Medical Marijuana: 8 Conditions Where Cannabis May Help

The conditions where medical cannabis has the strongest evidence are chronic pain, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and the muscle stiffness of multiple sclerosis; research also points to possible benefits for insomnia, HIV/AIDS, anxiety and depression, glaucoma and Alzheimer's. Medical marijuana simply means using the cannabis plant, or the compounds in it, to treat diseases or symptoms. It's basically the same product as recreational weed, just used for medical or therapeutic purposes.

The cannabis plant contains more than 100 different compounds called cannabinoids, and each one acts on the body differently. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the main cannabis compounds used in medicine. THC is what's behind cannabis's psychoactive effects, in other words, the high you get when you consume it. 

Most of the evidence for cannabis's therapeutic effects has to do with its ability to reduce chronic pain, chemo-related nausea and vomiting, and the spasticity and tight, stiff muscles caused by multiple sclerosis.

Cannabinoids, the active compounds in medical marijuana, are similar to chemicals your body makes on its own that are involved in appetite, memory, movement and pain.

Research so far suggests cannabinoids may: reduce anxiety, reduce inflammation and relieve pain, control nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy, kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth (so far mostly in lab studies), relax tight muscles in people with multiple sclerosis, and stimulate appetite and help with weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS.

Chronic pain

Lots of patients turn to cannabis for chronic pain, and there's substantial scientific evidence that it can help. In clinical trials with people dealing with excruciating health problems, including spinal cord injury, HIV, complex regional pain syndrome, cancer, chemotherapy, muscle and joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, cannabis has reduced pain for a meaningful share of participants, though results vary from study to study.

Insomnia

By binding to cannabinoid receptors on brain cells, THC and CBD may team up to improve sleep, at least in the short term, in people with insomnia caused by pain, obstructive sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and anxiety.

HIV/AIDS

Several studies point to cannabis's benefits as palliative care for this disease. Patients report that cannabis helps people with HIV gain weight, improves their mood and sleep, and helps manage pain. 

Depression, anxiety and PTSD

In surveys of older adults who use medical cannabis, most say cannabis-based medicine has helped with one or more of these conditions. For depression, some patients report a clear drop in symptoms with high-CBD products, though clinical evidence is still limited.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that can raise the pressure inside the eyeball, damaging the optic nerve and causing vision loss. Cannabis can temporarily lower the intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma, which may help slow the disease's progression.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

People with multiple sclerosis are among the largest groups of medical marijuana users, right behind chronic pain patients. That's because there's solid science on cannabis's ability to reduce MS muscle spasms.

Cancer pain

Patients often report that cannabis works well for cancer pain and for the side effects of cancer treatment: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss. That doesn't mean it should be used to treat cancer itself, just the symptoms the disease causes. While some studies show progress in this area, medicine still doesn't have enough evidence to build cannabis-based anti-cancer treatments.

Alzheimer's disease

Beta-amyloid plaques are the deposits that build up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, leading to progressive cognitive decline. A report published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that THC lowered beta-amyloid levels shortly after it was given, in lab research. 

While several studies show benefits of cannabis treatments for different conditions and ailments, it's extremely important to talk to a doctor or healthcare professional before medicating for any of these conditions, since some medications may not mix well with cannabis treatment. Remember that no two bodies are the same or work the same way, so checking with a specialist is always the smart move.