For years, controversy has swirled around marijuana. However, there has been growing acceptance and legalization of this substance worldwide as people better understand its many benefits. Marijuana can improve many people’s quality of life when used wisely.
Before any discussion of how and why marijuana enhances a person’s quality of life, it helps to understand what this substance is. Marijuana contains compounds called cannabinoids. Delta 9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the most well-known, with cannabidiol (CBD) being a close second.
THC causes the psychoactive effects in cannabis and creates the “high” sensation. Meanwhile, CBD is non-intoxicating and does not cause a high.
6 Ways Marijuana Can Enhance a Person’s Life
Truth be told, vaping cannabis or marijuana can help with pain management, anxiety, depression, stress relief, and much more.
Manages Pain and Restores Function
Marijuana can help greatly with back pain, cancer-related pain, and other types of chronic pain. It can make people who were previously not functional or barely able to walk due to pain much more functional. Marijuana also helps patients sleep better, which assists with their quality of life. Marijuana is also less risky to take than opioids.
Also good is the versatility of marijuana. For example, patients can smoke it, eat it, or use it in other forms such as tinctures or drinks. They can even apply it as a cream, consume it in varying potencies, and take either THC or CBD, or both.
Marijuana is effective for pain relief because of the interaction between cannabinoids and the body’s endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in pain modulation. The number of medical cannabis patients increased about 4.5 times from 2016 to 2020, and it is safer to talk with your doctor before trying marijuana completely on your own for pain.
Lessens Anxiety and Depression
Many people use marijuana to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression. Self-medicating can come with some downsides, though, so it is never a bad idea to talk with a professional about marijuana use for this purpose.
As with most substances, there’s no firm “right” or “wrong” way to use marijuana to help with anxiety and depression. CBD appears generally effective no matter the dose, but THC seems to work better in lower doses to combat anxiety. Higher doses may cause more anxiety.
Alleviates Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are common in cancer patients and as side effects of chemotherapy. Fortunately, marijuana can ease these. That is especially welcome news because prescription medications, ginger, and other conventional and herbal treatments do not consistently treat nausea and vomiting. Do talk with a doctor first, for example, if you are pregnant and want to take marijuana for your nausea or vomiting.
Improves Sleep Quality
Studies indicate that certain strains of marijuana, particularly those high in CBD, improve sleep quality and help with insomnia. Patients or users spend more time in deep sleep and wake up feeling reinvigorated.
Many people take it when PTSD, general insomnia, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, restless leg syndrome, and other conditions interfere with their sleep. However, non-daily users may have fewer sleep problems than those who use cannabis daily. As a long-term sleep aid, cannabis can have less effectiveness. People may become more tolerant of its sedative effects.
May Lead to Fewer Seizures
People with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy find that marijuana often reduces their neurological symptoms and can reduce seizures in some types of epilepsy. About one in every 100 people has epilepsy.
Stimulates Appetite
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and others with conditions such as HIV that affect appetite can increase their appetites and eat more nutritiously with the help of marijuana. It can combat unintentional weight loss and assist with a person’s overall quality of life.
Using Marijuana To Improve Quality of Life Can Be a Balancing Act
You are far from alone if you want to take marijuana to help with pain, anxiety, insomnia, or something else reducing your quality of life. However, doing it the wrong way can end up hurting your quality of life.
For example, heavy and prolonged use, particularly among teenagers, can negatively affect people’s memory, attention, and overall cognitive function later in life. That’s not to say you should not use marijuana, period, but take a nuanced approach, consult with medical professionals, and use the lowest doses possible to get the most benefits. This is true with practically any substance, even caffeine.
If you feel yourself needing more to get the same effects (developing a tolerance), taking a break can help, but talk to a professional first. Stopping abruptly can jolt your system. THC carries some risk of addiction, and marijuana, although much more recognized and accepted now, remains illegal in some places.
Marijuana can improve a person’s quality of life, but it has to be taken with due consideration. It is important to keep the potential downsides in mind as you use it and to customize usage to your specific circumstances.
