Medical marijuana is legal in several states and can provide benefits to people with a wide variety of medical problems. A doctor can prescribe cannabis (the medical name for marijuana) for different conditions. Most commonly, cannabis is prescribed for extreme pain relief. It can also increase appetite in chemotherapy patients struggling with nausea. In general, medical marijuana has a positive effect on society because it gives doctors another tool to help patients. Cannabis is a natural medicine that can help relieve the symptoms of a number of different medical problems. It can treat conditions that occur frequently and affect many people, as well as symptoms associated with serious, life-threatening illnesses.
One of the general problems that medical cannabis can help with is chronic pain, especially back or neck pain. Long-term conditions of constant pain, such as those associated with the neck or back, are often something a person simply has to deal with. Opioid painkillers are an option, but they are highly addictive, and painkiller addiction can be a debilitating condition that affects a person’s relationships, family life, and career. The alternative to this is medical marijuana, which does not have the addiction risk of traditional pain relievers. Similarly, anti-inflammatory medications also pose problems with long-term use, while cannabis does not carry the same risks. Cannabis actually works almost instantly when smoked. Its pain-relieving properties can be felt within minutes.
Gastritis is a condition that can be treated with medical marijuana. Cannabis is capable of regulating pain, stimulating appetite and relaxing muscles, especially in the gastrointestinal area. For these reasons, cannabis can be used to reduce the painful symptoms of gastritis. The added benefit is the fast-acting nature of cannabis when smoked. During a flare-up of gastritis, a person can combat the attack by smoking medicinal cannabis.
Cannabis is often prescribed to HIV/AIDS patients in states that allow its medical use. Symptoms associated with HIV and AIDS, and the medications prescribed for them, can cause pain and loss of appetite. Studies show that cannabis can help AIDS patients regain their appetite, regain lost weight, and improve their overall outlook on life. Depression is one of the many problems faced by AIDS patients, and cannabis use has also been shown to be effective in treating depression associated with HIV/AIDS.
One condition that affects women is Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), which has symptoms such as abdominal cramps and pain, as well as irritability. Once again, these are symptoms that medical marijuana has a proven track record in fighting.
By applying the medical perspective to these issues, it is possible to see that the problems we face, even if they are psychological or emotional, are often medical in nature. Similarly, by embracing cannabis as legitimate medicine within the framework of medical ideology, it is clear that medical marijuana should have a wide range of medical uses, and should be treated with the same seriousness as any other medical problem. This process of medicalizing our society actually has benefits in the form of opening people’s eyes to cannabis as a reliable and effective medicine.