The cannabis plant has enjoyed a colorful history around the world and is grown for a wide range of applications.
Known for a variety of nicknames such as hemp and marijuana, cannabis is harvested for its sturdy fibers as well as its smoky flowers.
In addition, several of the active compounds in the cannabis plant, known as cannabinoids, are revered for their medicinal properties.
In modern medicine, cannabis is used to treat conditions ranging from eating disorders and depression to glaucoma, chronic pain, and gastrointestinal disease.
From 2020, the medical marijuana market in the United States it is valued at more than $ 7.2 billion and is expected to grow at a rate of 10.5% by 2027.
However, this is not the whole story, and the cannabis plant is still heavily regulated worldwide, although we get more knowledge of its medicinal properties.
The various laws prohibiting the cultivation, sale and / or distribution of cannabis products serve as a kind of blockade with regard to the treatment of diseases.
This is what you need to know about the changing global mindset when it comes to medical marijuana and how the acceptance of medical cannabis is changing modern healthcare as a whole.
Medicinal marijuana throughout history
Although the cannabis plant has been cultivated for thousands of years, it has long been vilified, mainly because of the complex properties of a single infamous cannabinoid: tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.
The cannabis plant contains 113 known cannabinoids, but only THC is considered psychoactive.
Users often experience a “high” or euphoric feeling after ingesting marijuana that contains large amounts of THC.
The unpleasant reputation of THC has hampered research into the medicinal properties of its parent plant and other cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD).
CBD has many health benefits, but it is not psychoactive.
The good news is that we have seen a major shift in public opinion and legal policies around cannabis in the 21st century, especially in the healthcare field.
Since 1996, when California first allowed the use of medical cannabis to treat certain health conditions, more than half of the United States has legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Even distant nations like Columbia have come to recognize it the importance of cannabis in medical applications and changed legal policies to reflect this new global mindset.
Cannabis versus pharmaceuticals
Cannabis is unique because its medicinal properties span multiple disciplines.
For beginners, CBD is a popular home remedy to reduce stress and improve sleep in our modern and busy world.
People who suffer from chronic pain, whether related to cancer or another health condition, may also experience relief with medical cannabis, regardless of addictive opioids.
Medicine Cannabis is not considered physically addictive, although daily users may experience mild withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking.
In addition, medical cannabis has been shown to improve digestion rates as well as block pain receptors.
As such, cannabis can be ideal for treating complex diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), whose symptoms can vary significantly between patients.
For many patients with GERD, medical cannabis offers a safe alternative to pharmaceuticals, with minimal side effects.
The health and future of cannabis
And when it comes to pharmaceuticals, mental health is of paramount importance.
Many industry leaders have spoken out concerns about the overmedicalization of mental disorders, advocating for a lower reliance on pharmaceutical medication in the treatment of psychiatric conditions.
While the effectiveness of various antidepressants and mood stabilizers cannot be denied, their long-term effects can be significant.
Legal medical cannabis offers psychiatric patients a holistic alternative to pharmaceuticals, as well as tools to improve mental health at home.
When it comes to mental health, the mind and body are intrinsically connected, and prolonged use of pharmaceuticals undermines that connection.
As more and more people are taking advantage of the medicinal properties of cannabis, they are also taking care of their own health and shaking up the healthcare industry.
Medical professionals are too prescribe cannabis in greater numbers, studies show, a strong indication that medical marijuana has come to stay.
