There is a growing number of studies which show the miraculous power of the cannabis plant, while previously, studies of this kind have been limited as it was illegal in North America and much of the world.
Yet, these restrictions are currently being reduced to a great extent, and scientists have more freedom to examine the effects of cannabis and its effects on health.
The cannabis phytochemistry consists of more than 85 compounds known as cannabinoids. The human nervous and digestive systems have endocannabinoid receptors, so the body produces its own cannabinoids that are responsible for emotions, movements, sleep, and appetite.
Terpenes are another family of cannabis compounds, which are also related to pain treatment. Cannabinoids and terpenes have powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, and the human body can metabolize these phytochemicals.
The psychoactivity of cannabis made all its varieties illegal, including hemp, which does not have this property.
The “high feeling” is due to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is only one cannabinoid. However, most cannabinoids aren’t psychoactive but provide medicinal effects.
The second prevalent cannabinoid in this plant is cannabidiol (CBD)which can be derived from cannabis strains with low THC content, like Charlotte’s Web, for therapeutic use.
Cannabis is especially effective in the treatment of pain. As soon as CBD enters the bloodstream, it is attached to the cannabinoid receptors in the peripheral nerves and blocks the pain signals from reaching the brain.
Despite blocking pain, cannabinoids also relieve inflammation that causes it, and also strengthen the immune system to support the healing.
This process also involves beta-caryophyllene, another non-psychoactive cannabinoid, which has a different molecular structure than most other cannabinoids. It soothes inflammation and blocks neural pain reception, and is also found in cinnamon, black pepper, basil, and oregano.
A study conducted at the University of Michigan study found that the use of medical cannabis to manage chronic pain reduces the need for opioid painkillers:
“Patients using medical marijuana to control chronic pain reported a 64 percent reduction in their use of more traditional prescription pain medications…[patients] also reported fewer side effects from their medications and a 45-percent improvement in the quality of life since using cannabis to manage pain…
We are learning that the higher the dose of opioids people are taking, the higher the risk of death from overdose… patients in this study rated cannabis to be equally effective [as opioids] for those with different pain severity.”
This confirms the effects of the cannabis use as opioids replacements, as the legalization of medical marijuana in the States, reduced the number of overdose deaths by 25%, which is very important discovery, as 30% of Americans suffer from chronic pain.
GET THE FULL ARTICLE ON THE NEXT PAGE