Medical marijuana is legal in 26 states in the US,as well as in the country of Canada and Uruguay is on its way to becoming the first country to decriminalize marijuana for recreational purposes. So what makes these leaves,so looked down upon as harmful drugs for so long,make administrators reconsider their reputation off late? Let’s look at some of the medical benefits of marijuana,backed by science.
Since in the US,marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug-highly potential for abuse and no legitimate therapeutic usages-it is difficult to conduct high-level studies on the medicinal effects of marijuana in the US.
There are some proven facts about its health benefits,like
- Marijuana contains 60 active elements which are known as cannabinoids. The human body produces its own cannabinoids to reduce pain.
- THC is one such cannabinoid that is effective in pain reduction
- CBC,another cannabinoid helps control epileptic seizures and mental illnesses,along with addictions.
- CBD or cannabidiol is a marijuana derivative has helped with cases of severe epilepsy in 2017,with 40% of the patients experiencing a reduction in seizures
- Marijuana has also been found to be effective in reducing neuropathic pains in HIV patients
- Marijuana,combined with opiates leads to extremely high levels of pain relief
- In case of multiple sclerosis,researchers have found marijuana (in the form of pills and oral sprays) to be effective in reducing muscle spasms and stiffness
