7 Diseases Cannabis May Help Fight
Clinical researchers are now paying more and more attention to the medical properties of cannabis. Although marijuana properties still need more profound and detailed testing, cannabis gives seriously ill patients hope that a new effective treatment will soon be available to them. Below is the list of serious diseases that seem to benefit from cannabis-based medicine.
1. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that may involve increased pressure in the eye and can cause damage to the optic never, sometimes leading to blindness. Marijuana can reduce the intraocular pressure slowing the progression of the disease. Patients with glaucoma have already been prescribed medical marijuana in legal cannabis states.
2. Chronic Pain
A study published in the Journal of Pain shows that cannabis has comparable efficacy to somechronic pain medicine that is already presented on the market. Still, the question of how to determine the right dose of marijuana is a subject of discussion.
3. Multiple Sclerosis
According to clinical studies, CBD and THC (components of cannabis) may reduce tightness of muscles—one of the symptoms of MS.
4. Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome are the two main forms of childhood epilepsy. Patients taking medical marijuana show the reduction in seizure frequency of more than 50%, according to some recent studies.
5. Type 2 Diabetes
A study shows that marijuana use causes a 17% drop in HOMA-IR (the insulin resistance measure) and a 16% reduction in fasting insulin levels. The results are quite comprehensive as about 4,600 adult patients participated in this research. Cannabis-based medicine can improve the beta-cell function and the fast plasma glucose levels.
6. Brain Cancer
Using CBD and THC prior to the radiation therapy can increase the sensitivity to the radiation, which improves the effectiveness of the traditional treatment. Thus, even cancer demonstrates a positive response to the cannabinoid medicine.
7. Schizophrenia
CBD can also be an alternative to antipsychotic medication. In a study published in Translational Psychiatry, two groups of patients (one group used CBD while the other one used amisulpride) showed similar results, but fewer side effects were seen in the CBD group. So, schizophrenia seems to be one of the diseases that can benefit from cannabis-based treatment.
Although additional studies are necessary to establish the benefits of medical marijuana, cannabis has a great potential as an effective treatment for serious and aggressive diseases.
