Medical Marijuana – Is Medical Marijuana Right For You?

Medical marijuana is a drug that has been found to help with certain conditions and symptoms. It is often used as a pain reliever, to treat loss of appetite and weight loss associated with some cancer treatments, to ease nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and to relieve spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). It may also help people suffering from chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, or fibromyalgia. It is available in pill form, as vaporized liquid or nasal spray, and as dried or smoked cannabis flowering buds. It has also been used to ease the symptoms of AIDS, hepatitis C, and glaucoma. It is also reported to reduce the anxiety and depression of people with PTSD or chronic stress.

However, scientists aren’t sure it helps everyone with these conditions. It’s important for patients to understand the science behind these drugs so they can discuss the pros and cons with their doctor.

It is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of medical marijuana because government restrictions prevent unbiased scientific research. Observational studies—where users report on their experiences—may look promising, and so might animal or test-tube experiments. But lots of stuff that helps mice or a clump of cells in a petri dish may not be useful to humans, especially when it comes to treating disease. medical marijuana