Medical Marijuana is reported to provide major relief for AIDS patients from the pain and nausea caused by the onset of an AIDS induced infection. Patients suffering from AIDS/HIV often speak of the substantial medical benefits realized from their use of marijuana. Most of these patients smoke marijuana rather then ingesting it, mostly because of the time it takes marijuana to reach the brain and get absorbed through the bloodstream.
The medical benefits of marijuana did not just recently emerge nor are the benefits of medical marijuana limited to those suffering from AIDS. Medical marijuana has also been used to reduce the acute and chronic pain associated with a host of different types of terminally ill cancer patients and people suffering from glaucoma. Medical marijuana has also been reported to provide relief from such ailments as, migraines, menstrual cramps and painful muscle spasms.
People with HIV have been using medical marijuana to reduce chronic pain and stimulate appetite for over thirty years. Today, there are over twenty-five HIV drugs available to battle the disease. Medical marijuana is just one in a series of drugs used in the treatment of AIDS.
One of the reported drawbacks of using medical marijuana is that medical marijuana, especially when smoked, has a fairly short lifespan. The estimated duration of active THC effectiveness is only about three hours. This means the patient only experiences the benefit of the medical marijuana for a very limited time. The short lifespan can require an advanced AIDS patient suffering from acute pain to use medical marijuana as much as eight-to-ten times a day. This is why many patients have turned to other types of treatments. Today’s new treatment options are drugs that are both quick acting and longer in its duration.
Regrettably, even with three decades of medical research we are still are no closer to having found a definitive cure. Consider the devastating toll AIDS takes around the world. It is estimated that AIDS has caused the deaths of more then 25 million people worldwide. Today, it estimated that there are more then 35 million people living with the HIV/AIDS virus. Further, there are currently over thirty separate categories listed under the AIDS virus and roughly 2.7 million new cases of AID appear almost every year.
The medical benefit of marijuana is not a new phenomenon in this country. To the contrary, prior to 1937, there were approximately 27 different types of prescribed medicines that contained THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Established pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Squibb developed many of these THC based medicines with much success.
Since most medical marijuana taken for glaucoma is consumed through smoking it, a patient must consider the risks associated with inhaling smoke. Street marijuana is not organically grown and therefore often contains impurities and toxins that can negatively impact the respiratory system of the patient. This is less true with organically grown medical marijuana, which is one reason why glaucoma patients have urged lawmakers to legislate the medicinal use of marijuana.
There are approximately thirteen states that currently allow for the medicinal use of marijuana and specifically, for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Currently, in states like California and Hawaii, medical marijuana is legal, so long as the patient can produce a valid medical marijuana identification card, driver’s license, and a doctor’s recommendation of medical marijuana use for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Upon obtaining these documents, a patient may legally visit a local medical marijuana dispensary or clinic and purchase their medicine themselves. If the patient is not able to personally visit the marijuana clinic, their clinics and dispensaries that will deliver the medicine right to a patient’s door. For more information on medical marijuana, dispensaries and state regulations you can visit
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