Medical Marijuana and Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that involves damage to the body joints. There are various kinds of arthritis and each one has a different cause. The most common kinds of arthritis include osteoarthritis which results from joint trauma, age or infection. In many studies, it is proven that medical marijuana is an effective cure for arthritis pain and also inflammation.

About 27 million Americans have osteoarthritis which can cause breakdown of the joint cartilage which results to inflammation and pain. An additional 1.3 million are living with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune that creates severe pain. Moreover, 300,000 children in the US have juvenile arthritis. Although many doctors will not recommend using medical cannabis for young children, older teens and adults could treat their arthritis with the hemp.

In a 2005 study, THC and cannabidiol were found to create notable improvements in quality of sleep, pain and reduces disease activity in those people with rheumatoid arthritis. Both compounds are among the cannabinoids that naturally occur in marijuana. During the year 2000, researches discovered that cannabidiol blocked the progression of arthritis effectively in animal trials. However, there is still the question of the legality of using medical marijuana but there already several states legalizing its use and regulating it through the use of a medical marijuana card.

Nevertheless, there are many people who claim that they actually feel relieved by smoking a regulated amount of marijuana. Some patients claim that it is a better alternative to the medications they often take such as pain relievers which could also have negative side effects, particularly in prolonged use. When you decide to use medical cannabis to relieve your arthritis symptoms, you should always consult your physician. Remember that your physician is the best person to decide whether marijuana is good to relieve the pain and inflammation due to your arthritis. In some states where marijuana is legal, they use medical marijuana card to monitor and regulate its use. The use of the card is restricted only to patients who have prescriptions and recommendations from their doctors to use medical marijuana to relieve the symptoms of their illnesses. Some states allow one to grow his or her own marijuana plant strictly for health reasons. Excessive growing and using of the plant is punishable and there is a danger of prosecution if discovered. There are still debates going on in many states whether medical marijuana should be legalized or not.