3 Legal Uses For Medical Marijuana

Health & Medical Blog

While it seems that everyone is discussing medical marijuana and how it can be used to treat certain conditions, some might be surprised to know that it's not yet legal in all 50 states. In some states, medical marijuana is still fully illegal. Even in states where it is fully legal for medical use, there are only certain reasons for which a medical marijuana doctor can prescribe it.

Here are three legal uses for medical marijuana.

1. Alleviate Chronic Pain

According to the most recent statistics, an estimated 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Pain is considered chronic when it persists for over 12 weeks. Chronic pain can be completely debilitating and can make doing everyday activities very difficult. Some of the most common reasons for chronic pain include having a medical condition, such as arthritis or fibromyalgia or damaged nerves from an injury or accident.

Not only does chronic pain affect one's physical body but it can also take an emotional toll. For those who may be susceptible to becoming addicted to prescription pain medications, medical marijuana is thought to be a safer alternative for alleviating chronic pain.

2. Relieve Muscle Spasticity

Some medical conditions cause a symptom called muscle spasticity, which is when the muscles get tight due to being continuously contracted. Muscle spasticity is not only painful but it can also interfere with movement. In some cases, severe muscle spasms are caused by spasticity. Some disorders where muscle spasticity is a common symptom include:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Medical marijuana has been proven to be effective in treating muscle spasticity by helping the muscles to relax and reduce the frequency of muscle spasms.

3. Control Seizures

Contrary to popular belief, just because medical marijuana can be legally used to treat certain medical conditions doesn't mean it has been approved by the federal government. Currently, the FDA has approved certain chemicals in marijuana to treat two medical conditions including Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Both of these disorders are rare types of epilepsy characterized by recurrent seizures.

Besides these seizure disorders, there are other types of seizure disorders that medical marijuana is used to treat. These disorders include:

  • Catamenial epilepsy - occurs during a woman's menstrual cycle
  • Absence seizures - characterized by staring off into space
  • Clonic seizures - characterized by convulsions

Medical marijuana works to bind certain receptors in the brain, which helps to control seizures.

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