15 Ways Cannabis Oil Could Save Your Life

Cannabis oil, also known as hash oil, remains a controversial fixture in the world of health and medicine. That’s in part because of controversy over the legality.

As of 2018, eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized it in all forms while another 22 have okayed it with medical restrictions. Only 20 states have not signed on in any capacity, but with the current administration taking a harder approach on marijuana use, that could change in the years ahead.

In the following article, we’ll be discussing the inner complexities of cannabis oil as well as some of the benefits that led to widespread embrace across the United States. Let’s begin!

What We Talk About When We Talk About Cannabis Oil

There are two “product types,” if you will when it comes to cannabis oil. On one hand, you have “hash oil,” which is crafted from concentrated plant parts. It retains many of the plant’s resins and terpenes, or protective compounds, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and various other cannabinoids. Hash oil also may be referred to as CBD oil.

The other type is referred to as cannabis flower essential oil (aka hemp oil). This is a much more accepted form of cannabis-related product, and it comes from the flowers and upper leaves of the Cannabis sativa L. plant.

It shows up in the world of beauty as a scent in perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps. Sticking with the bed-and-bath department, it’s also used in candles. Lastly, you can find it as a flavoring in candies, foods, and beverages.

It’s possible to have cannabinoid content in hemp oil, but it is generally of a very low potency when it does show up. We are talking around 0.08 percent.

By comparison, the hash oil variety commonly contains around 90 percent, 30 percent of which is the THC compound. Obviously, this can vary depending on the extraction method, but the averages hold true. The reason those figures are such a big deal?

Compounds like THC alter the brain’s natural neurotransmitter release processes. In other words, hash oil is more mind-altering, and thus poses more risks to the end user.

If you’re going to “get high,” it’s going to happen with the first variety, not the second. You definitely wouldn’t want to use CBD oil recreationally if it affected employment or athletic competition.

But getting high is a very small part of how cannabis oil can help you. In fact, there are a number of beneficial uses that can change your life for the better. In the remainder of the article, we’ll be discussing each.

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Cannabis Oil and Cancer

We’ll start with the most obvious: cancer. In what ways can cannabis oil actually help you if you’re a cancer patient? According to the American Cancer Society, it can do plenty. Symptoms attacked include the following:

• Nausea and vomiting: Cancer patients often experience these issues as a result of needed chemotherapy for fighting cancer growth and development. With chemo, you are basically nuking the inside of your body with a poison that, while harmful to cancer cells, also contaminates normal body functions. Sickness is a natural fallout from that, but through the use of cannabis, these effects can be better controlled.
• Appetite: One issue that makes chemotherapy particularly tough on cancer patients is the loss of appetite. When the chemo is making you throw up everything in your body, it makes it difficult to retain the nutrition and strength necessary for recovery. Cannabis is a natural appetite stimulant, so while it’s dealing with nausea and vomiting aspects, it’s also allowing you to replenish your body, thus providing the energy it needs to get through the current rounds of treatments.
• Pain caused by damaged nerves: Neuropathic pain is another bit of fallout from chemotherapy. WebMD describes this type of pain as “stabbing.” It often comes in the middle of the night. It also may feel like a “prickling, tingling, or burning” sensation that lasts throughout the day. Cannabis offers a way to deal with this persistent discomfort.
• Reduced dependency on other pain medications: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 115 people die each day as a result of overdosing on their opioids. In many cases, these are accidental deaths yielded from a persistent addiction that goes well beyond the effects of cannabis. What’s worse, opioid addiction often leads to more hardcore addictions like heroin. Cannabis hasn’t shown to be nearly as harmful, yet 20 states still ban it. Its ability to help cancer patients deal with pain without sending them on a downward spiral of addictive behaviors is a huge advantage.
• Cancer growth: The ACS notes that in addition to helping cancer patients cope with the symptoms of their treatment, “scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes.” The studies so far have been completed in animals with similar physiological properties to humans, so there is some definite promise for cannabis to be a cancer-fighter and not just a symptom-treater.

Cancer-fighting is usually the number one-cited benefit of cannabis use. As you can see above, that’s because it can do a lot to improve the quality of life for millions of people who either suffer from this disease or have someone close to them who is.

But the benefits of cannabis go well beyond this one area. In the section to follow, we will be talking about other uses and benefits that are sure to help.

The Unsung Benefits and Uses of Cannabis Oil

Unfortunately, and this is something that’ll stand out as we power through this section, cannabis so far has proven most effective as a symptom treater. That said, it addresses many other potentially serious diseases in a way that contributes to the quality of life and care.

Perhaps as more states take down barriers for experimentation and availability, its helpful qualities will advance beyond the symptoms. Until then, here’s what we do know.

1. It May Help Reverse Damage from Motor Neuron Disease

MND, also referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a very rare disease — about 20,000 cases reported each year — but it’s also very deadly.

It’s characterized by a progressed weakening of the muscles to the point that it eventually inhibits sufferers from carrying out the most basic functions. There is no cure for MND, but cannabis can help individuals deal with the symptoms and prolong their quality of life.

From a Neural Regeneration Research study reported here by ALS News Today: “…the spinal cord of ALS patients has been shown to present motor neuron damage triggered by immune system’s cells (microglia and macrophages) that express increased levels of the CB2 cannabinoid receptor.

‘So all these data show how editing CB2-mediated processes could change ALS progression and how much the endocannabinoid system is potentially involved in reducing neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, and oxidative cell damage,’ researchers wrote.”

2. It Can Address COPD Symptoms

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is less rare than ALS with 3 million newly reported cases each year. It’s often associated with cigarette smokers and also referred to as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. According to the American Lung Association, “it is often preventable and treatable.”

One such treatment is cannabis. How does it work? COPD occurs due to acute inflammation of the airways, writes the Lung Institute. The natural anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis help tamp down the inflammation so that COPD sufferers may have an easier time breathing.

Cannabis also helps the condition through the following areas as well:

• Phlegm reduction
• Pain relief
• Support for a healthy, functioning immune system
• Microbial reduction

While no evidence exists that cannabis can cure COPD, it can certainly make it easier for the respiratory to function so the patient can enjoy a higher degree of satisfaction with his or her life.

3. It May Ease Depression and Anxiety

The THC and CBD compounds found within cannabis oil and other delivery methods have long been associated with relaxation. If you suffer from depression and anxiety, you know how important temperament is for controlling the more frustrating effects of these conditions.

While cannabis exists within the stereotype of “puff, puff, pass” (i.e., a group of friends sharing a joint to forget about the troubles of the day), the scientific aspect that makes this stereotypical scenario possible lies in the serotonin system.

Depression and anxiety tend to prey on serotonin release. But cannabis contains compounds that act as serotonin receptors. When consumed, it ensures better distribution throughout the body. This can keep your spirits up, even as you’re winding down.

4. It Can Help Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Over the last two decades, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased in the number of reported cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). IBD may not kill you, but it can make you wish you were dead, turning every trip to the bathroom or day-long family outing into a burden.

It also can be a symptom of other more serious conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The problem with IBD is right there in its description: inflammatory.

Since cannabis oil acts as an anti-inflammatory, it can ease the effects of this condition whether the condition stems from a singular diagnosis or as part of a more concerning condition.

5. Cannabis for Weight Loss? Yes, Weight Loss

It may seem counterproductive to use cannabis for weight loss, but hear us out. The most common depiction of the cannabis user is the guy or girl who smokes a little marijuana, then ends up single-handedly taking out a Family Box from Taco Bell on the same night. With dietary influences like this, how can you ever expect to lose weight?

Well, it’s not only possible, it’s plausible. That’s because cannabis is an anti-microbial, so it’s pretty efficient at weeding out (sorry) the bad stuff and promoting a healthy digestive system. Whenever you have a healthy digestive system, your body uses foods more efficiently.

Efficient use means that, while you may succumb one night to the munchies, you’ll ultimately experience a net-positive because your body will figure out how to best burn and redistribute macronutrients.

Of course, don’t take that as a go-ahead to eat all you want and not exercise. Losing weight, at the end of the day, is still a numbers game. Burn more calories than you take in, and you’ll lose weight. Eat more calories than you burn, and it’ll be the opposite effect.

6. Cannabis Provides Relief for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia affects about 10 million in the US and as much as 6 percent of the world population. It mostly manifests in women through a number of ways such as widespread pain, fatigue, and heightened pain as a response to touch.

While it isn’t fatal, it is chronic and it can lead to more trouble sleeping. Considering that cannabis helps provide relief from nerve pain — see the cancer section — it can help boost one’s enjoyment and quality of life while dealing with it.

7. It Can Produce a Long-Term Positive Effect on Blood Pressure

While marijuana use in all its forms tends to have a relaxing effect, the reality is that higher THC content can result in the opposite effect. That’s because THC is a stimulant. That said, stimulants can have a number of positive effects, and over the long term, THC, in particular, can bring down blood pressure.

If you’re thinking it’ll do it after one use, though, you may be disappointed. That’s because, when you’re not accustomed to using cannabis, your body has yet to build a tolerance to it.

As a result, you’ll probably experience an immediate spike that dies down after a few minutes similar to how exercise boosts heart activity and blood pressure before settling back into a more manageable state.

In extremely rare cases — and usually with the prevalence of other risk factors — cannabis use can result in an increased risk of a cardiac episode.

But for the average person, once they’ve built a tolerance for cannabis, the pressure-inducing effects become less and less, and it can lead to their natural resting blood pressure state being lower than before.

8. It Can Help with Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the number one cause of permanent blindness. Numbers from 2010 put the global number of diagnoses at around 60 million, per the Glaucoma Research Foundation. The causes of glaucoma include anatomical pressure and damage to the eye, optic nerve damage, and poor blood flow.

There is no cure for glaucoma, but it can be managed and treated effectively with early diagnosis and the right approach.

Cannabis oil can help ease some of the negative effects. Here’s a partial list of what could improve as a result of cannabis use, also per the GRF (see above link):

• Hazy/blurred vision
• The appearance of rainbow-colored circles around bright lights
• Severe eye and head pain
• Nausea or vomiting (accompanying severe eye pain)
• Sudden sight loss

Your vision is precious. The loss of it can lead to a loss of enthusiasm for and quality of life, which brings on depression. Cannabis is showing promising results for dealing with all of these symptom areas.

9. It Will Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

Yes, we’ve already mentioned this benefit in some of the other sections. However, it deserves its own place here because sleep deprivation can lead to issues that go far beyond symptoms of other diseases.

It can lead to issues such as accidents, lack of alertness, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, loss of sex drive, and premature aging. Cannabis compounds can better manage neurotransmitter release, leading to longer, deeper periods of rest.

10. It Addresses the Main Cause of Arthritis

Arthritis is a swelling of the area around the body’s joints, brought on by chronic inflammation. CBD oil’s status as a natural anti-inflammatory can bring down the swelling and ease the negative effects of the condition — chiefly joint pain.

While most people live with a degree of osteoarthritis, a rarer, more painful, and a more potentially harmful condition known as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can drastically reduce the body’s ability to function and make one more susceptible to other diseases. More RA sufferers, in particular, have turned to cannabis oil for possible relief over traditional prescriptions.

11. Cannabis Oil May Calm the Effects of PTSD

PTSD diagnoses have gone up significantly over the last 20 years. This likely owes less to the momentum of the condition, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, and more to the fact that we know more about what it is and how it manifests.

While PTSD mostly takes place in the brain, it can produce some real-world effects that impair one’s ability to function in society. It usually comes about as the result of a traumatic event (i.e., war, divorce, the unexpected death of a loved one).

Sufferers have been known to harm themselves or others, so it’s something you will want to take seriously and seek immediate help for if you notice it in yourself or in the actions of someone close to you.

Cannabis oil can dial back the symptoms somewhat. It does this because it alters the neurotransmissions that place the brain into a state of flashback.

12. It Can Eliminate Pain Caused by Sciatica

Sciatica is a nerve pain stemming from the sciatic nerve in the lower back. It’s not deadly, and it has even been known to go away on its own provided you take it easy on yourself for a few days (or weeks). But the underlying hazard is that it can keep you from making healthy lifestyle choices.

It usually manifests as the result of heavy exertion. When it hits, it can keep you from doing the things that you need to do to stay healthy — namely, working out. Without adequate exercise, it’s easier to pack on the pounds, and that can breed more serious conditions like obesity, diabetes, and depression.

One of the reasons people use cannabis for things like cancer treatment is that it has a positive impact on nerve pain throughout the body. Since sciatica is a direct result of nerve pain, cannabis oil is a natural choice to address it and get back to your healthy lifestyle.

13. It May Stave Off the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are links between cannabis use and healthier management of symptoms related to dementia and Alzheimer’s.

While it won’t prevent Alzheimer’s from running its course, it can provide relief to you or any loved ones suffering through this disease, which affects approximately 6 million people in the US alone.

14. Cannabis Oil Can Benefit People with Diabetes

We’ve already established that cannabis can help with an increase in appetite and better energizing of the macronutrients that food provides. But it can help people with diabetes in a number of other ways.

Examples:

• Blood sugar stabilization
• Reducing the inflammation of nerves and arteries
• Eliminating spasms that contribute to cramping and gastrointestinal discomfort
• Calming restless leg syndrome
• Easing the aftereffects of poor circulation

Final Considerations

The positive effects of cannabis oil use — and cannabis in all its forms, really — are getting harder to deny. Even so, we’re in the infancy stages as far as what we know about it.

There’s a lot of positive momentum, but there also are some concerns you need to be mindful of — concerns such as the following:

• It’s still illegal in a number of places.
• It does have mind-altering effects that make it not safe in certain situations.
• It can be used as a gateway to other more damaging drugs if used irresponsibly.
• It may dull one’s ambition or desire to improve themselves.

As you or someone you love considers using cannabis oil, make sure you weigh the pros and cons. And best of luck.