Medical marijuana, as you’ll already know, is an incredibly heated topic. People seem to have strong opinions regarding whether it does more harm than good. It’s no doubt that it’s a massive source of relief for many people across the USA, but does this come with its own set of risks?
Despite the fact that many people seem to enjoy debating the topic, they very rarely have all of the facts. This is where we come in. We’ve compiled this guide, in the hopes that it provides you, as the reader, with all of the facts in regards to medical marijuana.
The way in which we’ve formatted this is by creating a pros and cons list, which will give a completely unbiased view of the topic at hand.
We hope that this article will be educational for all of those reading, and that it helps you to form your own opinion of the use of medical marijuana. To find out more, simply keep reading below, as we take a closer look.
What Is Medical Marijuana?
Now, before we delve into the crux of the article, and start taking a look at some of the pros and cons, let’s take a closer look at medical marijuana itself.
According to US federal law, medical marijuana is legally permitted for those suffering from chronic pain. It’s known as cannabis, derived from THC.
It’s used to treat a wide number of different diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, crohn’s disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, amongst others.
This comes in a number of different forms, and some people might be given the marijuana either in pill, liquid, powder, or dried leaves. The form that the marijuana is prescribed in depends on the specific ailment that it’s required to treat, as well as the specific medical practitioner prescribing it.
The slowest effect of medical marijuana occurs when it’s taken in pill form, and released more gradually in the body. When it’s smoked however, this causes it to release immediately in the bloodstream.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Medical Marijuana?
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at what medical marijuana is, as well as who it’s prescribed to, and how it’s prescribed, we can move on to discuss the pros and cons of this medication. Below, we’ve grouped each of these into subheadings, where we detail both sides of the argument.
Pros
First, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the reasons why medical marijuana is considered to be beneficial for patients. Americans the nation over are known for being incredibly pro medical marijuana.
In fact, almost 88 percent of Americans think that it should be legalized in general. It’s not hard to see why, because the medicine does have a number of different key benefits which have been helpful for patients suffering from chronic illness. We take a look at some of these here.
Good For The Digestive System
One of the reasons why medical marijuana is considered to be so beneficial for patients suffering from chronic illness, is that it’s good for the digestive system.
Many people going through chemotherapy are prescribed medical marijuana, as it helps to relieve some of the associated digestive issues.
Many people when they’re prescribed medical marijuana will note that it stops their vomiting, and prevents nausea. In fact, it can actually get rid of these symptoms entirely, making life far easier for patients.
It Is Less Addictive
Another reason why medical marijuana can be considered as being highly beneficial for patients, is because it’s far less addictive. It’s great for prescribing as an alternative to opioids, which can be incredibly harmful for both the mind and body long term.
Marijunana, on the whole, is not considered to be a highly addictive substance.
In addition to this, marijuana is also considered to be an incredibly safe medication as opposed to opioids. Across its long-documented history, marijuana has never caused any fatalities from overdose in patients. In addition, it’s proven to be safe for long term use, as opposed to opiods.
It Is Natural
One of the key reasons why patients prefer to take medical marijuana as opposed to other forms of medication, is that it’s completely natural. Oftentimes, as patients, we’re not fully aware of all the risks and side effects of the medication we’re taking, let alone the actual contents.
Medical marijuana, on the other hand, is completely natural, and you know exactly what to expect from the drug.
Can Aid Appetite
Medical marijuana is often prescribed to those who are suffering from chronic conditions such as HIV/AIDS, as well as cancer. One of the most prevalent symptoms in both of these is a loss of appetite.
Medical marijuana, as a result, can be highly beneficial, as it helps patients to eat by aiding their appetite.
This can help to keep the patient healthy and vital whilst they undergo treatment.
It Comes In Many Forms
One of the best things about medical marijuana is that it’s produced in a number of different forms. It can be difficult to find a one size fits all for patients in terms of medication, but medical marijuana can be made into tablets, liquids, edibles, and smoked.
Whatever the specific requirements of the patient, the drug can be tailored towards this.
In addition, medical marijuana also comes in CBD oil form, which means that patients don’t even need to get high in order to reap the benefits. Taking this oil extract alone has been proven to help with lots of different symptoms.
Cons
Now we can move on to discuss some of the cons associated with medical marijuana. There are of course, as with any drug, a number of different risks that it can pose for patients, and we’ll be taking a closer look at these below.
Can Cause Accidents
One of the key risks associated with medical marijuana is that it can cause accidents. As the effects of the drug pour into your bloodstream, it slows down your heart rate, and makes your movements more sluggish too.
This means that it could impair your ability to drive, and if there were any danger of a collision, or other motor vehicle accident, you might not be able to react quick enough.
Damage To The Lungs
This is probably one of the most prominent risks associated with marijuana, and that is causing damage to your lungs. Although you’re not smoking an addictive substance such as nicotine, you can still cause some damage to your lung tissue.
This is true for all different kinds of smoking.
As well as this, studies show that smoking marijuana on a regular basis could potentially increase your risk of developing lung cancer.
Impair Your Judgment
Another con of medical marijuana is that it could potentially impair your judgment. This is because the medication is used to relax patients, and as a result, you may be unable to think critically.
Prolonged use of the medication has been shown to cause cognitive impairment in individuals, which means that you might struggle to make decisions, among other things.
In addition to this, medical marijuana has also been known to cause memory issues, so you might struggle to recall events that you would have otherwise remembered.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, there is no right or wrong opinion when it comes to medical marijuana. Many people who take it reap the physical and cognitive benefits the drug provides, whilst many others may go on to develop unpleasant symptoms with prolonged usage.
It’s prescribed widely across the US to treat a number of different chronic conditions, such as AIDS, arthritis, and muscular sclerosis, with many success stories associated.
On the other hand, many claim that it’s doing more harm than good, and causing lung cancer, as well as impaired cognitive abilities.
The fact is that there is not enough scientific evidence to fully support either claim. The use of medical marijuana is still fairly new, and gives physicians a limited framework to go on.
Expert researchers are saying that more tests need to be made and that the long term effects of cannabis are still hazy.
Hi, I’m Zack Finch and I work as a Budtender for a Health & Wellness center here, in sunny California. I have been using marijuana recreationally for around 6 years now, and have many a time enjoyed the benefit that weed has to offer.
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