With the discovery of its many health benefits, legalization of recreational and medicinal cannabis is trending in America. Today, eight states have legalized recreational marijuana — Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington — and the District of Columbia. The use of medicinal marijuana is legal in 21 states.

The legalization of the plant means there is a growing interest. Fed up with high drug costs from pharmaceutical companies, people are looking to alternative, more natural ways of treating their health conditions. Knowing that cannabis has many health benefits, there has been a push across the United States to make it legal and affordable.

Before you run out to your local dispensary, it is good to know some facts about marijuana. You should know that it is beneficial to those with epilepsy, anxiety, and pain. According to various studies, marijuana helps with chemotherapy's side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite. What you don't know may surprise, even shock you.

3 Interesting Facts About Marijuana

The science of cannabis is, by far, the most exciting subject about the plant. The endocannabinoid system in the human body, marijuana as a cancer treatment, and its low risk are the three topics you will find below that are currently of great interest.

Cannabis Products Are Growing In Popularity

With this legalization trend comes a curiosity, just how much weed is being used worldwide? Is everybody high? In 2018, research showed that more than 11.8 million young adults in the United States had used marijuana in the past year. A 2015 review indicated that 22.2 million people in the US had used marijuana in the past month.

Some of you may think that you do not want the high that weed gives you. But, you do not have to get high to enjoy the benefits of cannabis.

Cannabis contains both THC and CBD, where THC gets you high; CBD does not. Plus, the only way to legally get THC products in most states is to have a prescription and buy them at a dispensary. You do not need one to buy CBDfx capsules . You can purchase CBD at places as convenient as online.

Moreover, according to research , alcohol is more harmful than marijuana. Cannabis is also much less dangerous than hardcore street drugs, including cocaine and heroin, and tobacco.

However, before you run out and buy CBD, be sure you are getting it from a reputable company. Not all CBD is the same. The potency, efficacy, and ingredients in CBD are all different. And you will want to get the best price available for the highest quality. So, do your research. Ask around. Visit local holistic clinics and see what they are selling. As with any drug or medication, always consult with your doctor before taking CBD. 

Although not regulated by the FDA, most doctors know about CBD and can give an informed recommendation. 

Cannabis’s Interaction With The Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system is a molecular system that regulates and balances many processes in the body, including immune response, cell communication, appetite and metabolism, memory, and more. In 1992, researchers Dr. Lumir Hanus and Dr. William Devane discovered the endocannabinoid anandamide at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Similar to cannabinoids (found in marijuana), our bodies also produce endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoids are also known as endogenous cannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system works with cannabis to assist with the body's natural abilities. 

Cannabis as a Cancer Treatment?

Cannabis is proven with various studies to be an effective treatment for chemotherapy's side effects, including lack of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. In one study, for example, 15 patients were given both oral THC and smoked marijuana. All of these patients had been treated with high‐dose methotrexate. Compared with a placebo group of patients, the study results indicated that oral THC and smoked marijuana were effective in decreasing nausea and vomiting in 14 out of 15 patients. 

Additionally, animal studies indicate that a compound of cannabis can prevent further development of some types of aggressive cancer cells. Although limited, there have been many studies to study cannabis’s ability to fight cancer. According to a review of the medicinal use of cannabis in the United States, cancer cells have cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoids have antitumoral effects in vivo and in vitro according to preclinical studies of glioma, hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, breast cancer, and melanoma.

This comes after much research and controversy about the cause and effect of smoking cannabis and lung cancer. In a comparative study of men in the Maghreb, the research suggests that smoking marijuana causes lung cancer. Still, the studies are somewhat tainted because the participants were also cigarette smokers.

Final Thoughts

For many reasons, including the above three, marijuana has been here for years and will continue to stay. There are so many different facts about marijuana that you can get smothered in the subject. If you're interested, there is much to learn and experience when it comes to cannabis consumption. Some information you might already know, like different ways to consume it. But, there is so much more to learn.