More than thirty states in the U.S. have legalized medical cannabis for adults 18 and older to help patients manage the symptoms of various diseases. Currently, there are more than 20 qualifying medical conditions for getting a marijuana card, and the list keeps increasing every year. You need to get a recommendation certificate from a licensed physician for your medical condition if you want to apply for the card. Let’s have a glance at some qualifying conditions for getting a medical cannabis card.
- Chronic Pain
Chronic pain refers to the pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. The source of chronic pain can be:
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Sciatica
- Migraines
- Injury-related pain
- Neck pain
Experiencing pain for this amount of time can make routine activities quite challenging for the patient. This debilitating pain condition qualifies a patient for a medical marijuana card, especially when other treatment options do not work.
- Glaucoma
Glaucoma, resulting from a damaged optic nerve, can cause partial or complete blindness among patients. The prevalence of glaucoma in the US is higher than most people can imagine. Treatment options for glaucoma include:
- Eye drops
- Ophthalmic surgery
- Medication
But, physicians can also recommend medical cannabis for treating it, depending on the severity and type of glaucoma. Marijuana reportedly reduces intraocular pressure responsible for nerve damage, thereby alleviating the symptoms of the disease.
It is worth mentioning here that marijuana reduces the symptoms only for short durations of 4 hours. However, new cannabis products contain higher levels of CBD, which is both non-psychoactive and therapeutic at the same time. So, it can be consumed at regular intervals throughout the day without getting high.
- Epilepsy
Pharmaceutical medicines are the most frequently employed course of treatment for epilepsy. However, epileptic patients tend to develop resistance to these drugs, which means that the available medicines are no longer effective for curing their condition. Moreover, there are numerous side effects of conventional epileptic drugs, such as:
- Dizziness
- Skin rashes
- Disrupted sleep patterns
Medical cannabis is a great treatment option for drug-resistant types of epilepsy. According to research, cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive drug found in cannabis, significantly controls the occurrence of seizures. In addition, CBD is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, and anticonvulsant properties.
- HIV and AIDS
Individuals infected with the acquired immune deficiency virus also qualify for a medical marijuana card. Cannabis is known to be an effective treatment for numerous HIV and AIDS symptoms, for instance, nausea. HIV patients consuming marijuana have improved eating habits and maintained body weight.
A marijuana-based drug called Denbinobin slows down the replication of the virus, thereby inhibiting the progression of the disease. In other marijuana helps HIV patients lead a healthier and more comfortable life. It gives them a longer life and improves their quality of life.
- Cancer
A medical cannabis card can help cancer patients as well. The therapeutic effects of cannabis help people living with cancer in combating the symptoms of the debilitating illness. The human body has a network of cannabinoid proteins and receptors called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system influences the peripheral and central nervous systems and regulates different processes in the body:
- Mood
- Memory
- Pain sensation
- Appetite
Some proteins naturally produced by our bodies, like CBD and THC, are also found in cannabis. Therefore, cannabis can serve a pivotal role in regulating bodily mechanisms.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Medical cannabis is known to reduce PTSD symptoms by 75 percent. Both medications and therapy are known to reduce anxiety among PTSD patients. However, traditional medicines do not alleviate the physical symptoms of the disorder. Some unwanted side effects of conventional PTSD medicines include increased weight and lowered libido. However, marijuana can cure various symptoms of PTSD by targeting the cannabinoid receptors present in the brain and throughout the body. Researchers recommend medical cannabis for curing the underlying symptoms of PTSD:
- Reduce hallucinations
- Improve sleep patterns
- Alleviates stress
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Elevate mood and focus
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable CNS disorder, is another qualifying condition for a medical card. Common symptoms of MS include:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Spasticity
- Pain
- Itching
- Depression
- Vision problems
Medical marijuana is frequently known to cure these symptoms. For instance, MS patients experience inflammation of neural tissue, and medical marijuana addresses this symptom effectively due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Cachexia or Wasting Syndrome
Cachexia or wasting syndrome is characterized by extreme muscle wasting and weight loss due to the loss of body fat and muscle mass. It mainly affects people suffering from serious illnesses like arthritis, HIV, and cystic fibrosis in later stages. Right now, there is no effective or proven treatment for cachexia. However, cannabis can be used to cure its symptoms like:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of energy
Marijuana promotes weight gain in such patients by increasing their appetites and calorie intake. Therefore, an individual suffering from wasting syndrome qualifies to get a cannabis card.
- Crohn’s Disease
Croh’s disease is an irritable bowel occurring due to digestive tract inflammation. The symptoms of the disease are well known, yet little is known about its causes. The corticosteroids and immunosuppressants shortly cure the symptoms and have more of a placebo effect. There is no standard treatment for Crohn’s disease. In this scenario, medical marijuana is a great option for curing the disease symptoms by interacting with cannabinoid receptors in the gut. Marijuana alleviates the symptoms of the disease by reducing inflammation through the whole body, particularly through the gut. It is known to cure these symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
- Blood in stool
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Inflammation of joints
- Liver inflammation
Conclusion
Medical marijuana is known to cure the symptoms of various debilitating illnesses like chronic pain, glaucoma, PTSD, HIV and AIDS, Cancer, MS, wasting syndrome, and Crohn’s disease. All such health problems have been set as the qualifying conditions for getting a marijuana card by state governments in the United States.
