Is Marijuana Addictive and Does It Have Side Effects? Marijuana also known as weed is a drug obtained from the cannabis plant, which comes with mind-altering properties. It is gaining popularity amongst people but for illegal reasons. However, it also provides both medicinal as well as recreational purposes. Initially, many start using this drug for the “high feeling” it leaves. Medically, marijuana has been shown to reduce chemotherapy-induced vomiting. In addition, it suppresses nausea for individuals undergoing cancer treatment. Individuals suffering from HIV will benefit as it helps to reduce nerve damage pain. As a recreational drug, it is growing in popularity due to its short-term psychological effects. Is Marijuana Addictive? Overtime use of marijuana will lead to an addiction. This is because it causes psychological effects on the brain. The mental state then registers its use and it in turn reduces the production of dopamine. This means that the brain relies on using the drug, as it cannot provide its own dopamine sufficiently. Secondly, constant intake will reduce production of endocannabinoid receptors. Marijuana use develops into an addiction, but at a lower percentage. The marijuana use disorder will start in the form of dependence. The addiction occurs when a person experiences changes in behavior because of the drug. It is possible to be dependent without being addicted on marijuana abuse. An addiction will also lead to withdrawal symptoms in the event the individual stops using the drug. This said, marijuana doctors agree that it is an addictive drug. The duration it takes an individual to become an addict will vary from one person to another. Factors that contribute towards addiction include the intake amount, the method of ingestion, as well as the duration of use/abuse. For example, people abusing the drug over a longer period are more likely to become addicts. Side Effects of Marijuana Medicinal marijuana is naturally safe for use and it will not come with many side effects other than the intended effects. Recreational use of marijuana on the other hand comes with several side effects. Some will last in the short-term, whereas others will last longer, especially for addicts and individuals who are dependent on the drug. When an individual is high on this drug, the side effects include:

• Unpredictable mood changes
• Poor coordination
• Temporary memory loss
• Poor problem solving skills

Other effects include dry mouth, dizziness, constant fatigue, dry eyes, coughing, persistent headaches, as well as an increase in appetite. Some short-term effects of marijuana occur shortly after ingesting it. They include poor concentration with a feeling of highness. Other Related Articles

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Conclusion Marijuana doctors agree that the drug is addictive but at the same time, not everyone who is dependent on the drug is also an addict. Marijuana abuse also leads to several side effects with a majority of them leading to negative effects in the long-term. The effects may vary from one individual to another, which means that the provided list above does not occur with everyone. An individual will not experience one side effect but they may not experience all the side effects either. If you or someone you know is interested in seeing a marijuana doctor in your area, please contact our offices today to schedule your next appointment.

Does Marijuana Help Treat Glaucoma or Other Eye Conditions Florida Patients

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition which is characterized by the optic nerve getting damaged over time. The first effect is reduced peripheral vision which can possibly lead to total blindness. A cause of optic nerve damage is known as Intraocular pressure (IOP), which simply means that eye pressure is higher than normal.

Why marijuana?

The legalization of marijuana is becoming more widespread in the US and Canada, for medical and recreational use. This has led to conversations and studies around the use of marijuana in the treatment of many health conditions.

Marijuana is known to lower blood pressure, therefore, it serves that it would be a good option in the treatment of Glaucoma. I would advise that it isn’t that easy. Research conducted in the 1970s and 1980s showed a measurable decrease in intraocular pressure for about three to four hours after ingesting THC or smoking cannabis. However, this is a really short time considering that to treat Glaucoma and preserve vision, patients require that their eye pressure is controlled 24 hours a day.

Downside of Marijuana

You might already begin to see the problem here. In order to treat Glaucoma using marijuana, intraocular pressure would have to be reduced by 3-5 mmHg and maintained. This means that about 18-20 mg of THC would have to be ingested six to eight times a day, every day. To put it in perspective, marijuana would need to be smoked every 3-4 hours. This would be impossible for anyone with an active lifestyle or who operates machinery or drives cars all day and any sound Marijuana Doctor in Florida would not recommend it.

Marijuana cigarettes would also not be the wisest of options considering they contain chemical compounds that can cause damage to the lungs just as smoking tobacco cigarettes. Studies also show that chronic use of marijuana can have permanent effects on brain function.

What about other forms of marijuana?

One may argue that the undesired effects of marijuana use in the treatment of Glaucoma could be averted by simply making marijuana eye drops. However, studies conducted show that these can lead to burning, irritated eyes and no significant reduction in eye pressure. The reason for this is probably because THC is insoluble in water and it has been difficult to develop a solution with high enough THC content to be effective.

What is the way forward?

As it is, any doctor who prescribes marijuana cigarettes to treat Glaucoma would as well prescribe alcohol every hour for the same. This is because alcohol also lowers blood pressure. This is however unrealistic. Scientists are still years away from seeing how cannabis compounds can be isolated, made long-acting and their side effects eliminated in order to be effective in the treatment of Glaucoma and other eye conditions.

Please contact our offices to schedule your next appointment.

Can Medical Marijuana Help Improve Sleep For Florida Patients?

Medical marijuana is usually used to relax your mind or creates a sense of drowsiness in your mind, and it eventually helps the person to sleep well. That’s why, marijuana doctors often recommend medical marijuana to improve patients’ sleeping patterns, but would it really work for all the people out there? In order to check it, we need to study results of various research studies. The ongoing legality debate allows us to understand the potential use of marijuana for medical benefits.

Relationship with Insomnia

A 2011 research study on Cannabis and Insomnia states that cannabis or marijuana helped the 147 patients to sleep early regardless of whether they had been experiencing sleep problems or not.

PTSD and Marijuana

In 2014, a research study was conducted on people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to check whether marijuana can help improve their sleeping cycle. Although short term impact of marijuana improved their sleeping cycle yet it’s important to determine whether it will continue to improve in the long run or not and if yes, what’d be the possible side-effects (if any)?

A research study which used rodents concluded that rats who were experiencing anxiety issues felt relaxed and went into deeper sleep after having marijuana. However, at the same time, another study conducted on young adults states (who don’t have any sleeping disorders) in 2016 that marijuana intake disturbed their sleep quality.

Although it is important to conduct marijuana studies on larger scale, many researchers also suggest that marijuana improve the sleeping pattern of the individuals who are experiencing sleep problems whether it’s insomnia, stress, PTSD or any other reason.

Should You Get Marijuana to Improve Your Sleeping Pattern?

Marijuana doctors usually don’t recommend medical marijuana for longer periods as the patients might get addicted and can experience mental health issues in the long run. It particularly is applicable to people who have history of mental health issues or are relatively more vulnerable to mental health issues.

Here are some natural fall asleep techniques which you can use to improve your sleeping cycle:

• Set a specific time to go to bed everyday even it’s your weekend
• Make sure you’re sleeping in a dark and quiet room
• Don’t go to sleep after you have just finished your meal. Avoid eating at least one hour before you’re scheduled to go to bed every night
• Routine exercise is necessary
• No caffeine intake in the evening and night

According to the American Sleep Association, 50 to 70 million U.S. adults experience symptoms of a sleep disorder. That’s why, if you’re planning to consider medical marijuana to improve your sleep cycle, it is recommended that you should contact professional marijuana doctors in your  today. But this isn’t true across the board. Some studies have found that sleep can actually be impaired by regular use of marijuana. It’s clear that marijuana changes sleep cycles. 

Long-term marijuana use has been shown to have changes on the amount of gray matter in the brain. Also, while cannabis is often used to reduce anxiety, some people find that high-THC strains make them more anxious or paranoid. Many in the medical marijuana community refer to cannabis as an effective treatment, with little to no side effects, for a range of sleeping disorders.

Something else THC is responsible for? Inducing sleep. So you’ll want a strain that contains more THC than CBD.