Warner BrosCannabis is prevalent in medicine as a life-saving drug – it can help cure anything from Crohn’s disease to epilepsy.
But it’s also a godsend for an ailment that, while not life-threatening, often feels that way: the hangover.
Here’s five ways weed can be your secret weapon against a night of excess drinking:
It can significantly reduce the frequency of pounding headaches
FlickrHeadaches come hand-in-hand with drinking too much – another symptom pot has also been shown to combat.
A study published in the journal Pharmacotherapy found smoking marijuana resulted in a significant reduction in the frequency of migraine headaches, Civilized reports.
According to Tech Times, ‘the researchers found that in migraine patients who used medical marijuana, the occurrence of migraines dropped from 10.4 to 4.6 percent a month’.
They also found that smoking weed appears to be the most ideal way to get rid of headaches since the effects occur sooner than edibles.
It can help fight nausea
Marijuana is a superlative anti-nausea medication which can battle next-day nausea brought on by pounding back a few too many tequila shots the night before.
Recent studies have found weed to be especially useful in treating the more difficult-to-control symptoms of nausea in chemo patients, so chances are it definitely beats Gravol when it comes to counteracting the effects of last nights booze binge.
Loss of appetite? Marijuana can fix that
New Line CinemaDid you know that eggs are the best hangover food? And probably the last thing you want to eat when you’re in the throes of a nuclear-grade hangover.
Weed – as we all know – gives you the munchies. And when all you can attempt to eat is dry crackers, marijuana may just be your saviour.
Dr. Donald Abrams, chief of hematology-oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California told Newsweek that ‘marijuana is the only anti-nausea medicine that increases appetite.’
It can treat hangover-induced anxiety
Warner BrosMarijuana has a therapeutic effect in relieving stress. So whether it’s the horrible physical condition your poor, abused alcohol-filled body is in, or you’re dreading what you said and did the night before, smoking weed to treat hangover-induced anxiety is a great remedy.
But be careful.
Leafly, the largest cannabis website in the world, points out:
For some, a small puff of cannabis provides unrivaled relief of worry, panic, stress, and other anxiety-related symptoms.
Unfortunately others experience heightened paranoia and exacerbated anxiety with marijuana […]what many people don’t realize is there are many strains now that have little to no THC. These low-THC, high-CBD strains are changing the game for anxiety sufferers, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strains rich in THC that can’t also help.
Marijuana can help you sleep
Warner BrosIf you’ve ever woken up at 6am after a heavy night of drinking wanting to die and unable to get back to sleep, you’re not alone. Your body does that because it jolts awake after it’s finished processing the alcohol in your system.
Gizmodo’s Robbie Gonzalez said: “As the alcohol starts to wear off, your body can come out of deep sleep and back into REM sleep, which is much easier to wake from.”
So, all in all. Weed is your friend when it comes to combatting the dreaded booze hangover. Who knew?
