One of the most rewarding things about helping patients get their own Georgia Marijuana Card is being able to see what a positive difference it makes in their lives.
There are so many conditions and symptoms medical marijuana can safely, naturally treat, and many more conditions than the ones that state recognizes as making someone eligible for a Georgia Marijuana Card.
That’s why we are excited to see a recent article from health website Eat This, Not That about the qualifying conditions for which doctors most recommend medical marijuana.
Unfortunately, due to the stigma against medical marijuana and the fact that it’s prohibited at the federal level, there is still an inadequate amount of research to say for sure exactly which conditions medical marijuana treats most effectively.
But according to the doctors with whom Eat This, Not That spoke, these are the top four conditions for which they most strongly recommend medical marijuana.
And on another unfortunate note, most of these conditions are not yet among the ones Georgia recognizes as qualifying patients for medical marijuana.
Medical Marijuana Can Safely Treat Anxiety and Depression
To anyone who stays in the loop with medical marijuana research, it should come as no surprise that doctors often recommend cannabis as a treatment for anxiety and depression.
One of the most recent, large-scale examples of research verifying medical marijuana’s efficacy in treating these conditions came in December of 2021 in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. The research team found that “Medicinal cannabis products, especially products high in CBD, may help to treat symptoms of depression, improve sleep, and increase quality of life.”
Psychology website reporters PsyPost spoke with the lead researcher on that study who stated, “Traditional antidepressants may effectively treat these disorders in a lot of people, but they do not work for everyone and can have unpleasant side effects. Medicinal cannabis products, especially products high in CBD, may help to treat symptoms of depression, improve sleep, and increase quality of life.”
Unfortunately, Georgia law doesn’t currently recognize anxiety or depression as appropriate qualifying conditions for medical marijuana patients.
Medical Marijuana Can Help Patients Dealing With Sleep Disorders
According to doctors, medical marijuana can also treat a variety of sleep disorders effectively and safely. Unfortunately, Georgia doesn’t currently recognize sleep disorders as a qualifying condition for access to medical marijuana.
Excluding sleep disorders from the qualifying conditions is especially misguided when one considers how common sleep disorders are. In fact, the CDC reports that about 70 million Americans have chronic sleep issues.
Dr. Michael Breus, a psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders and has been recognized as the best sleep doctor in California, has written that “cannabis use reduces the time it takes to fall asleep, and lengthens time spent in deep, slow wave sleep.”
Dr. Breus cautions patients to only use cannabis as a sleeping aid under the guidance of their physicians.
“In addition to increasing the euphoric and mind-altering effects, higher concentrations of THC can make you feel sluggish the next day,” Breus wrote. “Don't be shy about asking a lot of questions, and working with your physician and dispensary to make an informed choice you're comfortable with. Even if you live in a state where cannabis is legal without a prescription, I recommend talking with your doctor, as you would before using any sleep aid or supplement.”
So if you have a qualifying condition that the state recognizes and a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor about how you can get more out of your medicine by using it to treat both.
Medical Marijuana Can Help Improve Women’s Sex Drive
Wouldn’t you know it? The next condition for which doctors commonly suggest medical marijuana is another one that the state of Georgia doesn’t recognize. That’s the bad news, but here is the good news: Treating this condition with medical marijuana can improve the quality of patients’ love lives.
You see, doctors say marijuana can improve low libido, especially for female patients. According to Dr. Becky K. Lynn, a sexual medicine and menopause expert, “I've had several patients come to me and say, ‘I have low libido. Can you help me? And, oh, by the way, if I use marijuana, I can orgasm, no problem.’ They also tell me that low libido improves with marijuana.”
Dr. Lynn was also the lead researcher on a peer-reviewed study that found that “Marijuana appears to improve (women’s) satisfaction with orgasm. A better understanding of the role of the endocannabinoid system in women is important, because there is a paucity of literature, and it could help lead to development of treatments for female sexual dysfunction.”
Medical Marijuana Can Help Patients Safely, Naturally Manage Pain
At last, a condition that Georgia recognizes!
According to doctors, medical marijuana safely and effectively helps patients manage their pain, and it does so for a variety of different conditions.
As renowned cannabis doctor Peter Grinspoon wrote for the Harvard Health Blog, “While marijuana isn't strong enough for severe pain (for example, post-surgical pain or a broken bone), it is quite effective for the chronic pain that plagues millions of Americans, especially as they age.”
Better yet, Dr. Grinspoon notes that marijuana treats pain more safely than opiates, a far more popular option for pain management, despite being much more dangerous. According to Grinspoon, “Part of (medical marijuana’s) allure is that it is clearly safer than opiates (it is impossible to overdose on and far less addictive) and it can take the place of NSAIDs such as Advil or Aleve, if people can't take them due to problems with their kidneys or ulcers or GERD.”
Furthermore, Grinspoon noted that “Patients claim that marijuana allows them to resume their previous activities without feeling completely out of it and disengaged,” making it superior to other popular pain treatments in yet another way.
Surprise! Medical Marijuana Is Actual Medicine!
It was only recently in human history that marijuana became the stigmatized plant that we know today. As Grinspoon told Eat This, Not That, “Many people aren't aware that cannabis was a popular treatment in this country in the late 1800s and early 1900s — commonly dispensed by doctors — and that the American Medical Association was one of the strongest voices testifying against prohibiting it in 1937.”
Fortunately, doctors are once again advocating for marijuana’s medical value and reminding people that like any medicine, medical marijuana works best when it’s used according to a doctor’s directions.
If you suffer from any of the conditions covered here and would like to do something about it, may we suggest you take two steps? First, contact your lawmakers, and let them know you think doctors should be the ones to decide who needs medical marijuana, not politicians. After that, contact us, and get started on your medical marijuana journey!
Unfortunately, the Georgia medical marijuana program is currently stalled, and there won’t be any cannabis products available for medical marijuana patients until lawmakers take action.
But you can reserve an evaluation online today with one of our compassionate cannabis doctors, and we’ll make an appointment for you just as soon as we’re cleared to. You and your new doctor will discuss your conditions and whether you qualify for a Georgia Marijuana Card. And if you make your reservation online today, you’ll even save $25 off the cost of your evaluation!
Or feel free to call us at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia.