Cannabis: A Healthy Alternative

5 Recent Cannabis Studies That Show Marijuana’s Health Benefits Marijuana is currently still classified as a Schedule I Drug under the regulations of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration along with others like that of heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote. However, today things are rapidly changing in the world of legal cannabis, and there is a lot of hope here in the U.S. that our favorite friendly herb cannabis will be re-scheduled, and removed from the category of “dangerous” drugs. If so, that would open the doors wide open for researchers to study marijuana, and all of its related cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD), Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabicyclol (CBL), and so on.As we wait for other states, and other countries now to legalize the use of marijuana, and all of the cannabinoids it contains for both medicinal, and recreational use, we can look now to some of the few most promising recent studies that confirm the benefits of cannabis. These shed just a small amount of light onto the potential benefits of this ancient herb, used across cultures for centuries to heal, nourish, and spiritually nurture people.[parallax][/parallax]Here are just 5 of the most promising cannabis studies of 2016:

1. Cannabis is a Pain Reliever. One of the most troubling statistics in America is the number of people that die every year due to the use of prescription pain medications including one class in particular known as opioids. These include some of the most common pain-relievers Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone. One report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control revealed that since 1999 deaths from prescription opioids have quadrupled, reaching an estimated half a million people, in just 5 years.1

However, one recent study on the use of cannabis for pain relief was able to deliver hope to such a dire situation. Get this … the cannabis study showed that in states where medical cannabis is legal for use, opioid overdose mortality rates dropped significantly. Further, when statewide data was reviewed it was clear to see that implementing medical cannabis laws reduced daily doses of opioid prescriptions – by 1,826!2

2. Cannabis is Sexy. When some people think of smoking pot, it may seem like JUST a medicine. But for others, it could be the inspiration needed for lovemaking. And while it’s no secret that cannabis can be sexy, now there is clinical research to back the idea! In one of the most recent studies on cannabis, there was a small causal connection seen between marijuana use, and sexual activity. The study's senior author, Michael Eisenberg, MD, assistant professor of urology said that, "Frequent marijuana use doesn't seem to impair sexual motivation or performance. If anything, it's associated with increased sexual [coital] frequency." And so the results of over 50,000 people reveal that yes, cannabis is super-sexy!

3. Teens AREN’T Using More Pot. This is pretty exciting, so you may need to brace yourself. A recent 2016 report from the University of Michigan revealed that teens are in fact not using more pot since the new regulations for legal weed have gone into effect. In the report, teenage use of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol were revealed to significantly decline – and are now at the lowest since the 1990’s.

 [parallax] [/parallax] Now in it’s 42nd year, the annual Monitoring the Future Survey included 45,000 teens in this year’s survey finding that the use of cannabis (along with other illicit substances) either held steady or dropped when compared to 2015 data.4Other highlights from the survey showed that cannabis use declined for 8th and 10th graders while remaining steady among 12th graders, in 2016 contradicting what many people thought would happen with the legalization of marijuana in the U.S.

4. Workplace Absences Decline. One of the most shocking findings of 2016 cannabis research revealed that people who smoke pot are not more likely to call in sick. While many employers may worry that allowing cannabis for use as medicine could harm their bottom line, this clinical trial showed that in 60,000 U.S. households the link between medical cannabis use, and workplace absences was not clear. For that reason, it seems that smoking pot is a safe way to unwind, and reduce pain at the end of a hard workday without fear of missing days due to lethargy, or any other lack of motivation.

This study shows that sick-day use decreased after the passage of medical marijuana laws – a great point to pitch to your boss!

5. THCA May Protect Your Brain. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is a chemical precursor to the psychoactive cannabis compound most well-known as THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol. However, the marijuana plant contains a variety of phytocannabinoids (plant chemicals) known to offer benefits to two specific areas of human health – as seen in this study. In it, effects of six phytocannabinoids were researched for neuroprotective abilities, as well as anti-inflammatory effects.

These findings are extremely exciting for those suffering with age-related cognitive decline, or chronic inflammation however, it is important to notice that human trials to prove Δ9-THCA’s efficacy as a neuroprotectant remains to been seen.  [parallax][/parallax] If you are like me, you love to geek out over the new scientific studies on cannabis. And we can look forward to more as time passes. So, keep supporting the legalization efforts in your area, and of course, learn as much as you can so we can continue to change the way the rest of America looks at cannabis. Want to learn more about legalizing cannabis? Join our community online! References:

1. Centers for Disease Control. Injury prevention and control: opioid overdose.
2. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Reiman Amanda, Welty Mark. Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication: Patient Self-Report. Volume: 2 Issue 1: June 1, 2017.
3. Stanford University School of Medicine. Regular marijuana use linked to more sex.
4. Michigan News. Teen use of any illicit drug other than marijuana at new low, same true for alcohol. University of Michigan. Dec. 13, 2016.
5. Darin F. Ullman. The Effect of Medical Marijuana on Sickness Absence. Volume 26, Issue 10, October 2017  Pages 1322–1327.
6. Xavier Nadal, Carmen del Río. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is a potent PPARγ agonist with neuroprotective activity. 29 August 2017.