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Medical Marijuana For Patients With Cancer In Minnesota
Can Minnesotans Treat Cancer with Medical Marijuana?
The Minnesota Medical Cannabis Act was passed in 2014, granting Minnesotans with a qualifying condition access to legal marijuana. Fortunately for many in the North Star State, one of those qualifying conditions is Cancer, meaning they can get a Medical Marijuana Card.
And it should be no surprise that Minnesota legislators recognized cancer as one of the conditions they wanted to help people alleviate. The National Cancer Institute notes that there are approximately 15 million Americans currently living with cancer. As if that number wasn’t intimidating enough, the American Cancer Society has found that every year there are more than 33,000 new cancer diagnoses.
How Can Cancer Patients Get Relief with Medical Marijuana?
It is only recently that marijuana’s medicinal use has received mainstream acceptance, so research in this area is still fairly new. Not only that, but because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, the amount of research has been even further limited.
However, There is an abundance of anecdotal evidence showing cannabis’ efficacy in treating some cancer symptoms and some side effects of cancer medications.
Additionally, what scientific evidence is available indicates that marijuana can be safe and effective for patients managing their cancer and treatment-related side effects. Researchers have found that medical marijuana is especially good at reducing nausea and vomiting, pain, depression, anxiety, loss of appetite, depression, and insomnia.
These well-documented findings show marijuana can potentially offer patients significant relief, giving them a little assistance in their battle with cancer.
Although marijuana’s federal prohibition has limited the amount of research domestically, researchers in other countries often have no such limitations. International research has clearly indicated that medical marijuana can help cancer patients manage:
3 Easy Steps
Medical Marijuana
Get approved to legally obtain, consume, transport and process medical marijuana from a licensed Minnesota marijuana dispensary.
Schedule an Appointment
Schedule your medical marijuana evaluation today! Book online or call our helpful Patient Support Center.
Best Prices in Minnesota
We offer a variety of payment methods as well as veteran and senior discounts.
Chronic Pain
Many patients turn to opiate-based painkillers like oxycodone to help them deal with their pain. Unfortunately, these medications are highly addictive and often cause major side effects. In fact, it’s the use of opioids to treat pain that has led to the opioid crisis, which is so severe that the CDC recognizes it as an epidemic.
In contrast, medical marijuana is highly effective at providing pain relief, and it may also have some efficacy as an anti-inflammatory.
Sometimes doctors may prescribe both opioids and marijuana in order to reduce the amount of opiates their patients need. Additionally, research shows that patients who used marijuana extracts in clinical trials were less likely to rely on opioid pain medication.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is nerve damage outside of the brain and spinal cord, which are known as peripheral nerves. Neuropathy is sometimes a side effect of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments, and treating the condition can be difficult, because symptoms vary so much. Tingling, a burning sensation, numbness, and weakness are some of the more common symptoms.
It’s unclear to researchers exactly how marijuana alleviates neuropathy symptoms, but many patients with neuropathy report finding considerable relief with medical marijuana.
Nausea
Two of the more well-known and common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments are nausea and vomiting. Fortunately, medical marijuana has been shown to significantly reduce nausea as well as other unwanted side effects caused by these treatments.
Appetite Loss
Loss of appetite is also commonly associated with chemotherapy, and it is often an ordeal for patients to get adequate calories. This inadequate food consumption can cause fatigue, loss of muscle mass, and impaired mobility. As a result, the already difficult battle with cancer can become even harder. Fortunately, some cannabinoids can stimulate cancer patients’ appetites.
Get Approved for a Medical Marijuana Card Without Leaving Your Home
You can get approved for a Minnesota Marijuana Card without even leaving home! Minnesota Marijuana Card offers telemedicine appointments, so you can work with one of our doctors by using a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Discovering if medical marijuana is right for you is easy and convenient, so why not start the process today?