Cannabis Doctor Pompano Beach

Medical Marijuana and the Impact on Our Immune System 

Cannabis medicine works naturally with our bodies to benefit our health. It interacts with our cells to tell our systems to function in certain ways, including our immune system. Medicinal marijuana’s impact on our immune responses is the key to many of its symptom-relieving properties. Your CBD doctor can go over basic questions about the immune system’s response to cannabis but here is a brief guide.

immune system cells

What Does Cannabis Medicine Have to Do With the Immune System?

When a CBD doctor prescribes medical marijuana, it acts like natural compounds we already have in our bodies. Everyone has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that creates and uses cannabinoids.

We usually talk about cannabinoids that appear in marijuana, which we know as phytocannabinoids. But, the ECS creates cannabinoids called endocannabinoids, as well.

Phytocannabinoids work like endocannabinoids and increase endocannabinoid activity. In other words, the cannabinoids we get from cannabis act just like compounds we already have in our bodies.

How Does Medical Marijuana Impact the Immune Response?

As part of the ECS, we have cell receptors called CB1 and CB2. They activate when cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) attach to them. Certain areas of our bodies have more of these receptors than others, including our immune cells. Immune system cells have plenty of CB2 receptors ready to take in cannabinoids. When the CB2 receptors activate, they suppress the immune response by reducing the number of substances like T cells.

Why Would a Patient Want to Suppress Immune Function?

You may wonder why someone would want to reduce their immune system’s ability to fight foreign substances. After all, doesn’t it protect us from disease? While our immune systems help us out when it works properly, it can also harm us when it doesn’t.

Think of your immune system as the ‘Army’ that is guarding a country. A good Army keeps out people who can hurt the people inside the country. But, when the ‘Army’ enforces too much power, they create more harm than good. They keep out some good people who mean perfectly well and won’t cause any trouble.

An overactive immune system works similarly. In addition to attacking dangerous cells, it also goes for healthy cells. As a result, the normal cells become damaged.

Reducing your immune response with cannabis makes your system leave healthy cells alone. It relieves symptoms related to an overactive immune system.

Can Using Marijuana Medicine Make Me More Vulnerable to Sickness?

There is not much evidence showing that medical cannabis could make you susceptible to illness. As of now there is more supporting research on marijuana’s positive immunosuppressive effects than its negative ones.

The data related to an increased risk of illness doesn’t show much and doctors who provide cannabis for necessary pain management will recommend that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Who Benefits From Cannabis’ Immunosuppressive Effects?

A Cannabis doctor in Pompano Beach can prescribe medicinal cannabis to patients to provide relief from an overactive immune system.  

More conditions such as Arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease and MS have more of a link to an overactive immune response than you may think.

Many chronic pain conditions result from too much inflammation in the affected area. Our immune systems trigger an inflammatory response to isolate foreign cells, but unnecessary inflammation damages healthy tissue which causes us pain.

How Else Does Medicinal Cannabis Help Patients With Autoimmune Diseases?

Autoimmune diseases cause a wide range of health issues that don’t always have a direct connection to the immune system.

Many patients with overactive immune systems have additional conditions to address. A CBD doctor uses medical cannabis to tackle multiple health problems, not just issues related to autoimmune disorders. In addition to suppressing the immune response, marijuana medicine relieves symptoms like:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Cachexia and wasting syndrome
  • Seizures
  • Insomnia and sleep disorders
  • Nausea and vomiting

Your Cannabis doctor in Pompano beach offers a wide range of effective medical marijuana treatment options. Contact our office today for an evaluation to see how you can get relief.