Cannabis can be your best ally for living a healthier and happier life
Cannabis has risen to prominence in recent years as one of the most popular ingredients in health and wellness and a very polarizing topic of debate in the public sphere. Much has been said about cannabis over time. Some have praised it for its potential health benefits, touting it as a miracle worker, while others have criticized it for its bad reputation or dismissed its utility entirely.
Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, if you want to learn more about this widely discussed plant and find out whether it can benefit you, you need to look beyond the hype and focus on the facts.
Several studies have shown that cannabis might impact people’s mental and physical health in various ways. In the medical field, cannabis can be used as an alternative treatment to help with pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with a wide range of conditions. There’s evidence that cannabis might be effective in lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, easing anxiety, or preventing and treating GI disorders. Also, in 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex. This cannabis-derived medicine is used for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
Medical cannabis has been growing in acceptance recently, and as studies progress, its use cases will probably continue to expand. However, you don’t have to suffer from a health condition and consume cannabis for medical purposes to enjoy its benefits. Cannabis can also be a wellness booster to help you improve the overall quality of your life.
Different strokes for different folks
From a scientific point of view, cannabis is a very complex plant, and research has barely started to scratch the surface of the plant’s potential. There are many things yet to be studied and discovered about it, but what we do know so far is that cannabis use is not a one-size-fits-all.
To help you gain a better understanding of how cannabis works, we’ll provide a quick and simplified glimpse into the chemical makeup of cannabis. The cannabis plant contains over 400 different chemical substances, out of which over 60 are categorized as cannabinoids. However, scientific research has mostly focused on four main compounds: d-9-THC, CBD, d-8-THC, and cannabinol. CBD and d-9-THC (or simply TCH) are, without a doubt, the most popular substances in the cannabis plant.
While THC is known for the high sensation it induces, CBD is marketed as a non-psychoactive ingredient as it only contains trace amounts of THC. But the truth is that both compounds have psychoactive properties, given that they interact with the endocannabinoid system and help regulate it by attaching to cannabinoid receptors throughout the brain and body. However, since CBD and THC bind differently to these receptors, their elicit effects differ, so CBD is a non-intoxicating and non-euphoric component.
Terpenes and flavonoids also contribute to the equation. These compounds determine the herb’s smell, taste, and color, enhancing its therapeutic benefits. Therefore, it’s obvious that not all cannabis plants are created equal, and the products derived from them will produce different effects based on the type and quantity of active ingredients they contain.
Also, cannabis products come in all sorts of forms, from oils and tinctures to joints, vapes, edibles, and more. With so many options to choose from, chances are you’ll be able to find at least one cannabis-derived product that suits your needs and preferences. Or, if the laws in your area allow it, you can grow a cannabis plant yourself from scratch, or better said, from seeds. Most experts recommend cultivating cannabis from feminized seeds, as this maximizes the chances of growing female plants that develop fast, are easy to maintain, and produce buds with higher concentrations of CBD and THC.
Nevertheless, it’s important to mention that growing your cannabis plants does come with a learning curve, as they have specific needs and requirements, and you’ll have to follow certain steps to keep your herbs strong and healthy. So, it’s worth doing your research beforehand and learning more about cannabis seeds from reputable sources such as https://www.seedsman.com/.
What to expect
Cannabis can be many things to many people. So, if you’re wondering how it may enhance your life and make you happier, here’s what you should keep in mind. For starters, cannabis impacts the dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin levels in your brain – also known as happy chemicals because they’re responsible for promoting feelings of happiness and pleasure while reducing depression and anxiety. Cannabis consumption stimulates the release of these chemicals, which is why people use it for recreational purposes: to help them unwind, relax, or keep stress at bay.
Cannabis is also a powerful antioxidant that can help combat hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage. In other words, the compound also has preventative properties as it protects neurons from oxidative stress and cell death, thus slowing the aging process.
Sleep issues have become rampant in today’s modern society, having a deeply negative impact on people’s mental and physical health. Fortunately, cannabis can prove useful in this respect as well. In certain cases, the compound can promote better sleep quality by helping people fall asleep faster and wake up less often at night. So, if you’ve been experiencing sleep problems and none of the methods you’ve tried so far has worked, you might want to give cannabis products a shot.
When used properly and consciously, cannabis can become a very useful tool in creating a healthier lifestyle. However, since including cannabis products in your wellness routine is a very personal choice, we suggest you do thorough research before making a decision and talk to your physician if you have any health concerns in this respect.
