What are the Benefits of Smoking Weed: A Few Good Reasons to Embrace Marijuana

More than just being a recreational drug, marijuana is known for its medicinal benefits. There has been an overwhelming literature supporting the claims that it can indeed be good for your health in more ways than one. That being said, keep on reading the rest of this post and know what are the benefits of smoking weed.
From fighting cancer to being instrumental in the treatment of chronic pain, the list of its medical benefits will be almost endless. It is no longer surprising that a lot of people are in favor of legalizing medical marijuana. After reading its benefits, you might just be one of the supporters of its legalization.

Treatment of Chronic Pain

While a lot has already been studied about the benefits of smoking marijuana, one of the most widely publicized is its ability to treat chronic pain. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the most popular use of medical marijuana is pain management. Whether it is because of cramps or migraines, its capability to provide pain relief is hard to match. This makes a great natural alternative to painkillers.
Opioids and anti-inflammatory medications are some of the most common solutions when it comes to chronic pain. However, they may not be always effective, especially when compared to smoking marijuana. It intervenes in the pain mechanism and affects the receptors to eliminate the pain that you feel.
There are many conditions wherein marijuana can be promising in terms of pain relief, but one of the most popular is perhaps for multiple sclerosis. While there is no known cure for the latter, marijuana can help minimize the debilitating pain that can be experienced.

Treatment of Depression

A lot of people who are diagnosed with depression smoke weed as a way of coping up, even if it is not specifically recommended by medical professionals. In 1621, in a book entitled The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton, the English clergyman has recommended the use of cannabis to treat depression. It positively impacts the endocannabinoid system. It also enhances mood and relieves anxiety.
In one study conducted in 2006 at the McGill University, the findings indicate that the low dosage of THC in marijuana is instrumental in the reduction of depressive symptoms amongst the participants. However, the same study notes that when the dosage of THC is too high, it is going to worsen the symptoms of depression. This makes it important to be meticulous with regards to the strain of the marijuana that you will smoke.

Fights Cancer Cells

This is another benefit of smoking marijuana that is often cited in the available literature. An online search might reveal conflicting claims, but if you dig deeper, you will learn that cannabis really has an impact in fighting cancer. This benefit can be apparent when it is smoked, although it might be more effective when it is taken in other forms, such as through a CBD oil.
The cancer cells do not stop growing once they are present. Once a malignant tumor is already present, it will divide and conquer, which will only make the problem worse. Cannabinoid, a compound which is found in cannabis, is known as an anti-proliferative. This means that it has the ability to halt the proliferation of the cancer cells.
To add, cancer cells are also metastatic. This means that the cells can infiltrate and affect the other parts of the body as well. Cannabinoids, based on a recent research, has the ability to block metastasis.

Manages Weight

If you have already tried a number of weight management techniques and ended up failing, now is the time to consider smoking marijuana, provided that you live in a place where its use is legal. In the movies, you might have seen heavy weed smokers devouring food. In real-life, while you might feel hungry, there is a positive correlation between smoking weed and weight loss.
In one 2011 study published at the American Journal of Epidemiology, it has been pointed out that while smoking cannabis can increase appetite, those who use it are less likely to become obese compared to those people who do not smoke weed.
The THC in marijuana is believed to be the one that is responsible for this benefit. While the study has been conducted in mice, the conclusion was that it reduces fat and weight gain. THC, therefore, is not just going to make you high, but can also be great for managing your body mass index.

Improves Lung Function

Smoking is dangerous for your lungs- this is one thing that we all know. Therefore, it might be hard to believe that smoking marijuana is actually good for the lungs. Also, there are claims with regards to how using a vaporizer is a healthier way to consume marijuana as against smoking.
In one UCLA research about the positive effects of weed, it has been revealed that it provides the lungs with a protective effect. Users of marijuana did not demonstrate breathing problems, at least based on the findings of the said study.
More so, based on a study published in the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, it has been revealed that smokers of marijuana have lungs that are as good as those who are non-smokers, making it a healthy candidate for a transplant.

Improves Creativity

Writers and artists are some of the most common people who smoke weed, without the intention of generalizing. Many of them believe that one of the benefits of smoking weed everyday is that it makes you more creative. True enough, even science backs this idea. If you are feeling drained and it seems like nothing is occupying your mind, a joint might just help you to become more creative.
A lot of people in the creative field consider marijuana as their muse, even without a thorough understanding of how exactly it works. You will most probably know it when you try to smoke cannabis. It has been scientifically proven that it helps in the generation of new ideas, which is an important part of the creative process.
It is said that users of marijuana are more creative compared to non-users. Based on a study at the Washington State University, marijuana smokers reported that they feel more creative, although their projects do not necessarily show it. Some, however, say that since cannabis users have an openness to experience, this is actually the driving force behind their creativity.

Induces Sleep

Having a hard time sleeping? You might want to consider smoking marijuana before going to bed. Long-time smokers would say that weed has a relaxing effect on them. Popular as a downer, weed is known for being able to induce relaxation, making it easier for you to fall asleep. THC in marijuana will reduce the amount of time that it needs before you can fall asleep.
It is also said that smoking marijuana will help you to have a longer and deeper sleep. Meaning, when you wake up in the morning, you will feel energized because you have a complete sleep. It can positively affect your sleep cycles. It can even improve breathing when you are sleeping. All of these things can give you a good reason to build your own marijuana smoking device at home.
It is important to note, however, that this benefit will depend on a number of things. You should choose Indica strains as they are known to be more relaxing. Sativa, on the other hand, is uplifting and makes you energetic, which is why it will not help you to fall asleep.

Improves Physical Performance

Whether you are an athlete or not, you will also benefit from smoking marijuana because of the assertions that it has a positive impact on your physical performance. It will provide you with more stamina to go farther. Whether it is in sports or in the gym, weed can help you to perform better from a physical perspective.
Even if marijuana is often associated with lazy stoners, it has a surprising effect on athletic performance. There is no wonder why there are many athletes who smoke weed. When the THC in marijuana reaches the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, it can lead to a number of effects, including the reduction of anxiety, which can be a precursor of better athletic performance. Cannabis also helps you to sleep better and feel relaxed, which can also be attributed as the reasons why you might demonstrate better athletic performance.

Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease

This is another health benefit that is attributed to THC, the compound in marijuana that is basically responsible for delivering a psychoactive effect. Apparently, it does not only make you high, but it also works in lessening the likelihood that you will have Alzheimer’s. In a study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, it has been reiterated that THC inhibits the production of beta-amyloid proteins, which are known to initiate Alzheimer’s.
Although the researchers themselves said that more studies are needed to support their claims, their findings should already be enough to have a solid basis in believing that weed indeed helps in the prevention of the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Treats Post-Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Smoking marijuana is also believed to be effective for people who have PTSD. It is considered a natural alternative to pills that promise to deliver the same effects as a weed. In Canada, military veterans have been treated with marijuana to help them cope with the trauma resulting from the battles they have fought in the past.
In some states in America, marijuana is already recognized as a treatment for PTSD. In fact, in New Mexico, the top reason for medical marijuana use is for the treatment of PTSD. The cannabinoids in marijuana are believed to be the ones that are responsible for controlling anxiety and fear, making it possible to manage trauma and stress.

Treats Glaucoma

While smoking marijuana can make your vision blurry as an immediate effect of being high, in the long-term, it is said that it is also beneficial when it comes to the treatment of glaucoma. To be able to treat glaucoma, there is a need to lower the intraocular pressure on the eye, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to smoke marijuana.
In as early as the 1970s, marijuana already had a good reputation for the potential treatment of glaucoma. When you smoke marijuana, the intraocular pressure becomes lower. However, this only happens for a few hours within a day. This means that you will need to smoke several times throughout the day, making the solution only a temporary relief. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that it is indeed effective.

Treats Crohn’s Disease

Another ambitious claim about the positive effects of smoking weed is that it is effective in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. In case you do not know, Crohn’s disease is an irritable bowel disease that has no known cause. Some of its symptoms include bloody stool, fatigue, fever, severe diarrhea, and intense abdominal pain.
In 2011, the first study that explored the relationship between marijuana and Crohn’s disease has been published at the Israel Medical Association Journal. Based on the findings, 30 patients noted significant improvement from their conditions as a result of marijuana use. Two years later, a similar study has been conducted. This time, it was published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Unsurprisingly, the findings were the same, although the number of participants is limited.

Wrap Up

In sum, with the benefits of weed that have been mentioned above, you might now be compelled that it is not as bad as what other people think it is. You need to have an open mind. Research about what science says. In the end, you will be left wondering why there are still many forces opposing the legalization of medical marijuana. Maybe, the biggest obstacles are pharmaceutical companies afraid of losing sales as people discover the healing magic of weed!