Chemotherapy is, for some people, the last line of treatment that they have for some of the most deadly cancers in the world. Unfortunately, like many last line treatments, chemotherapy is enormously unpleasant to go through. In addition to losing hair, losing weight, bouts of overwhelming nausea, muscle pain and more, people oftentimes endure significant psychological trauma as a consequence of going through this treatment. Medical marijuana is one of the preferred treatments for the effects of chemotherapy. Some of the reasons for that have to do with well-known effects of using marijuana.

Appetite

Before the world became generally more enlightened about medical marijuana, the appetite increasing effect of this particular drug was usually referred to as the “munchies”. Marijuana does have the effect of stimulating appetite. This generally occurs a half an hour or so after smoking it, though some people may experience this effect eventually.

For people going through chemotherapy, one of the principal risks involved is nausea, a loss of appetite and, at the same time, the body being put through an incredible amount of trauma. Without fuel, the body cannot function properly and it cannot heal properly. The appetite stimulating effects of marijuana oftentimes help chemotherapy patients to keep up enough of an appetite to get good food in their bodies when they need it the most.

Nausea

Marijuana is well known for its effects at calming nausea. Many chemotherapy patients experience extreme nausea as they are going through their treatments. This is yet another reason why many of them fail to eat as much as they need to keep their health up while they’re going to the treatments. Because marijuana does kill this nausea, and it stimulates the appetite, as well, it can go a long way toward helping people to be able to keep food down and to enjoy good meals. This, of course, has a tremendously comforting psychological effect.

Psychological Effects

Medical marijuana dispensaries are staffed by people who understand all of the different strains of marijuana and the effects that they are notable for. Some strains of marijuana tend to have a very calming psychological effect on the user, while others may cause a bit of anxiety. By working with professional marijuana dispensaries, patients going through chemotherapy can get access to the types of marijuana that will help them relax. Stress is one of the worst things to be going through when you are enduring any type of medical treatment, chemotherapy or otherwise. Being able to calm down, relax and just get a break from the tension can go a long way toward helping you recover.

Many of the ways that medical marijuana helps chemotherapy patients simply has to do with providing comfort. The comfort of being able to enjoy a good meal, being able to relax and not being in the constant pain that goes along with chemotherapy can help people to recover and to experience less distress, even when they are going through what is always one of the most terrifying possible experiences that anyone can endure.