Health benefits of cannabis that everyone should know

 As of 2019, 33 US states and Washington, D.C. have legalized medical marijuana and recognize the potential of plants to help people with illness and pain. But in some cases, weed edibles may not just be an additional option for treatment: it may be a safer option.

This is especially true when compared to opioid analgesics such as Oxycontin and Vicodin. As the country tackles the national opioid epidemic, many doctors are becoming more and more cautious about prescribing powerful drugs. “Opioids can be very dangerous. They are physically and chemically addictive,” says Oliver Park, MD, a cannabis-friendly doctor in New York. "We are in the midst of an unprecedented opioid crisis. Many are dying."

There is no doubt that cannabis is a safer alternative to highly addictive painkillers, he says. Park. He says cannabis prescribing is part of a multifaceted effort by government officials, doctors, and public policy advocates to tackle the opioid crisis. Indeed, cannabis is unlikely to quickly replace over-the-counter options-common anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen that treat everyday illnesses such as headaches and fever have alternatives. I'm not as worried as I am. Opioids, on the other hand, are prescribed to people who have chronic pain or who are recovering from serious injuries or surgery, he says. Park. For example, you may be able to get a cannabis prescription for chronic migraine headaches, but you don't always get headaches from time to time.

Nonetheless, it was in March 2017 that chronic pain was recognized as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in New York. Now the doctor says. Parks where almost all 33 states that have legalized medical marijuana accept pain as a reason to prescribe cannabis. In New York, this means that anyone who has regular pain for more than three months (pain that makes them unable to concentrate on their work or interferes with their lives) should see a doctor and prescribe cannabis. It means that you can get it. “I think the majority of my patients have chronic pain problems,” he says. Park. "That's the most common reason to qualify."

Doctor, as medical programs are still relatively new in many states. Parks where not all GPs know how to prescribe plants. So your regular doctor can refer you to a marijuana-friendly doctor like him. For a year and a half, he has introduced cannabis to patients, Ph.D. Park learned how to get them to the best strains and dosages.

Some pharmacies have specific varieties of plants, he says. However, in New York, for example, smoking marijuana is still illegal in the state, so medical marijuana pharmacies (including MedMen) do not sell smokeable cannabis. Instead, the New York dispensary provides patients with tinctures, vapors, and pills, and each format is derived from a cannabis plant extract, giving the dispensary greater control over the amount of THC and CBD in each dose. I will. (Note that medicated prescriptions vary from state to state.)

Generally, doctor. Make sure you have three doses: high THC and low CBD, equal doses of THC and CBD, and low THC and high CBD. Dr. Park may suggest that patients take different doses or combinations at different times of the day. For example, those who have to focus on their work get the most out of the high CBD, low THC mix during the day. That way, you can work at work with minimal psychoactive effects from THC, but it will heal thanks to the experienced benefits of cannabis. To CBD.