Until now, almost half of the states in America have legalized medical marijuana. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not regulated it since the drugs remain at the federal level. This forces medical users to search for treatment by themselves.
There are thousands of years since humans have used cannabis, yet only in the past few decades have science professionals begun to really have a grasp on how the wide range of chemicals in cannabis function for the human health.
Ingredients in Medical Marijuana
Among other ingredients, in marijuana, there are at least 104 active cannabinoids. These mimic the action of the brain’s signaling chemicals, which are known as endocannabinoids. These dock with some of the receptors that are situated on the surface of cells. For example, some of the cannabinoids dock with the receptors of adrenaline and serotonin. The most famous chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, the substance that is mainly responsible for cannabis’s intoxicating side effects.
Each and every one of these chemicals has a different reaction with different receptors in the brain. As an example, let’s take THCV. This substance blocks the mind-altering effects of THC while in the same time it combats inflammation in the body. These effects may help to relieve the Parkinson’s disease’s symptoms and at the same time protect against liver damage. More than this, the same substance changes how the receptor for serotonin acts during psychosis episodes, thus making it a potential treatment for schizophrenia.
In the meantime, the unique activity of CBG at adrenaline and serotonin receptors makes medical marijuana a main candidate for dealing with pain. On the other hand, CBD and CBDA are great candidates at dealing with nausea. Other possible uses of the cannabinoids in the plant include dealing with epilepsy, PTSD, stroke, and even drug addiction.
Besides the ingredients mentioned here, cannabis also contains 400 other compounds. Amongst these ones, some of them are flavonoids, limonenes, and terpenes. These can also be found in herbs like oregano, and they have aromatic purposes, giving different marijuana strains their scents, tastes, and distinctive colors.