According to US Federal Law, marijuana is a controlled substance and cannot legally be used for any reason. However, many states allow the use of medical marijuana to treat nausea, pain, and other symptoms. As a derivative of the cannabis sativa plant, it is used to relieve chronic symptoms. It contains a range of active compounds, but only 2 have any medical significance – delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and cannabidiol or CBD. THC is the key ingredient that gets you high.

Is Medical Marijuana legal?

Although US Federal law prohibits using cannabis sativa for any purpose, CBD that is derived from the hemp plant with less than 0.3% THC can be used for medical reasons. Yet while many states allow THC for medicinal reasons, Federal laws regulating the use of marijuana supersede all state laws. Consequently, people can still be arrested for possession of marijuana in those states where medical marijuana use is allowed. Thus, you’ll need to ensure that either you move states or adhere to the laws in your state.

Medical Marijuana provides Benefits for certain Conditions

State laws vary regarding the conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana. So, it’s a good idea to check your state’s laws if you’re considering using medical marijuana. Depending on the state you live in, you may qualify for medical marijuana treatment, provided you meet certain criteria and have one of the following conditions:

• Alzheimer's disease
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• cancer
• Crohn's disease
• epilepsy and seizures
• glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• multiple sclerosis
• muscle spasms
• severe and chronic pain
• severe nausea

If you’ve been experiencing uncomfortable side effects or symptoms of your medical treatment, especially nausea and pain, consider talking about your options with a doctor before trying cannabis. If other treatments haven’t worked, your doctor may consider prescribing medical marijuana as an alternative. It has shown medicinal properties and for many ailments, it reduces the discomfort and side effects for many people.

Is Medical Cannabis available by Prescription?

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following 3 cannabis-related drugs and one cannabis-derived drug:

• dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros)
• nabilone (Cesamet)
• cannabidiol (Epidiolex)

Dronabinol and nabilone are prescribed to treat the nausea and vomiting that results from chemotherapy treatments and for treating weight loss-related anorexia in AIDS patients. Cannabidiol is often prescribed to treat severe childhood epilepsy.

Medical marijuana is available in a variety of forms such as dried buds and leaves, oil for vaporizing, oral solutions, pill form, and topical applications. How and where it can be purchased varies among those states allowing the use of medical cannabis. To learn more, call Tank Glass at (323)-364-7952 or e-mail us by clicking here.