JAX Spine & Pain Centers – Medical Marijuana
If you suffer from a chronic pain condition and have not found adequate relief using traditional medicines or techniques, you may be considering medical marijuana as part of your treatment strategy.
The Law
The Florida Medical Marijuana Law states that “patients who possess a physician’s recommendation may legally obtain medical cannabis provided by state licensed dispensaries.” A 2017 law prohibiting the inhalation of herbal forms of medical marijuana was amended in 2018 by Senate Bill 182. The measure allows qualified patients to possess up to four ounces of herbal cannabis if a recommending physician saying, “that the benefits of smoking marijuana for medical use outweigh the risks for the qualified patient.”
Evidence-based Benefits
According to medical marijuana proponents, the benefits can include:
- relieving pain
- reducing inflammation
- lessening nausea and improving appetite
- control epileptic seizures and more
The University of Michigan performed a research study, published in the February 2019 issue of Health Affairs, to gain further insight into the use of medical marijuana. According to their database, they discovered that 85.5 percent of medical marijuana license holders specified that they were pursuing treatment for an evidence-based condition, with 62.2 percent of patient-reported conditions being chronic pain.
According to the Havard Health Blog, Peter Grinspoon M.D. explains that medical marijuana is “quite effective for the chronic pain” Part of medical marijuana’s appeal is that it is safer than opiates due to the impossibility to overdose and that it is much less addictive.
Grinspoon writes that “in particular, marijuana appears to ease the pain of multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain in general. This is an area where few other options exist, and those that do, such as Neurontin, Lyrica, or opiates are highly sedating. Patients claim that marijuana allows them to resume their previous activities without feeling completely out of it and disengaged.”
Your Options
So, how do you talk to your physician about the possibility of the medical marijuana treatment? You can speak to your physician at JAX Spine & Pain Centers or request an appointment here (link https://jaxspine.com/new-patients/). You will be able to have a one-on-one discussion about options, benefits, and risks of your specific situation. This is intended to be a brief summary of the studies and types of pain for which medical marijuana can provide relief. As with all treatments, consult with your physician to critically evaluate claims of effectiveness and treat with caution.
Resources:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/182/?Tab=BillText
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085