Here Are 33 Health Benefits of Cannabis Backed By Research

Cannabis has been used as a form of alternative medicine for centuries, but have you ever wondered how many of these so-called health benefits are backed by science?

The answer may surprise you! In fact, cannabis has 33 different health benefits that are all proven by science. If you don’t believe us, check out our list below.

1.    It may help you lose weight.

Despite causing the munchies in some people, research shows that cannabis may actually help you lose weight. According to one study, cannabis users have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-cannabis users, suggesting that weed may be able to help you lose weight.

 2.    It may help prevent diabetes.

One of the reasons why cannabis may help you lose weight is because it helps control the insulin response, which is also useful for controlling type 2 diabetes.

One study found that cannabis users had a reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This may be explained by weed’s anti-inflammatory compounds, which may be helpful for controlling insulin resistance.

 3.    It can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

Many people turn to weed for its natural anti-depressant effects. Research shows that the endocannabinoids found in weed affect motor control, cognition, emotions, and behaviour, and they may help reduce depression that is caused by chronic stress and HPA axis dysfunction. Best of all, researchers found that taking weed for depression does not cause dependence.

 4.    It may help protect against cancer.

Many cancer patients use medical marijuana to help treat a variety of symptoms, such as nausea, pain, and reduced quality of life. However, research shows that cannabis itself may inhibit or kill cancer cells without affecting normal white blood cells.

 5.     It may provide autism support.

Research suggests that CBD may be effective at reducing some of the symptoms of autism without the side effects associated with many pharmaceutical drugs, such as mood disorders, social and communicative deficits, behavioural

problems, sleep disorders, motor problems, seizures, and more.

 6.   It may help protect against COVID-19.

Some research suggests that cannabis may help protect against the inflammatory damage caused by the coronavirus, which could help control the severity and symptoms of the virus.

 7.    It can help treat glaucoma.

You might not think that cannabis can help improve eye health, but one study shows that it helps reduce intraocular pressure, which is a risk factor for developing glaucoma.

 8.    It may help broken bones heal faster.

According to one study, cannabis assists with the healing process of broken bones. In fact, it was found to drastically increase the healing process of fractured bones in rats after only eight weeks of use.

 9.    It can help regulate seizures.

Medical marijuana has long been used to help treat seizures. In fact, medical marijuana has been approved by the FDA to treat seizures and epilepsy in the United States.

 10.   It can help ease ADHD symptoms.

Research shows that adult patients who use cannabis to treat their ADHD have lower levels of symptoms, including reductions in impulsions and hyperactivity, with no reported cognitive side effects.

 11.  It can help with opioid addiction recovery.

Cannabis may help people recover from opioid addiction. According to one study, patients who use cannabis have fewer opioid withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety and insomnia. 

 12.  It may help reduce anxiety.

While cannabis may promote anxiety in some people it reduces stress in others. According to one study, CBD may be better than THC at reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.

 13.  It may help improve lung health.

Many people do not smoke weed because they are worried it will harm their lung health. However, one study found that smoking weed doesn’t have an adverse effect on lung health, and it may even support healthy, stronger lungs.

 14.  It may protect against dementia.

Research shows that cannabis may support brain health by slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

 15.  It can help control muscle spasms.

Research shows that cannabis may be able to reduce muscle spasms, providing relief to those with stiff, achy muscles due to ageing, exercise, or an underlying health condition.

 16.  It can help treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

In addition to controlling muscle pain and spasms, cannabis may be able to reduce the symptoms of MS and decrease the need for pharmaceutical drugs, which may cause unwanted side effects.

 17.  It can help treat arthritis.

Cannabis has excellent anti-inflammatory and pain management properties that are useful for treating arthritis. Several studies have shown that CBD is especially helpful at reducing pain and stiff joints associated with arthritis to help improve mobility. Cannabis may also help regulate the immune response to reduce symptoms caused by inflammatory disorders, such as arthritis.

 18.  It can be useful for treating eating disorders.

Research shows that cannabis is useful for aiding in the recovery of eating disorders because it has an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain as well as the gut to regulate mood, the microbiome, and appetite signals from various hormones and neurotransmitters. It also helps alleviate anxiety, which may be a contributing factor to eating disorders.

 19.  It can able to help treat PTSD.

PTSD is often associated with war veterans and survivors of sexual assault. Research shows that cannabis can be useful in the treatment of PTSD by alleviating panic, anxiety, depression, migraines, and insomnia associated with flashbacks of unwanted memories.

 20.  It may help reduce the risk of metabolic diseases.

Research suggests that cannabis may regulate hormones that influence hunger and metabolism, including insulin, leptin, and ghrelin (the hormones responsible for making you feel hungry or full). This regulation of hormones can help reduce the risk of some metabolic conditions, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, fatigue, and more.

 21.  It helps treat nausea.

Cannabis is extremely effective at reducing nausea. Some research shows that it works almost immediately or within five minutes of smoking or vaping it.

 22.   It may help control acne.

According to one study, CBD helps control oil production in oil-secreting glands, which may be useful for the treatment of acne. It also has anti-inflammatory properties to further treat acne.

 23.  It reduces the side effects of some medications.

Certain medications may cause worse side effects than the condition that they are being used to treat. Despite this, it may still be necessary for you to take them.

Research shows that cannabis has anti-nausea, anti-anxiety, anti-insomnia, appetite-stimulating, and anti-depressant properties that may be able to help reduce the side effects associated with some medications, especially HIV and AIDS treatments.

 24.  It can reduce headache pain.

Research shows that cannabis may be able to reduce headache or migraine pain by as much as 50%.

 25.  It may help speech problems.

Depending on the cause of the problem, cannabis may be able to reduce muscle spasms and twitches in the mouth or tongue that cause speech issues.

 26.  It supports skin health.

Cannabis has soothing and anti-inflammatory benefits that may be able to help reduce the symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, and other skin disorders - even cancer.

 27.  It reduces the side effects of chemotherapy.

Cancer patients often use cannabis to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, such as pain, recovery from surgery, nausea, appetite loss, sleeping problems, depression, and more.

 28.  It may relieve obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Research shows that even in low doses, CBD may be able to reverse several of the symptoms of OCD due to its effect on the brain and neurotransmitters.

 29.  It may boost libido.

Cannabis can be useful for boosting performance in the bedroom due to its anti-inflammatory flavonoids, which help boost blood flow throughout the body, including to your reproductive organs.

 30.  It may be useful for treating asthma attacks.

Some research suggests that taking cannabis in oil or tincture form can help ease the symptoms of asthma, including shortness of breath.

 31.  It can be useful for soothing a panic attack.

Thanks to its powerful anti-anxiety properties, CBD can be used to reduce the symptoms of a panic attack.

 32.  It may lower blood pressure.

According to one study, a single dose of CBD reduced blood pressure in subjects exposed to stress (where blood pressure normally becomes elevated). This suggests that CBD can also help control the body’s reaction to stressful stimuli and increase cortisol levels.

 33.  It’s a healthy dietary supplement.

When eaten raw, cannabis does not get you high but will provide several antioxidant compounds that boost health. We suggest juicing raw cannabis for the best results.

Final Thoughts

This article only touches the surface when it comes to the many proven health benefits of cannabis.

Researchers expect many more studies to come out about the exciting new ways cannabis can be used every day to treat various health conditions.

Now that you know about the most popular uses, head over to Pure Green Express to order your cannabis online so you can start experiencing some of these benefits yourself!