Surveys show medical marijuana patient report less prescription drug use

The mainstream health care system is failing. Medical marijuana users have little faith in medical and pharmaceutical companies. Medical marijuana users have discovered the therapeutic effectiveness of marijuana.

Medical marijuana is being used for a vast array of medical conditions, including:

• Muscle spasm
• Anxiety
• Chronic pain
• PTSD

The use of medical marijuana provided an effective alternative to conventional prescribed medication.

The comparison to the conventional drugs being used indicated that medical marijuana provided increased effectiveness, fewer side-effects and the affordability of the drug. Studies have shown that patients who used medical marijuana either stopped taking the pharmaceutical drug or decreased its dose.

Of the people that were studied, the most common prescribed drug that the patients ceased were painkillers-opiate based, non-opiate pain killers and anti-depressants.

Illinois is a state that has legalized medical marijuana. The 40 or so serious medical conditions that 25,000 certified people have has been reported as around $8 million. This is a report of the state.

Currently, the most common condition that marijuana is being used for is Fibromyalgia and cancer. Another common condition for the use of marijuana is PTSD. This condition has just recently been added to the 40 qualifying conditions.

The average age of the participants in a study conducted in the United States appears to be 45 and were currently using marijuana to medicate themselves to relieve pain inflammation and seizures.

Patients have reported a decrease in their dependency on opiates from drugs that were prescribed to them for managing pain. The life-altering side-effects including dependency and addiction associated with these types of medications were wiped out. The patient who becomes opiate dependent in a relatively short time can recover their life with the ceasing of opiate medications. Marijuana allows the patient to achieve an opiate-free life and begin to live a productive life.

Here is a list of commonly used drugs that contain THC:

1. Dronabinol: used to stimulate appetite in patients with AIDS and nausea associated with some cancer treatments.
2. Ketoprofen: will aid in the relief of pain stiffness and sweating. They are often prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis and the joint pain associated with it.
3. Promethazine: blocks the irritating effects of histamine. Great for allergies. A runny nose, itchy eyes, and skin reactions can all benefit from this drug. This drug will also help in the treatment of nausea and vomiting. This drug is often used before surgery to relax and contain anxiety before surgery.

If you choose to use marijuana medicinally to treat your ailments, you may know about the Cannabis Patients Alliance. This group of people from all walks of life, work together to protect yours and any other medical marijuana patients’ rights.

Cannabis Patients Alliance was founded by Teri Robnett who many consider an expert on medical marijuana policy in Colorado.

Aside from the policy-making and advocacy of cannabis that the alliance is active in, they are a reliable source for information regarding medical marijuana.

The Cannabis Patient Alliance has provided formative and educational information through-out national and international media outlets, though more information is needed. There is still a lot of information that isn’t common knowledge yet. For example, what medications have THC in them and more studies on marijuana compared to prescription drugs. Hopefully more studies will be funded both privately and publicly, in both America and in Canada, so we’ll have more access to peer reviewed articles on marijuana.