5 Benefits for Mental Health with Medical Marijuana
Benefits for Mental Health
Better mental health and improved quality of life are associated with medical marijuana. A growing number of medical marijuana recommendations are for mental health purposes, like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. More than 3.6 million people around the country are estimated to be medical cannabis consumers.
Improved Quality of Life
According to studies from the American Psychological Association, “patients who used cannabis to treat a range of medical problems including anxiety, had largely improved cognitive performance, reduced clinical symptoms and anxiety-related symptoms as well as a reduced use of conventional medications, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and other mood stabilizers and antidepressants.”
Medical Marijuana for Mental Health
Access to medical cannabis is growing across many states. This access and known benefits continue to lead many to choose it as a treatment option for mental health.
1.Cognitive Boosts
Improved cognitive function was concluded in a study, indicating that “medical marijuana patients may exhibit enhanced, rather than impaired, executive function over time.” Unlike prescription pills or opioids, medical marijuana boosts cognitive function and protects against decline.
2. Quality of Sleep
Another benefit of medical marijuana for mental health is improved quality of sleep. Insomnia is a common symptom of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health disorders. Medical cannabis can help provide a safe and natural alternative to improve sleep.
3. Improvements in Depression Symptoms
Medical marijuana helps improve mental health by boosting dopamine levels, leading to enhanced moods and lower anxiety. Treating depression symptoms with medical marijuana is nonaddictive and can provide better results than when treated with prescriptions.
4. Social Functioning
Increased creativity, less anxiety, improved sexual functioning, relaxation, and improved mood are common benefits associated with social functions with medical cannabis. Many creatives share about their cannabis consumption and how it helps enhance their creative process. Professional and amateur athletes share about how cannabis has helped them train longer and improve recovery.
5. Opioid Reduction
There is preliminary data to support that medical cannabis initiation can help reduce the opioid dose required to produce pain relief or substitute the use of opioids altogether.
Benefits of Medical Marijuana
The benefits of medical marijuana include improved quality of life and better mental health for a growing number of people. As a nonaddictive and safer alternative to prescription opioids, medical marijuana continues to increase as a treatment option. However, unlike other qualifying conditions, some states require additional steps for patients applying for medical marijuana for mental health uses. If you’ve witnessed or experienced a traumatic event and have symptoms including anxiety, depression, or insomnia, you may have PTSD. Many states include PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.
Get a PTSD Diagnosis
Our medical professionals at Elite Evaluations can provide a PTSD diagnosis. One of our state-licensed mental health professionals can provide an accurate diagnosis that your doctor will accept. We specialize in PTSD diagnosis and are familiar with the benefits of using medical marijuana for PTSD symptoms. Get started by completing this PTSD self questionnaire.
