How Does Medical Marijuana Affect the Common Cold?

Written by Sindy Brent on 07/29/2022.
Data Last Updated: 01/11/2024.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Kimberly Langdon Medically reviewed by Dr. Kimberly Langdon Kimberly Langdon M.D. is a retired, board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with 19-years of clinical experience. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, earning Honors in many rotations. She then completed her OB/GYN residency program at The Ohio State University...

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6 min

Table content

The main symptoms of a cold
How medical marijuana affects the common cold?
How to use marijuana if you catch a cold?

The common cold is a contagious viral illness that many people suffer from. It is usually not a serious health threat and will go away on its own within a week or two. However, during this period, and for several days before the first symptoms appear, the sick person may experience many problems, such as cough and runny nose.

In today’s article, we’re going to find out how medical marijuana affects the common cold and whether it is possible or not to get rid of the sickness just by consuming some weed regularly. We’re also going to learn what methods of CBD consumption are more appropriate if you have a cold and what research has been done on the issue.

The main symptoms of a cold

Cold symptoms appear several hours to days after exposure — the incubation period can be up to 2 days. At this time, the person does not yet realize that he is sick, but he can easily infect others if he is not careful. Most often, cold symptoms occur in autumn and winter, when the weather is bad outside, and the immunity is impaired. The main symptoms of a cold:

sore throat;
coughing, sneezing;
nasal congestion, runny nose, watery eyes;
fever chills;
headache;
enlarged lymph nodes;
pain and aches in muscles;
lack of appetite;
insomnia or, conversely, drowsiness.

As you can see, cold symptoms may strongly differ from each other. Some of them are quite bearable while others can be extremely annoying and harmful. The best option for everyone would be to prevent the disease. But if you get a cold, at least don’t rush out to buy dozens of meds that may only worsen the situation.

How medical marijuana affects the common cold?

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much research done on how medical cannabis influences colds. Yet, some researchers have found that CBD reduces inflammation and pain in rats. Another study made in 2017 declares that CBD can help to cope with pain, inflammatory conditions, and neurologic and cardiovascular effects..

Based on these facts, some suggest that CBD may really help people cope with a common cold and get rid of some symptoms due to its pain-relieving, and anti-inflammatory properties. Besides, CBD in cannabis has antioxidant properties that assist the immune system in defending against viral’ infections.

Dr. Sean Meirovichi, who specializes in pain management in Toronto, says that the symptoms of a cold can be controlled if marijuana is used responsibly.

How to use marijuana if you catch a cold?

Unfortunately, the cold is not difficult to catch. This happens either through physical contact with a sick person, touching objects on which pathogens are located, or through inhalation of particles of contaminated mucus sprayed into the air, primarily through coughing.

If you have decided to recover from cold using medical marijuana, the first thing you should do is to determine in which form you want to consume it. It’s no secret that CBD is available in various kinds. Some people prefer edibles forms and others choose CBD creams and massage oils or even smoking.

There are controversies about which form of cannabis is the most beneficial and safe for humans. A lot of people keep arguing about it on the Internet, but there is still no clear answer yet. Anyway, let’s try to figure out what kinds of CBD are the best for using against cold and which forms are better to avoid.

Smoking

Unfortunately, inhaling any kind of smoke, even when we are not sick, is not very good for our lungs and respiratory system. Thus, it would be unwise to smoke weed being sick because this can worsen the situation: it may irritate the mucous membranes even further, making your cough or sore throat worse.

Note, that despite the above, cannabis smoke contains fewer carcinogens than cigarette smoke.

CBD Oil for colds

This option is much more beneficial than the previous one if you have a cold. You can use CBD oils and creams for a massage and they may ease some symptoms of the disease. CBD oils can relieve inflammation and reduce pain, as well as improve sleep, which is also important for a fast recovery.

An edible cannabis

Edible cannabis is another great way to get rid of a cold and strengthen your health. The biggest advantage of this method is that you can use dozens of recipes and make the meals with CBD that you’ll definitely enjoy eating. Among the most popular recipes are:

You can bake cookies with flour, chocolate, nuts, and cannabis.
You can also make oatmeal with apples and honey and complete it with some CBD products.
CBD oil mixed with ginger, lemon, and honey transforms into amazing canna tea.

Get a consultation from Dr-Weedy

Individual recommendations are always better than generalized articles because they take into account the detailed characteristics of each person. Therefore, if you want to receive a thorough answer from a professional doctor regarding your situation (for example, to find out which form of taking CBD is ideal for you and which dose will bring the maximum effect), then just leave a request and we will help you as soon as possible!