The Benefits and Effects of Medical Marijuana for Depression

Depression is a very common issue nowadays, affecting 300 million people around the world. Depression is a disorder that is related to mood changes, intimate feelings of sadness, and loss that interferes with a person's daily lifestyle. Depression affects every person differently, which is why it is a serious health issue.

 

It is normal to feel low or sad once in a while, but if you have depression, you remain sad most of the time. It is also important to analyze the kind of depression because it has many types that affect people around the world. When we talk about the solution or cure for depression, there is no such medication available. You can visit a doctor or therapist for your treatment. Also, there are some alternative medications and drugs that help out people to stay normal most of the time. One of them is Medical Marijuana which is used by doctors and henceforth proven to have better results among depression patients. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression and could use the medical benefits of cannabis, please contact MCNC medical marijuana doctors today.

 

Now, there’s one logical question that springs to mind what is exactly medical marijuana? Medical marijuana has nicknames like a weed, pot, cannabis, ganja, chronic, dope, buddha, or bud. Using medical marijuana to treat depression patients can require a legal order, or card. Most states in the USA and other areas have now made legal use of marijuana. Medical marijuana or simply marijuana contains over 500 active ingredients that help to fight mental health issues. Marijuana is obtained from “Cannabis Sativa plants” that contain mind-altering chemicals like:

THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is responsible for making you feel high. THC also has a positive effect on the endocannabinoid system that eventually affects emotions in a person.

CBD (Cannabidiol) helps to decrease psychotic effects in a person. It also helps to relieve pain and seizures.

CBN (Cannabinol) works as a sedating effect.

 

Medical marijuana is being used for depression for centuries. Medical marijuana has its share of advantages and drawbacks. So, let’s discuss the benefits and effects of medical marijuana that eventually benefited patients’ health.

Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

Over a few years, patients with depression have shown positive results with the usage of medical marijuana. It’s always been a misconception that marijuana results in severe health conditions, but medical marijuana has certain medical benefits. Medical marijuana can help treat depression and other medical conditions.

 

It Fights Depression And Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are more common among people nowadays. The reason behind this is the huge workloads and responsibilities that a person is unavailable to finish timely. It creates a sense of dis-balancing, causing severe headaches and mental health issues to start to form.

 

Medical marijuana is a therapeutic medicine containing cannabinoids that helps to directly affect the mood of a person. Therefore, if taken marijuana with extreme care and according to the guidance of the doctor, patients suffering from depression start to think clearly, and improvement starts to appear.

 

It Helps To Improve The Sleep

A proper amount of sleep is always essential for your everyday routine ahead. Depression patients are more likely to suffer from insomnia or no sleep, which eventually leads to more health issues.

For maintaining your mental well-being and managing disrupted sleeping patterns, you can use cannabis.

 

Medical marijuana contains CBD has shown some effectiveness in treating mental illness, and THC makes you feel high. Both components start to affect your brain, and just after a while of taking medical marijuana, you can experience proper sleep cycles. Proper sleeping eventually leads to further positive enhancement of your mental condition.

 

Helps To Manage Stress And Regain Cognitive Abilities

Medical marijuana has proven beneficial in terms of memory, concentration, and the power to focus. Medical marijuana has anti-inflammatory properties in it that help in strengthening the brain. More concentration and ability to focus lead to managing stress. Also, the chemicals in medical marijuana help to uplift your mood and increases the feeling of calmness in the body. This leads to fewer panic attacks and fewer manic episodes.

 

Treat Other Mental Disorders

If you are new to the world of medical marijuana, it can be tricky to know where to start. Hence, medical marijuana is not only used to treat depression, but also some issues related to it. Doctors are more likely to recommend the use of medical marijuana if they see a patient with one or more medical conditions. Medical marijuana treats medical conditions like,

• Seizures
• Schizophrenia
• Parkinson's Disease

 

Most patients suffering from depression undergo epilepsy. Schizophrenia happens when a person loses touch with reality. Whereas “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” is known to give you the unpleasant experience of a past event that you are unable to forget. The treatment of PTSD requires an increase in serotonin levels. These functions in medical marijuana that is both known to induce the creation of serotonin in the brain and also have an anti-seizure effect that protects against seizures. Medical marijuana also has an antipsychotic effect that helps the brain to carry all the messages to the body parts. It eventually leads to fewer hallucinations and stammering problems in schizophrenia patients.

 

Effects Of Medical Marijuana

Most healthcare researchers and practitioners say that medical marijuana has its perks, but sometimes over usage or allergic conditions to marijuana can cause severe depression problems instead of curing it. On the other hand, medical marijuana has low side effects when compared with different medications used for depression patients. The side effects of medical marijuana hit everyone differently. It is important to find the “Effect” strain that you experience in your condition.

 

Leading To More Depression

There is no clear evidence to suggest that medical marijuana can lead to more depression. In some conditions for patients, when taking medical marijuana, a person's condition becomes more severe. The patient starts to experience low energy levels, an unresponsive condition, and being socially withdrawn. More depression can lead to excessive harm or suicidal thoughts.

Becoming An Addiction.

For self-medication using medical marijuana, a person might become addicted to the usage of it, which might cause intolerance. After this phase, a person becomes more immune to taking more than the usual amount of medical marijuana. Intense cravings can lead to more severe mental health issues, which relatively adds to a neurological disorder. You might require to undergo treatments or visit a therapist

 

Can Cause Mental Health Issues For Some Patients.

Medical marijuana can give rise to other health conditions. Such as marijuana can trigger schizophrenia or psychosis. If you are at a higher risk of psychosis or have experiences psychosis shortly, then you need to avoid using medical marijuana.

If a person experiences more hallucinations, delusions, and detachment from reality, that means medical marijuana is not suiting the person, and the user needs to stop immediately.

Hence, it is important to consult your doctor and tell your whole medical history to enable the right conclusiveness.

 

Intake Instructions For Depression Patients

There are a few things you can make sure of by yourself when taking medical marijuana. Some precautions include;

 

• Avoid using other medications when taking medical marijuana
• Know your limitations when using medical marijuana
• Consult your doctor if you experience any unusual health condition
• Intake of small portions if you are a new user
• Take slow doses and relevant methods

 

The best thing about medical marijuana is that there are many methods to inhale or nibble it. You can use traditional methods like vaping and smoking. You can also use a new method called topicals, which works in the form of marijuana-infused extracts, that you can put on your skin. It comes in the form of a lotion or oils like honey oil or wax. Also, you can put cannabis in your cupcakes, smoothies, or even pancakes. Both the topicals and edible methods can produce a stronger effect on depression patients.

Overall, medical marijuana has its share of merits and demerits when using it for depression patients. As we discussed earlier, depression has its types, and according to that, patients can experience different effects. Also, you need to make sure that your state allows the usage of medical marijuana along with the rules and regulations.