The brain plays a key role in how you think and perform. It controls your mood, attention, concentration, creativity, and productivity levels. Medical researchers have found that abnormalities in brain function can cause mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. And, marijuana has the ability to alleviate these conditions. By binding to the receptors in the endocannabinoid system, cannabis compounds can help boost mood, memory, sleep, etc.
By getting a medical marijuana card Garden Grove, you can easily access state-licensed dispensaries. In other words, you can legally buy, possess, and consume cannabis for medical purposes.
It Reduces Anxiety & Depression
One of the major mental health benefits of cannabis use is that it can help relieve anxiety and depression symptoms. It works by stimulating the endocannabinoid system.
When you consume cannabis, its cannabinoids bind to receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This helps in improving mood and other functions associated with the brain.
THC binds to CB1 and CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system, thus providing positive effects on the brain. THC is a major psychoactive cannabinoid available in the marijuana plant.
However, CBD is known for relaxing the body and mind. Medical studies have found that this cannabinoid produces more neurons in the brain’s hippocampus region. So, it can help social anxiety patients avoid discomfort while speaking.
CBD works by targeting the serotonin system, just like SSRIs do. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates anxiety, mood, and happiness.
According to a study published in 2013, marijuana can help boost cognitive function and memory. Researchers gave cannabis doses to a group of rats that were exposed to high levels of stress and anxiety. Marijuana helped in reversing the changes in brain function and improving wellness.
Additionally, a study by Harvard University reported similar results. Adult participants were given marijuana treatment for 3 months. They performed better in color & word tests, and also had better brain functioning.
Marijuana can Treat ADHD
ADHD is a mental illness, which affects the brain regions associated with planning, focusing, and finishing tasks. The CDC estimates that about 6.1 million Americans are diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD treatment is focused on altering the levels of certain neurotransmitters, and changing the way the network functions. Marijuana can help increase the levels of dopamine in the brain as ADHD medications. Researchers have found that patients with ADHD have low levels of norepinephrine, which is linked to dopamine. Dopamine controls the reward and pleasure center of the brain.
In other words, using marijuana can help you boost cognitive processes, such as learning, memory, problem-solving, etc.
Many patients report that cannabis is a safe treatment, and it doesn’t lead to unpleasant side-effects associated with medications.
A 2017 study published in Nature journal found that THC can help increase dopamine levels in the brain, thus managing ADHD. However, researchers noted that long-term cannabis use may lead to certain health issues. So, it’s important to learn how to use the herb right for medical purposes.
Research says that CBD can help ease anxiety and depression—the medical conditions linked to Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder.
Related Topic: Alleviate Symptoms of ADD/ADHD With Medical Cannabis
Cannabis can Boost Creativity Levels
“The best way I would describe the effect of the marijuana and the hashish is that it would make me relaxed and creative.” – Steve Jobs.
Cannabis use can help boost your mood, thus helping you to work dedicatedly. Many artists, such as singers, composers, etc. use marijuana to increase their creativity levels.
There are two types of thought processes that play a significant role in creativity—convergent thinking and divergent thinking.
Convergent thinking is associated with finding out different solutions for a problem, just like a multiple-choice assessment. On the other hand, divergent thinking works for exploring all the possible solutions comprising outstanding ideas.
Research says that cannabis can help consumers generate creative ideas and thoughts. THC is effective in releasing more dopamine in the striatum—a brain area associated with creative activities.
Moreover, marijuana use is effective in increasing cerebral blood flow in the frontal lobe, thus helping consumers to come up with new ideas and solutions.
However, a study from Leiden University noted that taking high doses of THC can reduce creativity levels. This concludes that dosage is important when you are using cannabis for improving creativity. So, talk to a licensed doctor to seek professional help for marijuana dosage and optimal strains to get the best results.
Marijuana Helps to Prevent Brain Damage
About 2 million people in the United States experience traumatic brain injuries linked to sports. However, the chances of occurrence of brain damage are more in soldiers. Research shows that brain injury can lead to brain disorders, such as dementia.
Marijuana use can help prevent brain damage, thus boosting wellness. Marijuana’s non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. Brain inflammation is one of the major causes of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition leads to cognitive and memory impairment.
Additionally, THC activates CB1 receptors, which can help in reducing the release of glutamate, thus making consumers less likely to experience severe brain damage. Too much glutamate following the brain injury can kill brain cells.
Again, proper dosing is important when using cannabis for preventing brain damage. Research shows that low doses of THC can deliver anti-inflammatory effects while high doses can have an opposite effect.
For proper functioning of the brain processes, such as learning, memory, managing anxiety, stress, etc., the production of new brain cells is necessary. Both chronic stress and aging can affect new brain cell production. THC can help promote the growth of new cells by activating CB1 receptors.
CBD can help activate CB1 receptors indirectly, thus increasing the levels of anandamide, which reduces chronic stress.
How to Consume Marijuana?
The consumption method plays a key role in the effects of marijuana on your mind. Smoking is the most popular way of delivering cannabinoids into the body. When you smoke cannabis, the active ingredients enter the bloodstream directly, thus providing medicinal effects quickly. However, many experts say that smoking increases the risks of lung problems because it heats the substances at a high temperature.
Vaping is an effective alternative to smoking, which involves heating the substance at a low temperature to extract active ingredients such as THC and CBD. In other words, you can inhale the vapors produced by the vaporizer. Using modern technology vaporizers, you can easily control the temperature, thus customizing your vaping experience.
Edibles are foods and beverages, which have a slow onset time. They usually kick in after 30-90 minutes and last longer than other consumption methods, such as smoking.
Cannabis tinctures are perfect for dosage control. They come in dropper bottles of different concentrations of cannabinoids. You can place a few drops of cannabis concentrate under the tongue and inhale for quick effects.
Talk to your doctor to seek professional advice for choosing the right cannabis consumption method.
Key Takeaways
Marijuana can help improve cognitive function, memory, etc., thus boosting mental health. Research says that its active ingredients such as THC bind to receptors in the endocannabinoid system, thus altering different functions, such as mood, sleep, metabolism, etc.
Cannabis is proven effective in treating various conditions, such as anxiety, depression, stress, ADHD, PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. Since it doesn’t cause side-effects, more patients are preferring marijuana as a natural alternative to prescription medications. To receive the desired health benefits, it’s important to seek professional help on how to use the herb right.
Get your medical marijuana card garden grove online today.
