Health Benefits of Medical Marijuana

Smoking weed is nothing new to most American consumers. However, the stigma surrounding cannabis is rather old to say the least. Using cannabis does not just mean rolling up a joint and getting high on the couch with a bag of hot cheetos (though it definitely can be). Today, medical marijuana is becoming much more of a popular method for treating a whole host of physical and mental conditions. Plus, some of the cannabis products available on the market today are great for medicinal health and holistic well being. If you think that consuming cannabis just involves smoking a bowl of weed, then you have a lot to learn my friend. 

Now, I don’t want to come on here and tell you that marijuana is some magical plant that will completely turn your life around, because that would just be a lie. However, there is a lot that you need to know about how cannabis can benefit your health. There are plenty of people in the United States that could totally qualify for using a medical marijuana card if they simply knew more about it. The process for applying for a medical marijuana card is not necessarily difficult, it is just a matter of being aware of the options that are available to you. Anyways, today I wanted to talk about some of the ways that medical marijuana can possibly help you and contain numerous different health benefits for the average American. Mostly, I am going to be talking about a few different conditions that can be treated by medical marijuana.

If you or someone you know has had a glaucoma, then you are well aware of just how painful it can be. While I do not know too much about glaucoma, I know that they can really be a bummer for medical patients out there. People have actually started to use medical marijuana in an attempt to treat their glaucoma and reduce some of the pressure behind your eyes. This reduction in pressure can actually enable a person to see better. Ever thought you would be using weed to help your eyesight? Probably not! Another condition that can be positively treated with medical marijuana is cancer. Cancer has actually been a qualifying condition on state medical marijuana programs for a very long time now, and it is usually one of the first conditions that a state will allow to be treated with cannabis. This is because cancer is a very serious condition with very few treatment options beyond surgery and chemotherapy. Most notably, cannabis with high levels of CBD has been known to reduce the amount of cancer cells that can develop and spread throughout the body. Of course, it is also true that there is a lot about CBD that we do not know and it could potentially be even more effective for treating cancer than what we think. CBD is known to be able to stabilize and reduce inflammation of cells at a cellular level, which is a very special and unique property. Also, people that are undergoing chemotherapy have been using cannabis as a way to treat nausea and some of the other side effects from their therapy. 

Another condition that is commonly treated with medical marijuana is arthritis. People with arthritis often have a hard time managing their levels of pain. Some patients attest to never being able to fully escape their pain, especially at night when they are trying to sleep. One of the great things about using cannabis to treat arthritis is that it can even help these patients sleep better at night by reducing pain, anxious thoughts, and overall causing calm and relaxation to occur naturally.

Great Ways to Use CBD

Marijuana is a very diverse and beneficial plant by nature. Even still, medical and technological advancements have allowed us to find even more uses and practical benefits from the cannabis plant. It is generally known that cannabis contains THC, which is the part of the plant that gets one “high” or causes the psychedelic effects. But did you know that there is also another important part of cannabis? One of the compounds most sought after by medical marijuana patients is called cannabidiol (also known as CBD). This is the part of the plant that does not get one high but offers a great deal of medical benefits and overall well-being.

In fact, CBD is commonly used by medical patients all over the United States to treat things like chronic diseases and serious medical conditions, mostly due to the way that CBD can reduce inflammation and create relaxation on a cellular level! Most articles that you can find me writing about include conversations and discussions centered around both CBD and THC. Like I said earlier, THC offers that elevated mindset or “high”, which makes it a great thing to pair with CBD. In a lot of ways, people generally regard cannabis as a plant that treats the mind through THC and treats the body through CBD. Someone call Hannah Montanna because I think we just found the best of both worlds. CBD is also great for medical marijuana patients who want to find relief from their chronic pain and disease symptoms, but do not want to smoke weed to actually get high.

There is nothing wrong with this at all, and every person is entitled to use their own medical marijuana as they see fit. So what are some great ways to use CBD in your life today? The great thing about CBD is that it is much more accessible to people in the United States, since some states do not include THC as part of their medical marijuana programs. EVer since the FDA finally approved hemp-based CBD as a supplement, you can legally buy it anywhere across the United States.

One of the most common ways to use CBD is through the consumption of edibles. We are all familiar with cannabis edibles like “pot brownies” and all of that. However, CBD edibles are basically like finding ways to eat your medicine. Most medical dispensaries will sell edibles that only contain CBD oil, and you can even make your CBD edibles at home by mixing the oil into your food. This is a great way for many medical patients to get their CBD, especially because it allows for very exact doses. The only problem with using CBD edibles is that they can often take a while to take effect, sometimes up to two hours! So if you are looking for immediate results, you better try some of the other consumption methods that we are about to talk about next.

The next way to use CBD that we are going to talk about is through the use of topicals and creams. CBD topicals have become more popular among younger and older generations alike, and many are using them to find relief from their arthritis, eczema, chronic pain, and muscle spasms. Like I said earlier, CBD is a very effective medicine when it comes to reducing pain and inflammation. The nice thing about cannabis topicals is that they can be used in so many different ways, whether through lotions, soaps, lip balm, conditioners, ointments, and various other topical products. Basically, anything that you can normally put on your body, you can do with the help of CBD I hope this article was helpful for you, make sure to pick up some CBD at your local dispensary today!

Edibles, Smoking, or Vaping? Let’s Talk

If you are new to cannabis, then you might feel pretty overwhelmed when confronted with all of the front end knowledge about various marijuana products that are available to you on the market. It is true that cannabis has become more accessible to people across the United States than it ever has been before. Part of this is due to the fact that medical advancements and technological advancements have made it possible to enjoy using cannabis in a great variety of ways that are not just about smoking anymore. In fact, many people swear by using cannabis products like edibles, tinctures, topicals, and vaping instead of just smoking a bowl of weed like the good old days.

However, it can be hard for new people in the world of marijuana to understand all of the nuances and differences between each form of cannabis consumption and when it is right for them. One of the great parts about the medical marijuana industry is that medical patients must get approval and referral from a licensed doctor or physician in order to qualify for a medical marijuana card. What this means is that people can get valuable insight and information about the type of medical marijuana usage that can best fit their needs and desires, because the doctors will be able to make knowledgeable recommendations based on your medical history and your current physical and mental conditions. So what are some of the primary differences between smoking and eating cannabis? Well, let’s talk about them together and go through each one, making sure that you know the ins and outs of each before you head off to the dispensary.

Smoking cannabis has long been the standing favorite when it comes to marijuana consumption. Still today, smoking weed is the most popular form across both recreational and medical users. Before you start a certain cannabis product, it is important to keep in mind that each one is different and that no two marijuana products are the same. It is critical that you acknowledge the potency of each product and consider how it may affect you. When it comes to effectiveness and speed, smoking is generally considered to be the best form of consuming cannabis. Smoking weed allows you to feel the results the fastest, and sometimes the heaviest. However, this also means that the weed’s impact is also quick to diminish as well.

Since smoking weed is the most popular method of cannabis consumption, you will never have to worry about a shortage on the market. Most medical dispensaries keep a very high stick on a variety of marijuana buds and flowers that are perfect for smoking. Plus, you can experience the flavorful and beneficial terpenes and cannabinoids that go along with smoking your weed. However, it is important to keep in mind that smoking anything is not necessarily good for your lungs. Though we know that smoking weed is not as bad for you as cigarettes, we still do not have any studies and long term effects of smoking weed on the human lungs.

Therefore, it is safe to say that one should take into consideration the effect on the lungs that smoking anything can have. Another part of inhaling marijuana comes in the form of vaping, which is a much newer method of consuming cannabis. Vaping is similar to smoking in a lot of ways, but the weed is heated at lower temperatures and means that you’ll have less discomfort and irritation on your lungs that one might find with smoking weed. Research shows that this may be the ideal way to use cannabis! I hope this helps, we will talk about edibles another time.

Dabbing or Vaping - Which is Better?

Marijuana has become increasingly popular in the United States in the last few years. We can thank the diligent and hard work of pro-cannabis organizations and individuals for the rise of the industry in this country. Finally we have reached a point in time where cannabis is more accepted and used throughout the nation. Now that many states have legalized marijuana and are utilizing it in full force, it is safe to say that other states will follow suit in order to get the benefits for themselves. One of the great things about using cannabis is that there are simply so many different ways to use it. Of course, you have the classic smoking of weed through bowls, joints, or bongs, but there are way more options available in our cannabis market today.

You can use edibles, tinctures, oils, topicals, and other forms of inhalation like vaping or dabbing. In fact, scientists have said that vaping is the most ideal method of consuming cannabis, since it maintains the benefits of smoking without the risk of inhaling so much organic matter and stuff like that. Now that manufactures have mastered the art of extracting THC from the actually marijauna plant, vapes and dabs are becoming very popular. If you have been looking into using cannabis yourself, you may have been looking into options like dabbing or vaping. But what is the difference between the two? Which one is better? Well, you have come to the right place my friend. Today we are going to be talking about dabbing versus vaping and what you need to know about each of them - the pros and cons, quick facts, and more!

So how does vaping work? Well, vaping is actually one of the most popular ways that people like to consume marijuana concentrates. It is also super versatile because of the engineering of today’s vape pens. You can easily take a weed vape pen with you wherever you go and take hits anytime you want. If you are looking for something easy to just take with you and enjoy your weed, a vape might be the thing for you. Plus, there are also a lot of ways that you can customize your rig with different temperature settings, flavors, coils, and accessories that change up the experience even more. Vaping your weed is super convenient and versatile as well. So how does it work? Well, you basically place the wax or oil inside the heating chamber of the vape pen, where it is then heated up by your pen. The heat produced from the vape pen is evenly distributed across the weed concentrate, making it a really smooth experience. The one thing to keep in mind about vape pens is that they can get pretty expensive if you are wanting a good one. Of course, you can settle for a less expensive brand or pen, but you always run the risk of buying a lemon in the process. If you do by a quality pen, you can enjoy your cannabis pretty much anywhere you go. 

Dabbing is definitely more complicated than vaping, but it still has its merit. Dabbing involves a special rig that looks similar to a bong and heating the area that you will place the concentrate in before actually placing it there. The thing to keep in mind about dabbing is that it will take some time to practice and get used to using it. If you are new to the world of cannabis and just want a good and reliable method of inhaling your weed concentrates, my suggestion would be to go with a vape pen over dabbing.

 

Delta-8… and Why Legislators are Targeting It

There is a reason that you are able to purchase CBD in states that do not have medical marijuana programs. The reason for this is because American lawmakers changed the classification of hemp, meaning that CBD products were not able to be sold as hemp-derived products. Since hemp products have been legal in the United States for quite some time, many more people now have access to CBD. Some people get confused when talking about hemp and marijuana - are they not the same plant? Well, they are similar plants, but they are not the same. More like cousins if you will. Hemp does not really have any of the psychoactive components found in marijuana, meaning that it would take an insane amount of hemp ingestion to actually get you high. 

 

 

This is the reason that lawmakers have been so willing to let hemp products flood the markets in hope that people will be satisfied with it and not push to legalize actual cannabis products like a smokeable weed. However, there has been a lot of progress in the hemp industry that has led to some pretty innovative products, one of which is Delta-8. If you haven’t heard of Delta-8 before, it is basically starting to get lawmakers' attention and cause problems from state to state. But since Delta-8 is hemp-based, what really is the problem? Well, that is truly the question. Today we are going to be talking about Delta-8 and why lawmakers are beginning to target it in the next wave of cannabis laws and reform. Keep reading to find out more!

So what’s the deal with Delta-8 and why is there so much attention around it? Well, it really comes down to marketing. I am a marketing guy, so I know a thing or two about getting people’s attention. Delta-8 has been primarily marketed as a product that will give the same wellness benefits of cannabis but without the high. Basically, people are assuming that Delta-8 can give them the same feelings as THC but without the impairment. Delta-8 is currently being sold in a variety of dispensaries across the country with different products available by state. Some of the common forms for Delta-8 include edibles, capsules, smokable flowers, vape oil, and tinctures. The reason that so many people are interested in using Delta-8 is because of their health conditions or something like that. So many people in the United States do not have access to medical marijuana in the same way that others do. Many of the southern states in the U.S. do not have great medical marijuana programs, and it can be really hard for people to find any sort of alternative medicine in the form of cannabis. However, people are beginning to see the merit for using Delta-8 to help with depression or anxiety. After all, it is supposedly capable of giving feelings of euphoria without impairing one's ability to drive or function. For these reasons and others, Delta-8 has become super popular in some states. This is what is making lawmakers worried. I don’t really know why the U.S. government has decided to have a problem with everything related to cannabis, but I guess this is just the world we are living in. 

The truth about using Delta-8 for mental health treatment is that it is a great alternative to a lot of other drugs out there. Many people don’t want to associate themselves with the stigma of using weed, but the world of cannabis and medical marijuana is honestly so much bigger and better than it used to be.

CBD to Sleep

Sometimes, you just want to get good sleep, and you should never neglect this. Many people struggle to get some Zs, and it will make you feel bad too. While there are supplements that can help, plenty of people have started to opt using CBD to help with this. CBD also known as cannabidiol, is one of the main parts of the marijuana plant, but unlike the THC that’s in weed, the CBD in this doesn’t get you high. Instead, you feel a bit of a relaxing feeling that’s ultimately pretty calming, and great for reducing insomnia and getting some shuteye. 

How it works 

CBD doesn’t bind to the same receptors that THC does, but it instead does interact with the compounds that are in this, working with the brain and the body to help with your mood, appetite, and even aid with sleeping as well. 

It helps because it is naturally supportive of the endocannabinoid system. It also helps by pushing out more anandamide, which is commonly viewed as the “bliss” molecule, so it can help you soothe your brain and body, binding to this, in order to ensure that you feel soothed and calmed down. This is great for those people who are looking to get more sleep via relaxing, as it does work naturally in order to do all of this n an easy, profound way. 

CBD and sleep 

CBD does have benefits that do work specifically for sleep. While there isn’t a ton of research on this, some studies do say that the compounds in CBD are great for relieving stress and anxiety. Those with chronic pain can also benefit from this one, since it’s great for improving sleep. Current research says that, based on a review on the way cannabinoids get delivered, especially CBD, it was found that this is the best one for easing anxiety, chronic pain, and also had better sleep that happened. 

When administering larger amounts of CBD, upwards of 175 mg, it was discovered that about 2.3 of patients were actually getting a lot better sleep, and the sleep was much better.  It did help more with anxiety than sleep though, but the observations did show that this is a viable means to help treat insomnia and other sleep disorders. 

In one of the case studies for those with Parkinson’s was found that those who have REM pattern sleep disorders, also known as RBD, which is characterized by kicking, hitting, or recurring nightmares, were able to improve the instances of this, and it could help with the instances of this happening. 

There is a lot of information for those who are curious about using CBD, especially when there is a lot less of THC the one that’s psychoactive, the main focus of the research has not been on treating sleep disorders, but instead is used as a way to treat seizures and such. It’s important that there be more studies conducted on this to further validate the benefits of the CBD that you take in a therapeutic sense, but what’s currently out there is definitely a lot more promising than anything else. 

Lots of people do like to take CBD especially if you already struggle with sleep. It does have a lot of potential for those who tend to struggle with relaxing, falling asleep, or if you’re someone that wakes up a whole lot. While it isn’t sedating, it’s one that’s soothing, which is perfect for people with sleep-related anxieties and other issues. It can definitely be a bit of a struggle, especially for those trying to avoid getting bad sleep too. 

Marijuana and Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer, and while there’s a lot of associations between heart disease and the usage of cigarettes, one thing that people have started to look at is the possibility of whether or not cannabis may offer the same risks. Another new study that was done by researchers actually looked at the possible association between marijuana and its use, and the possibility of increased chances of myocardial infections.  There are also some ways to see how THC may trigger inflammation, and also how it may contribute to atherosclerosis, and some findings on how it may also block inflammation too.

The Research is Mixed 

A big thing to remember is that there are results from this that are mixed, and also not conclusive too. There was a statement put out directly by the American heart association, and it was seen as a possible greenlight to say that marijuana is safe, as the authors said it’s based on the information available currently. 

It’s been found that the lifetime and the current recent usage of cannabis did not show any increase in cadence in heart disease of any time, and the mortality of such. The evidence, however, is not conclusive for any outcomes on a cardiovascular level, and it also does need to have better studies. 

A lot of researchers have started to worry about the challenges that are created through the illegality of the usage of marijuana, and also, how it’s forbidden. A lot of these studies are based on broad amounts of trends, or the information from self-reports. The data does induce a lot of inaccuracy, and other variables, including a frequency of the usage, and the information lacking on the products that get consumed. 

Another thing is the behaviors that are confounding, and usually need to also be looked at, such as the consumption of alcohol, the health overall, and the usage of tobacco too. 

The potential Risks 

There was another study that actually looked at new risk assessments, that were found based on information within the U.K Biobank, which is a big study of more than 500,000 different people up to the age of 69, and it was done over a ten-year period. This was found that those who used marijuana did identify as having more risks for heart attacks when they turned 50. Another risk assessment that looked at the controls for their age, and also their sex and BMI as well.

They didn’t have tobacco use on this as another variable, however. When they used cannabis as a specific risk factor that was controlled when they looked at the age and the BMI, it was found that they couldn’t address the entire sample size.  When they analyzed the base effect and also whether or not they also had cigarette smoking, this hazard ratio when it came to how many cardiovascular events would happen tended to be more than just smoking regular cigarettes.

Those who had a history of issues with the heart, tend to be at a much higher risk for those heart problems, and it’s important that, if you do have a history of this, you may want to consult with someone, as well in order to determine the correct types of therapies for you.

Right now, the studies that we have are quite limited, and it’s imperative to make sure that you also take a look at these studies, and everything that may play a part. We still don't know, but there is a lot of research that looks into the potential that this has for people.