Autoimmune Disease

Written By Scott Fiore

Autoimmunity and How Medical Marijuana Can be of Benefit

The immune system helps to guard the body against virus, bacteria, and even cancer cells. It begins by sending out fighter cells to attack foreign invaders and it normally knows the difference between your healthy cells and foreign cells.

Autoimmunity (autoimmune disease) occurs when the body's immune system attacks the body’s healthy cells by mistake instead of providing its normal function of protection against infection and disease because the system no longer recognizes the difference between foreign cells and your healthy cells. Once the immune system starts to attack the body's healthy cells, patients can experience a variety of debilitating symptoms. Aside from conventional treatments, many patients are turning towards the natural treatment of medical marijuana to treat their autoimmune diseases and disorders.

Types of Autoimmune Disorders

Types of autoimmune disorders

There are more than 100 autoimmune diseases. These diseases can be common or vary rare. They may affect one, 10, 100 or millions of patients. Some common types of autoimmune diseases include:

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

  • Lupus.

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

  • Crohn’s Disease.

Causes of autoimmunity

The exact cause of autoimmunity (autoimmune diseases) is unknown. However, there are risk factors and they include;

  • Family History: It tends to be hereditary and runs in families.

  • Gender: Women have a higher risk of certain types of autoimmune diseases like Hispanic-American women, African-American women and Native American women.

Symptoms of Autoimmune Disease 

Symptoms depend on the type of autoimmunity but could include;

  • Low fever.

  • Muscle aches.

  • Pain.

  • Fatigue.

  • Hair loss.

  • Skin rashes.

  • Tingling and numbness in the feet and hands.

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Inflammation.

  • Flare-ups where symptoms subside and then return often worse than before.

Effects of autoimmune diseases

The effects of autoimmune disease depend on the specific type of autoimmune disorder but may include:

  • Pulmonary Embolism.

  • Heart Disease.

  • Cancer.

  • Depression and Anxiety.

HOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA CAN BE OF BENEFITS IN AUTOIMMUNITY.

Medical Marijuana (also called medical cannabis) has compounds that engage directly with immune cells creating valuable and real body changes. This is one of the reasons why medical marijuana is effective in things like easing neurological disorders, fighting cancer, calming inflammation and swelling and combating autoimmune diseases.

Medical marijuana does not only relieve pain and other uncomfortable autoimmune disease symptoms, it also shows huge potential in being an effective immunomodulator, a chemical agent modifying immune system functioning or immune response.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry published a recent study exploring how THC influences microRNAs. The microRNAs (also called miRNAs) are single-stranded, small, and non-coding RNAs that play an important role in the regulation of gene expression. The authors of the study stated that medical marijuana's (medical cannabis) ability to change miRNA expression might just be the answer to successfully treating some autoimmune diseases, which include Type 1 diabetes, MS and arthritis.

The University’s School of Medicine’s researchers injected THC into mice and studied their RNA. There were 609 tested miRNAs. Out of these, the researchers discovered THC greatly altered 12 of them.

There are already indications of the ability of medical marijuana to treat autoimmune diseases. A study by a Hebrew university showed laboratory mice treated with CBD experienced a 50% improvement in joint health, indicating there is promise in easing RA symptoms.

What side effects and symptoms of autoimmune disease can medical marijuana treat?

Some of the symptoms medical marijuana can help treat in autoimmune disease include:

  • Achy muscles

  • Fatigue

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Swelling

  • Anxiety and depression

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA TREATMENTS.

The symptoms of these disorders leave the patients at an unpredictable level of fatigue, pain in the muscles or other areas of the body, fevers and uncontrollable tics or muscle movements, depending on the type of autoimmune disease. These symptoms can significantly effect a patient’s quality of life and many patients report that medical marijuana containing both THC and CBD really help with their autoimmune disease and disorders.

As a result more and more patients are turning to the natural and effective treatment of medical marijuana. The two main strains of medical marijuana are bred and crossbred to give plants the ability to alleviate chronic pain, allow for sleep, or increase a patient’s alertness to help with the fatigue. A hybrid can do some of both, depending on how much of one strain of medical marijuana or another is in its genes. A patient can choose the strain of medical marijuana that works best for his particular disease or disorder. Patients regularly keep medical marijuana journals where they record the different type of medical marijuana they have tried and the effects experienced. This allows a patient to narrow down the specific strain of medical marijuana that works best for them.

Having a medical marijuana card in Virginia gives patients access to legal growers in states that have legalized marijuana for medical use, and individuals with a medical card can request a specific kind of medical marijuana from the weed dispensary. Initially, patients with autoimmune disorders who get a certificate for medical marijuana might have to test a couple of the medical marijuana strains out first to find the strain that gives them the best relief. The certifying marijuana doctor or practitioner should have adequate knowledge on the various cross-strains of medical marijuana to make a few suggestions, as well as the pharmacists at the medical marijuana dispensaries in Virginia.

SOME POPULAR MEDICAL MARIJUANA (CANNABIS) STRAINS TO FIGHT SYMPTOMS OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

  • Below is a list of some strains of medical marijuana that could help with autoimmune disease:

  • Green Lantern (Sativa): Helps to treat pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

  • Cream Caramel (Indica): It eases pain, stress, insomnia and depression.

  • Bay II (Sativa): Assist in treating anxiety, depression, nausea, inflammation, stress, pain and helps with creativity, focus and energy.

  • Black Mamba (Indica): Provides remedies for stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, pain and inflammation.

  • Jet Fuel (hybrid): It treats anxiety, inflammation, depression, pain, anxiety, stress and arthritis.

  • Orange Dream (hybrid): It reduces inflammation, depression, muscle spasms, pain and arthritis.

  • Electric Lemon G (hybrid): Help to tackle the inability to focus and lack of concentration. Also, spurs creativity and helps manage pain and fatigue.

BEST METHODS FOR TAKING MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO TREAT AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

With the quick growing medical weed movement, new cannabis delivery methods are coming up all the time. Some common methods include:

●      Smoking: This method could cause potential damage to the lungs.

●      Vaporizing. The effects of vaping have not been adequately studied so the effects on the body are unknown.

●      Infused edibles.

●      Juicing.

●      Transdermal/topical.

●      Sublingual uptake.

●      Oils.

●      Suppositories.

As a Patient in Virginia How Do I Get My Medical Marijuana Card?

Any resident of Virginia who believes they have a medical condition that could benefit from medical marijuana could qualify.

Just schedule an appointment to see one of our practitioners that specialize in medical marijuana treatment.

We have a 100% patient satisfaction rating and are able to certify more than 99% of our patients.

We walk patients through the entire process of obtaining a medical marijuana card in Virginia.

Change your mind or feel medical marijuana is not right for you by the end of your appointment? No problem! We will issue a complete refund with no questions asked!

To start the process please click on the Book An Appointment button below.

Scott Fiore
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