Medical Marijuana (2)

Your doctor will provide the optimal dose that will improve pain relief and function while making sure there is minimal euphoria or cognitive impairment. It is therefore usual for your doctor to do a gradual dose titration. This is because even low doses of low-THC cannabis can cause significant cognitive impairment in some people.

Medical cannabis has shown promise in treating the following conditions

  • Arthritis
  • Chronic/neuropathic pain
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
  • Nausea or Vomiting because of cancer treatment
  • Epilepsy
  • Insomnia
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Crohn’s disease

Determining what a safe and effective dose is can be difficult because patients vary in their mode of administration. Medical Marijuana can be inhaled (vaporized or smoked), taken orally (eaten in muffins etc, oils), applied to the skin or used as suppositories. Smoked or Vaped marijuana has a quick onset of action with 3-5 minutes but the effects wane off in hours. In contrast, marijuana eaten takes 2-3 hours to take effect but will last for multiple hours.

In a nutshell, it is imperative to exhaust other possible therapy options before offering medical marijuana. When it is offered, it is important to start low and go slow and continually monitor the patient’s response to the treatment.

Published by

Dr. Deji Daramola

Dr. Deji Daramola is a Canadian based Family Physician with training and expertise in Family Medicine. He also has an MBA and a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership. www.drdarams.com