We can all agree that medical cannabis is a highly controversial topic at this point in time. Even the most advanced doctors, medical cannabis scientists, rehab scientists, and political leaders had varying opinions on how it used be used with patients. Not everyone knows if the substance is safe to use, even if someone may be recommended cannabis-assisted detox to aid issues like drug addiction. And while medical cannabis is legal in nearly 29 states, the federal government still hasn’t given the substance a complete hall pass. This is due to the fact that the Obama era administration didn’t want to legalize medical cannabis nationwide and the current Trump administration claimed that they wanted to stay out of bounds of anyone who does use the substance. On the other hand, nearly 85% of the general public supports legalizing medical cannabis with millions of people using the drug every single day.

In order to break down the stereotypes about the drug, let’s go through the positive and negative aspects of medical cannabis. It’s worthwhile to know if the drug should be taken out of teenager or criminal hands and if it really is the “wonder drug” that society cracks it up to be.

Using Medically Assisted Treatment 

Medical cannabis has proven to help patients with treating their chronic pain, issues like narcotic or opioid addiction, and even more severe symptoms of diseases like cancer. If you’re eager to know why the drug is still so argued about these days, consider the following pros and cons:

• Pro: Medical cannabis cause people to fall into a harsh addiction and take larger doses of the drug over time. Opioids are a much stronger drug that has to ability to take the lives of almost 200 people every day in the United States from overdose. While using marijuana, people report feeling at ease, less stressed, and lower levels of pain within as little as half an hour. As long as a patient takes their dosage responsibility, the drug doesn’t cause any uncomfortable withdrawal effects expect a slight increase in appetite or thirst.
• Pro: Medical cannabis has been linked to a significant drop in opioid overdose rates according the recent rehab studies. During this year, only the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey took the correlation to lesser deaths seriously as new territories to approve the drug. Public leaders in these states noted that it is proven as a dramatically effective way to treat patient’s chronic pain and opioid addiction compared to alternative medications.
• Con: Our country still believes that rehab should include total sobriety from any type of foreign substances. If someone was struggling from opioid addiction and initiated a plan to get treatment, traditionally they are instructed to abstain from euphoric substances overall. In addition to our grounded ways, there’s not enough clear evidence that proves the benefits of medical marijuana. People may tell compelling accounts of their personal experiences and scientists may preach about its wondrous healing powers, but the government rules by a standard basis of research. Even the most positive reviews won’t overturn little scientific evidence to back them up.
• Pro: Opioid addicts can rejoice to not having to deal with their painful heroin withdrawal symptoms with the help of consistent medical cannabis. When opioids enter a person’s body, they will experience a quick rush of pleasure in the first few minutes along with temporary euphoria and calmness. Instead of using the typical pill that could induce annoying headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, or severe stress, medical cannabis has been stated to help patients treat their cravings. In fact, people using medical cannabis for their opioid addiction admit that using the drug is a less of two evils and has greatly lowered their inflammation overall. With less fatiguing symptoms to deal with, patients have a better chance of regaining a strong state of mental health over time.
• Con: Not everyone should hop on the train to start using medical cannabis if they are going through certain life events or are of a certain age. The FDA is not yet certain if being of elderly age or being sick from an unrelated illness could deteriorate their physical health while using the drug. If someone is already on a certain drug like an antibiotic or use a typical allergy medicine, they may see unwanted side effects from using medical cannabis at the same time. Additionally, if a woman is experiencing pregnancy she may not want to risk any effects on her child. It’s better to play it safe and stay sober of any substances in general if you are expecting a child within a few months.
• Pro: Medical cannabis isn’t impossible to get a hold of legally. If you happen to do live in an area that allows legal dispensaries or distributor businesses for medical cannabis, you will have to show proof of medical recommendation by your doctor. They can only recommend that you use the drug, since providing an official prescription isn’t completely legal. At the doctor’s office, you will also have to explain your health situation and your experience with alternative medicines before they can give you the green light. You won’t get your hands on cannabis in any case just from saying you’re too stressed or dislike swallowing pills. As long as medical cannabis is still highly unregulated, everyone’s chance for getting a dose will vary.

Alternative Health Done Right 

If you are tired of dealing with painful and debilitating withdrawal effects from an illness or an opioid addiction, check your options for obtaining medical cannabis. The drug is still controversial by many, but the medical benefits it provides to calming down pain, managing anxiety, helping sleep patterns, and so on is worth the time to research if it’s right for you.

Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about any questions you have about using the drug, especially if you’re at an older age, are pregnant, or will expect to be pregnant in the near future.