| | | It is very important to break the stereotype of the Fast Times at Ridgemont High stoner when thinking about medical cannabis. That stereotype is just as incorrect and misleading as the old Reefer Madness stereotype of a generation ago,
We have had medical cannabis in Arizona for years now. It can be delivered in the old way, smoking, or in edibles, tinctures, vaporizing and in topical salves or lotions.
It can be supplied in any manner of concentrations of THC (the psychoactive component) and CBD (won't get you high but is excellent for nausea, epilepsy, pain, etc.) Often it is the combination of THC and CBD in the correct combination that gives the best relief for a specific condition.
I have a dear friend who is a Vietnam vet. He suffers from a myriad of physical issues from Agent Orange exposure including cancers. He also has pretty severe PTSD. The Veterans Administration doctors had him so tranqued up on opioids and antidepressants for years that he eventually could barely function.
When we allowed medical cannabis in Arizona he took the initiative to try it. He eventually got to the point where he got off the pharmaceuticals. He got his life back. The opioids would have eventually killed him.
I have had postherpetic pain on the right side of my face and head after having the shingles 5 years ago. The nerves are damaged and the pain is constant and unrelenting. Until I found a salve (with both THC and CBD). It has no psychoactive effect on me. But it does alleviate the pain. Win-Win.
I posted the article on cannabis and diabetes as a thought provoker. Today, most evidence of the efficacy of cannabis is anecdotal (like my friend's or my story) because research is stymied due to Federal law. This really needs to change. Although the anecdotal evidence is plentiful and compelling, this research could help patients understand which delivery methods and active components are most effective for their specific condition. Today, they must do this by trial and error until they find the right thing that works.
I would hope some of this research would involve diabetes. |
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