Cannabis and autism, explained
Over the past decade, autistic people and their families have increasingly experimented with medical marijuana and products derived from it. Many hope these compounds will alleviate a range of autism-related traits and problems. But scientists are still in the early stages of rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and effectiveness, which means that people who pursue it as treatment must rely mostly on anecdotal information from friends and message boards for guidance.
Here we explain what researchers know about the safety and effectiveness of cannabis for autism and related conditions.
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Senate bill could legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Medical marijuana is legal in 36 states. Now, the state General Assembly could make North Carolina the latest state to open up the market to cannabis. Medical cannabis advocates are trying to throw veterans a lifeline with Senate Bill 711. “The veteran suicide rate is twice the national average in North Carolina,…
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PTSD: Is There Any Relief?
In honor of PTSD awareness month, let’s take a look at the debilitating mental health condition and how medical marijuana could help.Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition caused by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. It is understandable for one to be taken aback and impacted by a traumatic event, but if specific…
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Study on cannabis chemical as a treatment for pancreatic cancer may have ‘major impact,’ Harvard researcher says
Pancreatic cancer makes up just 3 percent of all cancers in America. But with a one-year survival rate of just 20 percent (and five-year survival rate of less than 8), it’s predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2020. Headlines about the illness, as a result, tend to be discouraging. But this month scientists from Harvard University’s Dana-Farber…
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New study finds cannabis effective for treating migraines
A study published last month in the Journal of Pain found a statistically significant reduction in migraine and headache symptoms and recurrences among patients who used cannabis for treatment.Smoking cannabis reduced the severity and length of migraine episodes by nearly half. Researchers concluded that headache and migraine severity were reduced by nearly 50% after using cannabis. The study, conducted by researchers…
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Medical marijuana: Florida House seeks to intervene in ‘monumental’ case
TALLAHASSEE — Florida House leaders should be able to participate in a lawsuit that could revolutionize the state’s medical marijuana market, a lawyer for the Republican-led chamber told a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal Tuesday. But Tampa-based Florigrown argued that legislators instead should concentrate on fixing the law, aimed at carrying…
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States with medical marijuana laws saw 20 percent drop in some opioid prescriptions
States with active medical marijuana laws saw certain opioid prescription rates drop nearly 20 percent compared to states without medical marijuana programs, according to a first-of-its-kind study out of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center. Authors said the findings underscore the importance of providing patients with pain management alternatives, such as cannabis, in efforts to reduce…
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