Of the total study population, 42% reported using marijuana within the past two years. Most of these patients used it for medicinal purposes to help with pain, anxiety, appetite, mood, and sleep.
Other experts argue that weed-based medicines such as Sativex are effective when treating MS symptoms including neuropathic pain and muscle spasms.
Another side of using marijuana as medicine
Meanwhile, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy have revealed that it calms nausea and more.
“Certain cannabinoid drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to relieve nausea and vomiting and increase appetite in people with cancer and AIDS,” says the American Cancer Society.
Other reported benefits associated with marijuana use include:
- Increased lung health
- Nightmare control
- Sleep apnea
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic pain
- Treatment of illnesses like: Hepatitis C, Bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s
Potential health risks
On the flip side, pot use comes with a long list of potential health risks. The risks can be associated with medicinal or recreational use, according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences.
“Many people are using cannabis and cannabis-based products for conditions for which there aren’t good data,” report co-author Sean Hennessy, a professor of epidemiology with the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia said in a statement. “That’s growing. That’s only going to go up. It’s not going to go down. The committee feels it’s very important to develop the data so people know whether or not there’s going to be benefit.”
For example, despite popular belief, rolling a joint won’t soothe that dull achy pain piercing down your spine. According to the review, finding indicate conclusive evidence that oral – not smoked — cannabis-derived drugs, containing THC, can ease chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Substantial proof also found that oral cannabinoids can effectively treat spasms from multiple sclerosis.