How Cannabis Can Control Your Nausea
The Science Behind Weed and Nausea Relief
Think of the last time you were nauseous. You might’ve been hungover, or you spent too long in the sun – or you might have no idea what caused it.
Did you think about using cannabis to treat your nausea? It might sound silly, but weed is a tried and tested anti-nausea treatment. In fact, there are countless clinical trials and systematic study reviews that back this up! Many medical marijuana users take advantage of the way that cannabis products can alleviate nausea symptoms – a side effect of many forms of cancer treatment. This actually has its own synonym: CINV, or Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting.
No matter your reason for being nauseous, you might be interested to learn about why cannabis makes such an effective nausea stopper.
First Of All, What Is Nausea?
It’s actually not a condition, but a symptom of other conditions. Nausea is triggered by sensors in the brain. One of them is the chemoreceptor trigger zone, which sends messages from the brain to the digestive system – you can guess what these messages might be.
Nausea is an important defense mechanism that the human body relies on to fight worse conditions, but if you think your nausea is indicative of a serious problem, we recommend speaking to a doctor. If not, you could consider cannabis.
What Good Would Cannabis Do?
Nausea works unlike pain. While pain is localized and isolated, nausea belongs to the central nervous system. Cannabis can treat nausea by essentially “disrupting” the awful signals that the brain sends to the body to make us feel nauseous. While this isn’t technically eliminating the nausea, it creates a great distraction.
Cannabis is a common treatment for hangovers, specifically. Vice interviewed Elaine M. Burns, naturopathic medical doctor, on the link between pot and hangovers. She suggested that, if you do choose to use cannabis to cope with nausea, that you stay hydrated and consume electrolytes as well.
Is There a Particular Method Of Cannabis Use That Will Work Best?
First of all, you won’t need to get high – unless you really want to. According to a 2012 study, CBD can effectively treat nausea, and this cannabis ingredient doesn’t get you high. But is CBD alone the most effective approach? We’re waiting on more research to declare that, but consider that THC and CBD are often used together for a reason.
As the medicinal industry continues to explore the health benefits of cannabis, we’re excited to see what kinds of nausea treatments hit shelves. Who knows – maybe someday there’ll be a green-coloured bottle of Pepto Bismol stocked at your local pharmacy.
