How Marijuana Affects Your Health
Marijuana is making headlines as states across the union legalize it for recreational and medicinal purposes. There’s still a lot of confusion about how marijuana affects the body, as there’s only been a recent influx of research into the issue. So just how does marijuana affect your health?
Marijuana and Your Hangover
Anyone who’s seen Dazed and Confused is familiar with the term “wake and bake.” But is lighting up actually a reasonable way to cure your hangover? According to some sources, maybe. THC can relieve the nausea and headaches associated with a tipple too many. The National Cancer Institute acknowledges that marijuana is specifically efficacious in treating nausea and stimulating appetite—which can help you rehydrate and replenish essential nutrients that you may have lost while vomiting. If you’re looking for a way to knock out the hangover, water and time are still your best bet.
…And Your Sleeping Patterns
Struggling with occasional bouts of insomnia? Some people swear that a cannabis session before bedtime lulls them into deep, refreshing sleep. Is it actually true? According to most research, not exactly. Though cannabis may help you drift into slumber, (like alcohol) its mechanism of action actually affects the quality of your sleep. Quality sleep with predictable cycles into REM (rapid eye movement) and deep sleep are what make you wake up feeling refreshed.
Most evidence we have on the relationship between marijuana and sleep is anecdotal, which doesn’t pass scientific muster. In short: turn to more conservative techniques, like relaxation and turning off your screens an hour before bedtime to encourage refreshing sleep.
…And Your Perception of Pain
Many Americans struggle with chronic pain. As a result, the number of opioid prescriptions have skyrocketed in the past 25 years, leading to a problem that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refers to as an “epidemic.” Is marijuana a viable alternative to curb the growing opioid abuse problem? It depends on who you ask.
There’s some evidence that marijuana can be efficacious in dulling pain. A study published in the Journal of Pain found that it can help chronic pain sufferers achieve an improved quality of life without the dangerous side effects associated with opioids. Additionally, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy took the official position that marijuana can help with neuropathic, mechanical, and inflammatory pain with minimal risk of addiction and limited interaction with other prescription medications.
Another study published in the Clinical Journal of Pain in 2013 found that cannabis-based medicines can be modestly effective in treating a variety of chronic pain-related ailments. These all seem like promising results, but the reality is that we still don’t have a robust body of research exploring the relationship between cannabis and pain. Since marijuana is still considered an illicit drug in many states, it’s hard for scientists to conduct empirical research that pass through ethics boards. The results mentioned above suggest that further empirical studies would be beneficial to inform evidence-based practice.
In other words, don’t reach for a joint the next time you have a headache. A couple of Advil will do the trick without the risks associated with inhaling smoke.
Marijuana and Your Health: The Bottom Line
As it stands, we’re still learning about the relationship between cannabis and our central nervous system. Evidence does suggest it’s effective in treating nausea and dulling the perception of pain, but more research is needed to inform mainstream clinical practice. There’s little quality research on its relationship to sleep. If you’re looking for a miracle cure for a hangover or insomnia, use caution before lighting up: more conservative methods may be just as effective.
Scott Liljegren is a San Diego injury attorney; for a free consultation with him, contact one of his eight California offices nearest you.