Medical Marijuana Isn’t Always About Getting High—It’s About Getting Healthy
Oftentimes, people associate those who use marijuana with being lazy and unmotivated individuals. While there are some cultivars out there that have chemical profiles that encourage relaxation and sleep, there are others that produce minimal psychoactivity or even give users energy. Marijuana has been helping people who suffer from chronic illnesses and symptoms improve their quality of lives in a way no other medication has.
Marijuana Helps Users Lose Weight
According to the journal of Obesity Biology and Integrated Physiology, researchers have found that marijuana users have a lower body mass index. Those who use marijuana products are on average thinner than those who don’t. [1]
Several studies show that marijuana users have a higher caloric intake on average than non-users, despite the fact that they had a lower body weight. This means that using marijuana may encourage users to eat more, but their metabolism gets a little boost that prevents weight-gain. The reason for the metabolism boost is that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) stimulates the production of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin is an appetite stimulator that is also known as “the hunger hormone.” However, ghrelin also plays a big role in helping bodies break down and metabolize carbohydrates.
Scientists at the University of Nebraska, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that marijuana users had a smaller waist circumference than non-users. [2] They analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of over 4,600 adults. Around 12 percent of the participants self-identified as current marijuana users, and another 42 percent reported having used it in the past. The participants were tested for various measures of blood sugar control including their fasting insulin and glucose levels; insulin resistance; cholesterol levels; and waist circumference.
Current marijuana users had significantly smaller waist circumference than participants who had never used marijuana. This was true even after adjusting for factors like age, sex, tobacco and alcohol use, and physical activity levels. They also had higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL). The biggest differences between those who smoked marijuana and those who never or no longer did, was that current smokers’ insulin levels were reduced by 16 percent and their insulin resistance was reduced by 17 percent. People who had previously used marijuana, but not in the past thirty days, tended to have similar outcomes, but to a much lesser degree. In addition, none of these measures were impacted by how much marijuana people reported smoking.
Another study of 52,000 participants, that was reported and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that rates of obesity are one-third lower in marijuana users versus non-users. Cholesterol levels also proved to be healthier in users as well. [3]
Marijuana Helps with Exercise
According to a new paper published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health Tuesday, marijuana users said that they use it either shortly before or shortly after exercise. [4] Many of those mentioned in the paper mention that they think it helps to motivate them to work out, as well as enjoy exercise more and improve their recovery.
Common barriers that prevent individuals from the initiation or continuation of a regular exercise regimen include improper recovery after exercise lack of motivation and low enjoyment of exercise. Marijuana might interact with these barriers. One review paper analyzed the biological and neurocognitive mechanisms by which marijuana use might impact three potential areas of influence: the effect of marijuana on exercise performance, motivation for exercise, and recovery from exercise.
Further, while anecdotal evidence suggests that marijuana reduces motivation for exercise, several neurobiological mechanisms connected to the endocannabinoid system argue against this. There is evidence to suggest that marijuana may have beneficial effects on exercise motivation [5].
Because of its healing properties, like being an anti-inflammatory, marijuana has been able to help people improve their overall quality of life. Chronic illnesses have a big impact on a person’s overall mental and physical health, which in return decreases motivation and one’s outlook on life. By integrating medical marijuana products into a daily regimen, users are able to feel better than ever.
If you are interested in taking the first step to getting healthy, take this short pre-qualifying survey. In just a few minutes you will know if you might qualify for your Florida Medical Marijuana card. The qualifying conditions that have been approved by the state legislation are listed as: [6]
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to the others listed.
- A terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the qualified physician issuing the physician certification.
- Chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualifying medical condition and persists beyond the usual course of that qualifying medical condition.
If you suffer from one of the conditions above, you might qualify for your medical marijuana card in Florida. One must also be a permanent, or seasonal, resident of Florida, be diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions by a qualified physician who can enter them into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR) and obtain a MMUR Identification Card.
By meeting all of the requirements given, you can be eligible to get your state-issued ID card that will legally allow you to purchase medical marijuana products throughout Florida. If you are interested in taking the next step to getting healthier both mentally and physically, book an appointment with one of Florida DocMJ Doctors Marijaana many qualified and passionate Florida Medical Marijuana physicians.
[2] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/study-why-pot-smokers-are-skinnier/275846/
[3] https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/174/8/929/155851
[4] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00099/full
[5] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00099/full#B16
[6]https://knowthefactsmmj.com/patients/
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000494.full
https://www.jbc.org/content/280/26/25196.full
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00099/full