5 Things you should know before taking cannabis as a medicine

Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana is not the same as recreational marijuana. You can obtain higher quality cannabis from medical marijuana, generally speaking. It has stricter requirements and has to be grown in optimal conditions. It is backed by federal funding and it will give you the best grade marijuana. While there are obviously going to be exceptional small-time growers these are hard to find and inconsistent.

The market is not yet established. But the situation is much more favorable now that medical marijuana is legal in 29 states and recreational marijuana legal in 8. Having to go to criminals in order to get a plant to reduce a medical condition was not ideal. And there was a much greater chance that the plant was cut with certain filler chemicals in order to make it more profitable for the seller. Along each node on the supply chain every person had to make a profit. And the person who ultimately suffered was the consumer. With legalization, this has all changed for the better and the process is now much more transparent.

Medical Marijuana: Things to know Before taking cannabis as a medicine, there are 5 things you need to know:

1. What works for one patient may not work for you. Everybody is 100% unique and there is a tendency to believe that if a particular strain of cannabis worked for someone else with a similar condition, then it should work for you too. This is not the case. The endocannabinoid system is quite complex and more research needs to be undertaken.

2. Medical marijuana is still in the testing phase. There are no case studies on people who have taken medical marijuana for a number of years. In 10 years, we will have data for the results of people who have access to medical marijuana and how well they are doing. But as of now it is all experimental. Obviously as per government standards and regulations the marijuana can still be regarded as the best out there, but there are always variables that can only be observed in hindsight. In other words, do your own research and do not blindly trust official sources of cannabis. They may have the best intentions yet still be wrong, as frequently happens in the medical industry.

3. All marijuana is not the same. There are a variety of different blends. And even within strains certain growers will all have different ways of cultivating, harvesting, fertilizing and lighting the crop, producing a much different outcome. Medicinal marijuana alleviates this problem to a degree, as all marijuana will be grown under the same conditions. The different balance of cannabinoids, namely THC and CBD, are what gives the therapeutic effects to marijuana, and the balance of these two will by and large determine how appropriate the strain is for you, as well as the level of THC content.

4. There are different ways to ingest marijuana. And the way that it is ingested will produce different effects. Vaporizing your marijuana is superior to smoking it with a traditional joint. This is because harmful components get released when you smoke your marijuana instead of gently vaporizing it. Products sold outside a medical dispensary may not have passed regulatory standards.

5. Do not assume that medical marijuana is perfect. Especially at this early stage, when the process is not quite perfect. Saying this, to get the marijuana tested can cost money, $70 in Massachusetts. If you have a compromised immune system it is probably still best to get the product tested, as heavy metals and other contaminants are a huge cause for concern. These is much more that needs to be considered before taking cannabis as a medicine. As good as medical marijuana is there are many reputable online vendors who have long track records and pride themselves on good quality marijuana supply and delivery, much like any other business outlet. The marketplace will differentiate good marijuana businesses from bad.

Cannabis as a Medicine

The recent legalization of medical marijuana is great news from those suffering from a variety of disorders. Medical marijuana can be regarded as safe and of a high quality. However, it is important to take individual responsibility and monitor what type of marijuana you personally respond to and feel better on. There is no need to put too much faith in studies and data, as research is often conflicting at best. Intuition is key but the future looks bright for those who need access to life enhancing plants to alleviate their conditions.

Author Bio - John Levy is the author of this post. He is a health and wellness blogger for Pot Valet, a leading company providing online marijuana in Santa Barbara. John loves to write about benefits and latest medical marijuana news with the cannabis community. Follow his company on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.