Please note: the use of Medical Marijuana for medical or recreational purposes may be illegal in your country. Healthiack.com does not encourage the use of this substance.
As medical marijuana has become an option in more locations, the understanding of what medical marijuana can be used for has expanded. There are plenty of applications for medical marijuana in the healthcare system, and there has been a major influx of usage in the past decade or so as legalization has emerged in many countries. In the United States, you’ll need to obtain a medical marijuana card even in states like New York where its use has become fully legal.
Patients are finding relief through medical marijuana for all sorts of medical complaints, from anxiety-based disorders to cancer. As the industry has evolved, so have the cannabis stores. Buying marijuana has become even more accessible for those with mobility issues or with social anxiety, as technology has given patients the option to order marijuana online in many countries like Canada & the Netherlands.
There are plenty of ways that medical marijuana can improve the lives of those suffering from various diseases, and the possible future applications are endless.
Medical marijuana can lessen the symptoms of dozens of different chronic conditions. Those who struggle with ongoing illness are often looking for a way to make their lives more bearable, rather than cure the source of their symptoms. In those cases, medical marijuana can be a godsend. Those suffering from the following diseases are certainly likely to feel some alleviation of their pain or discomfort if they are prescribed medical marijuana.
Eating Disorders
Those who suffer from anorexia nervosa can find two different forms of relief in the form of medical marijuana. Marijuana not only increases the appetite, giving users what is commonly known as “the munchies”, but it also helps reduce anxiety as well.
Those suffering from eating disorders are not simply refusing to eat. They suffer from intense levels of anxiety connected to food, and they react to that anxiety by controlling everything that they consume. Medical marijuana lowers their anxiety levels and increases their appetite, which encourages them to eat without forcing them to cope with the intense guilt and stress that comes with eating.
Chronic Pain
Medical marijuana is a natural anti-inflammatory, which means it is an effective treatment for many different types of pain. Chronic pain is often caused by muscles that have been caught in spasm, swelling, or general overuse that causes inflammation within the body. As an anti-inflammatory, medical marijuana can actually reduce the pain patients are dealing with as a result of their body’s response to the pain. In addition, the high that users get when using marijuana helps reduce the pain they feel as well. For those with milder pain, however, a topically-applied cannabis cream can help manage pain without releasing the high from smoking cannabis.
Most painkillers are opioid-based which makes them incredibly addictive. Patients dealing with chronic pain are at especially high risk for developing an addiction since they will need to take the painkillers long term. Medical marijuana is not addictive and does not have the serious side effects of opioid-based medication, which makes it a much better option for patients suffering from chronic pain.
Cancer
One of the most common (and most unpleasant) side effects of chemotherapy is nausea that accompanies the treatment. Those who are receiving chemotherapy treatment need to provide their bodies with nourishment so that they can continue to fight off cancer, but nausea brought on by the treatment can make eating unbearable or even impossible.
Cannabis can help control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy treatment to make the lives of those living with cancer more bearable. This, in turn, can lead to a higher likelihood of survival since patients are able to provide their bodies with essential vitamins and nutrients to keep their energy and spirits up.
Multiple Sclerosis
Since multiple sclerosis symptoms typically include the tightening and spasming of muscles, medical marijuana can go a long way in reducing the pain those afflicted by MS experience. The anti-inflammatory properties tend to release the muscles and allow them to relax, and the intoxication brought on by the high allows patients to enjoy some relief from their symptoms.
The symptoms of multiple sclerosis make a huge impact on the patient’s quality of life, and medical marijuana can offer a modicum of relief that gives them a little bit more freedom to enjoy their lives.
Although medical marijuana and recreational marijuana have very few explicit differences, the application of medical marijuana in the healthcare field has opened doors for safer symptom treatments and new treatment options. There are plenty of patients who have found medical marijuana to be a critical factor in making coping with their chronic illness bearable. As the use of medical marijuana becomes more mainstream, hopefully, more patients will be able to see how medical cannabis can help to improve their lives.
