January 10, 2019

Gathering Information About Medical Marijuana in Florida and Other States

Here is the Information Gathered About Medical Marijuana in Florida and Other States After November 8, 20% of Americans now live in states that have voted to allow recreational marijuana use.  Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, and California have now joined Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and the District of Columbia in voting for initiatives that make it legal for adults to consume cannabis authorized by a licensed marijuana doctor. Votes are still being counted, but it looks like Maine will most likely join that group. And several states joined the 25 that already allow for medical use of marijuana — the most notable addition being Florida, with a broad medical marijuana law that will allow doctors to recommend cannabis for a wide variety of conditions. Critics of legalization claim that legalization is bad for public health. “When states legalize recreational marijuana, fatalities increase and the lives of children and teenagers are put at stake, president and CEO of Spectrum Health Systems, a substance abuse and mental health treatment provider, recently wrote in an opinion piece for Stat News.  But the data on how both recreational and medical legalization of marijuana tells a different story. It’s still early — marijuana hasn’t been legal for long, even in these states — but so far, legalization hasn’t had a negative impact on public health, according to a report recently published by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA). That report and other recent studies help show how marijuana legalization for medical or recreational purposes in these states has changed things.  In his opinion piece, rep says that Colorado youth use marijuana at higher rates than any other kids in the country. But as other notes at The Washington Post, experts say that trend existed before legalization, too. A 2015 article in the New England Journal of Medicine states that legalizing medical marijuana in Colorado doesn’t seem to have increased the prevalence of youth usage. While the percentage of kids who described marijuana as “highly risky” decreased after legalization, the percentage of students who reported ever trying decreased slightly as well. There’s some debate about the effect that cannabis legalization has had on traffic deaths. Rep says that data from Washington and Colorado shows that an increased percentage of the people involved in traffic fatalities have had marijuana in their systems since legalization.  However, traffic death rates since legalization have not increased in Colorado or Washington and are lower than the national average, according to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data analyzed in the DPA report. At the same time, DUI rates seem to have decreased since legalization, potentially an overall benefit, since the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol are much more obvious than the risks of driving under the influence of cannabis (people who combine the substances perform the worst on driving tests, however).  The DPA report says that more people may test positive for cannabis now since officials are now more likely to test for it in the first place. Also, since people can test positive for cannabis long after they’ve stopped feeling the effects, the report says the “data only illuminate that tested drivers consumed hours, days, or weeks prior to the test” — not that cannabis was involved. As Stat News pointed out in another story, there are several studies that show that states that allow medical marijuana have fewer opioid deaths. This effect seems to stack over time, with states who pass these laws seeing a “20 percent lower rate of opioid deaths in the laws’ first year, 24 percent in the third, and 33 percent in the sixth.” If people are substituting marijuana for opioids for medical purposes, that seems to have a strong positive effect say a Doctor that services a high volume marijuana clinic in Florida.  One says that doctors at Denver’s Children’s Hospital have reported treating an increased number of children who have accidentally ingested marijuana edibles since legalization. The overall numbers are small — in the JP study documenting these cases, doctors say that the rate of these visits has gone from 1.2 per 100,000 population 2 years prior to legalization to 2.3 per 100,000 population 2 years after legalization. As one has pointed out in the Post previously, parents are far more likely to call poison control centers because of kids ingesting diaper cream, toothpaste, tobacco, or crayons. Adults tourists who have overdone it have also increased the number of marijuana-related ER visits slightly.  If you’ve ever seen someone who has been surprised by the strength of a marijuana edible, you know these moments aren’t fun, but luckily, people recover from these events and no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose as agreed by a Tampa marijuana doctor. The DPA report notes that “[b]y no longer arresting and prosecuting possession and other low-level marijuana offenses, states are saving hundreds of millions of dollars,” based on the fact that Washington spent $200 million enforcing marijuana laws between 2000 and 2010. Arrest rates in these states for marijuana offenses have plummeted (you can still be arrested for certain offenses), though the report notes that people of color are still twice as likely to be arrested despite using marijuana at similar rates to white people. Financially, the DPA report says taxing and selling marijuana in Colorado and Washington has been “overwhelmingly successful in generating revenue,” with revenues exceeding projections in both states. Colorado brought in $129 million in the second year of legalization and Washington $220 million — significant amounts of money, though as he notes, still only a tiny fraction of the overall state budgets. There are still plenty of questions about how legalized marijuana will affect states in the future. Some people have expressed concerns that powerful THC-loaded varieties available today could potentially have more of an impact than we know, especially if used by young people with developing brains. On the other hand, if people are using marijuana instead of more dangerous substances like alcohol, there could be some benefit to public health there, though so far, it’s hard to say whether legalization makes people drink more or less. Now, we’ll be able to see the effects in several additional states. Hopefully, that will encourage study into marijuana’s effects, something that scientists say is still incredibly difficult to research because of federal regulations. In the meantime, the DPA report argues that the lessons from states like Colorado and Washington indicate that the public health effects are “so far, so good.”
January 9, 2019

Can Medical Marijuana CBD Oils Treat Cancer For Florida Patients?

Important Information About Additional Cancer Treatments

Judging by the over a million Internet search results, it’s no doubt that cannabis oil has become a popular topic as of late especially as a potentially miraculous treatment for any number of devastating conditions like cancer. But what exactly is cannabis oil and are the claims about it too good to be true you ask?

Cannabis oil is merely the concentrated, distilled form of the plant most commonly known as marijuana, with all the plant material stripped away via a solvent. Though it’s also used with other oils to whip up an assortment of edible pot-infused treats, cannabis oil has achieved the most notoriety for its possible medicinal uses.

Like marijuana, cannabis oil contains two primary ingredients: the high-inducing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and cannabidiol (CBD), the second most active ingredient in marijuana. Typically, oil brands marketed for medicinal uses contain much less THC than your average joint but both ingredients have been touted for their curative powers.

When it comes to cannabidiol and its related cousin chemicals, all broadly called cannabinoids, there’s some support showing they can reduce chemotherapy-related pain and other symptoms like vomiting and nausea in patients. Elsewhere, other research has shown cannabinoids can uniquely target and kill cancer cells and there have even been anecdotes of supposedly miraculous recoveries from cancer as a result of using cannabis oil.

THC, on the other hand, has been theorized to delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease as well as help veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to help relieve their anxiety.

Many of these promising studies, however, are generally in the earliest stages of research. Maybe cannabinoids can eliminate cancer cells or cut off their blood supply in the real world, or maybe, like many a purported cancer cure, they can only work in the lab. Fort Lauderdale Marijuana Doctors and other Marijuana Doctors In Orlando are scratching for answers.

What we do know is that desperate people have been taken for a ride when it comes to cannabis oil. Cancer Research noted in 2015 that online sites are tricking cancer patients and their families into handing over money for ‘cannabis oil’, yet receiving hemp infused oil and not CBD from a real cannabis flower.

Their verdict on the oil itself? “There is no doubt that cannabinoids — both natural and synthetic — are interesting biological molecules. Hundreds of scientists around the world are investigating their potential in cancer and other diseases — as well as the harms they can cause… But claims that this body of preclinical research is solid ‘proof’ that cannabis or cannabinoids can cure cancer is highly misleading to patients and their families, and builds a false picture of the state of progress in this area.”

None of this is to say that cannabis oil is worthless as a and treatment. Currently, medical research hasn’t fully explored the drug’s true potential yet. In the meantime, we should be wary of those claiming to say otherwise says a few marijuana doctors in Florida.

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the world. Lung tumors that over-produce the EGF receptor tend to be extra-aggressive and don’t respond well to chemotherapy.

THC is the main active ingredient of Cannabis sativa –marijuana. It has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in cancer, but specific information on its action against lung cancer has so far been limited.

In the new study, the researchers first showed that two different lung cancer lines, as well as samples from patient lung tumors, produced the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2.

Endocannabinoids — cannabinoids produced naturally in the body — are thought to have an effect on pain, anxiety and inflammation when they bind to cannabinoid receptors.

Next, the researchers injected standard doses of THC into mice implanted with human lung cancer cells. After three weeks of treatment, tumors shrank by about 50 percent in animals treated with THC, compared to those in an untreated control group, the researchers reported.

If you or a loved one is suffering and can use the benefits of medical marijuana, please contact our offices today or get started online.

January 8, 2019

How Does Marijuana Interact With Prescribed Medications You Ask?

How Does Marijuana Interact With Prescribed Medications You Ask?

It doesn’t matter if it is a prescription drug or a recreational drug, all drugs have compounds that interact with other compounds, adverse interactions with cannabis appear rare. As example of drugs interaction there is caffeine, which most people take on a daily basis. Caffeine have 82 known interactions with other substances.

It is difficult to determine the relevance of a drug interaction, some of them are not harmful but given the number of variables it could change. We can divide these interactions in three main categories:

  • Low risk (Minimally clinically significant), you can consider taking an alternative drug, always monitoring, and taking steps to avoid the interaction risk.

  • Moderate (Moderately clinically significant), in this case the best option is to avoid this type of combinations, using it just in special circumstances.

  • Major (Highly clinically significant), avoid combinations, in any case the risks in this interaction are higher than the benefits.

Before stopping your medications you must consult it with your healthcare provider. If you want professionals to tell you more about changing to a marijuana treatment avoiding dangerous interactions, get started now.

People diagnosed with depression can be prescribed antidepressants, very little research has been made taking prescribed drugs while using marijuana. Antidepressants side effects can be similar to those produced by marijuana use, including the following:

The following is a list of some of the compounds that have major interaction with cannabis and whose mixture should be avoided:

However, there are other kind of risks to consider when mixing drugs and cannabis, antidepressants could be less effective or take longer to work, this could set the treatment on and off protocols, prolonging recovery. Patients with diabetes should be careful when their medication is set to lower blood sugar levels, as marijuana helps regulate blood sugar the effectiveness of the treatment could be compromised, we recommend measuring your blood sugar level while using metformin or a similar treatment and cannabis.

Remember there are newer medications and research is needed, talk to your doctor if you want to consume cannabis while on medication.

If you or a loved one would like to visit a marijuana doctor in Fort Myers Florida, a marijuana doctor in Cape Coral Florida, or maybe a marijuana doctor in Bonita Springs, marijuana doctor in Naples Florida, or any other area of Florida, please contact us today.

https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

CONTACT ALL NATURAL MD

All Natural MD

Florida Medical Marijuana Doctors

Call Us: 800-250-6737

Fax: (954) 206-2250

Support@AllNaturalMD.com

VISIT

HOME

OUR SERVICES

QUALIFYING CONDITIONS IN FLORIDA

CONTACT US

LOCATIONS

BLOG

ABOUT US

All Natural MD is a medical cannabis clinic that conducts patient evaluations in the State of Florida to determine if one qualifies and can benefit from the use of medical cannabis. We have been established since 2016 and have close to 20,000 patients that are doing very well with the use of medical cannabis.