Latest in Research
Over the past five to ten years, countless new discoveries have been made in the medical application of cannabis. Since this research is all so new, it will likely be some time until cannabis becomes an FDA-approved option for all of these medical ailments, but it is a tremendous step in the right direction. Below are just a few of the groundbreaking discoveries in the potential application of medical cannabis.
Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
A few years ago, a Brazilian medical researcher hypothesized that CBD’s anxiety-reducing effects may be effective in preventing tremors from Parkinson’s and conducted an experiment to test it. His results confirmed that CBD can help reduce tremors for people with Parkinson’s. Additionally, another test found that THCV, one of the many cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plant, is successful at blocking dyskinesia, a form of unwanted movement that is a common side effect of the Parkinson’s medication L-DOPA.
Treatment of Chronic Pain
Cannabis users and supporters have been advocating for decades to increase the application of cannabis as a method of treating chronic pain. In the past five years or so, that movement has gained significant traction. Hundreds of professional athletes have spoken in support of using cannabis, as opposed to addictive opioid painkillers, to treat chronic pain. Studies are continuously being conducted to test this, but from everything that has been shown in the past five to ten years, there is substantial evidence that cannabis is effective in treating chronic pain.
Treatment of Sleep Disorders
A more recent discovery being made in the medical application of cannabis is the effectiveness of THC & CBD capsules in treating individuals with sleep disorders. Fifty to seventy million US adults report some type of sleep disorder, and a large percentage of those individuals have not found an effective medication. Studies conducted in the past few years have found that the application of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids has improved the ability to sleep for individuals suffering from insomnia. It has also been effective in treating individuals with various sleep disturbances such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and fibromyalgia. There are still more studies to be conducted on this subject, but signs indicate that cannabis-based medication could become FDA over the next few years to treat insomnia.
