Cannabis, better known as marijuana, is a recreational drug that has gone through various medical tests and research to determine if it has medical benefits. There are many debates both in favor and against the substance regarding its legalization. Even so, countable regions like Thailand have seen the benefits of cannabis and have amended their laws to accommodate its use in medicine.
According to National Institute on Drugs, the THC component found in cannabis will attach to and stimulate the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. The stimulated receptors can affect the body in various ways. They include reduced pain and inflammations, insomnia, increased appetite, and nausea.
Additionally, CBD, another component of cannabis, has proven to have benefits. It is proactive but does not have the euphoria and impairing that THC has since it does not have that high factor. This type is mostly incorporated in medicines. The Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug that treats seizures.
CBD components in cannabis can also be turned into oil, which has some healing salve. However, more research has to be done to outline the effects of CBD. Cannabis is still illegal in most regions, and therefore most practitioners cannot prescribe it but can write a recommendation for medical cannabis.
It’s important to seek expert advice from experts before taking any medical cannabis in Pattaya.
What Does Medical Cannabis Treat?
There are tons of diseases that components of cannabis can treat. Research has vividly outlined and proven that medical marijuana is effective in treating:
- Chronic pain because of its effects on the nervous system
- Nausea
- Muscle spasms, particularly those affecting people due to a particular condition like multiple sclerosis.
- Sleep issues
Additionally, they also help to treat other conditions like:
- AIDS
- Cancer
- Anorexia
- Arthritis
- Glaucoma
- Migraine
Using cannabis makes users feel hungry and helps treat side effects or conditions that cause loss of appetite. It’s important to note that cannabis is used to relieve symptoms of a disease and does not cure the disease. Therefore, it will not change the outcome of certain conditions. Seeking professional help is also highly advised.
How Is Medical Cannabis Administered?
There are various ways to administer medical marijuana to the body. Here’s a list of ways to do so:
- Inhalation: Inhaling the components of the medicine by vaping and smoking
- Oral ingestion: Taken orally through Tinctures, oils, edibles, and capsules
- Topical: Patches, balms, and salves
- Suppositories: Rectal or vaginal suppositories
A medical officer will determine how often a patient is to use the medication. After getting your prescription, you’ll look for trusted professionals who are in a better position to take you through the right route and outline your cannabinoid profile.
The Benefits of Medical Marijuana in Pattaya
Just like other drugs don’t cure all diseases, marijuana is not a size-fits-all substance. It has a component in itself thought to have benefits, namely, the Cannabinoids. This cannabinoid is further broken down to cannabidiol like CBD.
CBD is a popular component of marijuana that’s widely researched. It’s also found in a related plant called hemp. The main difference between CBD and marijuana is that the former has little amount of cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (TCH) – a component best known for its hallucinogenic effects on the body.
Most Cannabis plants have a 40 percent CBD. The component has proven to have anti-inflammatory effects on the nervous system, which translates into many benefits for the body. Here’s a list of some of them:
Pain Management
Cannabinoids in marijuana may relieve pain in the body by altering pain receptors in the brain. This helps treat conditions that have chronic pain. They include:
- Arthritis
- Migraine
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
It can also revert cancer treatment side effects like loss of appetite. In other case cases, marijuana helps mitigate prolonged use of Ibuprofen.
Reduce Inflammation
CBD components in marijuana can help reduce inflammation, which can assist in inflammatory conditions. They include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Decreasing any type of inflammation in the body usually increases the body’s overall health.
Mental and Neurological Disorder
These disorders usually affect the limbic region of the body. Therefore, practitioners can recommend the use of marijuana to offset the following neurological diseases. They include:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Anxiety
- Muscle Sclerosis
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Tourette’s Syndrome
- Epilepsy
Sleep Management
The relaxing effect of marijuana helps users with sleep disorders like insomnia. A patient is able to sleep adequately when pain is relieved from their bodies with the help of marijuana.
Are There Any Risks for Using Medical Marijuana
Users are prone to the risk of addiction. Debates are still ongoing as to whether cannabis is psychologically or physically addictive. Studies indicate that about 30 percent of cannabis users can show signs of use disorder. Moreover, people who smoke marijuana before the age of 18 or use it five to seven times a week are more likely to develop an addiction than adults.
If you’re dependent on the drug and try to stop, you can suffer withdrawal symptoms like:
- Mood swings
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Physical Discomfort
- Restlessness
Research is working overtime to determine if smoking marijuana has the same effects as tobacco smoking, causing COPD and lung cancer. Marijuana smoke has the same elements as tobacco smoke, which is evident as it can cause airway inflammation and lung bronchitis in regular users. It’s, therefore, important to seek professional advice before using marijuana.
Side Effects of Using Medical Cannabis
Users of medical marijuana may experience possible side effects if they use it on a regular basis. Marijuana has an opioid-like impact on the central nervous system. Here are some of the side effects that can occur:
- Hallucinogens Effects: Marijuana can cause users to have an altered perception of reality and also poor motor skills. Therefore, users must avoid doing certain activities like operating machinery. Do not drive after use; it is illegal to drive while under the influence of any drugs, even in regions where marijuana is legal.
- Depressant Effects: it can cause depressant effects just like alcohol. One will feel calm and relaxed but have coordination and concentration problems. Other users can even experience depressive symptoms.
- Stimulating Effects: Cannabis use can stimulate the body to have rapid breathing, hyper-activeness, increased blood pressure, and heart rate. Stimulating side effects are not as common in marijuana as the depressant side effects.
- Other Side Effects: According to National Cancer Institute, the possible side effects of using medical cannabis include:
- Low blood pressure
- Dryness of the mouth
- Lightheadedness
- Short term memory loss
- Reduced problem-solving skills
- Reduced attentiveness span
These side effects are dose-dependent. It can vary from one user to the other; one can never know their experience with Marijuana until they try it. The side effects are more likely to occur with larger doses or when used by inexperienced medical marijuana users. People with mental disorders are likely to feel paranoid or hallucinate when they use cannabis. It can cause their depression or mania to take a turn for the worst.
Bottom Line!
Medical cannabis is still a contentious topic both in the legal and medical sectors. The ongoing debate proves that more research needs to be done to clearly see the benefits of cannabis so that the opposing spectrum can finally agree on its medical and recreational use settings.
Even though there are still debates on the effectiveness of medical marijuana to treat various diseases like cancer, many licensed institutions offer it as a supplement for treating the bad side effects of a disease. The drug helps to relieve patients from these side effects.
If you feel you’re a suitable candidate to receive medical cannabis, talk to your doctor to get a recommendation or get certified for its use. Otherwise, we also recommend talking to a doctor to assess any existing medical conditions with other methods.
