Cannabis Vs. Antibiotics: What’s Best For You?

Cannabis Vs. Antibiotics: What’s Best For You?

Marijuana vs. Antibiotics - Which is Best For You? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

A majority of diseases plaguing humans are caused by infections, that are brought about by the presence of harmful bacteria.

In order to control and treat these bacteria, we turn to antibiotics. It has been so common to use antibiotics that we rarely think twice when doctors prescribe us these types of pharmaceutical medications. We owe the discovery of antibiotics to Sir Alexander Fleming, a biologist from Scotland, who discovered penicillin in 1928. Since then, penicillin has been used to treat bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, gangrene, and syphilis.

Penicillin is the first antibiotic to be used by man, and it is still one of the most widely used. Other classes of antibiotics include cephalosporins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and aminoglycosides.

The Problem With Antibiotics

Doctors these days are overprescribing antibiotics for just about everything, including colds and the common flu which are actually viral infections, not bacterial infections. Antibiotics are programmed to kill only bacteria.

Additionally, overusing antibiotics or using them for a prolonged period of time can have terrible side effects.

For one, using antibiotics too much actually creates bacteria that is much more difficult to kill. Known as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, these bacteria as well as other microbes evolve over time and eventually no antibiotics will be effective enough to kill them. The only way to treat them is to use stronger medicine or take even more doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that antibiotic resistance is “one of the world’s most pressing public health problems.” Cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But that’s not the only problem with antibiotics.

Antibiotic abuse also leads to other health problems. While they are used to kill harmful bacteria, in the process they also end up affecting the good bacteria that is necessary to keep the body healthy.

Antibiotic use may also present side effects. These include diarrhea, stomach upset, allergic reactions, vomiting, white patches on the tongue, and vaginal discharge.

Why Cannabis Is A Safer, More Effective Alternative To Antibiotics

Cannabis is a natural, safer, and effective alternative to using antibiotics.

Cannabis has beneficial antibacterial properties that can help treat the same infections that antibiotics are used for, without the side effects. There are several studies that show cannabis is successful in killing bad bacteria, although the exact way that it works remains a mystery to scientists.

We know that cannabis has hundreds of cannabinoids, few of which have been thoroughly studied by scientists but show the potential of killing harmful bacteria.

Cannabidiol (CBD): CBD’s anti-epileptic, anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), and pain-relieving properties are among this cannabinoid’s most famous therapeutic benefits. However, CBD has also been shown to to kill MRSA even if MRSA doesn’t respond to antibiotics. According to Simon Gibbons of the University of London’s School of Pharmacy, CBD can be used to treat bacterial infections even if it comes in the form of hemp. “What this means is, we could use fiber hemp plants that have no use as recreational drugs to cheaply and easily produce potent antibiotics,” Gibbons explains.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): After THC was first isolated by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, researchers soon discovered that it contains antibacterial properties. A 1976 study revealed that taking as little as 1-5 micrograms per milliliter of THC was successful in killing streptococci and staphylococci, two kinds of bacteria that give you a strep throat and a staph infection, respectively. Another 2012 study showed that full-extract cannabis products were effective in treating E.coli as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacteria that causes urinary tract infections, and conditions afflicting the skin and respiratory system. The full extract was also helpful in treating Bacillus subtilis, the pathogen responsible for food poisoning.

Cannabinol (CBN): CBN is the result of THC when it has broken down. Older cannabis plants convert the THC into CBN, which has less of a high (this is also why you get less stoned, or not at all, when you smoke old weed). In a 2008 study, researchers were successfully able to treat MRSA with various cannabinoids, and found that CBN was the most effective of all. MRSA is one of the most difficult infections to treat because it is resistant to antibiotics.

Cannabigerol (CBG): CBG is a cannabinoid that spawns other cannabinoids including THC and CBD. When CBG acid is broken down when cannabis plants mature, that’s when these other cannabinoids are formed. CBG is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid that has been shown to have antifungal properties, and is also effective against MRSA.

Cannabichromene (CBC): CBC has found to be another cannabinoid that has valuable antibiotic properties especially against MRSA. An older study dating back to 1981 showed that CBC had powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties that were effective in treating Candida albicans and E.coli infections.

So stop popping those antibiotics. Use cannabis instead.

Marijuana vs. Antibiotics - Which is Best For You? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.