Do You Think You Have Neuropathy? How Medical Marijuana Can Help
If you've been experiencing dizziness, muscle twitching, or pain, numbness and tingling in your limbs, you may have neuropathy. Neuropathy occurs when nerves are damaged. It can affect your sensory nerves—how you feel temperature and pain—your motor nerves, which help you control muscle movement, and your autonomic nerves, which control your blood pressure, sweat glands, and bladder.
It's imperative that you see your doctor right away if your experience neuropathy because it can be indicative of serious disease, like HIV, Lyme, diabetes, and the like. If your neuropathy becomes chronic, you may want to consider medical marijuana to help manage your symptoms.
How Can Medical Marijuana Help?
Your body has a system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). When common cannabis compounds, like tetrahydrocannabinol, interact with the ECS, they activate receptors known as CB1 and CB2. These receptors control physiological processes, like your appetite or how you experience pain. CB1 and CB2 receptors are located all over your body and brain, so when you take cannabis, the chemical compounds bind to these receptors and relax your muscles, reduce your pain, and cause an anti-inflammatory effect.
Although there have been valid arguments on both sides of the marijuana issue, studies have shown that it can help patients with neuropathy by relieving their pain, improving their mood, and improving their sleep. One study showed that vaporized cannabis at low doses was a good option for people who were unable to find other effective treatments for their neuropathy.
Is Medical Marijuana Even Legal?
29 States, as well as D.C., have legalized the use of medical marijuana. However, this doesn't mean you can just go out and buy large amounts of medical marijuana. The FDA understands that some people can abuse the drug, and so proper steps have to be taken for its therapeutic use.
You'll want to first stop by your doctor's office and discuss this option with him or her. Your doctor will let you know if medical marijuana is the best choice for your condition. He or she will also make sure that the drug doesn't interfere with any other medications you may be taking. It is perfectly legal for patients and physicians to discuss medical marijuana; in the 2000 Conant v. Walters case, it was ruled that patients and doctors would be protected and able to discuss this medical option.
If you and your doctor decide that medical marijuana is the best option, then your doctor will help you get set up with medical marijuana card. This card is important because it allows you to visit dispensaries to purchase your required products. Even if recreational cannabis is legal, you may not be able to buy medical marijuana without this card.
The medical marijuana card is beneficial because it also puts you in a state medical marijuana database that would protect your from arrest due to drug possession.
When you go to a medically endorsed dispensary for the first time, the provider there can help you get your card set up. He or she can also describe the store's products to you and answer any questions you may have about your state's laws. The dispensary cannot provide medical advice, so it's best to go back to your doctor if you have further questions regarding your neuropathy. To elarn more, contact a dispensary like Elevated.