Just because a substance is illegal does not mean it is bad. In fact, many legal substances are responsible for a variety of ailments, prescription drugs alone are responsible for killing over 100,000 people each year.
Cannabis might’ve been considered a harmful drug for many decades but all of this is about to change. Dozens of peer-reviewed studies have shown the health benefits of cannabis ranging from weight-loss, to cancer-killing capabilities. Here’s a breakdown of the ten most important (and groundbreaking) studies published in recent years.
1. THC May Treat Inflammatory Diseases and Cancer By Altering Genes
A government funded study published by the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that THC may actually alter certain genes in our body, which can result in a positive effect on a number of conditions, especially cancers and inflammatory diseases. This is the first study of its kind to find such a direct link between cannabinoids, and the alteration of genes.
2. Cannabis Combats Brain Degeneration and Increases Stamina
A study conducted at the Institute of Molecular Psychiatry at the University of Bonn in Germany found that cannabis triggers the release of antioxidants, which acts as a cleansing mechanism, resulting in the removal of damaged cells and improving the efficiency of mitochondria, the energy source that powers cells, potentially increasing stamina.
“These discoveries shed new insight on how natural marijuana cannabinoids hold the capacity to literally kill the brain inflammation responsible for causing cognitive decline, neural failure, and brain degeneration”, says Gery Wenk, a professor of neuroscience, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State University.
3. Cannabis Can Stop Seizures
A study published by the British Journal of Pharmacology found that cannabis can stop seizures due to its “significant anticonvulsant effects”.
4. THC Provides Protection from Heart Attacks
Research published this year in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology found that even minuscule amounts of THC can provide protection from heart attacks, as well as reduce the potential cardiovascular damage associated with suffering one.
For the study researchers administered extremely small amounts of THC; 0.002 mg/kg, which is up to 10,000 times less potent than the average joint. Despite how small the dose was, researchers found it to be effective at protecting against heart attacks when administered 2 to 48 hours before an attack, and found it to help relieve the symptoms when administered afterward.
“[THC] is a safe and effective treatment that reduces myocardial ischemic (heart attack) damage”, states the study. It concludes: “[O]ur study provides novel evidence for the beneficial use of extremely low doses of THC, doses that do not elicit any psychoactive side effects, in order to protect the heart from ischemic insults. THC can be used as a pre-conditioning drug in cases in which ischemic insult to the heart is anticipated, such as during cardiac surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention.”
5. Cannabinoids Found to Reduce 90% of Skin Cancer in Just 20 Weeks
Researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health had a study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, which found that cannabinoids can reduce up to 90% of skin cancer in just a 20 week period in animal models.
6. THC May Be Helpful in Combating HIV
A study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology found researchers infecting white blood cells with the HIV virus, before then exposing the cells to synthesized THC. After doing so, the cells saw a drastic decrease in the rate of HIV-1 infection.
7. Cannabinoids May Be Best Medication For Those With PTSD
A study conducted by researchers at the New York University School of Medicine, and funded by the National Institute of Health, found that those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had a lower number of active cannabinoid receptors in the brain. According to researchers, this study paves the way towards using cannabis as an effective medication for the condition, given that cannabinoids activate the body’s cannabinoid receptors.
8. Cannabis Can Treat Osteoarthritis
A study published in the journal PLOS One, as well as by the National Institute of Health, found strong evidence that activation of our body’s cannabinoid receptors – something done naturally by cannabis – can treat osteoarthritis (OA), which, according to the study’s researchers, is “a prevalent disease accompanied by chronic, debilitating pain”. It’s the most common joint disorder.
9. Cannabis May Prevent Organ Transplants From Being Rejected
An importand study published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology found that cannabis may actually prevent organs from being rejected during transplant, which often leads to death. The irony in this is that in most countries, people are refused organ transplants if their blood tests positive for cannabis, even if they’re a qualified medical cannabis patient in an area where its legal.
10. Cannabis May Grow Stem Cells, Repair the Brain After Injury
A study published in the December issue of the journal Biochemical Society Transactions, and published online early by the National Institute of Health, found that the brain’s endocannabinoid system – which is activated through cannabis use – has neuroprotective and immunomodulatory capabilities, and may actually lead to the growth of stem cells.
Bottom Line
Humans and animals alike naturally synthesize endocannabinoids, chemical compounds that activate the same receptors as THC, the active component of marijuana. This is the main reason why ingesting cannabis is so good for the body.
sources: NationofChange, Norml, TJB, JBC, IMP, BJP, JBP, TMIPH, JLB, Nature, PlosOne, JNP, JBST
