Introduction
With the use of marijuana already legal in some places and with more places getting ready to follow suit, it is a good time to review the positive effect of marijuana. There is enough research and material from studies to show that there are some positive health benefits from consuming the substance. These benefits will serve as a catalyst for those advocating the legal use of marijuana in more places.
Helping With Weight Loss
The Atlantic recently report on a study which demonstrated that people who use marijuana are thinner. Researchers conducted the study at the University of Nebraska, the Harvard School of Public Health and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, who analyzed data which showed pot smokers have a narrower waist than people who did not. The study also took into account other factors such as age, sex, the use of alcohol and tobacco as well as the level of physical activity.
Marijuana and Diabetes
Researchers at the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey have discovered that there is a correlation between marijuana and type 2 diabetes. An important risk factor for the treatment of diabetes is resistance to insulin, and the researchers discovered that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the active ingredient in marijuana may help the body to absorb insulin. The study which was seen by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed that users of marijuana have insulin levels which are between 16% and 17% lower. It should be noted that the resistance manifests itself only after immediate use of the substance.
Effect On Depression And Anxiety
A study published in 2005 by scientists found that people using marijuana whether every day or once in a way showed fewer of the symptoms of depression than people who do not use the substance. The same study found some evidence that in small doses, marijuana may provide relief for the symptoms of anxiety and ADHD. These findings were repeated in a 2010 study by Harvard Medical School researchers who established that marijuana works as a sedative and improves the mood of the user by reducing the level of anxiety.
Effect On Cancer
It has been known for a while that marijuana helps people suffering from cancer when they go through chemotherapy but a study carried out in 2012 showed that the substance has a role to play in treating aggressive cancer. The finding was that a compound derived from marijuana could halt metastasis in some of these cancers. It has also been demonstrated that there has been some degree of success in eliminating cancer cells in patients who have leukemia and using marijuana.