Many more people are beginning to become interested in the concept of medicinal marihuana for treating their illnesses and issues such as fibromyalgia, eating disorders, anxiety, depression etc. Many people believe that any type of cannabis is medicinal and apt for treating their illnesses right out of the gate, but they forget that there are various different types of cannabis and each one has a range of different effects. Today we’re going to talk about the best medical marijuana strains and how to know which strain is the best for you.
Medical Marijuana Strains | History of Medicinal Cannabis use
Cannabis legalization is quite a modern concept; large parts of the world have been fighting to legalize it for years now, and some countries finally made it passed the finish line. Even though legalization seems to be quite a modern movement, did you know that medicinal cannabis has been used for over 5000 years?
The first known record of cannabis use for medicinal properties was found in ancient Chinese medical records from 2737 BC. Large amounts of pollen were also found in the Netherlands, dating back to 2459 BC, alongside another herb typically used in ancient medicines, meaning that the pollen in question was most-likely used for pain relief, although there is no way to actually confirm this theory.
Cannabis has been around for thousands and thousands of years, has been used medicinally for quite a large portion of that time (although there are also signs of recreational use) and wasn’t made illegal until the start of the 20th century. Part of cannabis illegality comes from the fact that the construction industry didn’t want hemp to come into the scene, being stronger and cheaper than most materials, and then of course the war on drugs began to rage.
The war on drugs was based on discrimination against people of color and those that struggle with addiction, and sadly it’s still something that’s seen around the world today. Fortunately, in many places cannabis has been legalized medicinally, helping people with a myriad of illnesses including those with dependency issues after being treated with certain medications.
Medical Marijuana Strains and Types
It can be hard to make a full list of the best medicinal cannabis strains because every strain has its own particular effect and can be more or less apt for certain illnesses. Before talking about the best strains, first you’ll need to know which types of cannabis are best for which illnesses.
Indica
Indica strains are known for their intense effects that’ll calm and sedate most consumers – this effect is pretty much the opposite from sativa strains. Unlike sativa strains, indicas can be used to treat anxiety thanks the fact that they’re mainly sedating and calming; perfect for someone in the midst of an anxiety attack. Using that exact logic, these types of strains should not be used to treat depression; patients suffering from depression do not want a strain that will sedate them even more, they’d be better off with a more energetic sativa.
Indica strains are perfect for treating issues such as insomnia, muscle pain, nausea, headaches and even rougher illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s arthritis, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, cancer, lupus and many, many more illnesses and issues.
For medicinal uses, we recommend the legendary Northern Lights. We’re aware that NL has already made its rounds and is well-known by many, many, growers around the world, but this doesn’t mean that its medicinal properties aren’t top tier. This strain is super easy to grow indoors, it’s quite fast and it produces deliciously earthy and citric cannabis. It can also be used to make your own extracts, which give a more intense and concentrated medicinal effect.
Sativa
Sativa strains are known for their generally energetic and euphoric effect, which is almost the entire opposite of most indica strains. This, logically, means that sativa strains are not ideal for treating anxiety. In fact, sativa strains can actually give you such an energy boost that it might actually cause an anxiety attack in individuals prone to such attacks.
Sativa buds are capable of reducing nausea, increasing concentration, reducing physical pain, increasing creativity, reducing stress, increasing energy and improving your mood. Medicinal sativa strains are specially indicated for depression, ADHD, Glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, chronic pain etc.
One of the best medicinal strains out there is the world-renowned Kali Mist. Like all good sativas, Kali Mist is a bit complicated to grow indoors as it can grow to massive sizes. If you have enough space and sativa strains sound like they’d be good for your particular illnesses, we highly recommend growing some Kali Mist. This strain has actually been claimed to be one of the most-recommended strains for menstrual pain in women.
When grown outdoors it does well, putting up quite the fight when it comes to humidity and fungi thanks to its open, aired buds. It may take until the end of November to fully mature, although the wait is definitely worth it thanks to the enormous yields it can give and its incredible pain-relief medicinal effects. Make sure to cure it after drying it and you’ll have one of the best medicinal cannabis strains on your hands.
Medical Marijuana Strains with High CBD Content
Last, but far from least, CBD or Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid that has an incredible amount of medicinal properties without giving a psychoactive high like THC. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and neuroprotective properties; it’s also not psychoactive so you won’t feel that typical THC “high”.
Until recently it was quite hard to find cannabis strains with high enough CBD levels to cancel out the effects of THC. Thanks to recent investigations and studies, you can officially get your hands on strains designed to have much more CBD than THC, allowing you to consume your medicine without feeling too stoned. This is incredibly helpful for those that want to medicate during the day and still be able to go about their daily business.
Solodiol CBD by Elite Seeds is a strain designed for those that want to make the most of the medicinal properties of CBD without the psychoactive effect that tends to accompany THC-rich strains.
It can be grown easily indoors and outdoors, and it doesn’t need much care at all to produce more than an acceptable amount of cannabis. The best thing about this strain is that it has 24% CBD and 1% THC – it doesn’t give any high but you’ll still be able to enjoy its medicinal properties and delicious sweet and earthy flavor.
Forms of Medical Marijuana Strains
When it comes to consuming cannabis for medicinal purposes, you don’t always have to smoke or inhale it – in fact, for some illnesses you may do more harm than good by smoking your medicine, such as issues regarding the lungs or asthma.
Smoking does have some benefits for certain issues; it provides almost instant relief, it’s much easier to know what dose you’re taking, there’s little processing and if you have access to a medicinal dispensary you probably have a lot of options. Vaporizing is also healthier than smoking, as there’s no combustion and you won’t stink of smoke afterwards, while still giving almost instant relief, although vaping units can be expensive. You can check out some of our most popular vaporizers right here.
One of the most popular ways of consuming cannabis for medicinal reasons, especially those regarding digestive troubles, is via ingestion. This can be done by preparing your very own meal with cannabis infused ingredients or by using cannabis drops under the tongue. Again, the strain used is going to affect the outcome; if treating stomach issues you’ll want to go with a strain with potent anti-inflammatory properties.
A popular option in places where medicinal and recreational consumption is legal is to simply buy your edibles from your local dispensary; they stock everything from lollipops to chocolate bars, crackers, gummy bears and pretty much everything else you can think of. Most of them actually taste nice thanks to legalization allowing for cannabis culinary artists to fully explore and perfect the art of infusing food with cannabinoids.
Lesser-known Medical Marijuana Treatments
There are a few types of treatments that aren’t the most well-known methods of consuming medicinal marijuana strains, but they’re incredibly effective. Patients that have tried everything and still can’t seem to find relief or have issues with coming to terms with the smell or flavor of cannabis can try transdermal patches, just like nicotine patches, which are usually placed on the ankle or the inside of the wrist and produce small doses of cannabinoids.
Another less conventional treatment is by using cannabis suppositories, which are essentially suppositories made out of cannabis extract that dissolve and are absorbed through the colon into the body. The effect kicks in quite fast and can last for a while, and it’s definitely the most efficient way to digest cannabinoids.