How Many Patients Have Signed Up for Medical Marijuana Doctor Certifications and ID Cards in Florida you ask? There are now over 150,000 patients in the Florida medical marijuana registry with many many more coming. Yet marijuana’s official designation in the US as a Schedule 1 drug— something with “no currently accepted medical use” — means it has been pretty tough to study. Despite that, a growing body of research and numerous anecdotal reports link cannabis with several health benefits, including pain relief and the potential to help with certain forms of epilepsy. In addition, researchers say there are many other ways marijuana might affect health that they want to better understand. Along with several other recent studies, a massive report released last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine helps sum up exactly what we know— and what we don’t — about the science of weed. One of weed’s active ingredients, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, interacts with the brain’s reward system, the part primed to respond to things that make us feel good, like eating and sex.  When overexcited by drugs, the reward system creates feelings of euphoria. This is also why some studies have suggested that excessive marijuana use can be a problem for some people — the more often you trigger that euphoria, the less you may feel during other rewarding experiences. Within a few minutes of inhaling marijuana, your heart rate can increase by between 20 and 50 beats a minute. This can last anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The NASEM report found insufficient evidence to support or refute the idea that cannabis might increase the overall risk of a heart attack. The same report, however, also found some limited evidence that smoking could be a trigger for a heart attack. In August, a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology appeared to suggest that marijuana smokers face a threefold higher risk of dying from high blood pressure than people who have never smoked — but the study came with an important caveat: it defined a “marijuana user” as anyone who’d ever tried the drug. Research suggests this is a poor assumption — and one that could have interfered with the study’s results. According to a recent survey, about 52% of Americans have tried cannabis at some point, yet only 14% used the drug at least once a month. Other studies have also come to the opposite conclusion of the present study. According to the Mayo Clinic, using cannabis could result in decreased— not increased — blood pressure. So while there’s probably a link between smoking marijuana and high blood pressure, there’s not enough research yet to say that one leads to the other. Pot contains cannabidiol, or CBD, a chemical that is not responsible for getting you high but is thought to be responsible for many of marijuana’s therapeutic effects. Those benefits can include pain relief or potential treatment for certain kinds of childhood epilepsy. The new report also found conclusive or substantial evidence — the most definitive levels — that cannabis can be an effective treatment for chronic pain, which could have to do with both CBD and THC. Pain is also “by far the most common” reason people request medical marijuana, according to the report. One of the ways scientists think marijuana may help with pain is by reducing inflammation, a component of illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis. A preliminary 2005 study of 58 patients with RA, roughly half of whom were given a placebo and roughly half of whom were given a cannabis-based medicine called Sativex, found “statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep” for patients on Sativex. Other studies testing other cannabinoid products and inhaled marijuana have shown similar pain-relieving effects, according to the report. Some people with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis could also benefit from marijuana use, studies suggest. A 2014 paper, for example, describes two studies of people with chronic Crohn’s. Half were given the drug and half got a placebo. That study showed a decrease in symptoms in 10 of 11 subjects using cannabis, compared with just four of 10 on the placebo. But when the researchers did a follow-up study using low-dose CBD, they saw no effect in the patients says one Bradenton Florida marijuana doctor. Researchers say that, for now, we need more research before we’ll know whether cannabis can help with these diseases. Marijuana may throw off your balance, as it influences activity in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, two brain areas that help regulate balance, coordination, reaction time, and posture. Feeling as if time is sped up or slowed down is one of the most commonly reported effects of using marijuana. A 2012 paper sought to draw some solid conclusions from studies on those anecdotal reports, but it was unable to do so. “Even though 70% of time estimation studies report overestimation, the findings of time production and time reproduction studies remain inconclusive,” the paper said. In a 1998 study that used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to focus on the brains of volunteers on THC, the authors noted that many had altered blood flow to the cerebellum, which most likely plays a role in our sense of time. Limitations on what sort of marijuana research is allowed make it particularly difficult to study this sort of effect. Since weed makes blood vessels expand, it can give you red eyes. A case of the munchies is no figment of the imagination — both casual and heavy marijuana users tend to overeat when they smoke. Marijuana may effectively flip a circuit in the brain that is normally responsible for quelling the appetite, triggering us to eat instead, according to a recent study of mice. It all comes down to a special group of cells in the brain that are normally activated after we have eaten a big meal to tell us we’ve had enough. The psychoactive ingredient in weed appears to activate just one component of those appetite-suppressing cells, making us feel hungry rather than satisfied. Marijuana can mess with your memory by changing the way your brain processes information, but scientists still aren’t sure exactly how this happens. Still, several studies suggest that weed interferes with short-term memory, and researchers tend to see more of these effects in inexperienced or infrequent users than in heavy, frequent users says a Florida marijuana doctor near me. Unsurprisingly, these effects are most evident in the acute sense — immediately after use, when people are high. Scientists can’t say for sure whether marijuana causes depression or depressed people are simply more likely to smoke. But one study from the Netherlands suggests that smoking weed could raise the risk of depression for young people who already have a special serotonin gene that could make them more vulnerable to depression. Those findings are bolstered by the NASEM report, which found moderate evidence that cannabis use was linked to a small increased risk of depression. The NASEM report also found substantial evidence of an increased risk among frequent marijuana users of developing schizophrenia — something that studies have shown is a particular concern for people at risk for schizophrenia in the first place. Researchers think it’s possible that CBD might be a useful treatment for anxiety disorders, and that’s something that several institutions are currently trying to study says on Tampa Florida Medical Marijuana Doctor. The recent report suggested that evidence of a link between marijuana and an increased risk of most anxiety disorders was limited. However, the authors wrote that there is moderate evidence that regular marijuana use is connected to an increased risk of social anxiety. As in other cases, it’s hard to know whether marijuana use causes that increase or people use marijuana because of an increased risk of social anxiety. The THC content of marijuana across the US has tripled since 1995, according to a large recent study in which researchers reviewed close to 39,000 samples of cannabis. While THC levels hovered around 4%, on average, in 1995, they skyrocketed to roughly 12% in 2014. Meanwhile, the CBD content in marijuana — the part that’s responsible for many of the drug’s therapeutic effects— has dropped, the researchers found, shifting the ratio of THC to CBD from 14:1 in 1995 to about 80:1 in 2014. Still, tracking THC potency over time can be tricky. The older a weed sample gets, the more its THC appears to degrade. How it is stored matters too. These two barriers could be interfering somewhat with the metrics on pot’s potency. In a recent study, scientists used MRI brain scans to get a better picture of the brains of adults who have smoked weed at least four times a week for years. Compared to people who rarely or never used the drug, the long-term users tended to have a smaller orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region critical for processing emotions and making decisions. But they also had stronger cross-brain connections, which scientists think smokers may develop to compensate says a medical marijuana doctor in Miami Florida. Still, the study doesn’t show that smoking pot caused certain regions of the brain to shrink; other studies suggest that having a smaller orbitofrontal cortex in the first place could make someone more likely to start smoking. Most researchers agree that the people most susceptible to brain changes are those who begin using marijuana regularly during adolescence. Some athletes, especially in certain endurance and adventure sports, say marijuana use can boost their athletic performance. This may be because of anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving effects that make it easier to push through a long workout or recover from one. At the same time, there are ways that marijuana could impair athletic performance, since it affects coordination and motivation, and dulls the body’s natural recovery process. Without more research, it’s hard to know how marijuana affects athletic performance.

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If you or a loved one you know is suffering and could use the medical benefits of marijuana, please contact us or book your appointment online in Florida today.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): An autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks their joints, causing inflammation. RA commonly affects the hands and feet and leads to painful, swollen, and stiff joints.

Osteoarthritis (OA): A degenerative disease that affects joint cartilage and bones, causing pain and stiffness. It often affects the hip, knee, and thumb joints.

Some studies on animals suggest that Medical Marijuana could help to treat arthritis and relieve the associated inflammatory pain:

• A 2011 study found that Medical Marijuana/CBD helped to reduce inflammatory pain in rats by affecting the way that pain receptors respond to stimuli.
• A 2014 review of the existing body of research on animals concluded that Medical Marijuana/CBD may be an effective treatment for OA.
• A 2016 study found that the topical application of Medical Marijuana/CBD had the potential to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
• A 2017 study found that Medical Marijuana/CBD might be a safe and useful treatment for OA joint pain. 

However, to date, there a lack of scientific evidence to prove conclusively that Medical Marijuana/CBD is an effective arthritis treatment for humans says marijuana doctors. A 2006 study found that a cannabis-based mouth spray called Sativex helped to relieve arthritis pain. However, the cannabis plant extracts that the company use to make the spray contain both Medical Marijuana/CBD and THC. While findings so far have been encouraging, more research is necessary to confirm that Medical Marijuana/CBD oil is an effective treatment for arthritis pain. Cannabinoids, such as CBD, attach themselves to specialized receptors in a person’s brain and immune system. One of these receptors, called a CB2 receptor, plays a role in the immune system by managing pain and inflammation. Researchers believe that when CBD enters a person’s body, it may attach to CB2 receptors. Alternatively, it may cause the body to produce natural cannabinoids that attach to the CB2 receptors. Either way, scientists think CBD affects the way that these receptors respond to the signals that they receive, possibly helping reduce inflammation and pain says a few miami marijuana doctors. A 2008 review of research into CBD and its possible mechanism of action suggested that CBD could play a role in chronic pain management. The FDA do not currently approve CBD oil as a medical treatment for arthritis. The only use that CBD has FDA approval for is to treat two rare and severe types of epilepsy. It received approval for this use in June 2018. CBD is legal in some states in the U.S., but not all of them. Therefore, people should check the laws in their area before purchasing or taking CBD oil. Some people may have an allergic reaction to CBD oil, so it is best to try applying the oil to a small area of skin first.

Please contact our offices or visit our website to get started on your medical marijuana card in Miami today.

Can Medical Marijuana Help With Migraine Headaches in Florida and other states you ask?

Some people use medical marijuana, or forms of the cannabis plant, as a treatment for migraine. Cannabis has been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy for a number of conditions. While there have not been enough high quality studies to support the use of marijuana for migraine, there is sufficient anecdotal reports and preliminary results from researchers to warrant clinical trials. These trials are needed before marijuana can be considered a standard approach to migraine.

 

Traditionally, the smoking form of cannabis has been called marijuana, although some oral formulations are now also called marijuana. While cannabis for recreational or medicinal use is illegal by federal law, several individual states have passed laws making medical marijuana legal, and a few states have also made recreational use of marijuana legal. Each individual should consult with their doctor and the laws of the state they reside in before considering the possibility of using medical marijuana.

 

A migraine is a severe and painful headache that millions of people around the world suffer from. Migraine attacks can be preceded by an aura of sensory warning signs such as blind spots, flashes of light, tingling in the arms and legs, vomiting, nausea, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. Sometimes these signs may accompany the headache instead of preceding it. The pain that migraines bring can last for several days at a time and is a common problem in not just the U.S but also most other parts of the world.

According to a report published by the American Migraine Association, migraines affect over 36 million Americans which constitutes about 12 percent of the total population.  Migraines are generally one-sided headaches and tend to affect people in the age group of 15 to 55.

Research indicates that alternative treatments such as medical pot can help reduce migraine attacks dramatically. There is strong evidence that cannabis has a great effect on certain types of chronic pain such as a migraine. Read on to know more.

Symptoms of Migraine

Signs and symptoms of a migraine can start a quite a while before a headache, just before a headache begins, during a headache, and after a headache has abated. All migraines aren’t the same and the symptoms may vary from person to person. A few typical symptoms of a migraine include:

• Moderate to severe pain, generally confined to one side of the head

• Severe, throbbing, and pulsating pain

• Elevated levels of pain during any form of physical activity

• Inability to perform regular chores due to pain.

• Vomiting

• Increased sensitivity to light and sound that reduces when you recede to a quiet and darkened room.

• Sweating

• Stomach ache

• Diarrhea

• Temperature changes

Symptoms of Migraines with Aura

For many migraine sufferers, auras act as a sort of red flag, letting them know that a headache is soon to come. However, many people do not experience any aura. Perceptual disturbances such as those listed below are called auras.

• Confusing thoughts or experiences

• Sparkling or flashing lights

• Zig-zag lines in the visual field

• Blind spots

• Pins and needles in arms, and/or legs

• Difficulty in speech

• Unpleasant smells

• Stiffness in the shoulders, neck, or limbs

When migraines with aura affect vision, the person may also see things that are not really there says some Marijuana Doctors in Florida. These disturbances can be compared to the sensation a person experiences after being photographed using a very bright camera flash in a dark room.

What Else It Could Be

Migraine and sinus headaches are commonly confused with each other because the two conditions share many of the same symptoms – which makes it hard to distinguish one from the other. In fact, nasal symptoms are experienced with many types of migraines. Cluster headaches too are mistaken to be migraine headaches as they have overlapping symptoms such as a one-sided headache. However, cluster headaches arrive and depart rather swiftly unlike migraines that can last for several hours to days.

How Medical Marijuana Helps Treat Migraines

There is a network of cannabinoid receptors inside your brain and other parts of the body. These receptors are tiny loops of protein that modulate how you feel pain. Marijuana is made up of natural compounds known as cannabinoids. When you use medical cannabis, these compounds travel through your body in search of receptors. They bind to the receptors and change how they work and in turn calm down pain signals.

 

Cannabinoids present in medical cannabis also help alleviate other migraine symptoms such as nausea, anxiety, and other conditions such as muscle spasms. Researchers are confident that marijuana can go a long way in replacing opioids as the go-to for relief from pain.

Why Medical Marijuana Treats Migraines Better Than Alternative Treatments

There are a number of pain-relieving drugs that you can take as soon your experience the signs and symptoms of an oncoming migraine. Aspirin and ibuprofen may be used to treat mild migraines. There are a number of drugs marketed specifically for migraines that contain a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine that can ease the moderate pain. However, these fail to provide relief in severe cases of migraine and can have side effects such as ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, and headaches due to the drug overuse.

Triptans are said to work better than painkillers in treating migraines. They are available in the form of pills, sprays, and injections and provide pain relief by constricting blood vessels and blocking pain pathways in the brain. Though they are effective, they can cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness, pain at the injection site, drowsiness and muscle weakness.

Marijuana, on the other hand, contains active compounds that are more effective at reducing the intensity as well as the frequency of acute migraine pain when compared to prescription migraine medication, and also have fewer side effects. The right percentage of THC-CBD can greatly reduce the severity of pain caused by migraine attacks. Pot also promotes better sleep.

How to Get Medical Marijuana to Treat Migraines

Medical marijuana is now legal in many parts of the world. However, to purchase cannabis to treat migraine, you will need to visit a doctor who will assess your symptoms and existing health condition before prescribing it for medical use. Migraines is one of the many conditions that can be easily tackled and treated by the consumption of regulated doses of medical marijuana. Contact All Natural MD marijuana doctors today. All Natural MD offers medical marijuana doctors certifications and ID card in Florida, We have offices for medical marijuana treatment in Lakeland, Orlando, Sarasota, Bradenton, Lake Mary Tampa and Brandon.