Are you or someone you know undergoing chemotherapy? Today, cancer is the most life-threatening disease that has already claimed the lives of many people. Although chemotherapy is helping stop the growth of cancer cells in patients, it comes with a whole set of side-effects.
With recent research, more and more people are opening to the idea of using cannabis as an effective way to curb the excruciating symptoms of chemotherapy. If you are thinking about how cannabis can help during chemotherapy, read on to find out.
What is cannabis?
Cannabis has emerged as the talk of the town, and such is the affluence that people are buying seeds to grow it themselves. One can buy autoflower seeds online that grow in a controlled indoor environment easily. It is a medicinal plant that people have used for centuries to treat common physical ailments. The plant that originated from the Asian subcontinent is now helping people throughout the world. But how can cannabis come to their aid? It is a therapeutic plant that is rich in chemicals like cannabinoids, which are responsible for the medicinal properties of the plant.
Although there are over a hundred of these cannabinoids present in cannabis, THC and CBD are more prominent. THC is a psychoactive element that interacts with the brain and helps relax the mind and nerves. CBD, on the other hand, nourishes and heals the body from within. It can help alleviate pain, give a boost to your mood, appetite, and immune system.
How can you use cannabis?
While there are countless benefits people derive from cannabis, what really makes it versatile are the different ways in which people use it. The effect of the plant depends upon the method of consumption you choose, so it gets necessary to choose it wisely.
Here are a few easy ways in which you can consume it.
Inhaling
Smoking or inhaling the flowers or leaves of this plant is the most convenient and accessible way to consume cannabis. You can either make a joint or use a vaping device to inhale cannabis. By smoking it, the cannabinoids entering your lungs go straight into your bloodstream and start showing the effect much sooner. But if you want instant and stronger effects, you can also smoke hash, which is a dough-like block of cannabis resin.
Edibles
Today, there is a wide array of cannabis-infused products available on the market that lets you enjoy the benefits of cannabis discreetly. From gummy bears to cookies and even coffee, you can include any of it in your daily diet.
Oral
Another easy way to consume it is in the oral form. Put a few drops of CBD oil under your tongue, hold it for a few seconds, and then swallow it. Or you can take CBD oil capsules if you do not like the taste of it.
Topicals
Cannabis-infused creams, lotions, and scrubs can also help your skin absorb the cannabinoids and heal. You can even apply cannabis oil on the affected area to treat pain and infection.
How does cannabis help during chemotherapy?
Now that you know all about cannabis, here is how it can benefit you if you have cancer or undergoing chemotherapy.
Alleviates pain
What it does
Although chemotherapy helps to stop the growth of cancer cells in the body, it also brings along pain and inflammation. The treatment process under chemotherapy can be challenging to endure, and the doctors ideally recommend their patients to take painkillers to alleviate pain. Synthetic painkillers are effective at reducing pain but can get you hooked to it. Here, cannabis can become an organic way to help you cope with it.
How it works
The cannabinoids present in cannabis are identical to the ones present in our body. These cannabinoids help stimulate the receptors which are present in your brain, activate the reward system, and help reduce pain.
Improves sleeping pattern
What it does
If you think living with cancer is exhausting, you don’t realize that getting chemotherapy can be more tiring for your body. It can disrupt your sleeping schedule and leave you fatigued throughout the day. Evidence shows that cannabis can help you sleep better.
How it works
THC and CBD both tend to relax the mind and help relieve stress. It alters the sleeping pattern and extends the time you get in the stage of a deep sleep, getting more rest, and fast recovery. Do you ever notice how pot smokers get better and longer sleep? It is because of the relaxing properties of cannabis.
Helps reduce nausea
What it does
The drugs that doctors use during the treatment often stimulate the receptors in the sensory cells, which can lead to vomiting and nausea. While nausea is a common side-effect of chemotherapy, doctors do not have a solution for it. However, a multitude of patients have reported that cannabis helps in reducing both vomiting and nausea.
How it works
The delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC are known to prevent the side-effects of chemotherapy like nausea and vomiting.
Increases food intake
What it does
A majority of people who are suffering from cancer find it hard to eat. Taking chemotherapy further reduces the appetite, and it can adversely impact their health and recovery. It is common with cannabis users to have the urge to eat more after smoking the herb, which can also hold true for cancer patients.
How it works
Cannabis aids digestion and can give a boost to the lacking appetite. A study shows that people witnessed an increase in their food intake after consuming cannabis.
Reduces the chances of over-dependence on drugs
What it does
Cancer is a life-threatening disease, and treating it involves a plethora of drugs and medication. The patients are always taking conventional medicines or opioids to keep themselves going, and it can get their bodies hooked to them.
How it works
The compounds present in cannabis are organic and similar to the ones that are present in the human body. Using cannabis in its place not only ensures that it treats you naturally but also reduces the chance of getting addicted to these drugs.
Final thoughts
The very thought of cancer is daunting; let alone living with it. It can crush your spirits and that of your family. Recently, cannabis is helping millions of people around the globe to fight back this deadly tumor. While it is becoming the last ray of hope for many, it can at least help you go through the treatment, if not cure it. So, if you want to fight back the debilitating symptoms of chemotherapy, consider buying premium marijuana seeds today to make your life a little easier.
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