There is a new surge of debate between whether or not cannabis is better for you than normal drugs. While marijuana still sits as a schedule I substance, and has been since the 1970s, more and more are open to this, and the legalization of this is starting to create a statement which is much more outdated than before. Prescription drugs are all over the place these days, with many of them being dangerous.
There are bad effects, and they are super expensive, creating a $600 billion industry. It’s true that this does have its place, but these drugs are oftentimes too readily prescribed, creating addicting aspects of this, especially in the case of opioids, and in some instances, this can kill someone. With more and more looking for alternatives, weed is one of them, but is it worth looking at?
The Research
It’s hard to say whether or not one is better than the other, for it depends on the person at hand, their condition that needs to be treated, and many other factors. For issues which are minor and disorders that usually make the list of qualifying for medical cannabis, a lot of times this can be a better alternative. Just like with drugs though, they’re not for everybody.
In a study done in 2017 in the Journal of Pain research, they made the suggestion where they looked at medical cannabis when compared to other kinds of drugs, specially painkiller’s.it was found that half of them used marijuana in place of normal drugs, and many of them were replacing the usage of opioids too.
While this does show the efficacy of this type of alternative medicine, a lot of people do prefer this, and half of the responders definitely noticed that they stopped using this. Some people also noticed that it helps with reducing the use of opioids and even managed to quit them too. This can be better for some, but it does ultimately depend on the condition that you’re treating, but there is research which says that a lot of people may prefer to utilize cannabis too.
Treating Symptoms or Disease
One of the biggest problems that prescription drugs have is they’re only managing the symptoms, but cannabis can help with easing the actual condition. With over 110 different cannabinoids, they are important for the ECS in a lot of cases. With the ECS working to regulate the bodily functions, your appetite, how you manage pain, your sleep conditions, and a lot more, this is great for mimicking the behavior and makeup of these endocannabinoids.
Cannabis is good for treating not just the pain levels, but also helping with managing symptoms as well in plenty of people. Opioids are definitely used to help with stimulating your receptors, making you feel euphoric, and they’re made in similar ways that the brain neurotransmitters are. But the thing is, opioids are basically a mask for the pain, and it can’t really help with the process of healing.
A big part of opioids too, is that they’re addictive. While cannabis dependency does develop in some people, if you’re addicted to opioids, there is always a risk for death in some cases, and with cannabis, you can start to move past the grip that opioids have on the body. Cannabinoid receptors do respond in the same way that they do with traditional painkillers, and many people did manage a reduction, especially over a long period of time.
So should you throw away drugs forever? Not necessarily. They’re still great for treating certain symptoms and conditions, but cannabis does the job better.
