Better Access to Cannabis equals Better Mental Heath
Dana Smith of Cannabis.net has an excellent deep dive into a recent study that sheds new light on cannabis, chronic pain, and mental health:
According to a recent study out of Cambridge in the United Kingdom conducted by researchers from Switzerland’s University of Basel, patients with chronic health problems most especially chronic pain experience significant improvements in their mental health after medical marijuana has been legalized. The researchers assessed feedback from 7.9 million participants of an online survey conducted from 1993 through 2018.
The findings, which were published in Health Economics, Policy, and Law, revealed: “Eased access to marijuana through medical marijuana laws reduce the reported number of days with poor mental health for individuals who consume marijuana for medical purposes and for those individuals who likely suffer from frequent pain.”
They also found that medical marijuana legalization didn’t impact the youth and recreational consumers. “Overall, our results show that medical cannabis legalization in the USA benefits the people it is intended for without harming other groups,” according to Professor Alois Stutzer. He also summarized that there a clear association between mental wellness and liberalization.
The findings of a similar study were released in 2023; it was conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney. They polled over 2,300 patients who were prescribed cannabis in the form of CBD and THC in a carrier oil from November 2020 through December 2021. The participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 97, and almost 2/3 of them were female.
The participants were asked to measure their quality of life relating to their overall health, pain, sleep, depression and anxiety before they began therapy with marijuana. They were polled again after 2 weeks of therapy, a routine that continued monthly for 3 months.
“Within the first three months of medicinal cannabis therapy, participants reported improvements in their health-related quality of life, fatigue, and health conditions associated with anxiety, depression, and pain,” explained Margaret-Ann Tait, a senior research officer to SWNS.
Additionally, the researchers reported that the patients experienced significant benefits when it came to their fatigue, pain, and quality of life.
The struggles with mental health are even more intense for cancer patients. However, medical marijuana use has been shown to help reduce depression, anxiety, and fatigue in patients diagnosed with cancer. A single-center, case-matched study conducted on 74 patients who were recently diagnosed with head and neck cancers found that cannabis users, compared to non users, reported less pain, better well-being, less fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
Lots more at Cannabis.net, and please as you are enjoying your high, remember that for many, access to safe & affordable cannabis is literally a life and death issue for many.
photo credit: Weed by the Woodstove by Dip Devices
