Health
Can Cannabis Help With Your Spring Allergies?
The Allergy Season is Here
Spring brings flowers and rain showers. With that being said, many struggle with allergies this time of year. Oftentimes, allergies get in the way of fun outdoor activities. Symptoms of allergies include:
- Runny nose
- Stuffy nose
- Itchiness
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
Treatment
Different medications exist to treat allergies. Forms of treatment include:
- Antihistamines
- Day-time allergy medicine
- Decongestants
- Corticosteroids
- A combination.
If you are taking an allergy medication, you may want to try alternatives. Weed could be the answer. Maryjane’s list of growing benefits include the treatment of pain relief, mental health, and much more. It can be ingested in a variety of ways. Furthermore, non-psychoactive forms of cannabis exist. Not to mention, the daily use of CBD has great benefits. For example, CBD helps in the treatment of cancer, epilepsy, and other medical diagnoses.
The Research
An increase in studies show the positive effects of marijuana. Indeed, our bodies have an endocannabinoid system. It works at the cellular level. Additionally, it keeps the body in a homeostatic state. An increase in endocannabinoids has been shown to kill cancer. Consequently, this system is important to cannabis research.
Accordingly, a study done with mice looked at endocannabinoids. Thus, the authors found some interesting results. Mice that did not have receptors had a rise in allergic reactions. On the contrary, mice with increased levels experienced a reduction in inflammation. Given these points, they suggest their findings could be the focus for medical intervention.
Allergies and Cannabis
Allergies happen when antigens enter our bodies. If your system is sensitive to that antigen, the body registers it as harmful. Some examples of allergens include pollen, cat fur, and peanuts. When you develop allergens your body produces antibodies. The production of these antibodies causes an allergic reaction.
Unfortunately, allergies may leave you feeling inflamed. For example, side effects include puffy, runny and itchy eyes. Interestingly, a study found evidence that cannabinoid receptors decrease inflammation. This research relates to studies on autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases result in the body attacking itself. Furthermore, your allergic reaction is similar. The body identifies a foreign object as dangerous. When this happens, the body attacks those antibodies.
What does this mean for my allergies?
In summary, cannabis increases endocannabinoids. The more of these awesome receptors in our bodies, the less chance of inflammation. Therefore, cannabis likely has an allergy-reducing effect. You can utilize the benefits of marijuana by ingesting it in a variety of ways:
- Edibles
- Dabs
- Smoking
- Non-psychoactive cannabis oil
Honey and Weed
A natural way to help with allergies includes consuming honey. When looking for honey, try to purchase it locally. Local honey helps with allergies most common to that area. Mix honey with anything for a sweet treat. At the same time, it can help your symptoms. Cannabis lovers can get excited because of a new honey made from weed! A man in France trained his bees. As a result, the bees make honey with the resin gathered from cannabis flowers. The power from this combination is sure to relieve allergy woes.
Some Final Thoughts
One may wonder why this remedy is kept illegal. Much of America currently supports recreational and medical legalization. Although this is true, hands are tied by outdated federal laws. Those in power disagree on legalization. On the other hand, pharmaceuticals don’t want to lose money. The benefits of weed far out way the known consequences. If lobbyists chose to invest in healthy people, those at the top lose power. Furthermore, Trump gives mixed messages in regards to how he will handle the legalization of cannabis.
