Cannabis Benefits And Consumption Methods
Cannabis is a multidimensional and controversial plant that has sparked numerous conversations in different sectors. Many studies have been conducted and indicated multiple ways in which cannabis is beneficial.
That has propelled its use in several industries, mainly the medical industry, where it is used in different products.
Things Cannabis Helps With
Anxiety and depression
This is one of the primary reasons people use medical and recreational cannabis. It helps manage generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A 2017 study also indicated that small THC doses can help reduce anxiety before public speaking.
Blood pressure
A 2017 study by JCI Insight indicated that cannabis helped lower the blood pressure of human participants. It lowered the resting blood pressure plus their blood pressure following stress tests, including the cold pressure test, isometric exercise, and mental arithmetic.
Chronic pain and inflammation
Cannabis has cannabinoids that help alleviate pain by altering the brain’s pain perception pathways. It mainly helps with neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain, and nociplastic pain. It is helpful for people with conditions like endometriosis, arthritis, migraines, and fibromyalgia.
It also helps with pain and tight, stiff muscles for patients with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition affecting the spinal cord and brain. Cannabis also helps reduce inflammation, which can help people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and Crohn’s disease.
Epileptic seizures
CBD is a cannabinoid in cannabis that has no psychoactive characteristics. The FDA approved Epidiolex, a CBD-infused drug, in 2018 to treat Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastuat syndrome, two rare types of epilepsy.
A 2017 study indicated that children who received the drug had their seizures reduced from an average of 12 to six monthly, while others did not receive any more seizures.
Cancer
Some cancer-related studies have suggested that cannabinoids can help kill or slow the growth of some cancer types. CBD has also been seen to reduce chemotherapy effects like nausea and vomiting.
How To Use Cannabis
The consumption method depends on the user’s goals, preferences, lifestyle, and budget.
Smoking
This is the most common consumption method, where people roll the buds into a joint. Some people also smoke it in pipes or bongs with water filtration. While smoking delivers effects faster, they do not last very long. It also produces a lot of smell and has many health risks.
Vaping
This is a smoking alternative that involves heating the cannabis, letting users inhale vapor instead of smoke. It delivers a better high and has less smell. It however has similar respiratory risks as smoking.
Edibles
These can be in the form of brownies, cookies, candy, etc., infused with cannabis. The effects are slower to feel but last longer than smoking.
Tinctures
These are oils infused with cannabis ingested sublingually (under the tongue), making them faster to absorb.
Dabbing
This is similar to vaping because it involves heating cannabis oils, waxes, budders, or shatters. Users heat a bong and place their cannabis on it, producing vapor. It offers a faster and stronger high because of high THC concentrations.
Topical application
These can be salves, gels, lotions, or creams applied directly on the skin. They mainly help with pain, muscle aches, skin conditions, etc.
Patches
These are suitable for a discrete, extended cannabis release. They are applied on the skin, letting the cannabis penetrate the skin into the bloodstream.
