25 Surprising Benefits Of Cannabis
As the use of cannabis becomes more accepted in society, it is important to understand the potential benefits of cannabis as a consumer. From improving mental health to providing physical relief, there are many ways that cannabis can work in your favor. In this article, we will explore 25 of the most surprising benefits of cannabis that may work in your favor as a consumer. From its potential to reduce anxiety and depression to its ability to reduce inflammation and improve sleep quality, we will look at how CBD and other cannabinoids can help you lead a healthier and happier life.
- It May Help Speech Problems
From stuttering to other voice disorders, speech disorders can be frustrating to work through. Depending on the cause of the speech disorder, cannabis may work as an effective treatment for any spasms or twitches that may accompany the issue.
- It May Improve Skin Conditions
Cannabis isn’t just for smoking — with the emergence of cannabis topicals and creams, people are beginning to use the plant to rub on pains, aches, and even skin conditions like skin cancer, eczema, or psoriasis.
- It May Soothe Chemotherapy Side Effects
As mentioned earlier, cannabis has been used by patients with cancer to better endure the difficult side effects, especially from the effects of chemotherapy. Patients who undergo chemotherapy usually experience intense nausea, and the plant has a track record that suggests it may be a useful treatment.
- It May Regulate Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
While anxiety and stress can be heightened in some people who use cannabis, CBD has reportedly worked well to soothe these symptoms. Similarly, it may help those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). A study done on rats revealed that, even at low doses, CBD was able to reverse OCD symptoms.
- It May Calm Asthma Attacks
One of the benefits of cannabis is its reported ability to improve lung health, it makes sense to assume it may also be able to soothe those with asthma. However, proceed with caution: smoking cannabis may drastically worsen asthmatic symptoms, but ingesting cannabinoids in tincture or edible form may help ease symptoms.
- It May Be A Natural Alternative To Viagra
From headaches to nausea to overall pain, there are several risky side effects that come with taking Viagra. However, cannabis has been used as an aphrodisiac for centuries and may be a natural solution to popping pills.
- It May Help Lower Blood Pressure
Another possible benefit of using cannabis is that it may help lower your blood pressure. In a study where healthy volunteers were given a single dose of CBD, the blood pressure in all subjects was reduced, which suggests that regular usage may result in an overall lower blood pressure.
- It May Soothe Panic Attacks
As previously mentioned, cannabis (and specifically CBD) have been reported to work as an anxiety regulator, although this can depend on the strain, the dosage, and the person. Keeping that in mind, studies have found that cannabis may soothe panic attack symptoms for those who suffer.
- It Can Be Used As A Food Source
Although cannabis isn’t lining the shelves at our grocery stores today, the plant has been used as a food source by several communities throughout history. Hemp has been used as a valuable protein source, and is even found as an ingredient in protein powders today.
- It’s A Great Investment Opportunity
With the increase of states offering legal adult-use and/or medical cannabis, the industry is booming more and more every day. And with even more states adding legal cannabis to their ballots for November, now is the time to invest.
- It May Help Fight Climate Change
As the cannabis market begins to legalize throughout the nation, we’ll see an increase in large-scale cannabis farms, which could have an overall positive effect on the environment. Experts say it may help reduce CO2 emissions, which may help reverse the effects of climate change over time.
- The Cannabis Industry Creates Jobs
Along with valuable investment opportunities, the increase of legal cannabis has allowed for a massive amount of job creation. From growers to doctors to budtenders, the growing industry has endless opportunities for a good paycheck.
- Cannabis Generates Revenue For Public Programs
Another benefit of legalizing cannabis is the revenue the states get to enjoy from the sales taxes. In states where cannabis is legal, they’re seeing a large amount of revenue from cannabis sales, which are then funneled into public programs like schools, health programs, cannabis research, and more.
- Legal Cannabis Will Clean Up People’s Records
As states are working to legalize cannabis, they are also working to expunge records of those who were wrongfully locked up for trivial cannabis charges over the past several decades. The MORE Act, which will be voted on by the House this year, will work to decriminalize cannabis on a federal level and expunge some criminal records.
- Legal Cannabis Creates New Industries
In tandem with the job creation that cannabis allows for, it’s also created new opportunities for existing industries. According to experts, the cannabis industry is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today, and allows for industries like medicine, beauty, banking, agriculture, advertising, food, and more to get involved.
- Legal Cannabis May Lower Crime Rates
As cannabis continues to remove its prohibited status, the states will continue to see a dip in crime rates. This is a pretty obvious result of legalizing something that was previously illegal, but states that have legalized cannabis have seen overall drops in crime, including violent crimes unrelated to cannabis.
- Legal Cannabis May Lead To Safer Roads
An economics study revealed that, in states where cannabis has been legalized, they’ve seen a drop in traffic deaths. There has coincidentally been a sizable drop in alcohol sales in legal states, which may contribute to the drop in traffic deaths.
- Legal Cannabis Cheapens Law Enforcement Costs
In Colorado, a state that has offered legal adult-use cannabis since 2012, there has been a drop in taxpayer costs due to the fact that law enforcement is no longer spending money on cannabis arrests. This also frees up law enforcements’ time and allows for them to focus on real crime.
- It May Help Keep Your Pets Healthy
As CBD continues to flood the cannabis market with its non-psychoactive healing properties, we’re seeing that it works for all sorts of people, from children to adults — and now, even pets. For animals who are sick, living with chronic pain, or suffering from anxiety or depression, cannabis may be a viable natural treatment.
- It May Improve Your Dreams
If you suffer from PTSD or other mental disorders, you may also be plagued with endless nightmares that leave you more exhausted when you wake up than when you went to sleep. Luckily, CBD and THC both seem to have an effect on your REM cycle, which can allow for more pleasant dreams, or the inability to remember your nightmares.
- It May Increase Energy Levels
Proceed with caution, as this can vary greatly depending on the strain and your body/mind, but certain strains of cannabis may work to boost your energy levels. Keep an eye out for strains that contain terpenes like pinene and limonene, which tend to have more uplifting effects.
- It May Help Improve Sleep
Conversely, other strains of cannabis may help improve your sleep and fight insomnia. Researchers have found that cannabis may help regulate your sleep cycle overall, specifically in strains that have higher levels of THC than CBD.
- It May Improve Your Work Day
Depending on what you do for a living, cannabis may help improve your workday. It isn’t necessarily recommended to smoke a bunch before you go in for the day, especially if you have a high-stress, high-engagement role, but there are several CBD options for regulating your mood without having any psychoactive effects that may negatively impact your productivity.
- It May Improve Your Digestive System
Whether you suffer from digestive issues like Irritable Bowel Syndrome or gastritis, cannabis may work as a reliever. As most digestive issues are a result of inflammation, the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis (and specifically CBD) may play a role in healing.
- It May Boost Creativity
As with productivity levels, this will depend on the strain, the dosage, and the person, but cannabis seems to have an overall positive effect on creativity. More studies need to be done to confirm exactly how cannabis should be used to boost creativity, but it seems that a cannabis-induced state of mind tends to allow for more divergent thinking in consumers.
Like our list? Leave a comment in the comment section on how cannabis has benefitted you!
