Arthritis is gradually becoming a common disease that affects more than 40 million people in the United States. Arthritis basically refers to joint inflammation. “Arth” means joints, and “itis” means inflammation. However, it is not a single disease. There are over 100 different forms of arthritis. In fact, arthritis is the major cause of disability in people in the United States. Even though there are various ointments, medications and treatments available that can help with arthritis, they don’t work for every person. This has made an increasing number of people interested in treating arthritis with medical marijuana provided they get cannabis card renewal in a timely manner.
Although arthritis is supposed to be a disease of older people, it affects people of all age groups from all walks of life, including 6-9% of children and teenagers. Arthritis can be extremely painful and can even rob the sleep of the sufferer. It makes performing daily life activities extremely difficult.
Symptom of Arthritis
The warning signs for arthritis include:
- Joint pain
- Joint swelling
- Joint stiffness
- Difficulty moving one or more joints (limited range of motion)
Cannabis is now legal in 33 states of the United States that allow people with many serious medical conditions to use cannabis to get relief. And arthritis is no exception.
According to some experts, medical marijuana is a miracle herb that has the potential to reduce the symptoms of medical problems such as arthritis, depression, anxiety, and even cancer. However, since cannabis is still federally illegal, you are required to carry a valid cannabis card.
If your card is expired, get your cannabis card renewal immediately to continue using cannabis.
Arthritis and Medical Marijuana
Arthritis is triggered by joint inflammation, and medical marijuana is popular for being a great anti-inflammatory agent. Cannabis has around 100 different cannabinoids present in it out of which CBD and THC are the two most popular ones that help in fighting inflammation and pain.
When the potential of medical marijuana in alleviating chronic pain was first noticed by some researchers, they did not know how it helps. They, then, found out that individuals with arthritis problems have very high CB1 receptor levels.
It was concluded that cannabis has certain substances that interact with those receptors and help in reducing inflammation and pain. Moreover, it was also discovered that THC is very effective in alleviating inflammation being the essential substance binding to those receptors. THC can alter molecules, reducing inflammation significantly.
Also Read: What’s The Importance of Medical Marijuana Card Renewal
CBD, another actively present substance in medical marijuana, can also help relieve pain and inflammation caused by arthritis.
- As per a 2011 study, CBD assisted in reducing inflammation pain in rats by altering the way CB1 and CB2 receptors interact with stimuli.
- As per 2014 study, CBD works great for OA
- As per 2016 study, using CBD in the form of topicals can significantly reduce inflammation and pain caused by arthritis.
- As per 2017, it was discovered that CBD may be a safe alternative for OA joint pain.
Best Cannabis Strains for Arthritis :
If you think cannabis is the right treatment for you and you want to try it, you must consult with one of the best medical marijuana doctors. This will help you know if it is actually beneficial for you or not.
After evaluating your medical condition, the doctor will issue a recommendation letter that verifies that you can benefit from the use of medical marijuana. This recommendation letter will allow you to legally buy and consume cannabis from local dispensaries and online stores.
If you are new to the world of cannabis and have never tried it before, you might not know which cannabis strain would be best to treat arthritis. Here is the list of best cannabis strains for arthritis recommended by the patients:
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Cannatonic
Cannatonic is considered to be the best medical hybrid strain for reducing inflammation and pain. It has low THC content and high CBD levels. It has been used to treat every type of pain and muscle spasms, making it extremely popular among people with arthritis.
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GSC or Girl Scout Cookies
Girl Scout Cookies or GSC is a hybrid strain and known for its high THC levels. It is often used to relieve severe pain. Apart from reducing pain, it is great for fighting against depression and stress which can be caused by arthritis in some patients.
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Anesthesia
As the name suggests, it helps you get rid of any kind of pain in absolutely no time. It is an Indica strain and is often recommended to use at night as it’s very sedating. Anesthesia will give a high cerebral buzz and a body-high.
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Harmonia
Harmonia is an Indica strain but is not very sedating. The strain has higher CBD levels and does not have psychoactive effects. Harmonia is great for reducing inflammation and pain significantly without giving you high effects.
Cannabis seems like a promising treatment option for people with arthritis. If it affects brain receptors and the immune system in the way that medical practitioners believe, it can prove to be extremely beneficial in treating arthritis. Get your medical marijuana card online and start your arthritis treatment right away.
