Ok, sure, the obvious reason for some people is to just get high. But for others, cannabis can be a powerful alternative to many pharmaceutical drugs that they currently use. It’s considered to be one of the most potent medicinal herbs in the world and has been used by many cultures throughout history. Its first medicinal use dates back 3000 years ago in China[1] and evidence suggests the plant has been in use for thousands of years before that.
Unfortunately, there’s a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness and history of cannabis. Much of the ignorance about the plant is due to the negative stigma it received when it was criminalized in the 1930s. U.S. Federal law has not only prevented its use, but restricted its testing. This has only deepened the void of information, which makes it more difficult for people to understand its intrinsic value as a medicine. We have only recently begun to see a reverse of this trend. At Three Wells, we are committed to bringing coherent, evidence-based insight to the full spectrum of benefits – medical, wellness and recreational – that cannabis can offer.
Over the last few decades, the most important scientific revelation about cannabis was the discovery of the existence of the endocannabinoid system in all mammals – yes, that means humans, too. It turns out that endocannabinoid receptors (proteins that bind with cannabinoids found in marijuana) appear to regulate physiological and cognitive functions in the human body as well as in other animals. Specifically, these receptors can help manage vital processes in the human body such as the nervous and immune systems, as well as controlling inflammation. This can positively impact conditions from high blood pressure to depression and anxiety, as well as alleviating pain or loss of appetite. Cannabis has proven to help people fight drug addiction, particularly with opioids.
Now stop and consider what this means: there’s a powerful regulating system in our bodies that has evolved over thousands of years that only respond to cannabinoids. So maybe the best answer to the question to “why use cannabis” is that it’s something our bodies are already “programmed” to use.
