As Mississippi opens its doors to the medical marijuana industry, many Mississippians may wonder: what are the health benefits? The answer requires understanding the endocannabinoid system (ECS), treating the condition, and how the body responds to cannabis. Understanding the benefits of medical cannabis can allow for its use to become part of a holistic approach to managing chronic medical conditions.
If you are a patient currently managing a debilitating medical condition or helping a loved one, remember your initial guidance will come from the practitioner who recommended you for the program. Once you arrive at River Remedy, our employees will discuss with you the benefits of each of our products and what to expect. Given these resources, you may be interested in learning more about how cannabis works in the body before you go to the doctor or the dispensary and how cannabis can be helpful for each condition.
We don’t usually think about the countless automatic bodily functions that take place daily inside ourselves to survive - but when we do, we should give credit to the ECS. The ECS circulates throughout our entire body, not only in our brains. This system is responsible for many vital functions, including regulating our organs and tissues. It is involved in regulating functions that range from sleeping to eating, emotional regulation to cardiovascular system functioning, executive functioning (think: memory, attention, self-control) to immune response, and temperature regulation to pain management. In other words, the ECS works to keep our bodies functioning optimally. The ECS comprises naturally produced endocannabinoid molecules that are structurally very similar to molecules in the cannabis plant and cell receptors called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors allow neurotransmitters to flow in and out of the body’s cells to maintain homeostasis or optimal functioning.
Unfortunately, debilitating medical conditions compromise homeostasis in the body. Because the cannabis plant is molecularly similar to the endocannabinoids, it can bind to the cannabinoid receptors in the body to help achieve this goal of homeostasis for the ECS when needed.
More research into how cannabis can support each medical condition is still required, including best dosing practices for each diagnosis. One important thing to note is that cannabis is not a cure for these conditions. Still, it can be helpful to alleviate systems and make a debilitating condition much more manageable. When used medicinally, under a doctor’s supervision, evidence suggests that cannabis may help treat medical conditions in the following ways:
Now that you understand how cannabis works in the body, you can begin advocating for yourself and your health. Begin the application process here if you have one of the qualifying conditions outlined in SB2095.
River Remedy is preparing for you, and we look forward to serving you soon when the doors open!
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