Fight Back Against Seasonal Affective Disorder

The United States is slowly but surely becoming more aware of the importance of mental health and how it affects people. Now that the baby boomers are slowly dying off, we can begin to see more compassionate and sensical people take the reins in addressing important issues like mental health in our country today. The great thing about the addition of medical marijuana programs in various states is that it allows for better treatment of certain mental health disorders. 

Mental health disorders are in the rise in the United States, and marijuana has become a great means of alternative treatment. Many studies and clinical research suggest the effectiveness of cannabis for treating things like stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. Moreover, medical marijuana can begin to replace more traditional, and potentially harmful, methods of treating these conditions like prescription medications. 

While some prescription medications do help treat anxiety and depression, many synthetic medications do more harm than good in the long run. Of course, the most effective treatment for any mental health disorder is therapy, but therapy often works best in conjunction with other forms of medication. Why shouldn’t it be medical marijuana? If you want to read and learn more about this subject, make sure that you keep on reading. Today I wanted to talk about seasonal affective disorder and how it can be treated with some good old fashioned marijuana. 

So what is seasonal affective disorder? Well, it is actually a form of depression and is a clinical condition listed in the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders. Not everyone believes that seasonal affective disorder is a real thing, but in many ways, it affects millions of people in the United States each year. People that have been diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder often struggle with a few select symptoms, including but not limited to insomnia, headaches, body aches, mood volatility, and low energy. Depression can also cause one to lose or gain more of an appetite, causing further weight loss or gain. Anyway you slice it, depression is no joke. 

Oftentimes, seasonal affective disorder occurs during the winter, especially in more northern states that spend longer days in the dark and see the sun much less. However, this type of depression can occur for anyone during any season. The sad thing about seasonal affective disorder is that not many people actually seek treatment or even realize that they are depressed. They simply go on with their lives hoping to find some hope of joy in the future. People with this type of depression can go long periods of time without treatment or support, and this is a really sad reality that too many people are facing each year. So what can marijuana do to treat this type of disorder? Well, I’ll tell you right now!

If you have never used marijuana before, you may have a lot of concerns about using it to treat a disorder like depression. How does it actually work? Does it have side effects? What if my depression gets worse? Do I have to be stoned out of my mind each night for it to work? While I understand that it can be overwhelming to look into using medical marijuana for the first time, I hope that I can clear a few things up in this post. When using medical marijuana, getting super high is not the goal. You want to work with your healthcare provider to find a dosage, strain, and product type that works best for you and allows you to manage your symptoms without inhibiting your way of life. After all, isn’t that the purpose of using drugs and medications?

How Cannabis Helps to Fight Back Against Opioid Addiction

One of the more serious problems in the United States is related to drug overdose deaths. Did you know that, recently the United States hit a new record high of more than 96,000 deaths related to drug overdose in a 12 month period. You would think that, in a society that continues to expand and advance in the medical and health industry, we would have more success in finding ways to prevent such deaths. 

The truth is that these deaths are preventable, and that makes them all the more sad. One of the most successful and effective alternatives to using opioids and other strong prescription drugs is medical marijuana. In fact, part of the reason that states have gone to such lengths to legalize medical marijuana programs has to do with reducing the amount of opioid deaths in the country.

The more we continue to learn about opioids, the more we realize that they are not that effective for a lot of people, and that they can often lead down dark roads of addiction and other problems. Did you know that prescription opioid medications are one of the leading causes of overdose deaths in the United States? Honestly, we should be doing better as a nation at this point. If you are someone who has relied on opioids to deal with various conditions or chronic pain, you may want to consider using medical marijuana. Today in this article I wanted to take some time to write about using medical marijuana instead of other dangerous prescriptions and why you should be doing that.

So what’s so bad about prescription opioids? Afterall, doctors would not prescribe them to patients if they could be so harmful, right? Well, that’s not really the case. We need to remember that, as an American people, pharmaceutical companies are not going to care about our actual health. They are simply interested in taking our money. One of the reasons that opioids are potentially high risk for patients is because they become less effective for pain relief over time. 

In fact, in some cases, patients reported that opioid medications can actually increase levels of pain if not prescribed properly. This is because the body fights back against the opioids ability to numb pain receptors. It does this by increasing the amount of pain that is sent to those same receptors, meaning that just continues to get worse. Then the patient has to use more and more of the same opioid in order to feel the same level of relief. 

Can you see how this might lead to addiction and overdose? It is pretty clear in my opinion. Marijuana works differently. Cannabis has been used for decades now to treat a variety of conditions, ranging from anxiety to chronic pain. While we do not know all there is to know about how cannabis relieves pain, we do know that it does it quite well. 

Otherwise, why would millions of medical marijuana patients in the United States be using cannabis to treat their health conditions? In fact, as the marijuana industry in our country continues to evolve and become more clinically proven, growers and cultivators will be able to produce strains that are unique for dealing with symptoms of pain. In fact, certain strains of cannabis are already notoriously used for treating pain in specific conditions. So if you are someone that has a condition that causes a lot of pain, I heavily suggest looking into using medical marijuana if it is legal in your state. Even if you end up not choosing to use it in the long run, at least you have another option to try instead of turning straight to something like an opioid.

Best Low-Odor Strains

If you’re someone who is sensitive to the smell of cannabis, or maybe you just absolutely hate it, you probably want a strain that’s low-odor.  While you can use carbon filters and whatnot in your growing medium, it can still smell, and if you don’t want to worry about odors, here are some of the best strains out there for you to try. Plus, it also helps those who are sensitive to the smell, and don’t want it in your hair and clothes can benefit from this. You should try this if you still struggle to keep your house smelling fresh, and you have tried to mask this with other kinds of smells, but it doesn’t really work. 

Northern Lights 

Northern lights is one that does have an earthy, spicy smell to this, and it can be fruity as well. The smell is definitely a bit generic though, so it’s great to grow, and you’ll get buds that are resinous too. The THC is very high in this, and it’s good for relaxing. It does have quick yields too, and if you want to use this as a mother plant, it’s one of the best to reduce smells in your growing medium. 

Blue mystic 

This is another one that’s basically the hybrid of northern lights and blueberry. It’s basically got terpenes and flavonoids that smell like blueberry, and it is something that does have a berry smell to this, and it can be great for a lot of people who want a nice, good indica high. This also doesn’t have a very pungent stench, and it doesn’t take long for it to flower. 

Royal Jack Auto 

This is one that you can harvest within 70 days or so, and it’s great because it definitely is a simple, pleasant high. It’s basically one of the Jack Herer varieties that are out there named for the activist who is responsible for the legalization of cannabis in many cases. It’s a high that’s pretty uplifting and simple.  it also has ruderalis genetics within this, which is something that makes it easier to grow, but it does require you to also factor in that it does have a scent that’s more fruity and sweet, almost like caramel but a bit more subtle. It also does have the white Widow genetics too, so you’ll get an amazing high after you’ve ingested this one. 

Royal Ceramic 

This is a great strain all around for those who want something compact, and also offers an odor that’s discreet. This is something that also features white rhino genetics, and it’s something that’s sensational, and it does keep this hidden. It will truly delight the entire senses, and it will also offer you a chance to have this grow quite fast, and really is a great plant for those who want an easy grow. 

Quick One 

Finally, we’ve got quick one, which is a lowrider variant, and is famous for flowering super-fast, and also has a scent that’s absolutely subdued. It does come with ruderalis genetics that will keep this nice and short, manageable, and very discreet too. It doesn’t get that tall, and it can grow super-fast too. This is also a great one that also grows well in climates that are colder too, so if you’re growing in a place that’s a bit chilly, you’ll be able to definitely have it work for you. Plus, it also has a scent that is there, and it’s also fruity, not distinct, and also won’t be something that you can smell if you don’t’ want people to know.

Cannabis and Constipation

For a long time, many have tried to address gut health and issues. With more and more different ways to handle it than ever, we’ve all started to look at how cannabis can impact constipation. 

What constipation is? 

This is when you’re unable to have bowel movements as often, and this is something that’s affected many people for a lot of reasons, and it’s usually a common, not serious matter. This can sometimes cause someone to have more or less often than they should, like once a week, or three times a day. But if you’re going more than about three days without a pass, it can be a problem. It also can cause stomach aches, bloating, diarrhea, and also flatulence too. Diarrhea is usually more often though, and it’s causing watery stools that are much looser too. It can happen for a variety of reasons, such as what you eat, the abuse of laxatives or other gut health problems. 

How cannabis Might Help 

Cannabis is something that's been used for a variety of issues, including digestive problems, in both clinical trials, and non-clinical ways too. But the science is still limited. However, it’s been found that THC is great for IBD, and reduces the occurrence of diarrhea in a lot of people.  This also shows that it can help too with the way stool passes through the intestinal tract. 

Cannabis is also being studied in a lot of ways to help with stomach issues due to certain drugs. While we tend to use opioids to help with relieving pain, they can create constipation. 

Cannabis is still being looked at as a way to reduce the opioid use, and it’s something that limits the effects that come with it, including constipation.  Cannabis is also something that’s appreciated for the chance of someone experiencing a relaxed state.  They also feel more relaxed, so it’s easier to have bowel movements. 

There are still reports of this being contradictory though, since some people have noticed that their bowel movements got worse, and constipation happened more when they used this more often. However, most who have cannabis constipation also deal with IBS, and constipation is a very common side effect that comes with this. 

Right now, the current evidence that’s surrounding this is still primary and anecdotal, and more studies must be used. But there is some research that links both the endocannabinoid system and your gut, and there is a chance there might be more answers to the questions we may have. 

Is Weed Considered a Laxative Though? 

Some people say that weed may be a laxative, but the truth is, there was research that saw that there was a decrease in experiencing the effects of constipation.

However, this was mostly due to utilizing cannabis in order to relax the body, and it can help relax all of the muscles in the body, even those in the gut. 

The form that you have this does also cause the effects too. Nicotine can be a mild laxative for example if you have a very low tolerance for it. 

If you’re mixing cannabis with nicotine, it can loosen up the stools, especially if you’re someone who already has healthy bowel movements. 

If you have cannabis foods, it also can create this too. Remember too as well that all of the cannabinoids that go into the stomach get a chance, and then, it’s put into some sort of chemical manner and it might not be as gentle as other forms are within the stomach. 

So right now, this is what we know about cannabis and constipation.

Cannabis for Arthritis

Medical cannabis is something that's been super popular to treat practically anything. One of the most popular things that it can help to treat is arthritis, as this is one that helps with pain relief. This is something that's been used for millennia to treat various problems. According to the CDC, about a quarter of Americans have some form of arthritis. This includes: 

• Osteoarthritis 

• Rheumatoid 

• Psoriatic arthritis 

• Lupus 

• Gout 

Cannabis to use this to treat this is not something new, with more and more using this, and it’s been found that almost everyone who was surveyed by the Arthritis Foundation has decided to use cannabis to help with arthritis relief. 

How to Use It 

For a lot of people, this could be what they’re looking for, but right now, there is no authority which says that cannabis is a surefire arthritis cure. However, there are still tons of anecdotal aspects that do show the link between cannabis usage and arthritis, which have since been published, and many are confirming that medical cannabis does offer major relief from the symptoms of arthritis. 

This is something that many uses to treat different arthritis symptoms, and many have expressed that CBD in particular is great for arthritic pain. According to another scientific study, it was discovered that it can help to treat a lot of symptoms, especially involving chronic pain. About 39% of the people who were surveyed by this are associated ith chronic pain and medical cannabis, and a lot of people mentioned that it did help with the symptoms. Some of the problems that cannabis for arthritis could help with included: 

• Pain in the joints 

• Pain in the muscles 

• Relying too much on opioids 

• Sleep issues 

Some have also found that medical cannabis does help with depression, along ith anxiety, and it’s been linked to a lot of issues, including depression and anxiety that comes from arthritis. This is approved in the US for medical reasons, but the problem with this, is that the current research that's there for humans is limited at best, with most of the studies being from animal lab settings. 

Why it Might Help 

This is something that is still being documented, although there are a lot of sources that know some things. A lot of medical organizations have a lot of studies done about the possibility of cannabis to relieve pain. Some studies also found that cannabis is great for pain relief, as it can directly work with the cannabinoid receptors, which involve both perception and pain signaling. 

These substances are great for the reduction of pain as they work with your endocannabinoid receptors, plus ith the anti-inflammatory results that come from this, there is a  chance that it may work to reduce the chronic pain. Based on a revie article, they found that the results on whether or not medical cannabis helps with arthritis, specifically the osteoarthritis pain, are currently promising. It may help with the reduction of this pin, inflammation that comes from this, and also the nerve damage that may happen with arthritis in animals.

However, the substances that are in the medical cannabis are still being studied, but it has found that it does work with the ECS, which is a great place to help with the pain that comes from this. 

At this point, there is still more studies to be done, and there is no definitive evidence. But for a lot of people, the use of medical cannabis can be great, especially for the treatment and usage of this that comes from this too.