Marijuana as a Cure for Alcohol Addiction

by Sam Malone
A lot of people can’t fathom that cannabis can be used to cure alcohol addictions. But yes, it is true. Cannabis can be used as a cure for toxic habits.
Many of long-term abusers of alcohol have discovered that quitting alcohol is the best thing they can do. Years of drinking heavily can lead to a harmful dependence on alcohol. Alcoholics experience withdrawal symptoms dangerous to their health if they stop drinking suddenly without opting for a medical detox. 

Most of the controversies that arise over the efficiency of marijuana as a means of curing alcohol addictions arise from the argument of whether marijuana is addictive or not. Some people feel that marijuana should not be used to cure alcohol addiction because they believe it is addictive. So, they think one is just changing one addiction for another one. 

Now, there is an increasing number of medical practitioners and alcohol addicts who are coming to terms with the fact that cannabis is safe for recovering alcoholics. Scientific research has shown that marijuana is not physically addictive in any way. It is just a forming of a habit. There is no withdrawal symptom attached to marijuana. An overdose of marijuana does not exist. Medical marijuana has no form of withdrawal symptom if one attempts to stop using it. So, it is perfect for recovering alcoholics.

A new treatment method that aims at reducing alcohol/drug addiction and its effects on alcoholics and drug addicts and the society is ‘harm reduction.’ The substitution of alcohol with marijuana has been adopted as successful harm reduction approach by patients in North California. 

For chronic alcoholics, research has shown that marijuana could be of great benefits to them during their recovery process. The 2014 edition of “The Journal of Neuroscience” has a study published in it that revealed that cannabinoids which are the active compounds in cannabis can defend neurons. A lot of patients are buying marijuana seeds in the United States because medical cannabis has been of great benefit to their health.    

When CBD is ingested, a large amount of CBD is provided to the CB1 receptors and there is a feeling of pleasure or reward that is supplied to the brain. The most important daily supplement that the brain can take is CBD. There are CBD receptors in the reproductive area, abdomen and brain. The brain is the part that is most affected by alcohol, so it is pertinent that an appropriate amount of CBD is ingested to fight alcohol addiction. The liver and the brain are both damaged by alcohol. A study published by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine located in New York analyzed the effect of CBD on oxidative stress in the liver that is caused by alcohol. 

Marijuana was previously an effective treatment for delirium tremens which are the hardest stages of alcohol withdrawal in the United States. Delirium tremens which is an indicator of chronic alcoholism can be cured by marijuana as recommended by doctors pre 20th century.

So, it can be inferred that patients who were prescribed marijuana and used it regularly for a long time were making a substitution that was effective. In the 1950s, scientists were researching Pyrahexyl which is a synthetic form of marijuana as a means for curing the boisterous and calamitous nature of the American boozehound. Pyrahexyl was successful in 90% of cases that was studied in clinical trials.
But the United Nations convention banned the drug in 1982. But there was no evidence to point to the fact that the drug was being distributed on the black market or abused by people. A lot of people do not understand how deadly alcohol abuse is. It costs about $200 billion yearly, and it is the 3rd highest cause of preventable death. Alcohol addiction has a huge negative impact on families, relationships, careers, personal lives and friendships. 

Cannabinoids are defenders of neurons. They reduce over excitability and they help to stop the brain cells from getting destroyed in any manner. The use of marijuana which contains CBD will stop any harm that can arise as a result of trying to stop alcohol addiction.  

Millions of people all around the world suffer from alcohol addiction and alcohol-related disorders. These disorders include Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). 

It is hoped that further research will prove that marijuana is the solution for recovering from the dangerous thing that is alcohol addiction. 
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