3 Surprising Reasons Why Cannabis Benefits Health
- More and more studies prove the healing potential of cannabis
- Cannabis has an impact on metabolism and cholesterol levels
- Study results regarding the effects of "marijuana" on lungs are at least surprising
Unfortunately, the demonization of cannabis continues to this day. If someone criticizes cannabis while having a beer with a cigarette in hand, few people will likely take them seriously. Even worse is the "bad-mouthing of marijuana" by doctors who, in some cases, stick to old data and thus, perhaps unintentionally, spread false information.
One such case is Dr. Nicholas Cohen, who can be seen on YouTube proclaiming statements like "Marijuana is more harmful than cigarettes - it contains 50% more carcinogenic substances than tobacco." What Dr. Cohen fails to mention is that the carcinogenic substances he talks about have been repeatedly examined in further studies, which completely refuted their carcinogenic properties.
For example, in a 2006 study led by Donald Tashkin at the David Geffen School of Medicine (UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine), it was found that there is absolutely no correlation between cannabis smoking and lung cancer. On the contrary - it was discovered that smoking cannabis might even slightly reduce the chance of lung cancer development.
"We recognize that cannabis smoke contains the same or possibly even greater amounts of carcinogenic substances as cigarette smoke. Interestingly, however, no one has yet managed to prove an increased chance of cancer for cannabis smokers - not even for individuals who smoke cannabis on a daily basis."
Over time, with an increasingly growing volume of quality studies, the image of medical cannabis is improving, and the entire issue is becoming clearer - prescription medical cannabis is beneficial in most cases and affects the entire human body - today we'll look at its 3 surprising healing effects.
1. Good for Your Cholesterol, Great for Weight Loss
An interesting new study published in the American Medical Journal (The American Journal of Medicine) points to a connection between cannabis use and a low waist circumference, healthier insulin sensitivity, and higher levels of healthy HDL cholesterol, which is responsible for reducing heart attack risks.
You can literally say that smoking cannabis helps you lose weight and keep cholesterol in check. Medical cannabis (certain varieties) increases appetite, but a daily user can afford an extra bag of chips without gaining weight and will maintain a healthy heart.
2. Cannabis Reduces Alzheimer's Disease Risk
Some patients who use cannabis daily may occasionally feel like they're increasing their Alzheimer's chances - cannabis with high THC content has short-term negative effects on short-term memory. However, they can remain completely calm - Ohio State University studies show that medical cannabis acts anti-inflammatory, even in the brain area, which is ideal for both Alzheimer's treatment and potential prevention. More information can be found in the article "Alzheimer's Disease".
Myths about cannabis damaging the mind are slowly but surely fading away. However, young people should be careful - newer studies show a reduction in IQ by up to 8 points for those who start regularly using cannabis before the age of 17. Conversely, for those who started applying cannabis at 18, scientists observed no negative impact.
In any case, teenagers and young people should wait - the young brain goes through an important development, and it's always safer not to disrupt this development.
3. "Marijuana" Improves Breathing
Another study examining cannabis use proves perhaps the most surprising fact: "Mild cannabis (smoking) helps increase lung capacity by approximately 50mm".
This study observed 5,000 cannabis users who smoked an average of 1 joint daily. The entire observation lasted more than 20 years. The unexpected result was not only that cannabis does not worsen lung function, marijuana smokers performed slightly better in lung performance tests than non-smokers.
More information about the effects of cannabis smoking on lungs can be found in the article "Does Cannabis Harm the Lungs?"
The more study results about medical cannabis effects or associated risks come to light, the more the public "image" of this versatile plant improves. It's already clear that we can look forward to many more discoveries and potential applications of cannabis as a therapeutic agent, medicine, or simply a dietary supplement.
Sources: nytimes.com cannabisnow jamanetwork washingtonpost