CANNAHEALTH Digestive Health | Page 25

his patients used Cannabis/marijuana to help gain an appetite. He said that many did use Cannabis/marijuana but explained to me that if I needed a Cannabis prescription, it would be for edibles only, no vaping because he believed it could damage my lungs.

With that said, I researched Cannabis to assist in the treatment process of pancreatic cancer and moved past my nervous stomach requesting the prescription for marijuana from the doctor. Through research, (KindGreenBuds, 2017) suggests that Cannabis/marijuana can be used to assist in a wide variety of diseases and symptoms related to the gastrointestinal system. The use of medical marijuana to treat digestive system problems is time-tested, and is usually a safer intervention than the use of pharmaceutical drugs or surgery if education about Cannabis is introduced. Diseases that include: Chron’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, bulimia, acid reflux, and appetite loss are some of the diseases and conditions that medical marijuana patients have treated using medical marijuana for extended periods of time.

I used the Cannabis/marijuana edibles for appetite loss specifically during chemotherapy. Studies indicate that cannabinoids in marijuana bind with cannabinoid receptors in the digestive tract, especially the small and large intestine, causing muscle relaxation, reduction of inflammation, analgesia, increased nerve-muscle coordination, anti-emesis, and relief of spasms such as those that cause continuous nausea.

When I was released from the hospital, I was given (2) pharmaceutical medications to help fight nausea after surgery along with Tramadol, a synthetic opioid narcotic for pain that upset my digestive system something fierce. I’m guessing some form of marijuana would have been better in my

case and cheaper. It seems we (society) have an issue trying to duplicate what is already here in terms of marijuana and its healing properties within the digestive system (Kind Green Buds, 2017).

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