Skip to content

Doctors and patients are flying blind as medical marijuana use rises, research lags

July 25, 2019 / Arfinn Med MD /

Doctors and patients are flying blind as medical marijuana use rises, research lags

Marijuana’s role in the health care universe has grown exponentially over the past few years. Currently, 33 U.S. states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, and more and more states are considering making it legal for recreational purposes as well. As cannabis becomes more accessible, many people are turning to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) products to treat health issues like rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (the aches and pains of arthritis).

Unfortunately, because cannabis remains illegal and classified as a Schedule 1 drugunder federal law (defined as being of no medical use), there has been a troubling lack of scientific and medical research on the effectiveness of cannabis treatments. This dearth of evidence-based data has left many health care providers unable to counsel their patients on everything from whether a cannabis treatment could be effective for their condition, to what dosages are appropriate, to how cannabis might interact with their other medications or health conditions.

Read Full Article Here

Stories you may be interested in

Systematic review: Efficacy and safety of medical marijuana in selected neurologic disorders

Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology:   We performed a systematic review of medical marijuana (1948–November 2013) to address treatment of symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, and movement disorders. We graded the studies according to the American Academy of Neurology classification scheme for therapeutic articles. Read the full…
Read More →

Colorado’s first licensed cannabis R&D firm to study marijuana’s effect on Alzheimer’s disease

A Denver-based company hopes to be the state’s first to study the effects of marijuana on Alzheimer’s disease, thanks to a newly available research and development license in the city. MedPharm Holdings plans to apply for a Denver marijuana R&D license to test delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids’ effects on Alzheimer’s and…
Read More →

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…
Read More →

Dr. Sanjay Gupta on medical marijuana: We are in an age of wisdom, but also an age of foolishness

When we released “Weed” in 2013, few people had ever heard of cannabidiol, or CBD. Now, two-thirds of Americans are familiar with the compound, and 1 in 7 have tried it. Most of the country, 93%, are in favor of medical marijuana and hemp-derived CBD itself, which has less than 0.3% THC, has been legalized in every state.It’s…
Read More →

$2.7 million awarded for medical marijuana research in Colorado

The state has awarded $2.7 million for research into how medical marijuana could replace opioids to ease chronic spinal pain — and how it might treat irritability in children and adolescents with autism. Read the full story here.
Read More →

You Can Get A Master’s In Medical Cannabis In Maryland

Summer Kriegshauser is one of 150 students in the inaugural class of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics, the first graduate program of its type in the country. This will be Kriegshauser’s second master’s degree and she hopes it will offer her a chance to change careers. “I…
Read More →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.