That’s a tough question. There’s a lot to unpack, and research has a long way to go before we’ll have a complete answer. But here are a few findings in the grudge match of the century – medical marijuana versus herpes simplex.
Pain
One crucial aspect of any treatment for a painful condition is pain management. For most of us, pain has an incredible impact on quality of life. And that’s where you’d expect medical marijuana to shine.
Depending on the way pot affects you, it may do just that. It may be just what you need to get through the misery of an outbreak. But not necessarily. Because not everyone responds to marijuana in the same way – not even close. Some are deeply affected by it. And there are those who have no reaction to it at all.
But it’s an area researchers are beginning to investigate with more freedom.
Anti-Inflammatory
Again, there just isn’t enough research to be definitive about the effect of cannabis on Herpes simplex. A few studies report out positive, but one study testing the effect of THC on a number of viruses found it had absolutely no effect on herpes simplex.
Other studies have shown that marijuana is simply too effective an anti-inflammatory agent. It interrupts bodily processes that use inflammation. There are many processes in the body that depend on some inflammation to work – e.g., the fever you get when you get the flu. To interrupt those processes is to risk short circuiting your body’s defenses.
Conclusion
Well, there’s certainly enough there, enough potential, that it’s a shame more research hasn’t been done already. Maybe if it had been, we’d already know who won the match: medical marijuana versus herpes simplex.
