Myths and Facts About Medical Marijuana

Marijuana, or cannabis, has been utilized for over 3,000 years for treating pain, digestive issues, and even psychological disorders. Today, we most commonly use it for a few different reasons, including:

• Treating pain
• Controlling nausea with chemotherapy
• Stimulating the appetites of patients with illness
• Controlling the symptoms of HIV/AIDs

Other conditions like multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and epilepsy have also seen improvements in controlling symptoms with medical marijuana. It’s also used for those with sleep problems, anxiety, and mood disorders.  

One of the benefits of medical marijuana lies in its lack of harsh side effects. The most common side effects are minimal, like dry mouth and fatigue. When used in higher doses, it can cause effects like dizziness, paranoia, and psychoactive effects.

How medical marijuana works

Marijuana works because of two chemicals: THC and CBD. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive compound found in medical marijuana, which is the component that triggers the high feeling associated with marijuana. 

CBD, or cannabidiol, is the other major compound found in marijuana. CBD is believed to hold all of the medical benefits of the drug. Medical marijuana products are available with different ratios of THC to CBD depending on what you need.

Medical marijuana myths debunked

According to a study published in the February 2018 edition of the journal Addiction, the legalization of medical marijuana was found to have had no effect on the rise of drug use among teens.  

Despite myths that marijuana has no medicinal uses, there are currently over 2.5 million medical marijuana patients in the US. The majority of these patients need to suffer from a small list of medical conditions to qualify, including seizures, untreatable pain, or a number of other serious medical conditions. 

All recent studies show that marijuana can be used for legitimate medical purposes. The Food and Drug Administration has even recently acknowledged three drugs made from marijuana as effective treatments for seizures and as a complement to chemotherapy.

According to a study by the World Health Organization, there weren’t any confirmed cases of human deaths from cannabis poisoning, and there are no long-term health risks associated with the drug. 

This same study also provides findings against the claim that marijuana causes lung damage. It found that reports of cannabis causing lung damage don’t provide any convincing evidence and fall short in proving the theory. What’s more, consuming the drug by eating items in which it’s used as an ingredient instead of smoking it is a way to evade the issue regardless.

If you’re experiencing chronic pain or another serious condition, medical marijuana could be the pain relief solution that you’ve been seeking. To find out, call us at Interventional Pain Center in Worthington and Newark, Ohio, or request an appointment right on our website today.