Imagine feeling ill throughout your entire day without any hope for relief. Every glance at food makes your stomach turn, and each passing moment brings you ever closer towards the dreaded urge to vomit. How vehemently would you seek sanctuary from these terrible feelings if they plagued you at every waking moment?
There are many people who do suffer in such ways. Ailments such as HIV and chemotherapy for cancer patients have long established themselves as sources of intense nausea. These troubling feelings of sickness make it very difficult to maintain healthy nutrition and a robust diet. This is especially disconcerting because people afflicted with these debilitating conditions are the individuals who need the most adequate nourishment.
While modern medicine continues to create new and more advanced ways to treat these diseases with (sometimes) less severe side effects, Mother Nature continues to offer a premium solution to appetite loss. Medical marijuana is obviously what I’m referencing.
It’s What Most of Us Already Know
Popular culture has taken advantage of this notion as is evidenced by the thousands upon thousands of references to what is commonly known as “the munchies”. Anyone who has used marijuana has likely found themselves at some point scarfing down Fritos topped with nacho cheese or combining some other beastly concoction as a way to satiate their hunger. For these users, it is typically one of the enjoyable positive effects of weed.
However, for those who use it as an appetite stimulant to treat their nausea, it can be an absolute life saver. Patients who weren’t able to nibble even a piece of fruit are able to enjoy full salads after THC does its work. Individuals on the verge of wasting away have been able to regain healthy weights because of the stimulation provided by medical marijuana.
Now It’s Backed By Science
These benefits are backed by recent studies as well. A study recently conducted by the Center for Medical Cannabis Research sought to find the connection between the use of marijuana and its ability to induce a strong appetite. This research was able to identify increases in hormones related to appetite in conjunction with the administration of cannabis.
Though many have known and accepted that appetite will grow with marijuana use, it is important that research like this continues to be created. Society has a hard time accepting only the claims of a marijuana user that marijuana is safe, secure, and effective and puts a lot of emphasis in science.
Research Helps the Cause of Legalization
Those who rally against legalizing weed will have a lot harder time claiming cannabis has no benefit when the facts slap them in the face. Information like this can be used to help advance the cause to legalize weed, and that would be a great benefit to these afflicted patients (as well as all the rest of those who use).
Do you suffer from an illness that leaves you nauseated, and do you use medical marijuana to treat these symptoms? Please share your story below if you want to enhance the conversation. Also, be sure to help support The Effects of Weed Network by going to our page that explains why you should always vaporize weed instead of smoking it.
When I was 14 yrs old I was told that I was 6 months away from a feeding tube & 1 yr away from esophageal cancer b/c of acid reflex(GERD). The solution was a fundoplication( wrapping 25% of my stomach around my esophagus to keep the acid where it should be) which solved that problem but started another.. Eating, drinking, & even just swallowing causes air to get trapped, creating chronic nausea & appetite loss. I know it sounds like an easy fix, just burp it up!.. Not gonna happen with the fundoplication unless I stick my finger down my throat, violently dry heaving in attempt to release the air & relieve the nausea &pain. Doesn’t work most of the time, but worth a shot… I am 24 yrs old now & still suffer daily even after being prescribed reglan, promethazine, klonopin, omeprazole, dicyclomine, etc… To this day, marijuana is the ONLY thing that eliminates nausea & actually makes me WANT to eat!!! If I don’t have marijuana (due to it being expensive, risky with the prejudice laws we have, & inconsistent availability) I will go days with eating little to nothing & will lose around 20lbs in a week… In NO way am I saying my case is as bad, or worse, than chemotherapy & HIV patients(God bless those of you), but I DO believe that those aren’t the only medical conditions that warrant medical marijuana treatment.