Can medical marijuana help with constipation?

Those reporting constipation most often are women and adults ages 65 and older. Pregnant women may have constipation, and it is a common problem following childbirth or surgery.

Constipation is a very discomforting condition where someone has three or fewer bowel movements in a week. The stool can be hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. At one point in time, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious. Going longer than three days without a bowel movement is too long. After three days, the stool or feces become harder and more difficult to pass.

Constipation is a symptom and not a disease. It is often associated with hard stools. You may have pain while passing stools or may be unable to have a bowel movement after straining or pushing. Passing large, wide, or hard stools may tear the anus, especially in children. This can cause bleeding and may lead to an annual fissure.

Causes of constipation:

The causes of constipation are very numerous and range from lifestyle choices to medication.

Constipation is most often caused by: low-fiber diet, lack of physical activity, not drinking enough water, delay in going to the bathroom when you have the urge to move your bowels. Other causes of constipation may include colon cancer, diseases of the bowel such as irritable bowel syndrome, mental health disorders, nervous system disorders, pregnancy, underactive thyroid, and use of certain medications. In some cases, constipation is caused by more serious illnesses and events, including tumors and systemic diseases.

Some of the complications of chronic constipation include fecal impaction, fecal incontinence hemorrhoids, and rectal prolapse Urinary incompetence.

Americans eat an average of 5 to 14 grams of fiber daily, which is short of the 20 to 35 grams recommended by the American Dietetic Association. Both children and adults often eat too much refined and processed foods from which the natural fiber has been removed.

Cannabis for constipation:

One of the first-line treatments for constipation is medicinal and natural laxatives. Self-treatment of constipation with over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives is by far the most common aid. Americans spend more than $725 million each year on laxatives. Laxatives work in a number of ways. They can perpetuate movement of feces. They can also loosen or soften fecal matter that is proving difficult to pass. Laxatives are typically taken orally or as a suppository. When they are effective, they clear the bowels and intestines of stool, thus relieving constipation.

According to research, ingesting whole cannabis extract will relax your bowels just as smoking/vaporizing it. Smoking marijuana worked to produce an immediate result, usually in less than two minutes.

“Hemp seed oil products mixed with herbal extracts are widely sold in China as laxatives.”

Around (2,300 B.C) hemp was documented as a medicine. In India, the physicians mix hemp leaves with milk, sugar, and spices to treat constipation.

Make your own (laxative) concoction:

You no longer have to worry about constipation when you can make your own lucrative from cannabis. Put 10-15 grams of cannabis seed into your blender or food processor. Drizzle in, (a little at a time), good quality EVOO (olive oil), and some Meyer lemon zest and juice.

Cannabis seed oil is nutritious. The seeds are rich in essential fatty acids: the omega-3 fatty acids alpha-linolenic acids (ALA) and the omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Seeds also contain natural vitamin E and protein.

Cannabinoids are antispasmodic. Sedate when there is irritation. Relax the smooth muscles.

The relaxing effects of THC can help your intestines pass bulk bowel movements much easier and more quickly because the cannabinoid (THC) relaxes the nerves in the intestinal wall. There is a theory that THC helps the stomach digest and process foods more easily.
Conclusion

This proves that medical marijuana treatment can affect digestive symptoms. However, more research is required to discover all of the components of medical marijuana that can affect digestion and evacuation of fecal matter. Research will also show if there are more benefits in regards to digestion than have already been discovered. Cannabis laxative will kick constipation out of the lives of Americans.

Source: Medical Marijuana Blog
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