Cannabis is now legal in 30+ states for medical use, with some jurisdictions even legalizing its recreational administration. The Internet is ripe with discussions of weed benefits and virtues, completely leaving out the associated dangers and risks. It’s all about marketing, but what does science say about weed’s use? What factors should you weigh, and what precautions should you take when visiting your favorite dispensary San Jose?
This review presents the latest research findings about cannabis, shedding light on the cold hard facts about its pros and cons. Have a look at these facts to see whether they match your Web-enhanced image of weed consumption.
What Did Science Find Out in 2022?
We’ve searched for the 2022 publications about weed on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline, and here are the top 10 studies we’ve chosen for this review.
Fatigue
Li et al. discovered that cannabis use could treat fatigue. The team of researchers used a sample of 1,224 respondents to evaluate their reported sense of fatigue before and after cannabis flower administration. Over 37% of the studied sample experienced the energizing effect of weed. Those who administered cannabis in the form of joints reported greater relief than those who used a pipe or vaporizer.
Allergy
The subject of cannabis allergy has caused much debate recently, as many weed advocates challenge weed’s ability to cause allergy in any form. Toscano et al. studied IgE-mediated cannabis allergy and established a three-step diagnostic approach for precise diagnostics.
Skypala et al. also worked on the problem of cannabis-related allergies and concluded that weed could provoke both type 1 and type 4 allergic reactions in users. Weed contains profilin and a non-specific lipid transfer protein, which cause allergies.
Use Motivations
There’s a lack of consensus about what drives people to use weed. Leung et al. held a large-scale study to examine the prevalence and self-reported reasons for medical cannabis use among Canadians. The researchers found that most weed users treat pain with weed, try to solve sleep problems, and manage migraines and headaches. Other frequently reported reasons included appetite regulation and nausea/vomiting. Mental health patients used weed to address anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Cancer
Cannabis is often prescribed to cancer patients during chemotherapy. Weiss et al. interviewed a sample of cancer patients using weed to find out that many patients (49%) assign cancer treatment capabilities to weed. At the same time, they rarely discuss weed use with their physicians, using friends’ advice and Internet data as primary data sources.
Guggisberg et al. also researched weed as an anticancer agent and found no sufficient clinical evidence to recommend it for cancer treatment. The researchers pointed out that over 40% of cancer patients use only weed as cancer therapy, which is risky and cannot substitute evidence-based treatment modalities.
Weed and Sociality
Vigil et al. examined the links between weed consumption and prosociality. The authors found that regular users had an increased sense of prosociality, were more agreeable, and scored higher on empathy quotient, moral harmlessness, and moral fairness. These findings contradict a large body of research associating weed with antisocial behaviors and violence.
Children with ASD
The use of CBD-infused medications in children has faced many controversies in medical literature and practice. Fletcher et al. examined the propriety of using medical cannabis in children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder to give more clarity about the clinical outcomes of this approach. The researchers reported positive clinical evidence of ASD symptom management in the retrospective cohort and observational studies. Their conclusion is that weed can be used with this patient population.
COVID-19
A 2022 study by Nguyen et al. proved that cannabidiol could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in the human body due to its ability to induce the host ER stress and innate immune responses. This study came as a huge relief for cannabis users locked in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving them an additional stimulus to continue weed administration for fun and prophylaxis.
Van Breemen and colleagues also reached a similar conclusion in their 2022 study, though this team discovered a different mechanism of weed’s impact on the COVID-19 virus. They clarified that cannabinoids block the cellular entry of COVID-19 as they bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein instead of the human cell’s epithelium.
How to Apply Research Findings?
As you can see, the rising researcher interest in cannabis is a natural response of the scholarly community to its legalization and increased use among people of all ages. Weed is associated with many therapeutic benefits, though its psychoactive effect is also well-known and scientifically proven.
Thus, the public should be alert to new research findings, paying attention to both newly discovered weed risks and benefits. Only careful consideration of all facts for and against weed use and proper regard to side effects and risks can ensure responsible, safe cannabis administration for medical and recreational purposes.
