The benefits of Medical Marijuana are significant. Perhaps one of the most significant points is that much of the health and other benefits of Marijuana, or more correctly the entire genus of the Cannabis plant, are unknown and warrant much more research. There are a few different classes of thought on the benefits of this plant, but they all seem to be heading toward a convergence circulating around facts and evidence, rather than blind belief or fear mongering and propaganda.
One of the classes of belief are the pure scientists, whose outlook on life must be proven by facts gained and defined by the current scientific method. An example of this type would be:
“Buffy”, a patient of “Dr. X”, has Crohn’s disease, a very serious and painful disease of the gastrointestinal system with no known cure. Current medical treatments involve taking MANY pharmaceutical drugs, and can also involve surgeries and steroids, often with uncertain results. Buffy typically has Crohn’s “flares”, which are randomly timed extremely painful imflammation in the intestinal area about twice a month that can last from hours to days. Buffy goes to an appointment with Dr. X, and proceeds to tell him that Marijuana have basically stopped her flares from the Crohn’s disease, and that she has gone from having at least 2 flares a month to 0. Dr. X replies “I’m happy to hear that. But since there is no peer reviewed medical studies on the subject, I must take your statement as pure coincidence, not recommend Marijuana as treatment in any way, and continue to suggest that you take 20 pills a day.”
Common sense would tell you that the Marijuana has had a large benefit in reducing (and in some cases stopping completely) the Crohn’s flares.
While this closed minded type of thinking has unnecessarily extended pain and suffering for patients around the world for decades, fortunately it seems as though the tide is turning.
There are similar cases with a growing list of diseases and ailments, from serious disease to minor pain relief. Here’s a brief list of health problems that Marijuana has been known to help with:
- Relief of muscle spasms
- Relief of chronic pain
- Reduction in interocular pressure inside the eye
- Suppression of nausea
- AIDS – Marijuana can reduce the nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting from the condition itself and the medications as well.
- Glaucoma – Marijuana relieves the internal eye pressure of glaucoma, and therefore relieving the pain and slowing or even stopping the condition.
- Cancer- Many side effects of the medication to stop cancer can be relieve with Marijuana, some studies suggest that Marijuana tends to slow down the progress of some types of cancer.
- Multiple Sclerosis – Muscle pain, spasticity, tremors and unsteadiness are some of the effects caused by the disease that can be relieved by Marijuana.
- Epilepsy – in some patients, epileptic seizures can be prevented with Marijuana use.
- Chronic pain – Marijuana helps to alleviate the pain caused from many types of injuries and disorders.
- Anxiety, Depression or Obsession