
It’s true that cannabis has a lot of medical benefits, but it’s more beneficial than you think in treating rare disorders. Rare disorders like Dravet syndrome, LGS, Tourette syndrome, Myasthenia gravis, etc affect a small percentage of people but treating these diseases comes with unique challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and management.
Sometimes it’s become impossible to treat these rare disorders to relieve the pain of patients. And, here cannabis is used for treating diseases and relieving the pain of patients. Now, we will talk about how cannabis can help rare orders patients and it’s uses, benefits, case studies, also some precautions that you should keep in mind.
Let’s start!
What Is Cannabis and Why Is It Called Medical Marijuana?
Okay, now let’s get to know about cannabis. You might be surprised to know that cannabis has been used for centuries for various purposes, including recreational & medicinal, and industrial applications. Because it is used for medical purposes, it’s called medical marijuana.
Cannabis is mainly a plant containing chemical compounds called cannabinoids, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). These compounds interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system to produce various effects. THC is responsible for the psychoactive effects, or the “high,” while CBD is non-psychoactive and often associated with therapeutic benefits.
And the compound CBD is used in the medical industry to treat patients with rare diseases. Let’s know in what situation doctors prescribe CBD to treat patients:
- Chronic Pain Relief: Helps manage pain caused by conditions like arthritis or nerve damage.
- Anxiety and Depression: Provides calming effects and mood stabilization for some patients.
- Seizure Disorders: FDA-approved drugs like Epidiolex (derived from CBD) are used for epilepsy.
- Cancer Treatment Side Effects: Cannabis reduces nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by chemotherapy.
And it does not end here. The use of cannabis or medical marijuana is not limited. We will gradually bring it up later. Stay tuned!
What Are the Uses of Cannabis?
We already told that cannabis has been used for a long time for medical, recreational, and industrial purposes. Right below, we elaborated on the uses.
1. Medical Uses
Cannabis is widely recognized for its therapeutic benefits, which include:
- Pain Management: Cannabis alleviates chronic pain caused by conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or migraines.
- Seizure Control: Effective in managing epilepsy, with FDA-approved drugs like Epidiolex (CBD-based).
- Mental Health: May reduce anxiety, depression, PTSD, and insomnia symptoms.
- Appetite Stimulation: Helps treat appetite loss in patients undergoing chemotherapy or with HIV/AIDS.
- Inflammation Reduction: Provides relief for autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease or multiple sclerosis.
- Nausea and Vomiting Relief: Commonly used to mitigate chemotherapy-induced nausea.
- Help treating rare disorders: Cannabis-based treatments can provide relief for certain symptoms.
2. Recreational Uses
Cannabis is often used recreationally for its psychoactive effects, primarily caused by THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). These include:
- Relaxation and Euphoria: Creates a sense of calm and happiness.
- Enhanced Creativity: Some users report heightened creativity and focus.
- Social Enjoyment: Used in social settings for its mood-enhancing effects.
3. Industrial Uses (Hemp)
The non-psychoactive variety of cannabis, hemp, has numerous industrial applications:
- Textiles and Fabrics: Hemp fibers are durable and used for making clothing, ropes, and bags.
- Building Materials: Hempcrete, a bio-composite material, is eco-friendly and sustainable.
- Food Products: Hemp seeds are nutritious and used to make oil, protein powder, and snacks.
- Paper Production: A renewable alternative to wood pulp.
- Bioplastics: Hemp is used in manufacturing biodegradable plastics.
4. Wellness and Cosmetic Uses
Cannabis extracts, especially CBD (cannabidiol), are increasingly popular in the wellness and beauty industry:
- Skincare Products: CBD-infused creams and lotions help reduce inflammation and acne.
- Stress Relief: CBD oils, tinctures, and edibles promote relaxation without psychoactive effects.
- Sleep Aids: Cannabis products are often used to improve sleep quality.
For now, that’s it, now I will talk about the properties of cannabis so that it can help reduce the symptoms of rare disorders. If you want to know more about the medical uses of cannabis, you can go through our other blogs such as medical marijuana for anxiety, cannabis use for cancer patients, cannabis use for ADHD, etc
Some Rare Disorders That Cannabis Can Help
Do you know? Cannabis has been studied for years because of its potential to help manage symptoms of various rare disorders. Although cannabis certainly can not cure rare disorders, but cannabis-based treatments can provide relief for certain symptoms. Here are some rare disorders where cannabis has shown potential benefits:
1. Dravet Syndrome
- What It Is: A rare, drug-resistant form of epilepsy that begins in infancy.
- How Cannabis Helps: Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to reduce seizure frequency in patients with Dravet Syndrome significantly. The FDA-approved drug Epidiolex (CBD-based) is specifically used for this condition.
2. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS)
- What It Is: Another severe, drug-resistant form of epilepsy that develops in childhood.
- How Cannabis Helps: Like Dravet Syndrome, CBD has been effective in reducing seizure frequency in patients with LGS. Epidiolex is also approved for treating this condition.
3. Tourette Syndrome
- What It Is: A neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary tics or movements.
- How Cannabis Helps: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, has shown promise in reducing tics and associated symptoms like anxiety.
4. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Spasticity
- What It Is: A rare autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the nervous system, causing muscle spasticity, pain, and other symptoms.
- How Cannabis Helps: Cannabis-based medicines like Sativex (a combination of THC and CBD) are approved in some countries for treating spasticity and pain in MS patients.
5. Myasthenia gravis
- What It Is: An autoimmune condition causing progressive weakening of the skeletal muscles.
- How Cannabis Helps: THC inhibits acetylcholinesterase, raising acetylcholine levels, aiding nerve signals, and improving the muscle response of myasthenia gravis patients.
6. Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)
- What It Is: A rare neurological disorder causing muscle stiffness and spasms.
- How Cannabis Helps: Cannabis may reduce muscle spasms and stiffness through its muscle-relaxant properties, although more research is needed.
7. Rare Movement Disorders (e.g., Dystonia)
- What It Is: A group of disorders causing involuntary muscle contractions and abnormal movements.
- How Cannabis Helps: THC and CBD have been reported to alleviate dystonia symptoms in some patients by interacting with the endocannabinoid system to relax muscles.
8. Tuberous sclerosis complex
- What It Is: A rare genetic disorder that causes benign tumors to grow within the brain, eyes, and other vital organs.
- How Cannabis Helps: TSC involves high CB₁ receptors, affecting cell processes, and CBD helps manage seizures effectively in children with TSC.
9. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
- What It Is: A group of rare connective tissue disorders that can cause chronic pain and joint dislocations.
- How Cannabis Helps: Cannabis, particularly CBD, may help manage chronic pain and inflammation in EDS patients.
10. Rare Neuropathic Pain Disorders (e.g., Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
- What It Is: A chronic pain condition affecting one limb, often following an injury.
- How Cannabis Helps: Cannabis can alleviate neuropathic pain by modulating pain pathways through the endocannabinoid system.
11. Rare Autoimmune Diseases (e.g., Scleroderma)
- What It Is: A rare disorder causing skin tightening and organ damage.
- How Cannabis Helps: CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce inflammation and pain associated with the disease.
12. Rare Cancer-Related Symptoms
- What It Is: Rare cancers or cancer treatments that cause chronic pain, nausea, or cachexia (severe weight loss).
- How Cannabis Helps: THC and CBD can help manage symptoms like nausea, pain, and appetite loss in cancer patients.
13. Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)
- What It Is: A rare condition with increased pressure around the brain, causing headaches and vision problems.
- How Cannabis Helps: Some anecdotal reports suggest cannabis may alleviate headache pain and reduce pressure, though research is limited.
14. Rare Forms of Anxiety or PTSD
- What It Is: Anxiety disorders linked to specific traumatic events or rare genetic conditions.
- How Cannabis Helps: CBD and THC can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep in certain cases.
15. Mitochondrial disease
- What It Is: A group of genetic disorders affecting the mitochondria, the energy-generating organelles of cells.
- How Cannabis Helps: Cannabis helps manage seizures and pain in mitochondrial disease, with cannabinoids’ antioxidants improving function.
Research on cannabis treating disease is still going on. So, we hope that in the future, we will get many more proven theories on cannabis and how it treats diseases.
Benefits of Cannabis Use
Did you know cannabis has more health benefits beyond its reputation? It’s often called natural remedies for rare diseases. Because it has fewer side effects than other industry-made drugs. Let’s know more about the common benefits of cannabis:
- Pain Relief: Cannabis is widely used to relieve chronic pain.
- Seizure Management: Cannabinoids like CBD are effective in reducing seizures, particularly in epilepsy.
- Anti-Inflammatory: Cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties, helping with conditions like arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
- Mental Health Support: This may alleviate anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms.
- Nausea and Appetite Stimulation: Effective for chemotherapy-induced nausea and increasing appetite in rare conditions like HIV/AIDS.
- Neuroprotection: Potential benefits for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
- Improved Sleep: Helps with insomnia and promotes better sleep quality.
- Cancer Symptom Relief: Eases pain, nausea, and appetite loss in cancer patients.
- Improve Skin Disorders: Relieves pain and is effective against several autoimmune disorders affecting the skin.
- Glaucoma Management: Lowers intraocular pressure, benefiting those with glaucoma.
Note: Always consult a doctor or marijuana expert before using cannabis for medical purposes.
Case Studies on Cannabis in the Treatment of Rare Disorders
Cannabis is breaking boundaries in medicine, offering hope for patients with rare and challenging conditions. Here are some remarkable cases highlighting its therapeutic potential:
- Cannabis for treating intellectual disability: In this research, some evidence is gathered of medicinal CBD/THC improving psychiatric and behavioral presentations.
- Cannabinoid use in autism spectrum disorder: This research showed that cannabis products reduced the intensity of different symptoms, including hyperactivity, attacks of self-mutilation and anger, sleep problems, anxiety, restlessness, psychomotor agitation, irritability, aggressiveness perseverance, and depression.
- Cannabis for medicinal use in patients with rare diseases: The study helps identify the potential of Medical Cannabis use in RDs associated with chronic symptoms such as pain, muscle spasticity, seizures, and anxiety.
- Cannabis-based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults: The potential benefits of cannabis-based medicine in chronic neuropathic pain might be outweighed by their potential harms.
For a deeper understanding, feel free to explore this study—I hope you find it helpful!
Some Common Advice for Medical Marijuana Use
Although medical marijuana with the proper dose is beneficial to help with disease, excess use or marijuana intake without the consultation of experts can harm anyone’s health. So, to avoid mistakes always seek expert consultation before taking marijuana. Here is some common advice for you:
- Prolonged THC use may lead to psychological dependency. Take it with the recommended dose to avoid any complications.
- It’s wise for teens to avoid marijuana or delay using it until they are adults.
- If you have schizophrenia, don’t use marijuana.
- If you have a family history of schizophrenia or other psychotic illness, avoid marijuana.
- About 10% of people who begin smoking cannabis will become addicted, and 30% of current users meet the criteria for addiction. So, be careful of marijuana consumption.
Conclusion
The research on Cannabis with Rare Disorders is still going on. So, we hope that in the near future, we will find more beneficial uses for medical marijuana to cure rare diseases. But now, we can say cannabis holds significant promise for supporting individuals with rare disorders and offering relief.
If you’re seeking medical marijuana for treatment, it’s essential to consult an expert for a recommendation, card, and license. Medcardnow makes the process simple—click below to get your recommendation today!
Let’s know about the benefits of having a medical marijuana card here.