Everything You Need to Know About Medical Marijuana
Nowadays, people can use cannabis in two ways: recreationally and as a medicine. When used as a remedy, it is will be called medical marijuana. If you’re wondering about its use as a drug, then you need to know by now what medical marijuana is and if you can take advantage of it for your health condition.
Medical Marijuana – What Is It?
Medical marijuana is the term used for describing the use of a cannabis plant or its chemical compounds to cure diseases or disorders. It is the same with recreational cannabis, but the only difference is that medical marijuana is obviously for medical purposes.
A cannabis plant has over 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. Each one of them has a specific effect on the human body. THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are the main chemical compounds used in taking medical marijuana. THC is the chemical compound that makes you feel “high” when you smoke cannabis or eat edibles.
Difference Between Recreational Cannabis and Medical Marijuana
Typically, there are strict guidelines to follow regarding medical cannabis production in Canada, the UK, and other countries where its cultivation is legal. Medical marijuana has been formulated to provide some type of relief for the symptoms linked to a specific disease or medical condition or to ease the adverse effects of medical treatment. On the contrary, recreational cannabis induces an intoxicated feeling or changes in a person’s mood.
At times, this distinction becomes muddied when people bought cannabis for recreational purposes for what they assume to be a medical reason. The same is the case when people buy medical marijuana when they want to experience being intoxicated due to weed. The purpose of recreational cannabis and medical marijuana is different.
Uses of Medical Marijuana
Cannabis has become legal in most parts of the world as a treatment for minor issues like headaches to severe conditions like multiple sclerosis. Using medical marijuana as a treatment is ideal for a variety of medical conditions, including:
- Loss of appetite
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cancer
- Eating disorders like anorexia
- Chron’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Psychological issues like PTSD and schizophrenia
- Glaucoma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nausea
- Muscle spasms
- Wasting syndrome
- Pain
However, further studies are necessary to prove and ensure the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating most of these conditions. On the other hand, many things prove the healing effects of weed in dealing with the negative effects of chemotherapy, particularly nausea, vomiting, and chronic pain.
How Does Medical Marijuana Help?
Cannabinoids, the active chemical compounds in cannabis, are the same as the chemicals naturally produced by the human body. These chemicals in your system are responsible for your appetite, movement, memory, and pain you might be experiencing.
According to research, cannabinoids are capable of:
- Reducing anxiety
- Reducing inflammation
- Relieving pain
- Controlling nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy
- Killing the cancer cells and delaying tumor growth
- Making tight muscles relaxed, which is beneficial for patients with multiple sclerosis
- Stimulating appetite and enhancing weight gain in persons with AIDS and cancer
Can Medical Cannabis Help in Dealing with Seizure Disorders?
Yes, there are now medical cannabis strains, particularly those with higher CBD content. These strains of weed are more effective in treating a variety of health problems, including seizure disorders like epilepsy.
How to Acquire Medical Marijuana?
To acquire medical marijuana, you will need to get a written recommendation coming from a registered doctor. Before that, make sure that it’s legal to buy and use medical cannabis in your area. That’s true as not all doctors are eager to recommend medical weed.
Also, you should have a qualifying condition for medical cannabis use. In the US, every state has a list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be used for.
Also, you must get your medical marijuana card for a hassle-free way to buy. Once you have it, you can start buying medical cannabis at a dispensary. The requirements in applying for a medical marijuana card may vary from one location to another.
How Should One Take It?
You can take medical cannabis in several ways. You can smoke it or inhale it by using a vaporizer which turns the substance into vapor. You can eat it, too. You can have it like a lollipop or brownies. You can also apply it directly to your skin. Medical cannabis is now available as a lotion, oil, spray, or cream. You can also put some drops of a marijuana tincture underneath your tongue.
How you take medical marijuana depends on your preference. Every method works differently in your body. When you smoke and vaporize marijuana, you will notice and feel its effects sooner. When you eat it, the effects may even take longer to come by. With edibles, the effects may come in 1 to 2 hours after the intake.
How Long Does Medical Marijuana Last in a Person’s Body?
If you’re suffering from a medical condition in which medical marijuana can help, it is best to discuss the matter with your physician. Talk to him about the ideal dose and how the use of marijuana can affect your everyday activities. In certain cases, the guidelines suggest not to drive your car in 3 to 4 hours you inhaled about 400 milligrams of medical cannabis.
6 hours if the substance was consumed orally and 8 hours if you experienced a high. If there is intoxication or sedation, then the dosage should decrease.
How to Qualify as a Medical Marijuana Patient
The following are just the basic steps to take if you want to be a registered medical cannabis patient in your area:
- Proof of residence – of course, you need to show proof that you are a resident of the city or state. If you have a driving license, you can use it as proof. Just make sure it is valid.
- You must have a qualifying medical condition – medical marijuana is not for all health problems. Therefore, you have to know which medical conditions your state or city might be considered qualified for medical marijuana use. Mostly, these include debilitating conditions like cancer, AIDS or HIV, glaucoma, neuropathic pain, and arthritis. Usually, medical marijuana is reserved for those patients who have worse or terminal diseases.
- Know the local laws implemented in your state or city – if you live in the United States, then you know that the laws differ from city to city and state to state. Hence, you should do your homework and find out more about the legality of medical marijuana in your area. Medical marijuana patients and providers are weak to national and state protests, prosecution, and imprisonment. Thus, these people might suffer from pervasive discrimination in child custody, employment, public accommodation, education, public accommodation, and medical care. Laws that protect the patients and providers differ from one state to another. In some instances, these laws vary from one country to another.
- Written consent from your doctor or any other qualified medical professional – talk to a primary care doctor. If not, look for those doctors with knowledge of medical marijuana.
Once you have the requirements and necessary documents, you can present them all to the issuing office to finish your application. You will be getting your medical marijuana card in no time.
