Yo, what’s good? My name is Dan and today we’re talking about asthma. This here is a chronic condition that messes with your respiratory system, y’all. It’s been on the rise since the 80s and over 25 million folks in the US alone have it. Asthma causes some real problems with breathing, even to the point where it can be fatal. Ain’t no cure for it, but if you manage it right, you can keep the effects under control. Now, researchers have been looking for ways to treat asthma and turns out, they found that weed might be able to help.
Now, some folks might think that smoking weed would make asthma worse since it’s all about inhaling smoke and other pollutants, right? But it’s actually quite surprising to find that many patients with asthma found that weed helps them more than it hurts them. Let me explain.
So, what causes asthma? It’s when your airways between your mouth/nose and lungs get inflamed and tight (bronchospasm). And this can range from mild irritation to being super severe. If you got your asthma under control, you might not even feel much symptoms. But some folks have it really bad and experience asthma exacerbation (or an “asthma attack”) where their airways are so inflamed and tight that they can’t breathe right. This could be super dangerous and even life-threatening.
Now, there are some things that make an asthma attack more likely like getting sick (like getting a cold), exercising, laughing, crying, feeling stressed out, breathing too hard and fast, being in cold temps or having irritants in the air (like smoke). Asthma attacks are usually worse in the morning or at night.
We don’t really know what causes asthma but it seems like your immune system overreacts to stuff that might be dangerous and ends up hurting your body instead. Most times, asthma happens as a reaction to allergies. There are certain things in the air that could trigger asthma like secondhand smoke, pollutant dust, pet dander, dust mites, or car exhaust. Kids get asthma a lot and if they keep getting respiratory infections from viruses, they’re more likely to get asthma. Some germs in the air could make asthma worse but others might help protect against it. We still need to do way more research to figure out asthma.
So, this is where weed comes in. Researchers found that smoking weed could actually help with asthma. Weed has some powerful anti-inflammatory properties and inflammation is one of the causes of bronchospasm. Back in the 1920s, doctors knew that weed could help people who had coughing fits cause of asthma. Studies show that folks who smoke weed often have better lung capacity than those who don’t. But be careful cause smoking too much could have the opposite effect.
Now, if you want to treat your asthma with weed, you should probably vaporize or “vape” it. This is the best way to relieve an attack cause smoking and vaping can both help relax and open up your airways. Vaping is better though since it’s easier on your lungs since you’re inhaling vapor instead of smoke. Some folks find relief from smoking weed but vaporizing is probably the better choice. Edible marijuana might work as a treatment in the long-term but it won’t do much when you’re having an attack cause it takes a while for the effects to come.
But wait! If you’re gonna use weed to treat your asthma, beware of some risks too. Smoking weed ups your chances of getting lung cancer and could make your asthma worse if you’re not careful. If you notice that your symptoms get worse when using weed, then it’s not worth it even if it might help you sometimes.
So what’s the deal with THC and CBD? THC is what gets you high and it dilates and opens up your airways. This could help reduce coughing fits. CBD is another chemical found in weed that doesn’t get you high but it has some anti-inflammatory properties too. It helps relax the muscles in your lungs so you can breathe better too. Hemp-derived CBD is legal in all 50 states and it’s safe for kids and pets to use.
All this info might make you wonder if weed could be the treatment for your asthma. But it’s not that simple, y’all. Smoking anything is bad for your lungs whether it’s weed or cigarettes or even campfires. And there are some risks associated with smoking weed like the possibility of getting bullae (big air sacs in your lungs) or lung infections. So, if you’re thinking of using weed as a treatment, be careful and maybe talk to a doctor first.
So there you have it, folks! Weed could help with asthma but it’s not a cure-all and it comes with some risks. Stay safe out there!