These medicines are made from synthetic forms of certain ingredients in marijuana. They can be legally prescribed for the treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy when other treatments have failed. Dronabinol may also be used for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in people with AIDS.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal Under Federal Law in The U.S.?
No. Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under federal law, and federal law regulating marijuana supersedes state law. Because of the discrepancy be...
When Is Medical Marijuana Appropriate?
Studies report that marijuana has possible benefit for several conditions. State laws vary in which conditions qualify people for treatment with me...
Is Medical Marijuana Safe?
Further study is needed to answer this question, but possible short- and long-term risks of using marijuana to treat medical conditions include: 1....
Is Medical Marijuana Available as A Prescription Medicine?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two drugs made from synthetic forms of ingredients found in marijuana: dronabinol (Marinol, Syn...
How Does It Work?
Your body already makes marijuana-like chemicals that affect pain, inflammation, and many other processes. Marijuana can sometimes help those natural chemicals work better, says Laura Borgelt, PharmD, of the University of Colorado.
Risks and Limits
Medical marijuana is not monitored like FDA-approved medicines. When using it, you don’t know its potential to cause cancer, its purity, potency, or side effects.
How to take medical marijuana?
To take medical marijuana, you can: Smoke it. Inhale it through a device called a vaporizer that turns it into a mist. Eat it -- for example, in a brownie or lollipop. Apply it to your skin in a lotion, spray, oil, or cream. Place a few drops of a liquid under your tongue.
How to reduce pain from cancer?
Control nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy. Kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth. Relax tight muscles in people with MS. Stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS.
Why is research needed on marijuana?
"Research is critically needed, because we have to be able to advise patients and doctors on the safe and effective use of cannabis ," Bonn-Miller says.
Does medical marijuana help with seizures?
Medical marijuana received a lot of attention a few years ago when parents said that a special form of the drug helped control seizures in their children. The FDA recently approved Epidiolex, which is made from CBD, as a therapy for people with very severe or hard-to-treat seizures.
Does cannabis help with MS?
But it’s not yet proven to help many of these conditions, with a few exceptions, Bonn-Miller says. "The greatest amount of evidence for the therapeutic effects of cannabis relate to its ability to reduce chronic pain, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and spasticity [tight or stiff muscles] from MS ," Bonn-Miller says.
Does marijuana help with AIDS?
Researchers are studying whether medical marijuana can help treat a number of conditions including: Diseases effecting the immune system like HIV/AIDS or Multiple Sclerosis (MS) But it’s not yet proven to help many of these conditions, with a few exceptions, Bonn-Miller says.
Can you use medical marijuana for a recognized condition?
The support of physicians and patients who have found medical marijuana to be effective in helping with symptoms of these conditions has led some jurisdictions to allow the use of medical marijuana for a recognized condition if prescribed by a doctor. Derivatives of marijuana and synthetic marijuana—which aims to give the same medical benefits ...
Is medical marijuana being used as intended?
However, the question of whether the current medical marijuana system is being used as intended does raise some interesting findings. Research reported in 2017 indicates that marijuana users who are not medical marijuana patients report using marijuana diverted from dispensaries.
What is medical marijuana?
Medical marijuana or medical cannabis refers to any part of the marijuana plant that is used to treat health problems. Medical marijuana is not used to get "high.". Some of the uses for medical marijuana are. to control pain,
Why do people use medical marijuana?
In a recent research survey, the most common reasons people use medical marijuana are for. pain, anxiety, depression, muscle spasticity, and. inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease. More research has been conducted on the compound CBD.
What is the treatment for liver cancer?
Arterial chemotherapy infusion of the liver and chemoembolization of the liver (TACE) are used in the treatment of liver cancer. Chemotherapy is directly injected into the hepatic artery so that a higher concentration of chemotherapy agents reach the tumors without subjecting the patient to the toxicity of the chemotherapy. Intra-arterial chemotherapy can cause the following side effects:
How many studies have been done on medical marijuana?
There are over 60 peer-reviewed research studies examining the benefits of medical marijuana. Sixty-eight percent of these studies found benefit while 8% found no benefit. Twenty-three percent of the studies were inconclusive or neutral. Most research has been conducted on the compound CBD.
Is marijuana good for you?
The health benefits of medical marijuana include relief from pain and muscle spasm, nausea associated with chemotherapy, and anorexia. Benefits are seen in immune function, neuroplasticity, emotional and mood regulation, vascular health and digestive function.
How many studies have been done on cannabis for anxiety?
We’ll know more soon. At least seven studies of cannabis in anxiety and/or depression are in the works in the United States and around the world. So are at least six studies for PTSD. For now, small studies and surveys hint at benefits and problems — especially for depression.
Can you use marijuana for glaucoma?
Meanwhile, experts say that when it comes to glaucoma, do not rely on marijuana. It’s important to stick with proven treatments like eye drops. Far more research and anecdotal weight is needed before there are definitive answers on these uses.
Does marijuana help with cancer?
Cannabis is highly effective for cancer pain and the side effects of cancer treatment — nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss, says Donald Ab rams, an oncologist and professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco and a longtime advocate of medical marijuana. “There’s no question in my mind, it works,” Abrams says. “I was on the NASEM committee that reviewed the evidence.”
Does cannabis help with pain?
More than 600,000 Americans turn to cannabis for relief from chronic pain — and the scientific evidence for its effectiveness is substantial. In gold-standard randomized clinical trials of people who had agonizing health concerns — peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain from diabetes), spinal cord injury, HIV or complex regional pain syndrome, cancer, chemotherapy, muscle and joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis — cannabis reduced pain by 40 percent, according to the 2017 NASEM report.
Overview: Marijuana Addiction
People use marijuana for a variety of reasons, including social conformity, pleasure, and experimentation. 4 People abuse the substance when they are no longer in control of their substance use and use it in harmful or hazardous ways.
How is a Marijuana Use Disorder Treated?
Marijuana or cannabis use disorder (the diagnostic terms for addiction) can be treated using different methods. Treatments are designed to help people stop using the substance and learn healthier ways of dealing with and managing their triggers to use the drug.
Mental Health Disorders and Marijuana Addiction
Researchers have found a link between marijuana use disorder and an increased risk of co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders, but they’re not entirely sure whether and to what degree marijuana use plays a role in causing these conditions.
Types of Marijuana Addiction Treatment
There are different types of marijuana addiction treatment centers. The appropriate setting for you can depend on your unique needs. Different treatment settings will work better for different individuals. When choosing a program, you may wish to consider different factors, such as: 11
Paying for Marijuana Rehab Treatment
People who want to start rehab are often understandably concerned about the cost of treatment. Overcoming addiction is one of the most important steps you can take to take back control of your life, and there are ways to pay for rehab so that cost is not a barrier.
