Medical Marijuana
Legal or illegal, marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD) and related products are readily available to most people. These days, many patients are trying out the drugs, supplements, creams and edibles to treat diseases or symptoms like pain, anxiety and insomnia. According to a survey by Creaky Joints, a rheumatoid arthritis advocacy group,…
Brandy Gomez-Duplessis started using CBD hemp oil in 2017 to treat chronic pain caused by a host of illnesses — lupus, Lyme disease, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis — after a rheumatology nurse told her it’s something “on the black market” that might help relieve her pain and minimize the need…
As marijuana is legalized — now, for recreational use in 11 states and medical use in 33 states — researchers are looking at how it’ll affect our society as a whole. People are quick to denounce the dangers of the mind-altering drug, and though toking up won’t cause you to…
Pot, marijuana, reefer — whatever you call it, cannabis is the hot, new cure (some say) for everything from PTSD to cancer. It’s quickly being legalized in countries worldwide and, so far, in 33 US states. Yet there are still major gaps in our knowledge and evidence about its medicinal…
Observations and initial research show that marijuana use may affect patients’ responses to anesthesia on the operating table — and, depending on the patient’s history of using the drug, either help or hinder their symptoms afterward in the recovery room.
By Diane ArcherJustCareUSA Older adults are taking medical marijuana to ease pain and anxiety. But, as Dr. Marc Manseau has previously reported on Just Care, there is little to no scientific evidence that weed helps any mental illness, and it can be addictive. In fact, there are studies showing that…
Drugs containing compounds found in marijuana may have a modest benefit in treating the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers analyzed 17 clinical trials involving more than 3,100 patients with MS to determine the safety and effectiveness of cannabinoids, chemical compounds found in marijuana. Use of medications containing cannabinoids…
The first-ever FDA-approved drug that contains cannabidiol (CBD), one of the chemicals present in marijuana, won’t face the kind of restrictions that marijuana and other cannabis-oriented products do. The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) has determined that Epidiolex, which the FDA approved in June for treatment of seizures associated with two…
An FDA advisory committee just gave the thumbs-up — for the first time — to a drug that contains plant-based CBD, the therapeutic component of marijuana. What impact will this have on patients? Note: The FDA approved Epidiolex on June 25, 2018, for the treatment of seizures associated with 2…
Medical marijuana laws may lead to fewer opioid prescriptions, according to two studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine. People who use medical marijuana as an alternative pain reliever may actually dodge the dangers associated with opioid prescriptions, researchers from the University of Georgia and the University of Kentucky suggest. Both…
Patients who use marijuana for medicinal purposes tend to cut down on their use of prescription drugs, and the reason for many is that cannabis has fewer side effects. Researchers from DePaul University and Rush University in Chicago interviewed 30 people who were receiving medical marijuana legally through an Illinois…
This week, Su and Jonathan discuss why MedShadow is sponsoring a petition asking the DEA to change marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug. The little research we currently have about marijuana — medical or recreational – is of poor quality. We need stronger research, and…
Much more research is needed to determine the benefits and risks associated with marijuana. Changing its drug classification from Schedule 1 to 2 will help. I’ve written in the past about the unknowns of marijuana. We don’t have concrete proof confirming the medical benefits that cannabis proponents make. The “high”…
The rise in the number of states allowing marijuana for medical use seems to be having an unexpected benefit: It has led to fewer drug prescriptions being filled, especially meds used to treat pain. W. David Bradford, PhD, of the Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University of…
A systematic review published in The Journal of the American Medical Association looked at all randomized controlled trials of cannabis or cannabinoids to treat medical conditions. They found 79 trials involving more than 6,400 participants. Medical marijuana prevented nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy (47% of those using it versus…
Before we say goodbye to 2014, we’d like to ring in the new year with 5 important stories in case you missed them. These articles go to the heart of our mission to change the conversation about side effects. [metaslider id=5816] In the past year, we looked at long- and…
Medical marijuana easing pain, and lessening side effect for people fed up with the side-effects of conventional medications In the fall of 2012, 9 months after starting chemotherapy for Stage 3 colon cancer, Shannon Flowers of Seattle developed nerve pain in her hands and feet that was so intense she…
