What Is Medical Cannabis Used For?
U.S. federal law prohibits the utilization of whole plant marijuana or its derivatives for any purpose. For medical purposes, scientists have produced many cannabinoids within the lab. A number of these cannabinoids are extremely powerful and have led to serious health effects when misused. A cannabis dispensary is where you want to go when you need any type of cannabis product. There are recreational as well as medical marijuana dispensaries depending on which state you are in.
Cannabinoids are chemicals associated with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s main mind-altering ingredient that makes people “high.” The marijuana plant contains quite 100 cannabinoids.
The body also produces its cannabinoid chemicals. They play a task in regulating pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, body movement, awareness of your time, appetite, pain, and therefore the senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight).
Currently, the 2 main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are THC and CBD. THC can increase appetite and reduce nausea. THC can also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. CBD derived from the hemp plant (< 0.3% THC) is legal under federal law to consume, it’s going to be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental disease and addictions.
Many states allow THC use for medical purposes. Federal law regulating marijuana supersedes state laws. Due to this, people should be arrested and charged with possession in states where marijuana for medical use is legal.
Depending on the state, you’ll qualify for treatment with medical marijuana if you meet certain requirements and have a qualifying condition, such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy and seizures
- Glaucoma
- Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
- Severe and chronic pain
- Severe nausea
If you’re experiencing uncomfortable symptoms or side effects of medical treatment, especially pain and nausea, talk with your doctor about all of your options before trying marijuana. Some doctors may consider medical marijuana as an option if other treatments haven’t helped.
In particular, marijuana appears to ease the pain of multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain generally. This is often an area where few other options exist, and people that do, like Neurontin, Lyrica, or opiates are highly sedating. Patients claim that marijuana allows them to resume their previous activities without feeling completely out of it and disengaged.
Marijuana is also claimed to be an incredible relaxant, and other people swear by its ability to reduce tremors in Parkinson’s disease. Some people claim its use quite successfully for fibromyalgia, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and most other conditions where the ultimate common pathway is chronic pain. Marijuana is additionally wont to manage nausea and weight loss and may be used to treat glaucoma.
Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved one cannabis-derived and three cannabis-related drugs: dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros), nabilone (Cesamet) and cannabidiol (Epidiolex).
Dronabinol and nabilone are often prescribed for the treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and for the treatment of anorexia related to weight loss in people with AIDS. Cannabidiol is often prescribed for the treatment of severe sorts of childhood epilepsy.
To get medical marijuana, you would like a written recommendation from a licensed doctor in states where that’s legal. You will need to have a condition that qualifies for medical marijuana use according to your state list. Your state can also require you to have a medical marijuana ID card. Once you’ve got that card, you’ll buy medical marijuana at a store called a cannabis dispensary.