Let's face it. Before you get your Medical Marijuana Card, you probably want to make sure that you're embarking on a healing journey that is safe and effective. We can't blame you! In fact, kudos for making
sure your alternative healthcare process is secure. Allow this article to ease your doubts.
As your time surfing the internet has most likely shown, there is a lot of gossip and opinions thrown about with little to no evidence to support a basis, especially on the subject of Cannabis. We aren't going to do that. Primary sources from reliable and non-biased sources will back this article.
As with any standard pharmaceutical drug, abuse is possible. We currently find ourselves amid an opioid epidemic; many opiates are prescribed and easily accessible from your local drug store. Which is
why Cannabis Doctors of Florida only recommends healthy doses and the highest quality, closely vetted Cannabis from our trusted dispensary associates.
Medical Cannabis is safe when dosage recommendations are followed; if this were not the case, Florida would not have legalized medical Cannabis for operation, and more pertinent to the reader: consumption. Florida isn't the only state, there is a trend in many States, even those more hardline-conservative of medical Cannabis legalization. The simple explanation to this? It works and is safe as an alternative form of alternative medicine than standard pharmaceuticals.
If this isn't enough, then let's dive deeper into the reason why you should be comfortable with medical Cannabis as your form of alternative medicine.
CBD For the Reluctant
Many of the concerns that people have with medical Cannabis is the "high" associated with the consumption of certain Cannabis products. However, not many are privy to the benefits that CBD, THC's
(which causes the high) relative, bring to the table – without the added psychoactive effects.
CBD is an excellent alternative to reluctant medical Cannabis patients who are unfamiliar with THC's common effects. CBD offers health benefits without the elevated "high." For example, from Harvard
Health, "Patients do, however, report many benefits of CBD, from relieving insomnia, anxiety, spasticity, and pain to treating potentially life-threatening conditions such as epilepsy."
Another article from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) highlights a pharmaceutical drug, Epidiolex, containing purified CBD. In this highlight, they state, "Some participants in these studies had side effects (mostly diarrhea or sleepiness), and some developed abnormalities on tests of liver function." However, the article failed to note drugs that were not CBD or Cannabis related and was approved by the FDA eventually.
The Science Supports the Treatment
From the NCCIH's article, "Several NCCIH-funded studies are investigating the potential pain-relieving properties and mechanisms of action of substances in Cannabis, including minor cannabinoids (those other than THC) and terpenes (substances in Cannabis that give the plant
its strain-specific properties such as aroma and taste)."
Apart from the above quote, though not FDA approved, medical Cannabis is seeing a more significant stage of development on the pharmaceutical front. Some of the facets are FDA-approved by the American Family Physician. "There are two FDA-approved cannabinoids currently available in the United States for refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and
vomiting: dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet). Nabilone is indicated for AIDS-associated wasting and spasticity due to spinal cord injury. A cannabis extract, nabiximols (Sativex), is in phase 3 clinical trials for use in multiple sclerosis and neuropathic and cancer-related pain, and is already available in Europe and Canada."
These forms of Cannabis, though in pharmaceutical form, are being researched and approved steadily. The listed drugs are just some of many either approved or in the late stages of approval.
If It's so helpful, then why isn't it Federally legal?
There are many answers to this question, the most prominent, however, is that Cannabis has been stigmatized for decades. This stigma doesn't just find itself in the lap of policymakers; it finds itself in the lap of many Doctors and Healthcare professionals. As Harvard Health states, "I often hear complaints from other doctors that there isn't adequate evidence to recommend medical marijuana, but there is even less scientific evidence for sticking our heads in the sand."
Apart from this stigma, there are many fears from Big-Pharm executives that the Federal legalization of medical Cannabis would hurt their bottom line. The evidence is plentiful, and it all says the same thing: medical Cannabis works, and it does more than work. Harvard Health continues to say, "In particular, marijuana appears to ease the pain of multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain in general. An area where few other options exist, and those that do, such as Neurontin, Lyrica, or opiates are highly sedating."
Other concerns raised around the legalization of medical Cannabis involve adolescent use– that is, teenage use without a need or medical condition – this, however, is a moot point as Federal regulation would drastically limit the access to any subsequent use from adolescents.
With an alternative to many pharmaceuticals which have life-threatening side effects, it's hard to imagine why medical Cannabis wouldn't be legal by now. We will leave the inferencing to you.
So What Can Medical Cannabis Do For Me
Medical Cannabis isn't a miracle cure for your ailments, and if you have been told anything to the contrary, you are misinformed. Medical Cannabis is an alternative medicine that helps you cope with your pain. It provides an increase in your quality of life when dealing with certain conditions/ailments.
Here in Florida, the conditions that grant you eligibility for a Medical Marijuana Card are:
CANCER
GLAUCOMA
HIV/AIDS
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
CHRONIC NONMALIGNANT PAIN**
EPILEPSY
CROHN’S DISEASE
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS)
MEDICAL CONDITIONS...SAME KIND/CLASS*
A TERMINAL CONDITION***
The qualifying conditions vary from State to State, and research shows that Cannabis can be used to help with other conditions, but if you are located in Florida, then the above conditions are the only ones currently that may allow you to qualify for medical Cannabis.
If you, or someone that you know, is afflicted by one of the listed conditions, then we invite you to book an evaluation here, with the best Cannabis Doctor that Florida has to offer. To learn more about Cannabis, browse our other blogs and subscribe to our email list for updates on our blog.
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Cannabis Doctors of Florida is the #1 Medical Marijuana Clinic in Miami. They are certified by the state of Florida to help provide Legal, Safe, and Medically Effective Health Therapies for those who qualify for a Medical Marijuana Card.
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You! Schedule an Appointment TODAY and Discover the Difference Legal Cannabis can have on your Physical and Mental Well-being!
Dr. Andreoni
(305) 893-3989
info@Cannabisdocsfl.com
Instagram: @CannaDocsFL