Medical marijuana has come a long way in the United States. From what was once a celebrated crop, to an outlawed menace to society, and back into the heart of medicine, it’s safe to say there have been plenty of ups and downs in the swing of cannabis.
But regardless of how society has treated cannabis as a plant, it has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, offering relief from many different conditions and problems.
Today, patients with qualifying conditions that are approved for a medical marijuana certification in Georgia can access cannabis as a medicine, and among many of the patrons of medical cannabis are a group of unsuspecting patients seeing extraordinary relief with medical marijuana, Veterans.
In this article, we’ll cover why Veterans use medical marijuana, the benefits they get with cannabis, and how cannabis can help Veterans with PTSD.
Veterans & Medical Marijuana - Stress
Stress & How Your Body Perceives Stress
One of the biggest plagues to overall health is stress. You might not consider stress as an important factor in your health, but your body certainly does.
Chronic stress can lead to all sorts of unpleasant complications, such as higher blood pressure, increased depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and long-term exposure to stress can wreak havoc on mental health.
Veterans are often exposed to an unusually high amount of stress, especially with deployments overseas. Sudden or heightened exposure to life threatening events can also cause PTSD, and Veterans have some of the highest rates of PTSD.
How Cannabis Can Help with Stress
One of the reasons why PTSD is often among the list of approved conditions for medical marijuana is because of how cannabis can help with stress.
With improved blood pressure, decreased anxiety, fewer panic attacks, and better mood regulation, cannabis has the power to help destress and bring more attention to the here and now for many medical marijuana patients.
Alongside destressing, cannabis can help reshape perceptions of life and death situations, which can be invaluable for patients whose baseline stress is too high.
Veterans & Medical Marijuana - Mood
Veterans & Mood Regulation
Life in the military can be stressful regardless of deployments, but they certainly bring extra stress to the equation. Many Veterans find adjusting to life at home difficult after a deployment, with new challenges in socializing, relationships, and family life.
Whether with returning home or while entertaining stressful exercises, military life can put a lot of strain on an individual, and often it is encouraged to push through to persevere, though this can have dire consequences if Veterans don’t have appropriate ways to wind down and get to a comfortable baseline.
Cannabis & Mood Regulation
Cannabis can alter your mood significantly and quickly, and in fact it’s one of the reasons why cannabis is used recreationally because cannabis allows a person to go from 100 to 0 very effectively.
While this can be slightly jarring if you’ve never used cannabis before, for patients who have built a tolerance to cannabis, it can be an extremely pleasant experience and help with approaching life’s problems in a more digestible way.
Another benefit of cannabis with mood regulation is its ability to give you new perspectives on situations you may not realize are bothering you. Some people find that medical marijuana points out their flaws, anxieties, or fears temporarily, which can be a great tool to help you identify problem areas in your life and places where you could improve.
Veterans & Medical Marijuana – An Alternative Medicine for Chronic Pain
Veterans & Opioids
While pharmaceutical medications can work very well for many people, in many cases the side effects and conflicts with daily activities can interfere with a person’s quality of life.
Veterans are extra prone to developing Substance Abuse Disorders, with more than 20% of all Veterans with PTSD struggling with alcohol or drug dependence.
With over 70% of the drug overdose deaths in 2019 being caused by opioids, it’s easy to understand why many people are hesitant to pursue medications like these long-term.
Cannabis as an Alternative to Opioids
Cannabis can play an important role in opioid addiction, and cannabis may even have the potential to help wean people off of opioid use.
Cannabis is an important alternative to pharmaceutical medications for PTSD, which can have harmful side effects causing many Veterans to find the relief they need with cannabis as opposed to more traditional medications.
This is far too often later in the game, after people have discovered the negative side effects of opioids, or the harmful repercussions of long-term opioid use. And with the first FDA regulated study on smoked cannabis for PTSD producing positive results, many more Veterans are looking at cannabis with a fresh set of eyes and an open mind.
Get Your Georgia Marijuana Card
Georgia is working to produce low-THC cannabis oil for patients with qualifying conditions. While the road to a comprehensive medical marijuana program is often a long and difficult road, Georgia is on its way to getting patients access to the cannabis products they need.
While we are waiting on dispensaries to become operational you can apply for your medical marijuana card today and skip the long lines of expected applicants once products hit the shelves.
Reserve your medical marijuana evaluation appointment today and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Feel free to give us a call at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia
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