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Medical cannabis has been used for millennia to treat a variety of physical and emotional conditions. Globally, clinical studies point to its therapeutic value in treating everything from inflammation to insomnia. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School, predicts that cannabis “will become the aspirin of the 21st century.”

When cannabis was made illegal in 1937 and pushed underground, growers started breeding for high THC content. In fact, the average potency of cannabis today is 4x stronger than just 10 years ago. Kikoko advocates for use of low-dose cannabis with healthy cannabinoid ratios.

Medical marijuana is effective for a variety of conditions including chronic pain, muscle spams, inflammation, nausea, glaucoma, migraines and more. As Scientific American notes, researchers “believe cannabis has even greater potential in the treatment of major disorders” including Alzheimer’s, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autoimmune diseases, epilepsy and cancer.

So, what are cannabinoids? Here’s the science in a nutshell. Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds in the cannabis plant that interact with pathways in the body — known as receptors — which in turn affect symptoms like pain, inflammation, spasms and nausea. (CB1 receptors are responsible for cannabis’ psychoactive effects, while CB2 receptors lead to its anti-inflammatory effects. To learn more, go here and here.) What’s really amazing about cannabinoids: they work by imitating compounds — called endocannabinoids —that our bodies already make on their own. For more on cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, click here and here.

THC
The best-known cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — the compound that gets you high. But for all the hype around its role in getting users baked, scientists have discovered that THC, in appropriate doses, is also effective at treating nausea and vomiting, pain, asthma, depression, PTSD and glaucoma. It also works as a sleep aid and appetite stimulant.

Additionally, despite an unfounded reputation for frying brain cells (cannabis affects the brain, yes, but it doesn’t kill brain cells), clinical studies like this and this show that THC, in correct dosages, actually contributes neuroprotectant benefits, meaning it can protect the brain against the long-term damage of injury resulting from seizures, aging, drug toxicity or lack of oxygen.

Copyright Leafly.

CBD
The other compound in cannabis that deserves attention is cannabidiol, or CBD, which does not have psychoactive effects — meaning it doesn’t get you high. As noted in Leaf Science, a review published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology shows that CBD appears to reduce nausea and vomiting; suppress seizure activity; combat inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer cells; and work as an antidepressant. It also has a big fan base among those suffering from insomnia and other sleep issues (see our Cannabis and Sleep page for more information)

While THC and CBD might be the best known of the cannabinoids — as well as being the two generally found in the highest concentrations in cannabis — there are some 113 known chemical compounds in the cannabis plant, all of which seem to address different health issues. Cannabinol, or CBN, for example, helps with sleep.

CannLabs provides a snapshot view of how cannabinoids affect different systems throughout the brain and body.

Copyright CannLabs, Inc.

Relieving anxiety is the number two reason people report using cannabis. Anxiety costs the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. It is the most common mental health illness in the country, affecting 40 million people. Cannabis, particularly high doses of CBD and low doses of THC, is clinically proven to help alleviate anxiety. Here are some studies that shed more light on the issue.

• Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
• Amygdala FAAH and anandamide : mediating protection and recovery from stress
• CBD’s interaction with FAAH
• Neurobiological Interactions Between Stress and the Endocannabinoid System.
• CBD’s effect on GABAa receptors
• Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an anxiolytic drug

Here’s some science, courtesy of University of Southern California researchers, to back up claims that cannabis users show decreased levels of depression. Rolling Stone looks at another academic study that explores how cannabis may play a role in how humans experience emotions and mood.

However, when it comes to anxiety and depression, once again the evidence points to the importance of keeping THC levels down. Testing suggests that low levels of THC are actually beneficial in helping manage anxiety and depression; studies show that it is only after a certain threshold is passed that problems occur.

While anecdotal reports about the efficacy of cannabis as a pain reliever are widespread, there is an increasing body of scientific evidence — hampered for decades by the United States’ preposterous designation of cannabis as a Schedule I drug — to support the claims. An example: researchers at McGill University conducted a clinical trial and found that cannabis helps people with chronic nerve pain due to injury or surgery feel less pain (cannabis appears to be particularly effective at treating neuropathic pain) and sleep better.

This study compares the pain-blocking mechanisms of cannabis vs. opioids. It also explains that while the two operate similarly when it comes to blocking pain signals in the brain and making users feel good, in the case of cannabis, it appears that “cannabinoids like CBN, CBC and THC also work systemically to reduce inflammation and help relax damaged tissues throughout the body.”

Pain relief is only part of the story, however. As Scientific American notes, clinical results do not take into account the overall improvements in the quality of life experienced by medical marijuana users suffering from pain: “Many users report improved mood and decreased anxiety and insomnia as invaluable benefits of the drug.”

Then there’s the nasty side effects associated with many pharmaceutical painkillers, everything from dizziness to constipation and rash (one study even indicates opiates may encourage the spread of cancer). Ironically, clinical research suggests that cannabis helps with some of the gastrointestinal side effects and withdrawal symptoms of prescription painkillers and methadone.

Half of all adults suffer from insomnia, meaning they have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Leaf Science outlines five ways cannabis can affect sleep, from falling asleep more quickly, to staying asleep longer, to better breathing (good news for apnea sufferers).

Modern scientists, while a bit late to the game, are jumping aboard the cannabis sleep train, having discovered that the body’s endocannabinoid system has a role in managing sleep. Low THC and CBD appear to regulate the endocannabinoid system, thereby decreasing the time it can take to fall asleep.

This video explains some of the reasons cannabis is increasingly being seen as an alternative to sleeping pills (which often result in daytime drowsiness, dizziness, memory problems and more — not to mention that they were linked to an increased mortality rate of 450% over a 4-year period). As for mixing sleeping pills (the most widely prescribed medication in the U.S.) and alcohol? That’s a potential nightmare as well, and not just because researchers at the University of Amsterdam recently named alcohol the most dangerous drug in the world.

While an occasional bad night’s sleep is probably no big deal, chronic sleeplessness most certainly is. Check out Live Science, which lists some of the nightmarish effects of sleep deprivation. Another solution that may be able to assist is our Tranquili a cannabis tea for sleep.

Reports both scientific and anecdotal suggest that relatively low doses of cannabis can make people really aroused, and it’s clear that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in female arousal. As HelloMD notes, “Medical marijuana containing a lower-than-average THC concentration has . . . been used to improve sexual health in women.” But don’t go crazy; larger doses appear to have the opposite effect. Cannabis is also reported to increase the orgasm sensation.

An informal poll conducted by a Psychology Today sex columnist reveals that nearly 70% of respondents claimed marijuana enhances sex.

“There’s no doubt that when people are high, they’re more sensitive to their sexual feelings and urges,” says Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a professor at Harvard. “Look, if you come to me and tell me that you’re having difficulty in getting turned on sexually, or that you’re experiencing premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction, I might ask, ‘Have you ever tried marijuana before? It won’t hurt you. You might try it.’”

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

• Journal of Sexual Medicine
• Medical News Today – “Marijuana may increase your sex drive”
• International Society for Sexual Medicine
• CNN – Does marijuana increase sexual desire?
• Journal of Sexual Medicine – The relationship between marijuana use prior to sex and sexual function in women

Thanks to estrogen, women appear to have a different reaction to cannabis than do men, with the body’s natural endocannabinoids spiking during ovulation. Which means (once again) that sticking to low-dose cannabis products is a good idea, since studies indicate that in addition to being more sensitive to the effects of cannabis, women can also develop a greater tolerance to THC.

CBD-high strains with low THC have both been associated with being one of the best medicines for menstrual cramps and PMS.  THC and CBD relax muscles, and that helps with menstrual cramps, which are caused by the contraction of the uterus muscles. The cannabinoids also block pain by working on the nerves in the area.

Women may be more sensitive than men to the effects of THC, but when it comes to the marijuana munchies, they just might come out ahead. Although cannabis has a hard-earned reputation for increasing appetite, women appear to be less inclined to pig out while high.

Impact Network offers background on how the endocannabinoid system is disrupted during menopause and how cannabis helps with a myriad of symptoms related to menopause.

So much for the idea that the marijuana munchies will make you fat. Researchers at the University of Miami found that people who use cannabis on a daily basis tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than do non-users — 3.1% lower for women and 2.7% lower for men. Another stereotype bites the dust. That said, please note we are not suggesting you use it on a daily basis.

Business Insider provides a list of 23 health conditions said to benefit from cannabis treatment. The International Business Times notes that prescription drugs kill some 100,000 people each year (a conservative estimate), and quotes Harvard’s Dr. Lester Grinspoon as saying, “There are no deaths from cannabis use. Anywhere. You can’t find one.” Not only does cannabis have an annual kill ratio of zero to Big Pharma’s 100,000-plus, but it also seems to be cutting into Big Pharma’s profits. NPR explains that in states where cannabis has been legalized, Medicare prescriptions for many drugs have fallen as Americans seek an alternative to pricey mainstream medicines.

And what about the issue of dependency? According to the CDC, overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999 (as have sales, not surprisingly). The agency reports that from 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000 people died in the U.S. from overdoses related to prescription opioids (with prescription drugs as a whole killing at least 100,000 each year). The number of ODs from cannabis during that time? Zero. However, it is possible for people to develop a psychological dependence on cannabis, though it takes a lot to get there, requiring repeated daily use of high-dose THC (read about one person’s account here). Withdrawal symptoms with cannabis, however, are relatively mild, even negligible — nothing like those from alcohol or opiates.