Stop Chronic Pain
More than 600,000 Americans turn to cannabis for relief from chronic pain — and the scientific evidence for its effectiveness is substantial.
In gold-standard randomized clinical trials of people who had agonizing health concerns — peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain from diabetes), spinal cord injury, HIV or complex regional pain syndrome, cancer, chemotherapy, muscle and joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis — cannabis reduced pain by 40 percent
Treat Insomnia and Get Some Sleep
More than 1 in 3 people in a Colorado survey tried it for sleep; 86 percent said it helped. By plugging into cannabinoid receptors on brain cells, THC and CBD could possibly team up for better sleep, at least in the short term, in people with insomnia due to pain, obstructive sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and anxiety.
Depression and Anxiety
Lifting low moods and calming chronic tension brought 1 in 5 older adults in a recent survey to medical cannabis. More than 90 percent said it helped. Meanwhile, treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is emerging as another top use.
In a 2018 Washington State University online survey of 3,151 medical marijuana users with depression, in-the-moment symptoms improved by 50 percent after just two puffs of Medical Grade Cannabis.
Helps with PTSD
Cannabis has potential for people with PTSD. THC and CBD may soften “fear memories” that flood the brain in response to PTSD triggers (such as a sudden loud noise), say researchers from the National Center for PTSD in Palo Alto, California. Taking THC at night meant fewer and less intense nightmares for 47 people with PTSD in a 2009 clinical trial in Canada.