The Latest in Medical Marijuana: Munchies Without the High
The more medical marijuana becomes a player in the medical field, with regard to treating symptoms of chronic ailments like epilepsy, cancer, HIV and chronic pain, scientists are getting creative in their research. For decades, growers and consumers of marijuana, legal or not, have bred hundreds of strains for different purposes, whether it’s for a specific kind of high, to relieve anxiety, or to sleep better, among many other things. And now, CBD products are becoming a big thing, because they can give some of the same benefits as medical marijuana without the high that THC brings.
Medical marijuana doctors all over the country are dealing with patients who have conditions they want treated without pharmaceuticals, but they also don’t want to be intoxicated all the time. And CBD definitely has its usefulness, but the real magic of medical marijuana lies in the THC. So, what is there to do? Well, researchers have isolated a molecule in marijuana they’ve named ART27.13. It’s still in early trial stages in the UK, but its properties have some really cool implications. Basically, this molecule gives you all the medicinal benefits of THC without the high – specifically, the munchies.
What Implications Does This New Medical Marijuana Strain Have?
You might be thinking… how is increasing someone’s appetite of any medicinal value? Gaining weight is pretty much the opposite of most people’s personal goals. But a medical marijuana product that increases appetite without intoxicating you is actually going to help a lot of people. Currently, the trials are focused specifically on people with cachexia, or wasting syndrome. Wasting syndrome is typically a secondary syndrome caused by diseases like cancer or HIV. People who are very sick often lose their appetites, leading to malnourishment and diminishing their chances of survival, or even just good quality of life. These ailments also impair the body’s ability to store fat effectively. And while traditional medicine has created medications that quell nausea, they often have other side effects and risks. And as a cancer or HIV patient, chances are adding another medication to your cocktail is the last thing you need.
ART27.13 basically changes the way THC interacts with your body. The science is pretty complicated, but what it does, essentially, is to stop THC’s effects on brain function while still allowing its effects on your heightening your body’s hunger responses associated with “the munchies.” It’s also showing that it may help these patient’s bodies store fat more effectively.
Given these trials go well and the product proves safe and effective, we’re talking about helping a lot of other conditions as well. Eating problems don’t only apply to cancer and HIV. Anorexia, liver disease, depression and bipolar all have implications for appetite and nutritional health. Not to mention, anyone with a serious chronic ailment likely has a medication that makes them nauseous or to not want to eat. ART27.13 could really change the game.
Medical Marijuana Doctor in Cincinnati
At Blatman Health and Wellness Center, Dr. Blatman can recommend medical marijuana to any patient with a condition on the list of qualifying illnesses. Focused on regenerative medicine and alternatives to traditional Western pharmaceutical treatments, our office is the perfect place to ask Dr. Blatman anything you want to know about medical marijuana and if it might be right for you. And if your problems do revolve around eating? Hang in there. CBD products with extremely small amounts of THC are already on the market, as are several strains of marijuana that increase appetite. But we don’t think it’ll be long until ART27.13 opens up an entirely new level of manipulating the active ingredients in this medicinal plant that still has so many secrets for us to uncover.
