Cannabis

Over the last few decades, there has been a constant campaign in countries across the world to legalize the consumption of cannabis for medical and recreational uses.

For millennia, cannabis has been used to treat a variety of ailments, but for the last century and a half, it has been illegal to grow and consume cannabis.

Thankfully, over the last decade governments all over the world have taken steps to make cannabis products available to the public to use to treat a number of medical problems, from epilepsy and cancer to insomnia and depression.

Now is a great time to consider what cannabis has to offer you, to treat medical conditions that may go overlooked or undertreated by traditional medicine, and give you an alternative to using powerful pharmaceutical drugs that often have side effects that can produce more problems than they solve.

Here is a quick guide to how to find out if cannabis can be used to treat your condition, and how to find the right strain of cannabis to help you.

What is Cannabis and Where Does It Come From?

Cannabis, or Marijuana, is an ancient plant that civilizations have been using for many medical and practical reasons for thousands of years.

All cannabis strains fall into one of three groups or families. Sativa and Indica are the two cannabis families that most plants belong to, and some are Hybrids of the two that have been combined by growers to try and get the best qualities of both families into one strain.

Which of the Cannabis Families treat Medical Conditions?

Cannabis contains many compounds that can be medically beneficial to people, but the two it produces most are CBD (Cannabidiol) and THC (TetraHydroCannabinol).

CBD is the compound that offers the most medicinal benefits and has been clinically proven to effectively treat seizures, insomnia and even some cancers. THC is associated with the ‘high’ effects that recreational cannabis is known for and can be used to treat stress and depression.

Sativa strains are higher in CBD and lower in THC, and so Sativa based strains and Hybrids with a strong Sativa content are more often used medicinally. Indica strains have higher levels of THC and less CBD, making them more popular with recreational consumers.

Which Cannabis Strain do I Need to Treat My Condition?

There are many different strains and hybrids, so using an app that suggests a cannabis strain based on your description of a condition is a great way to find the specific strain that is the best treatment for you.

Sativa strains and Sativa-based hybrids are usually the best to treat inflammation and discomfort, as well as seizures and eating disorders.

Indica strains that are higher in THC content, and have reduced levels of CBD, are often used more recreationally; though they have been shown to help treat insomnia and depression in some clinical tests.

More and more people are looking for alternatives to using powerful pharmaceutical drugs and are turning to natural medicinal substances like cannabis to treat their ailments.

Hopefully, this guide has given you some of the information you need to begin to consider using medicinal cannabis.