaucoma.
Marijuana Can Prevent Epileptic Seizures
The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in cannabis can effectively reduce or completely stop seizures in patients with epilepsy for a limited amount of time. This is a proven fact that first came to attention after an experiment in 2003, where THC managed to rid epileptic rats of the ailment for as long as ten hours by relaxing the excitable neurons that are generally responsible for epileptic seizures. Other kinds of seizures such as Dravet Syndrome and Leeuwenhoek’s Disease can also be controlled by medical marijuana.
CBD Can Help Your Pets
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound released by the flowers of the cannabis plant and it can have multiple effects on both human beings and animals. For example, CBD oil for dogs has been found to be helpful to canines that are suffering from GI tract related issues, joint pain, excitability, poor immunity and overall behavior. If your dog is getting old and doesn’t like moving around much due to joint aches, this could be a solution worth trying.
Marijuana Can Help You Lose Weight
An unexpected benefit which pot smokers enjoy is that they can actually eat more and gain less weight. This is an effect brought on by marijuana’s ability to boost the metabolic rate, as well as increasing our body’s ability to naturally process sugar.
Cannabis Can Effectively Relieve Arthritic Pain
One of the main reasons as to why multiple American states have legalized marijuana is because it has powerful pain-relieving properties, without any of the side-effects that come with other desensitizing drugs. Marijuana can be medically administered to patients suffering from bone and joint diseases to reduce pain and inflammation.
These are just five among many other benefits of the herb that we have not even mentioned here. A point to remember is that different parts of the cannabis plant affect the body in different ways and the strain in question also matters as it varies in relation to the desired effects.