During the early decades of the 21st century, research and acceptance of the use of medicinal marijuana for a range of diseases resistant to traditional medication expanded.
Some jurisdictions now legalize the use of medical marijuana for a recognized sickness with a doctor’s recommendation, owing to the activism of physicians and patients who have found medical marijuana to be effective in treating the symptoms of different diseases.
Certain locations create and use synthetic marijuana, which claims to deliver the same medical benefits as conventional marijuana without the high. Marinol is an example of a synthetic form of medical cannabis.
Conditions It Can Help Treat
Cannabis has more than 200 distinct medical uses. The following are some of the most common classifications for them:
- Antiemetic and appetite stimulant
- Effective against both convulsions and spasms
- An analgesic is a painkiller (pain reliever)
- Immune system modulator and anti-inflammatory
- Anxiolytic (anti-anxiety drug) and antidepressant that improves mood.
- Substitute that mitigates the negative effects of alcohol and opiates.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that the United States is not flawless. Despite the fact that the FDA has not approved marijuana for any medical purpose, it is sometimes advised for the treatment of the following conditions:
- Constant anguish
- Nausea (including chemotherapy-related nausea) (including nausea associated with chemotherapy)
- HIV
- Multiple sclerosis
- Glaucoma
- IBS
- Implications that are unfavorable
Recognized are the unintended negative effects of medical marijuana usage.
Among them are the effects of marijuana on the heart and blood arteries, including changes in heart rate and blood pressure. In addition, cannabis usage is related with an increased risk of developing significant mental illness and an increased risk of injury in older individuals.
THC induces an increase in heart rate (tachycardia), which may be especially problematic for those with preexisting cardiac disorders. However, anybody who uses marijuana should first discuss the possible benefits and risks with their physician.
Postural hypotension, which may occur in abruptly standing marijuana users, is an uncommon adverse effect of the substance. In this condition, one might faint, fall, and get a life-threatening injury. Due to the unpredictability of marijuana’s effects on blood pressure, it is essential to discuss any concerns with your physician.
Pregnancy
Insufficient research has been conducted to identify a safe dosage of cannabis use during pregnancy or lactation.
Prenatal exposure to marijuana may raise the chance of low birthweight, according to study on the impact of marijuana on newborns at various stages of development. Researchers in several disciplines have discovered evidence of potentially severe effects on the developing brain of children.
Women who use marijuana during pregnancy are more likely to participate in other risky behaviors, such as cigarette usage or the use of other recreational drugs, which may complicate or confuse research that examine the long-term effects of prenatal marijuana exposure.
Medical practitioners are often concerned about the implications of marijuana usage during pregnancy. Due to the fat-soluble nature of marijuana, it may swiftly enter the brain and body. If a pregnant woman smokes marijuana, the THC may accumulate in the tissues and brain of her unborn child. It may impair cognitive skills including motor control and memory.
Exposure of the fetus to marijuana during the first month of pregnancy is connected with an increased chance for anencephaly, a severe birth defect characterized by missing brain and skull tissue (one to four weeks after conception).
It has also been shown that marijuana use during pregnancy has an influence on the neurotransmitters of the fetal brain, which play a role in cognitive and emotional development.
Several studies have identified neurodevelopmental delays in older children, adolescents, and young adults whose mothers were exposed to marijuana during pregnancy. According to these studies, the effects of cannabis on the developing central nervous system of the fetus are consistent.
Following up with children exposed to THC during pregnancy, researchers discovered a similar pattern of cognitive impairments. At age 6, marijuana exposure during pregnancy was related with deficits in composite, short-term memory, and arithmetic intelligence, as well as worse verbal reasoning scores. At the age of 10, the children who were exposed to marijuana during pregnancy scored worse on learning and memory tests as well as standardized achievement exams.
In addition, they had significantly increased rates of child sadness, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. At the age of 14, these symptoms were significant predictors of delinquency and were related with a substantially larger percentage of difficulties with executive functioning, which is essential for learning and behavior management. Exposure to marijuana during pregnancy has been associated to reduced cognitive function and memory in young adults.
In addition, as stated earlier, children born to mothers who smoked marijuana during pregnancy are more likely to have been exposed to other substances, pressures, and problems. Pregnant women and nursing moms should avoid marijuana for their safety until more definite data is available.
Adverse Effects
Some marijuana users report having fast heart rate, dizziness, nausea, muscular spasms, paralysis, and headaches as adverse effects. It’s possible that adverse reactions will become more prevalent when use is decreased.
True cannabis allergies are very rare, but they do occur. Symptoms might range from moderate itching and rashes to potentially fatal anaphylaxis.
Stop using and see a physician if you get symptoms that may be related to an allergy.
What exactly is Marinol?
Marinol is a cannabis-based medicine. Similar to the cannabis chemical delta-9-THC, this one is likewise synthetic.
The appetite stimulant Marinol may be beneficial for those with severe symptoms of appetite loss, nausea, and vomiting owing to diseases such as AIDS and cancer, or accompanying medication.
Given that marijuana’s recreational use has been rigorously restricted for such a long time, its medicinal use has been greeted with hostility. Marinol is thus reserved for individuals with life-threatening conditions whose symptoms have not responded to earlier treatments.
Consequences of Marinol and Its Implications
Some Marinol users report experiencing euphoria comparable to the high they receive from smoking regular marijuana.
Paranoia, hallucinations, stomach pain, and fatigue are some of the adverse side effects that may occur after using Marinol.
Is medicinal marijuana use just a new kind of drug abuse?
Substance abuse and drug abuse are judgmental terms that focus blame on the person rather than on the substances. Therefore, professionals are rapidly abandoning these expressions.
Investigating whether the current system for medicinal marijuana is being employed as intended may provide some surprising information.
According to study released in 2017, non-medical cannabis consumers have been discovered to have consumed marijuana unlawfully acquired from dispensaries. Regular marijuana users without a doctor’s approval are more likely to misuse prescription drugs.
In other words, medical marijuana and other prescription medications that are diverted for recreational use are replacing illicit street drugs.
However, medical marijuana may be quite beneficial for people who have been prescribed it. Similar research discovered that young adult medical marijuana patients consume more marijuana and vape marijuana concentrates such as oil, dab, and wax more often than non-medical marijuana users.
In contrast, many marijuana users self-medicate untreated symptoms, according to studies of marijuana users who do not get the product via medical channels.
Despite the fact that medical and recreational marijuana usage is legal in Washington, a new poll reveals that many physicians there are still hesitant to recommend it to their patients.
As a consequence, the medical marijuana system may benefit some individuals, but it may also make the substance easier to get for recreational use and deny access to others who really need it.