How CBD is Making an Impact on the Medical World
Grown throughout the world, cannabis has an incredibly long history of use. It evolved on the Indian subcontinent, eventually differentiating into several species. Today, it’s seen a lot of interest as a medical intervention. Here’s what you need to know about medical cannabis and its impact on medicine.
Uses of Medical Cannabis
There are several cannabinoids found in cannabis, each with different potency. The most well-known, THC, has held the spotlight for a long time. However, we realize there are a ton of valuable compounds in cannabis.
So far, the FDA has given THC and CBD recognition as forms of treatment. Other cannabinoids don’t have the same status, but they’re still effective.
Doctors use medical cannabis to treat a wide range of conditions, from pain to nausea. It can even help people fall asleep if they’ve had issues with insomnia. Plus, multiple sclerosis typically responds well to medical cannabis.
Now, more and more cancer clinics use it to relieve the side effects of chemo. Using medical cannabis can stop loss of appetite from impeding someone’s recovery.
If you have eye problems, then cannabis may be helpful. THC can reduce intraocular pressure and help in the treatment of glaucoma.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Depending on the cannabinoid, side effects vary. Some of them have way more prominent effects, becoming a distraction. If you’re considering medical cannabis, work closely with your health care provider.
THC tends to have a stoning effect on the condition, slowly inhibiting thoughts. Don’t try to operate heavy machinery after consuming THC products. Otherwise, you could be at risk of getting into an accident.
Most patients report elevated heart rates after consuming THC. This effect tends to decline as users acclimate to the medicine.
There is a noticeable impairment to working memory after THC administration when measuring cognition. It also seems to have an inhibitory effect on problem-solving ability.
Dry eyes and dry mouth are the most common side effects. If you use too much, anxiety is often the result.
How to Take Medical Cannabis?
Since most side effects correlate with dose, controlling dosage is vital. By titrating your dosage, you can prevent most side effects from developing. So, the benefits will be more noticeable.
Most users either smoke or eat their cannabis. To smoke it, they’ll grind up the herb into a find powder. Then, users put the powder into a pipe.
We’d suggest using a scale to weigh out a specific amount. Try to start with less than 0.1 grams of herb if it’s your first time smoking.
Controlling dose tends to be easier when using edibles. If you get them from a dispensary, they’ll label their concentration. So, just look at the label on yours and dose accordingly.
Novel Antiviral Treatment Potential
There’s been a flurry of excitement following the release of a recent study. It focused on a new effect of cannabinoid compounds, specifically acidic cannabinoids. These differ from typical ones by maintaining higher Ph levels.
Researchers compared cbga vs cbda to measure any differences. They found acidic cannabinoids to inhibit the spread of COVID-19. By binding to the virus’s spike protein, it can disable its ability to spread.
Both compounds had the same effect when exposed to the virus. So, it’s seen a spike in popularity as a result of the findings. People have been ordering it and supplementing it to improve their viral resistance.
CBGA and CBDA are not the same as CBG and CBD. They’re acidic versions of the same compounds. Even small changes can tremendously impact a molecule’s biological effects.
If you’re interested in their health benefits, order them online. Many manufacturers have samples in their lineup, so it’s getting easier to find.
The Future of the Medical Cannabis Industry
Medical cannabis began as a way to explore the potential benefits of cannabinoids. Today, we’ve developed an understanding of the endocannabinoid system, thanks to cannabis studies. Already, there have been numerous benefits elucidated by studying the plant’s effects. It looks like the future promises to unveil more applications and benefits, too. So, medical cannabis is just starting to enter its own. The future is exciting.
