Nausea, inflammation, and pain are the top three symptoms known to be relieved by the intake of medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana was an early discovery for treatment, but its adverse side effects and recreational usage limited the level of scientific studies done to conduct its thorough effectiveness.
What is Medical Marijuana?
Medical marijuana is the term used to describe the use of the natural Marijuana plant and its basic extracts for the treatment of various illnesses. Also known as medical cannabis, the use of this plant for medical treatment is restricted given government regulations. A limited scientific study into the matter has however shown that medical marijuana has proved to cure symptoms of nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, increase the appetite of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, and reduce inflammation and severe muscle pains.
The following points strive to portray the top reasons Medical Marijuana helps with Nausea:
- Contains THC
Marijuana contains Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical compound that relieves nausea and stimulates appetite. THC, therefore, helps to stem severe bouts of nausea. There exists a link between the endocannabinoid system and areas of the brain that respond to nausea and vomiting. Cannabinoids that exist naturally in the body suppress feelings of nausea and when activated by the cannabinoids present in the Marijuana help to stem the severe bouts of nausea patient’s experience.
- A replacement for Antiemetic medicines
Antiemetic medicines are given to cancer patients in order to reduce nausea that is caused by chemotherapy. They are usually in the form of a pill. However, patients having severe nausea have trouble gulping and keeping down pills. In this case, inhaling a drug tends to be more effective and can be advantageous for patients for whom antiemetic pills don’t work. Doctors usually prescribe medical marijuana because it stops vomiting as well as the urge to vomit which is vital for patients receiving rigorous forms of treatment.
- Positive effects on Cancer and HIV/AIDS patients.
90% of cancer patients who had taken Marijuana to prevent nausea and vomiting wanted to continue with it, as proved by a study. Whereas, patients suffering from HIV/AIDS were known to have increased appetites due to lack of nausea that eventually improved their health. Medical marijuana proved to antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS patients meaning that it worked with inhibiting the growth of the virus.
- The right dosage.
It is, however, essential to have a Doctor prescribe the right amount of Marijuana. The reason behind this being that an overdose might actually have a completely adverse effect. It may cause Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome which is recurrent nausea and vomiting. The side effects of inhaling marijuana also do include the high, drowsiness and extensive sleeping which is all more preferable than having painstaking nausea. In the long term, one’s memory may also be affected by the continuous use of medical marijuana.
Cannabis happens to be the only drug that increases appetite for cancer and AIDS patients which is why it is being preferred by doctors as an effective substitute for pills. Further research in the area is also being carried out to produce a concoction that entails reduced negative effects.