What Are The Medical Benefits of Marijuana?

Marijuana can be helpful for treating many different conditions.
Marijuana is known for its ability to leave users happy, relaxed, and giggling. It can even offer many health benefits, like improved sleep, mood, and creativity. But aside from these everyday uses, marijuana can also be used as a medicine.

Patients with medical conditions ranging from multiple sclerosis to migraines to diabetes may be prescribed marijuana to help treat their symptoms and manage their condition.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of marijuana when it comes to different medical conditions.

1. Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is one of the most common conditions treated with medical marijuana.

Similar to over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen, marijuana can reduce inflammation and pain associated with inflammation.

THC is the compound believed to reduce pain. It has been found to be effective in a variety of conditions that cause pain, including arthritis, migraine, multiple sclerosis and cancer.

A 2015 clinical review examined 6 different trials with a total of 325 patients, and concluded that marijuana can be an effective treatment for patients with chronic pain.

2. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition that can lead to impaired vision or blindness. In this disorder, intraocular pressure (pressure in the eye) can increase to the point where the optic nerve is damaged.

A 1971 study found that marijuana decreased the intraocular pressure of some participants by 25-30%. This reduction was observed in both healthy individuals and those with glaucoma.

Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve, which sends information from the eyes to the brain. Scientists believe that the neuroprotective effects of marijuana can help protect the optic nerve from this damage. Both THC and CBD have neuroprotective and antioxidant properties.

3. Liver Disease

Marijuana may be beneficial to those with certain liver disorders. In the case of liver fibrosis (scarring), a 2011 study highlighted the benefits of CBD, a cannabinoid found in marijuana.

Specifically, CBD may contribute to the cell death of hepatic stellate cells that contribute to liver scarring. This suggests that CBD may reduce the extent of scarring in the liver when it is damaged.

A 2002 study showed promising results in three patients with cholestatic liver disease who were treated with THC. The patients displayed improvements in symptoms of sleep, itchiness, and depression, and were able to return to work following treatment.

However, these findings have limitations. The sample size of the study was extremely small, and it did not include a placebo-control group.

4. Cancer

Marijuana use in patients with cancer is becoming increasingly common. One of the most commonly reported benefits is the reduction of nausea and vomiting for patients in chemotherapy.

Besides reducing the unpleasant symptoms of chemotherapy, marijuana shows potential as a cancer therapy itself. In mice and rat models, researchers have found that THC and other cannabinoids can trigger cell death in many types of cancer cells.

In 2007, researchers at Harvard University found that THC may reduce the size of human lung tumors implanted into rats and mice. The reduction in tumor mass and volume were found to be as high as 50%, and the reduction of cancerous lesions in the lungs was around 60%.

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