The most common mental health conditions in children and adolescents are anxiety and depressive disorders. Antidepressants are commonly used medications for the treatment of health conditions like anxiety and sadness, while some people also rely on marijuana, which is a legal medication that is used to treat nausea, appetite loss, pain, anxiety, insomnia, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Cannabis can provide a helpful burst of energy for some people who are depressed, allowing them to get more work done and feel happier throughout the day.
What Is Medical Marijuana?
Medical marijuana, also known as medical cannabis, is a plant derivative derived from the cannabis sativa plant that relieves symptoms of medical conditions. Medical marijuana can help with pain, nausea, muscle spasms, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, sleep issues, autism, epilepsy (seizure disorders), and appetite stimulation.
Cannabis sativa contains a large number of active compounds. Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most well-known. Marijuana's main active component is THC, which causes people to get high, whereas CBD is the second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis and does not cause a high.
CBD can help with everything from insomnia, anxiety, spasticity, and pain relief to treating potentially fatal conditions like epilepsy. Medical cannabis is most commonly administered through smoking, vaporization, or edible preparations.
What are Cannabinoids and Terpenes?
Terpenes and cannabinoids increase blood flow, boost neural activity, and kill respiratory microbes. Terpenes and cannabinoids create what is known as the 'active component' when they are combined. This effect describes how various cannabinoids and terpenes combine and bind to various brain receptors to produce a distinct high. Interactions between cannabinoids and terpenes could produce synergy in treating pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, fungal and bacterial infections.
Cannabinoid-terpene interactions also enhance beneficial cannabis effects while reducing THC-induced anxiety.
Terpenes are aroma compounds produced in the flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. These compounds define the plant's flavor and fragrance and can alter the high produced by cannabis. The predominant terpenes in a strain determine the scent and psychoactive flavor of Marijuana, while Cannabinoids are a class of hemp and cannabis components that interact directly with cannabinoid receptors found throughout the human endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS is known to play a role in the regulation of a variety of functions and processes in the body, including sleep, mood, appetite, memory, reproduction, and fertility. Whether or not you use cannabis, the ECS is active in your body. Cannabinoids influence how cells communicate with one another.
What Is the Difference Between THC and CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are compounds in cannabis plants that affect different brain receptors. THC is psychoactive, meaning it impacts your mind, belief, and other cognitive states. It produces marijuana’s "high" effects.
CBD has no psychoactive properties. It will not get you high, but it may have side effects, such as making you feel relaxed. Because THC has psychoactive effects, it may produce more immediate pain relief, whereas CBD can help reduce inflammation, which is helpful for future efficacy.
Evidence suggests combining CBD and THC may provide the most effective pain relief. THC may be beneficial for conditions such as glaucoma, insomnia, nausea, arthritis, migraine, and poor appetite, whereas CBD is frequently used to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, inflammation, migraines, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and seizures.
Mental Health Conditions Medical Marijuana May Help Treat
Medical marijuana has been used to treat several ailments, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, pain control in terminally sick patients, and chemotherapy-induced nausea.
For the following mental health problems, the types and severity of mental diseases vary. The most frequent mental diseases are anxiety and sadness. One of the primary factors in disease and impairment is mental illness.
A mental condition like depression doubles a person's risk of dying young compared to the general population. Physical health issues, including heart disease, asthma, hypertension, cancer, and stroke, are more common. Some people refer to medical marijuana for the treatment of the following mental illness:
Schizophrenia
Depression
Psychosis and anxiety conditions
Bipolar illness
Drug abuse problems
Risks of Using Marijuana With Antidepressants
Weed is an antidepressant, but it is also considered a mind-altering drug. However, the positive effects of marijuana can be reversed, particularly if a person becomes addicted to smoking weed while taking antidepressants. When a person smokes marijuana, their body produces "phytocannabinoids" (CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids) to replace the naturally occurring cannabinoids. Some advantages stem from the fact that replacement cannabinoids alter how the brain and body communicate.
Combining marijuana with other substances, on the other hand, can alter this process and complicate matters. Marijuana medication interactions may result in an excessive phytocannabinoid synthesis, making normal functioning difficult for the user. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used as antidepressants. Cannabis consumption reduces the rate of metabolism of an antidepressant drug while its potency increases.
Cannabis and antidepressants can exacerbate the symptoms of mental health disorders, especially when combined in high doses. Notably, CBD mitigates many of THC's negative effects and is important in treating anxiety and depression. However, weed, in combination with any other form of the drug, can result in cognitive decline, addiction, or long-term health problems.
The Long-Term Risks of Antidepressants
Patients with recurrent depressive episodes may require long-term or indefinite antidepressant treatment. Antidepressant treatment can be divided into two categories: short-term and long-term. The following is the long-term effect of antidepressants
Sexual dysfunction
Inability to achieve orgasm
Gaining weight
Emotional numbness
Osteoporosis and fracture
Bleeding disorders
Type 2 diabetes
Suicidal feelings
How Can a Medical Marijuana Doctor Help?
When you want to begin your medical marijuana journey, find a certified doctor who will qualify you as a medical marijuana patient and recommend the best ratio of THC to CBD to look for in a marijuana strain, as well as a suggested dosage and route of administration. They can also help you choose the best option for your desired results.
Final Thought
Many medical diseases have been treated with cannabis, and it's frequently used with other traditional medical treatments, such as those for mental health disorders and symptoms. Although highly advantageous for many, there are issues and dangers to consider. Using Marijuana with some antidepressants may exacerbate or worsen mood disorder symptoms, impede treatment, and result in potentially fatal interactions.
It is a medication used for years to treat various physical and mental health disorders' symptoms, including low libido, exhaustion, sadness, anxiety, and others, including nausea, inflammation, and pain. Marijuana has more advantages when taken moderately and according to prescriptions.
Get Your Medical Marijuana Card in Minnesota
Do you have a qualifying condition for a medical marijuana card in the State of Minnesota? If so, what are you waiting for? It is now easier than ever to get your medical card through telemedicine, right from the comfort of your couch!
Have a chronic condition? You probably qualify! Do you feel like you may benefit from medical cannabis in general? You probably qualify!
Minnesota’s medical marijuana program is fully up and running, and we will begin seeing patients very soon! You should reserve your appointment as soon as possible to make sure you will not have to wait any longer for the relief you deserve.
Cannabis is a safe, natural medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Starting July 1st, medical marijuana will officially be legal in the State of Minnesota, so you should do what you can to prepare so you can have legal access to your medicine!
Reserve an evaluation online today with one of our compassionate doctors, and we’ll book an appointment for you just as soon as we’re cleared to. We will begin seeing patients in the near future, so make sure to reserve an evaluation right away!
You’ll meet with your doctor virtually, using your smartphone or computer for a telemedicine appointment. Together you’ll discuss your conditions, what medical marijuana might be able to do for you, and if you’re qualified to receive a Minnesota Marijuana Card, all without even leaving your home. You’ll even save $25 off the cost of the evaluation!
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