People have been advocating for the continued legalization of medicinal and/or recreational marijuana for decades and there have been many claims about the connections between marijuana and hair.
According to a page on WebMD.com, more than half of the states in the US have legalized medical marijuana in one form or another. They say “The marijuana plant contains more than 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids. Each one has a different effect on the body.”
They go on to list a number of different conditions that marijuana can be used to treat, including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Appetite loss
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Eating disorders such as anorexia
- Glaucoma
- Mental health conditions like schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle spasms
- Nausea
- Pain
And research suggests that cannabinoids, which are the active chemicals in medical marijuana, might:
- Reduce anxiety
- Reduce inflammation and relieve pain
- Control nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy
- Kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth
- Relax tight muscles in people with MS
- Stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS
But can it help grow hair? According to https://www.marijuanapackaging.com/blog/do-marijuana-benefits-include-hair-growth, “Some users who consume marijuana 3 to 5 times a week have reported noticing that their hair grows a lot faster”. They go on to talk about marijuana’s effects on hormone levels which can help or hurt hair depending on the balance, marijuana’s effects on metabolism, and marijuana’s effects on stress relief – stress is indeed a well-known major cause of hair loss. So in theory, if marijuana helps reduce stress, can it stall hair loss?
“Marijuana benefits most definitely include positive effects on mood, depression, insomnia, and stress. Marijuana helps many people cope with stress, eradicating it almost instantly after consumption. It is also a powerful anti-depressant that helps to stabilize stress levels in general. Stress is the cause of multiple physical ailments in general so weed can become a way of easing the pressures of life on the body. Hair loss can be a manifestation of stress and can possibly be avoided through marijuana use.”
But as with just about every fully legal prescription and over-the-counter medication, and various vitamins and supplements, there are possible side-effects to using marijuana. WebMD says that these include:
- Bloodshot eyes
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Fast heartbeat
- Hallucinations
- Low blood pressure
And “The drug can also affect judgment and coordination, which could lead to accidents and injuries. When used during the teenage years when the brain is still developing, marijuana might affect IQ and mental function.”
People against the use of marijuana say that it is a “gateway drug” which can be addictive and lead to people using too much of it, or moving on to something stronger that is not legal and can be much more dangerous.
If this seems like too much for you to risk, there are many tried and proven ways to stop hair loss and to get hair back. Set-up a no-strings-attached appointment for you to come in and find out what we can do for you. If you can’t make it to one of our locations, you can order our HairStart® products online.
Since 1982 the goal of New England Associates® has been to help people of all ages restore their hair and regain their confidence. At New England Associates®, how you feel about your hair, and making the right choice to solve problems, is what matters to us.
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Sources: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/medical-marijuana-faq and https://www.marijuanapackaging.com/blog/do-marijuana-benefits-include-hair-growth/