Medical Marijuana Benefits for Health Recovery

A person needs to be physically fit and mentally stable to spend a happy and satisfying life. Any mental illness affects a person’s mood, behavior, thinking, and feelings that profoundly influence the day-to-day living. Mental health plays a significant role in almost every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood, and shapes our psychological and social well-being. Mental illness should be given equal importance as given to any other systemic disease because mental health conditions are now far more common than you imagine. Currently, there are many treatments available for mental illnesses that include various therapies and oral medications. Also, researchers have explored medicinal marijuana as an additional treatment for different psychiatric conditions.

Now when more than half of the states have legalized marijuana for medical use, health professionals and psychiatrists should understand the impact of medical marijuana on mental disorders and use it among their patients. Suppose anyone feels they need to get counseling for using marijuana for their treatment. In that case, all they need to do is search for Medical Marijuana Doctors, and they will be served with the appropriate recommendation. Mentioned below is a list of benefits that medical marijuana renders for mental health recovery.

Helps in pain management 

The majority of people suffer from chronic pain compared to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. A study report demonstrated that around 80% of the patients who participated in clinical trials revealed that they use medical marijuana to relieve chronic pain. Medical marijuana is mostly used for pain control in the United States. When inhaled or ingested, it binds and stimulates the release of cannabinoid receptors in the brain, ultimately influencing the brain’s reward system and diminishing pain levels. It interacts with the pain receptors of the brain and exerts its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Marijuana is considered safer as compared to opiates prescribed for pain management. Thus, people prefer it more for their treatment.

Alleviate symptoms of anxiety 

If you have an anxiety issue, you might have heard about the claims of the effects of medical marijuana on symptoms of anxiety. A survey conducted in 2017, which involved around 9000 Americans, reported that 81 percent of the people believed that marijuana renders various health benefits, one of which is alleviating the symptoms of anxiety and reducing stress. It is a psychoactive compound that expertly produces a sense of calm and enhances the brain’s relaxation, reducing anxiety. Patients also face sleeping disturbances when suffering from anxiety. Marijuana proved to improve the sleep patterns of such patients.

Reduce Tremors in Parkinson’s disease 

Medical marijuana is considered a fantastic muscle relaxant; therefore, health professionals swear by its ability to reduce tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease. In the United States, Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder due to low dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Some people who have Parkinson’s disease reported that medical marijuana helped reduce tremors by producing a calming effect. A clinical study showed that the use of marijuana improves motor and non-motor symptoms, including resting tremor, bradykinesia, posture, rigidity, and even sleep and pain management.

Alternate for antidepressant pharmaceuticals 

If you look back in history, marijuana has been used as an antidepressant for centuries. Various studies conducted on the use of marijuana reported that it renders strong antidepressant effects. It efficiently stimulates the endocannabinoid system in our body and causes the release of serotonin that is well known for producing a calm and happy feeling. Most of the antidepressants taken by the patients suffering from depression take a comparatively more extended period to perform its action and require frequent ingestion. However, a little dose of medical marijuana helps in relieving depression. Therefore, the patients should try to take marijuana according to the doctor’s recommendation and counseling.

Improves Mood 

Medical marijuana can effectively make you feel good as it contains an active ingredient called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that influences the reward system in the brain. The result of which the brain releases happy hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. These hormones produce a feeling of euphoria, which relaxes the mind and improves the mood effectively. Thus, many patients who have mental conditions prefer to take marijuana for their dull mood and anxiety symptoms. Also, it is essential to keep in mind that excess inhalation or ingestion of marijuana can cause problems and make the patient high. Therefore, medical marijuana should be taken in little doses and not regularly.

By Hassan K.