Over the years, organic foods and natural medicine have become a popular approach to a healthy lifestyle along with using herbal therapies to relieve everything from chronic pain to depression.
Alternative therapies such as herbs, aromatherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and many more natural treatments are now common replacements for traditional doctor visits. And another form of alternative healing that is becoming a standard for patients is medical marijuana.
Let’s see what Wikipedia says about what medical marijuana is used for…
According to Wikipedia’s Medical cannabis Wiki page, “…what medical marijuana is used for refers to the parts of the herb cannabis used as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (also called THC).
The cannabis plant has a long history of use as medicine, with historical evidence dating back to 2,737 B.C. Cannabis is one of the 50 “fundamental” herbs of traditional Chinese medicine and is prescribed for a broad range of indications.”
…that’s a little confusing and doesn’t answer the question of what is medical marijuana used for.
What do the experts say about medical marijuana?
Let’s hear what the American Medical Association (AMA) says, the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States when they recently supported medical marijuana in a report called “Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes”.
The report “…urges the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to implement administrative procedures to facilitate grant applications and the conduct of #1excludeGlossary clinical research into the medical utility of marijuana.”
Our best “good answer” to the question “what is medical marijuana used for”
Marijuana is one of the most beneficial and therapeutically active substances known to man. Wherever the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal, doctors tend to recommend it as an herbal therapy to treat chronic diseases and health conditions, most notably as an antiemetic (a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea).
There are many medical conditions and symptoms that cannabis is used to treat. The most common ones are:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- HIV/AIDS
- Hepatitis C
- Glaucoma
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebral Palsy
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Epilepsy
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
- Crohn’s Disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraines
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Depression
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Nausea
- Loss of Appetite
- Chronic Pain
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Inflammation
- Muscle Spasms
So how do you medicate using medical marijuana?
There are several ways to use cannabis (medical marijuana), each with a different time of onset, duration, and quality effect. Some methods may be more effective than others for certain symptoms and conditions, and they may be preferable in certain circumstances.
- Smoking is one of the fastest and most efficient ways for patients to experience the therapeutic effects of cannabis.
- Vaporizing is another form of inhalation – when cannabis is vaporized, a vapor is produced rather than smoke, and the vapor can be inhaled.
- Cannabis can also be eaten or swallowed – it is fat soluble, and the active ingredients can be extracted from butter, oils, or milk, which the patient can then eat or drink.
- Cannabinoids are minimally soluble in water; cannabis tea provides a less potent alternative with unique properties that may be suitable for some people.
- Other methods of use include topical ointments.
The popularity of patients using (medicating) medical marijuana is on the rise. Cannabis can be used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions and symptoms, as well as the side effects of pharmaceutical medications.
In some cases, cannabis may be more effective than pharmaceutical options and have fewer negative side effects. With more states legalizing medical cannabis each year, cannabis is increasingly being used as a herbal therapy to help treat chronic diseases and health conditions.
Let us know what you think.