5 Common Conditions Medical Marijuana Is Prescribed For
Medical marijuana can work wonders for pain, minor illnesses, and overall psychological issues such as generalized anxiety. Some say it goes as far as assist those impacted by PTSD. Medical marijuana is better than other medicines prescribed for these illnesses because it doesn’t leave patients feeling like zombies. This makes it worth looking into as an alternative to medicines that are horrible for the liver and other parts of the body.
Many companies and organizations that specialize in medical marijuana are safe to contact for information and to purchase the crop from. It also could be beneficial for these companies to pursue ways to educate people on the available treatment options for certain illnesses. These companies, which are growing medical marijuana legally, should take insurance into consideration. Having issues in these crops could be detrimental to patients relying on medical marijuana. There are companies that provide marijuana insurance products in Sacramento, CA and other locations in legalized states.
No matter the seriousness of a condition, it is important that doctors look at the results of alternative means of care such as medical marijuana. The people who benefit from medical marijuana become passionate about removing the stigma surrounding it and spreading knowledge about the topic. Here are five common conditions that medical marijuana might be prescribed for.
- Cancer
Medical marijuana is often an option doctors consider for cancer patients. It is clearly better for the body than chemotherapy and other strong medications that attack cancer cells. Cancer patients try medical marijuana to see if it improves pain or reduces inflammation. Sometimes the only benefit of medical marijuana for cancer patients is pain reduction. In some cases, using a vape pen reduces nausea immediately, according to NPR. Medical marijuana is safe as long as patients get the marijuana from a dispensary and use the proper amount. Many advocates are fighting to have medical marijuana legalized because of how much it has helped their treatment process.
In some cases, medical marijuana attacks cancer cells and makes for an improvement in the diagnosis. Many people have used medical marijuana combined with other treatments to help reduce cancers such as prostate cancer. There are multiple studies that provide facts about prostate cancer when treatment is combined with medical marijuana.
If marijuana doesn’t kill cancer cells in some patients, it at least has the potential to alleviate the pain, especially in severe cases. This is one of the main benefits of medicinal marijuana for a variety of illnesses, which is why many states are beginning to pursue legalization.
- HIV/AIDS
Medical marijuana is recommended to HIV/AIDS patients often because HIV/AIDS can suppress appetite. Food is needed for the body to heal and medical marijuana can help increase appetite. This isn’t the only benefit of medical marijuana for those with HIV/AIDS. Medical marijuana also helps alleviate nausea that can occur when diagnosed with this illness.
Medical marijuana can help with mental health downfalls that may occur in HIV/AIDS patients. Medical marijuana reduces anxiety and depression. If you or a loved one wants to use medical marijuana for one of these mental health issues, make sure it isn’t used constantly, as to not increase chance of addictions or dependency. Many diagnosed with AIDS have issues overcoming the psychological burden that might come with diagnosis. Other anxiety and depression medications may affect personality and lifestyle negatively. Medical marijuana, on the other hand, is a milder and natural aid to some of these issues.
Many victims of HIV/AIDS are affected by peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is a chronic condition that results from damage to sensory, autonomic, and motor nerves. Medical marijuana has been found to help patients affected by peripheral neuropathy, as it relieves pain and improves sleep in these patients.
- Multiple Sclerosis
Medical marijuana can be great for patients with multiple sclerosis because it helps relax the muscles. Multiple sclerosis causes its patients to feel like they constantly need to use the restroom. Medical marijuana relaxes the muscles and removes the muscle tension. This can also help people with this condition sleep better, which is an all-around benefit to the use of medical marijuana.
The main benefit of multiple sclerosis victims using medical marijuana is reducing pain. It reduces abdominal pain and can alleviate many symptoms. There are cases where patients using medical marijuana gain hope in the medical field and become passionate about this cause. This is yet another benefit of marijuana. When used correctly and for good, it brings hope and positivity to lives.
- Epilepsy
Epilepsy and medical marijuana go hand-in-hand. There has been miraculous improvements when epilepsy patients try medical marijuana. Medical marijuana showed a 50% reduction in the frequency of certain seizures in children and adults in a study of 213 patients by NYU Langone Medical Center.
In April, the FDA approved a CBD drug for epileptics. CBD is the part of marijuana that doesn’t produce a high. The drug is called Epidiolex and it is made by GW Pharmaceuticals. The drug is made to treat rare forms of epilepsy such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. These forms of epilepsy can cause damage to children’s brains because of the amount of seizures. These conditions are rare and the seizures are incredibly difficult to control. Many are in support of this drug if it can help those affected by these rare and dangerous medical conditions. There are many cases of children with epilepsy that have significant improvements after using CBD.
- Insomnia
Insomnia is more serious than some people are lead to believe. Not being able to sleep is hard on the mind, body, and can affect every aspect of life. One issue with insomnia is that it is growing with the rise of technology. We go to bed after hours of staring at a computer screen, phone screen, or TV. The exposure to this light makes it increasingly difficult for many people to fall asleep. The access to internet also has the chance to increase brain activity and therefore stress. This is making it harder and harder to fall asleep in this age of information and access to Google at any given point in time.
With insomnia on the rise, people are reaching for Melatonin. Melatonin, however, isn’t the best option, according to multiple studies. Melatonin is already produced by the body, so taking more has been proven inefficient when looking at insomnia cases. Many people use it whenever they want to fall asleep instead of focusing on regulating their sleep schedule in general. This is where medical marijuana comes in, as it allows the body and mind to relax.
Like any medicine, there may be a few side-effects to using medical marijuana. These symptoms include anxiety and mood swings. But even so, medical marijuana is making huge improvements in the medical industry and will possibly be universally legalized in coming years because of its undeniable benefits.