I guess the day couldn’t get better especially for kids who now seem to take a mandatory course called ‘How to smoke weed 101’ in college. I am talking about the ones who take every opportunity they get to smoke a joint to get that quick fix.

If you are in this category, let me apologize in advance because I do not come bearing any good news. At this pace, you are likely to graduate, not with a degree but to the more hardcore fixes.

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The Big Misconception

There exists a big misconception about the use of marijuana with each divide (for or against) taking a hard stand.

Use of any kind of marijuana in most parts of the world is completely illegal. Moreover, despite the legalization of medical marijuana in a few western countries, its use still comes with a lot of stigma, doubt, and opposition.

Some misguided Government anti-marijuana scare campaigns that ran for decades to discourage abuse of cannabis are partly to blame for this. These include discredited studies carried back in the ’70s in the United States.

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In one such study, a gas mask was strapped to monkeys and then hundreds of joints worth of smoke were pumped into their lungs. It is more likely that the monkeys died from suffocation rather than the conclusion that marijuana damaged their brain cells.

Fortunately, modern research has proved the critics wrong by showing the irrefutable medical marijuana health benefits. Without discrediting the fact that marijuana legalization laws are often abused for recreational use, here is how medical marijuana could save your life.

Benefits Medical Marijuana

1. Acts as an opioid alternative (painkiller) meant to save lives

Pain may not necessarily kill you. However, it is a significant contributor to poor quality of life and health; hence, a powerful agent of death. According to The JAMA review, medical marijuana can effectively treat chronic pain without the ugly side-effects that come with opioid painkillers.

Over the past century, the number of opioid painkillers related deaths has been on the rise. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, over 50,000 people succumbed to painkiller overdose in 2015 alone. This figure surpassed the number of car crash fatalities recorded that year.

Marijuana health benefits could be the answer to the most contentious issue in the health care today.  To strike the balance between providing care to over 100 million chronic pain patients and at the same avoid opioid painkiller related deaths.

Medical marijuana provides pain relief without the negative opioid side effects. Thus, it effectively saves lives by reducing addiction treatment admissions, and opioid overdose related deaths.

Helps Fight Chronic Diseases That Are Leading Causes Of Death

Stroke, Cancer, and Alzheimer’s diseases are currently the leading causes of death. Medical marijuana has been established to fight and alleviate the effects of these diseases.

CBD, an active ingredient in marijuana stops cancer from spreading by turning off the Id-1 gene that multiplies cancerous cells. Moreover, it helps relieve the side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea and pain.

Marijuana also protects the brain from stroke and other trauma. Studies conducted on animals established that low doses of THC helped cut the extent of damage to the brain caused by head trauma and carbon dioxide. It achieved this by reducing the size of the area impacted.

Studies have further established that people with some levels of THC in their bloodstream are 80% less likely to suffer from extensive brain injuries. Thus, it can effectively prevent over 40,000 traumatic head injury deaths each year.

It is also known to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. THC blocks the enzyme that produces amyloid plaques that kill brain cells, thereby slowing down the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.

Marijuana Health Benefits: Fights Depression

It is estimated that 20 million people in the US are ‘clinically’ depressed. Benefits of medical marijuana on combating depression include mood stabilization and restoration of “normal” endocannabinoid function.

Cannabis stimulates anandamide elements in the brain cells. These increase the feeling of well-being, joy, and relieves anxiety.

Promotes Quality Sleep

Chronic insomnia can not only be put a real damper on your daily life but can as well be life-threatening. Cannabinol, an active ingredient found mainly in the indica strains is known to create a sleepy effect. This promotes the quality of sleep, and in turn, improves the quality of life.

The Wrap Up

Having learned how medical marijuana could save your life, it is important to start preaching the right gospel about it. Use it responsibly because just like any other medicine, it can have harmful effects when abused.