Your Health is Your Responsibility and Choice
I have spent a great deal of time learning about all of the diseases, maladies and medical challenges that medical marijuana is purported to help. Two things become readily apparent every day as I continue my research and education. One, I am not a doctor. I recommend that everyone consult a licensed physician before taking ANY medicine. Two, even if I was an American doctor, the relative lack of research would make the job of explaining if, how or why Marijuana can help a particular condition would be a significant challenge.
The is the most complete list of medical issues that I have found that might be treated with medical cannabis: http://unitedpatientsgroup.
FDA’s Lack of Cannabis Testing
The FDA is the most stringent medical testing agency in the world. It generally takes about a decade of animal trials, human testing, and double blind studies, in order to gain approval to distribute any medicine in the United States. It is so difficult, that many patients with means, or in a desperate state, will head overseas to pursue new treatments. Unfortunately, no matter how careful the FDA tries to be, we all know that drugs that do harm get through. The number of successful and ongoing class action law suits proves that.
Everyone responds differently to different medicines. Each individual is the best judge of how they feel, and it’s a challenging reality that we all have to figure out what works for us. Medical marijuana is no exception. You are always responsible for your own health.
For example, I have been taking blood pressure medicine for almost a decade. My doctor at the time had years of comprehensive research, my blood tests, and medical history to rely on in order to make the best recommendation. I still went through 4 medications over an eight month period until I found one that worked for me. The main goal was obviously to lower my BP. Though all drugs were FDA approved and thoroughly tested, it was still a process of trial and error to find the right fit for me.
Even simpler, take headaches, for example. Some people find a few Tylenol handles it. Others need Excedrin. Some like Advil, and many need prescription drugs. Still others find no relief no matter what they do. We all know the over the counter drugs are our responsibility. These are medicines so simple that our government lets anyone purchase and use them as they need. Medical marijuana is no different. Thankfully, we are focused on this website on senior health issues. Over the next weeks and months, we will look at senior issues. It would be a huge help if readers took the time to share their experiences. There are no right answers, just good information that we can use to make decisions for ourselves.