Over the years, there have been multiple claims that cannabis may provide actual health benefits. Some of them have already been proven or debunked, but there is still some confusion on what it can do to one’s immune system.
Some of the health benefits of cannabis that are backed up by studies are its effects on chronic pain, muscle spasms and control epileptic issues, Business Insider reports. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just recently approved Epidiolex—a drug used to treat rare types of epilepsy on children two years and below. It is the first drug to be approved that has cannabidiol (CBD) as an active ingredient. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound that can be found in cannabis plants.
Cannabis on the immune system
There are also some studies that some chemical compounds that are found in marijuana could slow cancer from spreading, per Huffington Post. Cannabis is a known suppressant, so one may ask how can it improve the immune system? According to Civilized, this may be actually good for some people with certain medical conditions.
For instance, some autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and Chron’s disease are believed to be caused by the overactive immune system. This means suppressing the immune systems of the patients with these conditions could be beneficial—it is basically stopping the body from attacking itself.
For cases with compromised immune systems (e.g. HIV, hepatitis, Ebola, etc.), some researchers have also found that the anti-inflammatory properties of medical cannabis could lessen the damages caused by these diseases.
According to a recent report, several studies suggest that phytocannabinoids could possibly stop cancer cells from spreading and multiplying by blocking the tumors’ blood supply and reducing its ability to endure cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. This means that the effects of cannabis go beyond managing cancer symptoms. They also said that the phytocannabinoids could stimulate the brain, immune system and hormone system to fight the cancer cells.
