5 Reasons to Eat an Edible Today
Even casual consumers know that there’s more to cannabis than the buzz. Science continues to demonstrate that not only does using cannabis feel good, but it’s good for you. After all, there’s a reason cannabis is prescribed medically.
We made our name with pure, high-potency vape oils. But we also dig our edibles. And after a fair amount of experience with them, we’re convinced that edibles should be recommended to anyone who’s healthy and active – and wants to stay that way.
Here are five ways these goodies can help you level up and maintain peak performance:
Edibles Relieve Chronic Pain
We all get hurt at some point. Cannabis has been used to treat chronic pain since the old days (and we mean the old old days, such as in Ancient China). Today, we know that it’s CBD contained in edibles that does the magic work of reducing chronic or neuropathic pain.
The National Institute of Health says that “…(use of) marijuana or cannabinoids may be efficacious for these indications.”
The rest of that report, when translated into plain English, indicates that inhaling cannabis can grant you a short reprieve from your ailments. But for more profound relief, turn to the body high of an edible. It kicks in slower, but lasts longer.
Micro-dosing with small bites of edibles (eating a gummy or nibbling the edge of a chocolate square) is a smart way to dim flashes of pain over a long time period. More enjoyable (and much safer, scientists agree), than popping a painkiller.
When you’re treating pain it’s of course possible to use CBD oil that doesn’t contain the more psychoactive THC compound. But where’s the fun in that?
They Reduce Soreness & Inflammation
We’ve all limped around for a few days after the first 14-er of the season. The soreness reminds you that you’re mortal and turns a flight of stairs into a Herculean challenge.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Endless studies have shown cannabinoids reduce muscle inflammation, which makes an edible the best medicine for after your hike. It will help you reset more quickly for the next trip.
They Can Help with Anxiety & Depression
A healthy body won’t do you much good without a clear head.
For those in a funk, cannabis could help provide a nice little boost. It does this by stimulating the endocannabinoid system (which is the system responsible for your runner’s high) and spurring neurogenesis – two of the same effects that come from taking antidepressants.
A number of people have turned to the green for help with the blues, and a study reported on by the Journal of Psychopharmacology indicated that CBD can help diminish the severity of “learned fear responses” (read: anxiety).
Edibles May Help Fight Cancer
This should be of interest to everyone. Scientific tests on lab rats, cited by the National Cancer Institute, have shown that “Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth… and metastasis.”
While there have not been large-scale clinical trials on humans (yet), there are anecdotal reports of cancer patients successfully treating tumors with CBD oil.
Right now, we can’t officially classify cannabis as a “miracle drug.” But that could change in the future. We’re eager to see where this goes.
They Could Protect Your Brain
First, the bad news: Alzheimer’s disease will eventually affect about 10% of us.
Now some good: preliminary evidence suggests that cannabis can block the formation of amyloid beta, a plaque found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.
One of the authors of a study performed at the Salk Institute reports that “…cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells.”
A firm link between cannabis and Alzheimer’s hasn’t been officially reported yet, but we’re willing to eat a magic truffle on the off-chance it could help us out down the line.
And beyond all of this, well, there’s the simple fact that edibles are delicious. Whenever you decide to prescribe yourself some goodies, stop in at a local dispensary. We’ve got a chocolate bar or a fruit jelly waiting for you. Though it will taste like a guilty pleasure, it’s actually the opposite. |
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-teenage-mind/201105/history-cannabis-in-ancient-china
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26103031
https://www.livescience.com/61700-can-marijuana-curb-opioid-epidemic.html
http://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/ww_en_db_study_show.php?s_id=507
https://patents.google.com/patent/US6630507
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq#link/_26_toc
https://www.greenstate.com/health/explainer-does-marijuana-cure-cancer/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160629095609.htm
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