6 Reasons Medical Marijuana Could Help Your Grandparents

Don’t get the wrong idea about marijuana; it’s more than just a teen-popular stereotype that causes the munchies. Instead, it has a serious impact on seniors and baby boomers for positive effects such as reducing the aging process. To help grasp a better understanding of medical marijuana’s use, here are the top six reasons it can benefit your grandparents today.

1. Treats and Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease is a type of illness that affect nearly five million people every year. It is known to cause dementia and lack of mental stability, currently affecting baby boomers. In fact, the total number of patients affected by this disease is expected to overcome 16 million by 2050.

However, cannabis can hold the key to treating Alzheimer’s by helping slow down the disease, reduce inflammation, and relieve symptoms such as depression and anxiety. In recent studies, cannabis has even shown to help increase the growth of new brain cells. Not to mention, if medical marijuana was the standard, it may totally deplete the number of Alzheimer’s cases forever.

Studies done at The Scripps Research Institute have shown that THC can impact Alzheimer’s patients by marking and depleting amyloid plague, which is the main pathological market for the disease. If this form is stopped and cannot fully develop, neither can Alzheimer’s.

However, THC isn’t the only ingredient in medical marijuana that is beneficial. Cannabidiol (CBD) is known to help improve the growth of new brain cells and reduce inflammation caused by Alzheimer’s.

2. Treats Insomnia

Insomnia is incredibly common with seniors, with nearly 60 percent of older people having trouble either staying or falling asleep. Although there are plenty of pharmaceutical options to help with this condition, medical marijuana does a much better job, without unnecessary side effects. So, instead of having your grandparents trying to count sheep, help them opt in for a high CBD formula to take before bedtime. Also, edible marijuana treats are very effective to get a better night’s rest as well.

3. Reduce the Need for Harmful Pharmaceutical Drugs

With the rise of prescription medication for seniors, most come with harmful side effects that can permanently injure the elderly that come with high payments. However, medical marijuana, on the other hand, has zero side effects and is a cheaper alternative.

As a matter of fact, in some cases, cannabis has shown to totally get rid of the need for other drugs. Even when pharmaceuticals are prescribed, cannabis can help increase the effects of other drugs, causing the same level of relief as pharmaceuticals.

4. Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Not only can marijuana help prevent cancer, but it can also help to fight it in those that are already diagnosed. Medical experiments have been completed around the world that highlight the effectiveness of cannabis in treating brain tumors, lymphomas, and certain cancers. Those who regularly smoked weed had a lower chance of developing cancers that affect the lung, uterus, breast, prostate, mouth, colon, thyroid, and more.

There is still a lot of research still being done to determine how cannabis can best be used to treat cancer. However, researchers have found that there are four mains ways that weed can help fight cancer.

• It prevents cancerous cells from reproducing
• It also stops the cells from spreading to other organs
• It induces cancer cells to die off and leaves healthy cells untouched
• It stops the blood vessels that are needed for the growth of a tumor from forming

5. Arthritis Pain Treatment

Nearly one in five adults experiences a form of arthritis pain. Recent Chinese findings have shown that our joints have a high number of CB2 receptors that can be activated by cannabis to reduce pain and inflammation. Additionally, research is currently being done at Dalhousie University to help find out how else cannabis can help reduce arthritis pain in the brain, as well as joints.

6. Helps Regulate Weight

Unfortunately, the majority of seniors battle some form of obesity, along with a list of other health conditions. However, no matter how far gone you may think your loved one is, cannabis can help fight back their good health.

Marijuana has long been able to treat patients who suffer from chronic diseases such as AIDS, according to Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers of Florida. It can also be used to help increase appetite reduce nausea in those who suffer side effects from radiation or chemotherapy due to cancer treatments.

For those looking to slim down, on the other hand, cannabis has shown to help people reduce their body weight and maintain a healthier one. Although many stoner myths are linked to the “munchies”, surprisingly enough, researchers have found that those who consume marijuana have nearly an inch and a half waist smaller than an average person.