Medical marijuana cards near me

Scientists led by Penny Whiting from University Hospitals Bristol in the U.K. JAMA that there is only moderate-quality evidence supporting the benefits of medical marijuana, and only for certain conditions. The majority of studies involving medical marijuana are of lesser quality and therefore more likely to be biased and provide unreliable results. In all, Whiting and her colleagues analyzed 79 randomized trials, the gold standard in medical research in which volunteers are randomly assigned to take a cannabis-related product or a placebo. The studies evaluated marijuana’s ability to relieve a range of symptoms including nausea from chemotherapy, loss of appetite among HIV positive patients, multiple sclerosis spasms, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, psychosis and Tourette syndrome. The strongest trials supported cannabinoids’ ability to relieve chronic pain, while the least reliable evidence involved things like nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, sleep disturbances and Tourette syndrome. Cannabinoids were, however, connected to more adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation and hallucinations than placebo.

That puts patients who try medical marijuana products at a crossroads — in 23 states and Washington, DC, laws allow doctors to recommend cannabis products for their patients for medical reasons. But with little in the way of solid scientific evidence for which products works best, and in which doses, it’s up to the patients to adopt trial-and-error to figure out which, if any cannabinoids help to relieve their symptoms. MORE: How Much Does Marijuana Impact Your Driving? But medical marijuana products, he says, aren’t regulated by the same system that vets other pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, cannabinoids are not regulated at all, since the federal government still considers marijuana an illegal substance and therefore does not acknowledge that marijuana-based therapies exist at all. So far, 23 states have legislated such medicinal marijuana into legality, which means that legislation, and not scientific criteria, have “approved” these compounds for medical use.

What we saw was that there cant’ be much if any consumer confidence within the cities we purchased and tested products,” says Vandrey. For the larger medical marijuana distributors who see the emerging market as a profitable business, there’s the concern that profit motives may push them to under-deliver the amount of THC or cannabinoid they note on the label. And for the smaller outfits, it could be a matter of not knowing how to extract and measure the active ingredients from the cannabis plant and distribute it in a consistent way in a batch of tea or baked goods. How can consumers know what they’re getting in a medical marijuana edible? They can do their homework and talk to other consumers and the dispensary about dosing of THC and cannabinoids, says Vandrey. Or they can try to test the products themselves, which some states offer in an effort to standardize and gain more control over these products. But ultimately, he says. Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips.

If I’m a senator from a rural district, my public polling is going to church and talking to constituents,” Munger said. Religious conservative groups spoke out against the bill at the Senate committee hearing, arguing that the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis remain uncertain and don’t meet standards for other lawful drugs. They also raised concerns it could be a step toward legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. Smoked marijuana is not medicine,” the Rev. Mark Creech of the Christian Action League of North Carolina said at the committee hearing. The proposed legislation would also make suppliers responsible for the entire production process — “from seed to sale”— making it easier to diagnose any issues when they arise than in other states with a more fragmented distribution chain. The bill sponsors have been meeting with legislators and advocates from all sides as they seek to build consensus,” Berger’s spokesperson continued. An email from a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper seemed to position the governor as a clear supporter of legalizing medical marijuana. While keeping the bill narrow may help attract Republican support, those who have long been advocating for medical marijuana believe it is too narrow and will not help enough patients. The bill is very restrictive,” Ramquist said. Ramquist said she would like to see the legislature allow each person’s physician to decide whether prescribing medical cannabis is best without restrictions on conditions. Some political analysts have said it will be interesting to see how hard Democrats push to expand this bill to include other cannabis reforms they’ve long prioritized, such as decriminalization.

Though I have never used any, I suspect people do not use crystal meth because it makes them feel bad. I presume the same for bath salts, LSD, Heroin, and more. I suspect people use these substances because it makes them feel good. If the standard we will employ is simply whether the person that wishes to use something says they feel better, it may be a bit of a slippery slope. The Maine Court did not delve into the inherent conflict of a state law or constitution creating an entitlement to weed. That "broad" analysis was not required. An interesting legal debate is similarly playing out in Florida. Floridians passed an amendment to the Florida Constitution decriminalizing the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. But, the Florida Department of Health, in implementing that change, has continued to prohibit the smoking of cannabis. The non-criminalized (under state law) uses do not currently include smoking.