What are the benefits of cannabis?
The number of cannabis's medicinal benefits is endless, but here are the biggest, to name a few:
Antiepileptic
Antianxiety
Antinausea
Pain relief
Anti-inflammatory
Sleep aid
Antispasticity (generally for multiple sclerosis)
Antipain (nociceptive, neuropathic, and central)
Is marijuana addictive?
Smoking weed once or a even a few times will not result in an addiction. When we consulted a neuroscientist, Josh Kaplan, PhD, about the risks of regular usage, he shared that cannabis dependency is possible but not common. Around 10 percent of users become dependent from frequent consumption, but only rare cases of "true cannabis addiction" have been reported so far. But it's also worth noting that the risk is increasing as modern products contain more THC. One group that shouldn't use cannabis is adolescents, as cannabis use can impact their cognitive development.
Are there any health risks that come with marijuana consumption?
The long-term consequences of cannabis on cardiovascular risk are still unclear. According to Dr. Kaplan, "High amounts of THC may have negative long-term consequences on the heart by promoting plaque development" — however, "CBD seems to be protective against this." Additionally, these tests were conducted with synthetic versions of THC, which are often stronger than the THC found in cannabis. Marijuana smoke does contain carcinogens and cocarcinogens, but it has far less risk for lung complications compared with cigarettes, and the risk can be improved once you stop. Additionally vaping has shown to be less harmful than smoking as vaporizers heat instead of burn, though there are limited studies.
