Ohio Medical Marijuana Conditions: Cancer
We’d like to welcome you to the fourth installment of our latest series called, “All About The Ailments.” We’ve partnered with OhioMedicalMarijuana.com to discuss and spotlight each of the qualifying medical ailments that cannabis has been approved to treat in the state of Ohio. Our main topic this week is Ohio Medical Marijuana Conditions: Cancer.
We will be covering cancer and how cannabis helps treat it while also seeing what an Ohio Medical Marijuana patient is saying about how it has improved their life.
What Is Cancer?
“The cells in our bodies all have certain jobs to do. Normal cells divide in an orderly way. They die when they are worn out or damaged, and new cells take their place. Cancer is when the cells start to grow out of control. The cancer cells keep on growing and making new cells. They crowd out normal cells. This causes problems in the part of the body where cancer started.”
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/what-is-cancer.html
How Medical Marijuana Helps Individuals With Their Cancer
According to OhioMarijuanaCard.com, “There is plenty of anecdotal evidence supporting the effectiveness of marijuana in helping those living with cancer, however the amount of research from the United States is limited due to the legal status of marijuana under federal law. However, researchers from overseas have picked up the slack, and they have been able to clearly demonstrate that marijuana can help in managing the following:
Chronic Pain
Living with pain can be unbearable, and many patients turn to opiate-based medications for the relief they need. Unfortunately, continued use of opiate-based medications can result in significant unwanted side effects and has the potential to lead to addiction. Medical marijuana has proven incredibly effective at providing pain relief, and it may have some anti-inflammatory effects as well. Some treatment plans may make use of both opioids and marijuana in order to reduce the dosage of opiate medication that is needed. Recent studies have long found that individuals using marijuana extracts during clinical trials tended to need less opioid-based pain medication.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is often associated with damage to nerves, which can unfortunately occur when undergoing chemotherapy and other forms of cancer treatments. Neuropathy can be a difficult sensation to describe, as symptoms vary significantly from individual to individual. Patients often experience weakness, numbness, tingling, needles, or burning sensations. Exactly how marijuana helps isn’t yet clear, but many patients with neuropathy report feeling significant relief after using cannabis.
Nausea
It is well known that nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. A variety of medical cannabis products have been demonstrated to significantly reduce nausea and other unwanted side-effects from these treatments.
Appetite Loss
Similar to nausea, loss of appetite is often a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Without an appetite, it can become challenging for cancer patients to consume enough calories. This can result in loss of muscle mass, chronic fatigue, and a decline in mobility. However, specific cannabinoids have proven to be an effective method to restore appetite for individuals undergoing treatment.”
https://www.ohiomarijuanacard.com/cancer
What The Patient Has To Say
We interviewed an Ohio Medical Marijuana Patient who gave us insight on how cannabis has helped her treat her cancer.
“I have had cancer for some time now and by using cannabis I am able to escape a lot of the side effects of chemo. It also helped with the anxiety that using marijuana caused by breaking the law even though it was the only thing that was helping me. The quality of the product that I can purchase from a dispensary is so much better than anything I could ever buy on the street. I know for a fact I’m getting something with no mold or bugs in it.’
As time goes on, more and more research is coming out about how cannabis can help treat ailments like Cancer. If you are a medical patient currently using cannabis to treat an ailment and you would like to be featured in our series “All About The Ailments”, please email your story to info@ohiocannabis.com.
Thanks for reading Ohio Medical Marijuana Conditions: Cancer
Until then, stay informed and be kind.
Sunny Sansone and SassyLunchBox420
To find out more about obtaining your medical card and more info on medicinal cannabis visit our friends at Ohio Marijuana Card.
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Sources:
https://www.ohiomarijuanacard.com/cancer
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/what-is-cancer.html