As research on marijuana continues, its true potential as a medicine is finally being recognized.
The list of ailments that can be treated or aided with medical marijuana seems to be constantly growing. A new study has just highlighted yet another ailment that could benefit from marijuana.
The international journal Psychopharmacology has released findings from a study on the effects of marijuana use on individual stress levels. The study compared two groups, those who used marijuana and those who did not. Cortisol levels were measured to test how much stress an individual was experiencing. Cortisol is considered a reliable indicator of stress and higher levels typically indicate an individual is experiencing more stress.
Researchers found that “chronic cannabis use is associated with blunted stress reactivity.” The real question is whether or not researchers realized that their conclusion is filled with marijuana slang terms.
The full statement from the journal’s conclusion is below:
“Subjective stress ratings and cortisol levels were significantly higher in non-users in the stress condition relative to non-users in the no stress condition. In contrast, cannabis users demonstrated blunted stress reactivity; specifically, they showed no increase in cortisol and a significantly smaller increase in subjective stress ratings. The stress manipulation had no impact on cannabis users’ self-reported cravings or withdrawal symptoms.”
As current prescription medication comes under fire for its potential for abuse, marijuana may become a preferred method of treatment for the future. While this may only represent one study, the results are promising. More research is obviously required before marijuana replaces Xanax, but we could soon live in a world where safer treatments are the norm.
