Why Cannabis?

What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a flower that secretes cannabinoids, which imitate compounds that our endocannabinoid system naturally produces. By feeding our endocannabinoid system, we help to maintain overall health, find relief for a multitude of symptoms, and can even treat certain diseases.

And if that doesn’t impress you…

 

Benefits of medical cannabis

  • Harm reduction tool for those with alcohol or opioid dependencies
  • Relatively minor and brief cessation difficulties after long-term or high dosage use
  • No danger of lethal overdose
  • Very few side effects especially when compared to conventional pharmaceuticals

 

Cannabis-treatable conditions

Did you know that there are more than 300 conditions that cannabis can help treat? Here are about 40 of them.

 

THC vs. CBD or both?

The two main cannabinoids in cannabis are THC and CBD.

 

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can produce psychoactive effects or that “high” feeling.  It does this by binding to Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) in the central nervous system and the immune system and can reduce stress and pain as well as increase appetite.

 

Cannabidiol (CBD) won’t make you high and does not bind with CB1 receptors, but instead interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors indirectly. CBD has anti-convulsive, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, anti-nausea, anti-rheumatoid arthritic and sedative effects.

You can choose products that have one, or both, of these cannabinoids based on your medical needs and personal preferences.

Medical cannabis also contains terpenes and flavonoids, which bind to receptors in the brain to produce the aromatic, visual, and other sensory effects of cannabis that help with symptom relief.

Still need more information? Here’s a semi-quick intro to how cannabis works.

 

Contraindications

While there are some studies that show that THC and CBD use can increase or decrease the effectiveness of certain medications, the overall safety of cannabis is a well-known fact.

However, there are certain medical conditions that do not work well with cannabis use.

Certain strains and/or certain types of Cannabis use is not recommended for patients with acute psychosis, and is relatively contraindicated for patients with severe cardiovascular, immunological, liver, or kidney disease.

Cannabis use may exacerbate existing arrhythmia.

 

Cannabis resources