Cannabis, or weed as it is popularly known, has different names like Marijuana or hemp, depending on the region you hail. Weed elicits mixed reactions based on your area, although it has a long consumption history for various purposes dating back to over 2,500 years ago. Weed or Marijuana is used for medical or recreational purposes and for industrial purposes too. As we look into the cannabis uses to treat pain,there are three main types of cannabis.
- Cannabis Indica: This type of weed is quick to grow and mainly used for medical purposes. It has darker leaves and can be grown indoors.
- Cannabis Sativa: It is the most common type of weed as it grows freely outdoors. It has long, narrow leaves and grows well in latitudes below 30 °. It is the commonly smoked type.
- Industrial Hemp: The primary use for this type is for making paints, biofuels, textiles, and biodegradable plastics.
Ways of using cannabis
- Inhaling or smoking like a cigarette
- Brewing or vaporizing it as tea
- Ingesting inform of capsules
- Baked in candies and cakes
- Extracted into oils for application in pain affected areas
There has been a heated debate on cannabis uses to treat pain which various medical research institutions have verified to be true. While smoking cannabis is the most preferred method of taking it into the body system as it is quicker, eating or ingesting serves the same purpose, but it takes some time before taking effect.
Cannabis use in treating pain
It has been used for a long time in pain therapy, management, and treatment. It was commonly used during the war by wounded soldiers to numb pain in the heat of injuries in the absence of medical pain relief supplies. Cannabis is used primarily to treat the below types of pain.
- Chronic muscle pain and muscle spasms
- Pain caused by migraine
- Reduce the pain in cancer patients
- Pain caused by injuries to the tissues
- Arthritic pain relief
- Pain caused by joints inflammation
There are other cannabis uses apart from treating painful conditions, but they are all health-related.
Other uses of cannabis
- Treating anxiety disorders
- Increase appetite in cases of low or lack of appetite
- Reduce the side effects of cancer patients using chemotherapy drugs
- Used as relaxant
Conclusion
With the verified cannabis used to treat pain, there has been mounting pressure from users and fans on governments worldwide over the legalization and permitted use of cannabis for the many benefits of weed, one of them being for recreational use. Studies show that it’s use increases by the day, with many nations opting to allow its controlled use.