Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids

In the 21st Century, with the benefits of modern research and medical science, the remarkable efficacy of Cannabis as a powerful herbal medicine has been confirmed for many of the same ailments for which our ancestors used it.  Moreover, medicinal cannabis seems to be uniquely indicated for the ills of our modern age, as toxins in the environment, unhealthy food and stresses have thrown our bodies out of balance and there is a need to bolster the endocannabinoid system responsible for “homeostasis”.

A common observation among patients is that cannabis seems to work in more ways than one to ease their symptoms, treat their condition and make life with chronic illness more bearable. For example, neurodegenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis respond to all of the therapeutic actions listed below - painful cramping and muscle spasms relieved by relaxation of smooth muscle and the gentle way that cannabis lessens pain and refocuses the mind; auto-immune nerve destruction from excito-toxicity and runaway glutamate production reigned in by the moderating influence of cannabinoids; and now we know that cannabis' long history as an anti-inflammatory even plays an important role in slowing the progress of conditions like MS.

Relaxation

 Analgesia

Neuroprotection

An important function of the endocannabinoid system is that of neuroprotection.  Chemical reactions occur in neurons when there is a lack of blood flow (ischemia) or decreased oxygen (hypoxia) caused by some type of injury or stroke.  There is emerging evidence that indicates our endocannabinoids can reduce the subsequent damage that is caused by the body's response to an injury through the neuroprotective role of the endocannabinoids.  It seems likely that similar neuroprotective processes take place with the use of cannabis to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's disease.

Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation is now implicated in many health-threatening conditions -  arteriosclerosis and heart disease; arthritis and  fibromyalgia; neurodegenerative diseases such as MS and ALS; gastro-intestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis; and more. The anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis have been known for a long time.  Could cannabis be a safer alternative to commonly prescribed NSAIDs such as aspirin or steroids such as prednisone?

Homeostasis

Variously described as "Super-Modulator", "The Normalizer" and "Global Homeostatic Regulator", the endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining homeostasis - crucial balancing acts that the brain constantly performs in hormonal and endocrine systems, cellular chemistry and organ systems all over the body. If this system is compromised from too much stress (from injury, pollutants, poor diet or other stressor), how can we heal it and get it back in working order?  Cannabis is the only natural plant with the unique phytocannabinoids which resemble our endogenous cannabinoids.

In our patient testimonial section, an ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) patient points out that the "cottonmouth" effect of smoked cannabis stops dangerous excess saliva production and stimulates cough that clears fluid from the lungs - subtle but important benefits over and above the anti-inflammation and neuroprotection that arrested the progress of her disease over twenty years ago. These real life miracles (ancedotal evidence) offer valuable insight into the holistic manner in which cannabis works - we will often feature these patient testimonials alongside MDs, PhDs and research in our educational mosaic of medicinal cannabis.