The Causes and Effects of the use of Medical Marijuana
The cannabis plant, commonly referred to as marijuana has been historically known for its medicinal uses. It is one of the fundamental medicines or rather herbs that have been used for centuries by societies such as the Chinese. It is recommended for a wide range of conditions which it has of course proven to treat. When it is used for medicinal purposes the main intention is to capitalize on its beneficial effects to a patient so as to treat and also generally improve the patient’s health. In as much as its positive effects on the general health of a patient has been contested for many years, the truth is that it does help treat some medical conditions.
Illnesses and diseases are what mainly cause the use of marijuana as a form of medicine. Some of the recommended types of medicine sometimes fail to work due to the body getting used to them. Leading medics to try use it as an alternative which in most cases end up giving tremendous results. This is the main reason why many medics would prefer to use it because marijuana will always give the desired results. There are several symptoms that necessitate the use of medical marijuana and some of them are pain, nausea and even increasing appetite when a patient has no urge to eat food.
Most of the therapeutic effects of marijuana are now being discovered after it was banned from use by many governments all over the world. One of the most revered importances of using it is the fact that it can be used as a pain reliever. Chronic pain when subjected to marijuana is relieved as shown by experiments conducted in the recent past more so when it comes to HIV patients. Most of the patients who have received this treatment have attested to the fact that the pain experienced is relieved to a great extent only when marijuana is used.
Patients infected with the HIV and Aids virus and cancer have reaped huge benefits after drugs laced with marijuana have been used on them. Marijuana significantly stimulates and increases body metabolism thereby increasing appetite. These diseases and other chronic diseases are known to hinder appetite thus making it difficult for the patients to eat. When this is the case, the patients will lose weight drastically which will in return hinder the recovery process. It is therefore important that patients who experience loss of appetite be given marijuana so as to increase their appetite which will then lead them into eating well and therefore speeding up the process of cell recovery. When the patient is encouraged to eat, it is possible to get the required energy that will speed up the healing process.
Many medical conditions make a patient feel nauseated all the time which will in return lead to vomiting. Vomiting means that the body does not benefit from the food eaten in any way because it is passed out prematurely before nutrients are absorbed. There are several forms of treatment that help deal with nausea and one of them is through the use of marijuana. In cases of cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy sessions, nausea is a common side effect. In order to treat this condition, there is an active component of marijuana that has proven to help decrease nausea. This will in return help restore or improve the condition of the patient as well as their quality of life because the patients will become receptive to treatment more so chemotherapy.
The inhaling of smoke gotten from burning of marijuana helps in the relaxation of body muscles. Many people experience muscle twitching or even muscle pulls. This does not necessarily mean that a person is sick. There are those who experience muscle tightness after a long day at work or even after exercising. The remedy to such conditions is the inhaling of medical marijuana. Muscle tension can be relieved in a very simple way without necessarily using conventional medicine. The patient can easily move if mobility was a problem initially. Muscle aches and pains can be contained in an easy and simple way by only inhaling the smoke. This does not really mean that one needs to smoke but the medicinal parts of the plant can be burnt and the smoke from the burning substance be used in relieving pain.
Patients undergoing psychological turmoil can be given medicinal marijuana in an effort to help relieve anxiety. The active ingredient cannaboids is very well known for stimulating the brain so as to produce dopamine which it releases to the blood stream and therefore help ease tension. This can last for a few hours. This can be done when a patient is feeling very restless and that no medical procedure can be carried out. It becomes easier to attend to a patient who is psychologically calm. When calmness is not achieved using other means of medication, then medical marijuana can be used to induce it. This will not only make the treatment process easier for the physician but also for the patient because at the end of the day, the required results will be achieved.
Medical marijuana is very good in encouraging sleep for patients who are psychologically disturbed. Sleep is a necessity for any normal person. There are medical conditions that may lead to loss of the urge to sleep. One of these medical conditions is cancer. Cancer patients normally experience intense pain that even disrupts their sleeping patterns. When medical marijuana is administered to them, they can sleep regardless of the pain and this makes marijuana very helpful. People suffering from multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have reportedly made great improvements in their sleeping patterns which have in return led to quality life.
Many physicians recommend medical marijuana to their glaucoma patients. Glaucoma in many cases leads to intraocular pressure. This is mainly the case because medical marijuana is well known to decrease blood pressure. If pressure is decreased then pressure in the eye is subsequently decreased. There are various other prescriptions that are prescribed for this condition and medical marijuana is one of them. It has proven to be very effective and therefore making it more popular among physicians who treat this condition. If it is in a position to relieve or decrease pressure then it should be used because at the end of the day it will help realize the intended results.
Different individuals respond to marijuana differently. There are those whose main intent is t o use it as a stimulant. On the medical arena, it turns out to be very helpful. Every drug that ever existed does possess both positive and negative attribute. For this reason, the negative side effects of the use of marijuana have been given more attention than the positive effects. For this same reason it has been banned in many countries but that aside, as proven by medics, if used in the right way, it can bring long lasting benefits to patients. There have been no reported deaths as a result of the use of medical marijuana; instead, a good profile has been created for it.
Marijuana contains a component famously known as cannabinoids which is very helpful in inhibiting brain tumors in mice. Experiments have been done and are proving to apply to human beings. This can be a major breakthrough in the treatment and alleviation of possible tumors. Tumors have always had one form of treatment which is surgery. It is a risky process but if an easier solution comes up, and then tumors will not be viewed as death sentences. Medical Marijuana will be the best option in the treatment of tumors and surgery will be unheard of. Possible conventional methods of treatments will also not be as effective as medical marijuana. This will bring to light very good qualities of marijuana and who knows this may lead to the ban on it being lifted.
Possible solutions to breast cancer also lie in medical marijuana. An active component cannabidiol is able to hinder the spreading of breast cancer cells to the rest of the body. With the use of medical marijuana, then there is a chance of using toxic alternatives to chemotherapy is possible. Medical marijuana a will be able to stop the activity to a gene called Id-1 that is known to cause a process known as metastasis which is responsible for the insistent spread of cancer causing cells from the original site where they are detected. This then means that marijuana may bring lasting solutions to the problem of breast cancer. Apart from breast cancer, marijuana has got chemicals that aid in the death of cancer cells in the brain. This is does by splitting the cells and helping them to feed on themselves.
Marijuana has chemically proven to be reliable in treating diseases that have been considered chronic. These diseases are cancer, arthritis and HIV and Aids. It contains almost five hundred compounds a quarter of them being the basis for medicinal and scientific breakthroughs in as far as disease control is concerned. This leads to the possibility of separating the compounds so that the useful ones be used while the toxic and dangerous ones be banned from use. This has been a bit problematic considering the fact that these compounds interact and coexist with each other. But all factors held constant, medical marijuana is of great value in regard to disease control and treatment.
Medical marijuana does help patients cope with some symptoms that are associated with diseases. In as much as possible it should be used as a description from a doctor. Not anyone can just choose to use it because this may lead it to being used wrongly, or even be overdosed therefore causing more problems. It may be banned but when it is used on medical grounds then its benefits are far reaching. Some chronic diseases have a solution in marijuana. It may not be a permanent one but who knows that through it there may come lasting solutions to diseases like arthritis and cancer. it is therefore important to look at marijuana on a light note and see the great benefit it has in the medical world.
References
Bock, A. W. (2000). Waiting to Inhale: the politics of medical marijuana. California: Santa Ana.
Earleywine, M. (2002). Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence. New York: Oxford University.
Minamide, E. (2007). Medical Marijuana. Detroit: Greenhaven.
