Are you experiencing chronic pain due to a pre-existing medical condition? Are you having trouble sleeping, have anxiety, or a lack of appetite as a result of taking medications for your pre-existing health condition?
Well, luckily for you, there may be a valuable solution to your problem. Instead of adding yet another prescription medication to your list, you could try a more natural alternative – marijuana!
Medical marijuana treatments are quite a controversial topic. Specific questions began circulating since the development of scientific breakthroughs made from medical marijuana. Doctors, scientists, researchers, policymakers, and the general public have asked questions such as:
- Should marijuana be legal?
- Should marijuana be criminalized?
- Has the effectiveness of using marijuana for medical purposes been proven?
- Is it addictive?
- What conditions is marijuana useful for treating?
- Is it safe to use?
- Is medical marijuana just a play to get legislation to legalize marijuana?
These are all valid questions, and answers to these questions will follow. However, the main topic of discussion for this article is how medical marijuana treatments can help with alleviating symptoms associated with pre-existing health conditions. This guide provides a list of specific medical issues that marijuana has been proven to help treat.
Medical Marijuana Laws
Medical marijuana is currently legal in 29 out of 50 US states. Approximately 85% of Americans support legalizing medical marijuana, and an estimated several million Americans currently use it. However, marijuana is still considered an illegal drug from the federal government’s perspective.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance and is illegal at a federal level. However, if a doctor has prescribed you medical marijuana, then this allows you to use and purchase medical marijuana.
In most states that have legal medicinal marijuana laws, a prescription, authorization, or medical recommendation is always required to use and purchase medical marijuana.
Marijuana Health Benefits & Side Effects
Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in the development of medical marijuana treatments and therapies. The FDA approved certain medications and therapeutic substances derived from cannabis (marijuana plant).
For example, the FDA approved a drug called Epidiolex, which contains a purified form of CBD for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. CBD is a chemical compound (cannabinoid) that is derived from the cannabis plant but does not contain delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC.) CBD has been proven to help with the overall balance of the endocannabinoid systems. CBD helps to alleviate chronic pain.
The most commonly known effects of medical marijuana are associated with psychoactive effects. Minimal doses of medical marijuana, one may experience dry mouth and fatigue on a secondary level. At higher doses, side effects may include paranoia, dizziness, and other psychoactive effects.
Medical marijuana is not used to get “high,” although the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana use do cause a euphoric “high” sensation. The chief medical uses for medical marijuana include:
- Controlling chronic pain
- To treat nausea and vomiting
- Managing loss of appetite
- Help with sleeplessness
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve problems with muscle control
- Easing anxiety and other psychiatric disorders
- Helps with depression
- Modulating the immune system
- Promotes neuroplasticity
- And so much more
Marijuana is also used to manage nausea and weight loss for patients suffering from the side effects associated with their illness or medications. Marijuana provides relief for people with debilitating health conditions, such as:
- Fibromyalgia
- Endometriosis
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s Disease
- HIV
- Chron’s Disease
- Cancer
- And so much more
How to Obtain A Medical Marijuana Registry ID Card in Florida
Because marijuana is such a controversial topic, many people may be hesitant to discuss the possibility of using medical marijuana with someone. The community as a whole as somewhat dismissed this issue, and many people are uncomfortable to bring it up out of fear of public opinion. However, if you are interested in using marijuana to help treat symptoms associated with your health condition, then it’s possible.
Other states may have different means of obtaining a medical marijuana card. If you wish to get a medical marijuana registry ID card in Florida, then follow this shortlist of instructions.
Step 1: Talk to Your Doctor
Find a doctor that handles medical marijuana treatments. Ask your doctor if you think that medical marijuana can help you. If your doctor agrees that it could be a viable option as a part of your overall medical treatment plan, that they will conduct an assessment with you.
Step 2: Assessment and Consultation
You and your doctor will discuss your medical history and treatment options.
After you’ve completed the assessment, then you’ll receive a signed physician’s statement that states that your doctor recommends the use of medical marijuana. Along with this statement, your doctor will enter your name and information into the Florida Marijuana Use Registry.
You’ll then be provided with a patient ID number, which you’ll use when you apply for your required ID card.
Step 3: Apply for Your Card Online
Complete your online application for your card. There is a processing fee of $75, and online payments can take up to five business days to process. After the amount has been posted, then it can be an additional five days before your application is approved.
Your card will arrive in the mail a few weeks later. Once you’ve obtained your doctor’s referral and medical marijuana card, you can begin purchasing and using medical marijuana right away.
