basic overview
Research over the past decade has suggested that marijuana may be beneficial in treating numerous medical conditions, alleviating patients’ suffering with certain medical conditions and improving patients’ overall quality of life.
Below is an overview of some of the reported positive medicinal effects of marijuana:
Cancer
Various research shows that medical marijuana is effective in combating nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, as well as lessening other symptoms chemotherapy causes.
More recently, scientists reported that certain chemical compounds called cannabinoids found in marijuana have been reported to slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. Some animal studies also suggest certain cannabinoids may slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer.
Epilepsy
A study published in 2017 discovered that cannabinoid, cannabidiol, can also ease seizures among people with Epilepsy, as well as children with Dravet syndrome, which is a rare form of Epilepsy.
Multiple Sclerosis
The short-term use of oral cannabinoids is also shown to improve symptoms of spasticity among patients with multiple sclerosis.
Alcoholism & drug addiction
A comprehensive review of evidence, published last year in the journal Clinical Psychology Review, revealed that using marijuana may help people with alcohol or opioid dependencies to fight their addictions.
Chronic Pain
A large review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine assessed more than 10,000 scientific studies on the medical benefits of Marijuana and found that marijuana, or products containing cannabinoids — which are the active ingredients in marijuana, are effective at relieving chronic pain.