It’s common knowledge nowadays that the cannabis plant has a world of uses, from hemp as a commodity to the use of the plant for medicinal purposes. There’s new studies being conducted every day, including clinical trials on animals as well as humans about the wide range of uses it has. Ganja has been providing relief for people undergoing chemotherapy for a long time, which is one of its most famous uses. It can, however, treat everything from insomnia to chronic pain, without having to resort to popping those harmful and addictive pills that big pharma companies keep churning out.
Here are some medicines that cannabis can replace.
1. Alprax: Anti anxiety medicine
Alprax is the Indian version of the notoriously popular pill Xanax, which is known to have a history of abuse among people looking for an easy high. Replacing this pill, which can be toxic at high doses and is also rather addictive, with cannabis can be especially useful. While weed can induce anxiety, it is usually only triggered by certain circumstances and social situations which are easily avoided. It is best to use Indica strains to treat anxiety problems, but unfortunately, India is almost totally a land of sativas, so you might have to pull some strings.
2. Adwise: ADHD medicine
The Indian counterpart of the drug Ritalin, which is used abroad to treat attention disorders, is also abused in India as a ‘stay awake’ drug to study for exams. Using strains of sativa instead encourages a cerebral high and can help refresh the mind in certain cases. The major plus is no side effects, as opposed to Ritalin, which can cause some strange psychological reactions once it wears off or if you use it too frequently.
3. Vicodin: Painkiller
Vicodin is the brand name of a medicine made of Hydrocodone and Tylenol, a heavy painkiller known for its negative effects on the liver. Painkillers also have major scope for overdose. Multiple studies have proved however that cannabis is effective at treating chronic pain, reducing discomfort and helping with different kinds of aches, inflammatory pains and neuropathic pain, all with no serious side effects.
4. Zolpidem: Sleeping pill
This prescription medicine, known as Ambien in the US and used to treat insomnia and sleep disorders, can cause hallucinations and amnesia at higher doses. Studies have proved that marijuana is just as effective a sleep aid however, providing fitful and healthy sleep with none of the above side effects. Marijuana usage in limited amounts can improve the quality of sleep.
5. Setraline: Anti-depressant
India has seen a massive spurt in the sales of anti-depressant medication since around 2005-06. As is common knowledge by now, prolonged usage of these medicines can have adverse health effects. In comparison, cannabis use among people with a history of anti-depressant use has been shown to lead to an improved quality of life, as well as being an effective treatment option for mild depression, which can be connected to the release of dopamine.
6. Stemetil: Chemo associated nausea medicine
According to studies gathered from animal experiments as well as clinical trials involving humans, cannabis has been shown to be effective for the relief of nausea as well as for the stimulation of appetite, significantly more so than medicines like Stemetil, which are used to treat the same.
