Nausea + Vomiting

BY BRIAN HOUCK

Nausea affects many people in their daily lives. Whether its motion sickness while riding in a car or from acid reflux, for some, nausea is an issue that can only be solved through the use of medicine. Drugs that are used to stave off nausea and vomiting are known as antiemetic medicines. Some of the over the counter antiemetics are drugs like Emetrol, Nauzene, even Dramamine. People use these every day to stifle the symptoms of nausea and vomiting, but we are now aware that these symptoms can be treated with the use of medicinal cannabis.

It is not a chalky pink bismuth that coats the stomach but rather a vivacious green bud that, when ground up and smoked, has a chemical reaction in the brain that acts as an antagonist to the feeling of nausea.

For some, a few drops from a CBD tincture are enough to relieve their symptoms of nausea, but others require medicine with a higher THC content. Both cannabinoids bind and stimulate CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system, which spans across the body and brain.

THC and CBD are CB1 agonists which means they suppress the urge to vomit, as opposed to antagonists of the CB1 receptor which promote vomiting.

“Considerable evidence demonstrates that manipulation of the endocannabinoid system regulates nausea and vomiting in humans and other animals,”1 noted a study done by the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

As it pertains to nausea, when cannabis is consumed, THC and CBD are absorbed into the CB1 receptors located in our gastrointestinal intestinal tract. These receptors and allow us to receive help in the organs themselves. There are also multiple CB1 receptors in the brain that have a direct correlation with the mental experience of nausea. When THC is absorbed in these receptors, it exhibits a psychoactive effect that helps by taking the patient’s mind off of the nausea. The combination of the locations helps to fight the nausea in the mind and body in tandem.

When a sudden wave of nausea hits, you need to take something that will act fast to combat it. The most common—and more importantly—the quickest way to get medical cannabis into the bloodstream is through inhalation. This is caused by two factors, one, when the smoke enters the lungs, THC and CBD are absorbed through blood vessel coated air sacs that inflate and take in air of smoke; and two, the lungs have the most surface area for absorption.

It’s estimated that the average surface area of the adult human lung when fully stretched out is about the size of a tennis court, so there is more than enough room for smoke to absorbed quickly and make its way to the blood vessels through the thin barrier.

Another element that helps explain cannabis’ effect on nausea is terpenes. Terpenes are what give cannabis and other plants, like the herbs in your garden, their unique smell. Terpenes aren’t just there to smell nice though, different terpenes can have an array of physiological effects on the body when consumed. For instance, myrcene is a terpene that is in plants like basil, but in marijuana it has pain relieving and sedative effects. The terpene that is associated with nausea relief is limonene. As you probably could’ve guessed limonene can be found in all kinds of fruit and gives it that citrus smell. The same applies to cannabis, but when ingested it can display a variety of benefits including, nausea relief. In clinical trials, Limonene has even shown the ability to inhibit lung cancer growth. 2 However, patients with cancer often are more attracted to cannabis’ ability to soothe the grueling nausea that comes as a side-effect of their chemotherapy.

“Nausea is often reported as more distressing than vomiting, because it is a continuous sensation,” 1 cites the study done on the regulation of nausea and vomiting by cannabinoids by the University of Guelph. “Although chemotherapy-induced vomiting is well controlled in most patients by conventionally available drugs, nausea (acute, delayed and anticipatory) continues to be a challenge.” 1

The same study concludes, “Evidence from animal experiments suggests that cannabinoids may be especially useful in treating the more difficult to control symptoms of nausea and anticipatory nausea in chemotherapy patients, which are less well controlled by the currently available conventional pharmaceutical agents.” 1

As more studies are allowed to be done, we are finding more benefits for what the cannabis plant can do. Its many different elements compliment each other to produce benefits that can aid ailments across the board. From those suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy, to people who get motion sick in the backseat of a car, and anyone in between may have the ability to have their nausea relieved by the soothing effects of medicinal cannabis.