Are there confirmed medical marijuana uses?
Carla Richards
There is still a lot of debate going on worldwide on whether Cannabis sativa should be legalized for general use or limited to use as a medicinal product even though a number of states have already embraced its use in a number of ways and they have reports on the benefits of medical marijuana uses.
Some of the results from research studies done suggest that marijuana has been considered beneficial in the treatment of the following listed medical conditions;
Chronic pain
A major area that is closely being looked at in the medical marijuana uses is to manage severe pain which is a key contributor to disability. It is believed marijuana extracts act on the central nervous system thereby providing pain relief in other conditions such as in arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis and migraine.
Alcoholism and drug addiction
This is the other area where medical marijuana uses are generally recommended though there still exist grounds for contention. It is generally believed that marijuana use has proved to be effective in helping alcohol and substance abusers to cope and finally opt out of abuse/addiction.
However, it is worth noting that overuse of marijuana in younger people over a longer period of time will definitely lead to abuse and caution should be exercised to regulate marijuana use to avoid addiction in the event that it is prescribed on medical grounds.
Cancer
Reliable evidence has shown that when marijuana is taken orally, it is effective in managing nausea and vomiting that follow chemotherapy which is a method of treating various types of cancer. Some studies have also suggested that when smoked, marijuana could also contribute in the relief of symptoms arising from chemotherapy. Other studies also indicate that cannabinoids result in the retardation and killing different categories of cancer if used at different stages.
It is generally known that adverse stages of cancer present with unbearable pain and thus cannabis is broadly believed to come in handy where chronic pain relief in these cancer patients is needed. Therefore, there is exists consensus on medical marijuana uses as a mode of treatment in cancer cases.
Other than the above highlighted conditions, there also exists evidence suggesting that cannabis might alleviate symptoms of social anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, caution needs to be taken since cannabis is not an appropriate treatment for some other mental conditions such as bipolar disorder and psychosis as it is believed to worsen the same.
Conclusion
With the existence of compatible evidence on the medical marijuana uses, and the available data on the safety and risks that follow prescribed use of marijuana as a medicine all over the world, it is therefore just prudent to point out that world states need to move with speed and legalize marijuana for moderate and restricted use on the basis of prescription as a medicine.
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