Cold or Flu? Is Using Cannabis Recommended?

Cannabis, both medical and recreational, may have beneficial effects in alleviating symptoms of colds or flu, including reducing inflammation and improving respiratory function. However, while cannabis has therapeutic properties, medical cannabis can still lead to severe side effects, similar to many other drugs, so it should be treated with the same consideration given to any other medicine.

Can using cannabis during a cold or flu be beneficial or cause adverse effects of medical cannabis? On one hand, cannabis acts as an antidote to inflammation and pain, but on the other, the body is weakened by the cold or flu. So, is using cannabis advised during such weakness?

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Can Cannabis Consumption Worsen the Symptoms of a Cold or Flu?

The topic of medical cannabis still raises many questions, despite the answers that scientific research has already provided. Medical cannabis, its use, and appropriate dosage should be consulted with a doctor. After all, patients treated with medical cannabis must visit a doctor who will prescribe this medication.

For the therapeutic action of cannabis, a very wide spectrum of diseases come into play. The effect of medical cannabis helps in the treatment of pain, inflammation, drug-resistant epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. Diseases such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression also concern patients using medical cannabis.

However, the question arises whether cannabis, which has therapeutic effects, will be beneficial during a cold or flu? Scientific research has shown that in the case of traditional smoking of cannabis, both in the context of medical and recreational cannabis, it leads to improved respiratory system function by alleviating pain and dilating the airways. People using cannabis during a cold or flu should not be harmed by its use.

How Does Cannabis Affect the Respiratory System?

Both after consuming medical cannabis and recreational cannabis, one should expect the psychoactive effects of cannabis. As is known, this is due to the content of THC – an organic compound present in cannabis plants. A high dose of THC and its psychoactive effect will undoubtedly alleviate not only the pain and discomfort caused by a cold or the flu but also affect the dilation of the airways.

THC affects the activation of CB2 receptors. The effect? This psychoactive compound acts like an immunosuppressant, inhibiting the production of antibodies and immune cells. A less active immune system may result in milder lung inflammation and importantly, improved respiratory system function and breathing itself.

Medical cannabis is likely used by its patients even when therapy is interrupted by a cold or flu.

Can Using Cannabis Worsen a Cold or Flu?

Many people believe that the immune functions resulting from cannabis therapy may be weakened, and the body will be weaker in fighting the infection, thus making the fight against the cold last longer.

There are also those who believe that cannabis and the effects of THC, which act as an immunosuppressant, may weaken the body’s ability to fight the early symptoms of a cold or flu, which the body can initially control. However, there are no specific scientific studies that would confirm such opinions.

However, when using cannabis, regardless of whether they are in the form of medical or recreational cannabis, the impact on the severity of the cold or flu and its duration is really minimal. Respiratory diseases in the case of using medical cannabis may even be combated faster than if cannabis consumption did not take place.

It is, therefore, worth appreciating the health-promoting and therapeutic properties of medical cannabis and the effect of medical cannabis on combating pain and inflammation. Of course, the adverse effects of medical cannabis can also occur for a very simple reason. It is a drug, and an overdose of medical cannabis can also bring severe side effects, just like with many other drugs.

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(Featured image courtesy of Karolina Grabowska via Pexels)

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