Today we’re getting back to the very basics and answering the simple question “what is marijuana?” So if you’re the kind of person who likes to ask why, where, who, or what, this post is for you!
What is Marijuana? Getting Back to the Very Basics
To go back to botany 101, Marijuana is an annual plant that thrives in sunlight. The plant is a member of the Cannabaceae family of plants in the subcategory “Cannabis sativa L.”.
Both hemp plants and marijuana plants are cannabis plants, but what separates the two from each other in the legal eye is the level of THC in the plant.
THC
THC is a psychoactive compound that has a number of benefits in various medical settings, however, it is the specific level of THC in a plant that classifies marijuana as illegal in the eyes of the federal law despite being legal in a number of states.
CBD
CBD is another compound that is found in the cannabis plant. CBD has many beneficial effects on health such as reducing inflammation, but unlike THC it does not have psychoactive effects.
The Composition of Medical Marijuana
Now, because medical marijuana is designed to be beneficial and psychoactive hallucinations are generally not beneficial, plants that are grown for medical use, are bred specifically to have higher levels of CBD and lower levels of THC.
There are many different customized strains of medical marijuana with each of them being customized to have specific properties. This is one reason why it’s so important that you work directly with a knowledgable physician when using medical marijuana! With so many different options available, your doctor can use their experience with previous patients and their own education to determine which strain and what dose of that strain is going to be best suited to your needs.
Obtaining Medical Marijuana
It’s also crucial to obtain your medical cannabis product through a legal dispensary that is certified by the state. There are a couple of reasons for this…
Firstly, in Florida, while medical marijuana is legal, you MUST have a valid medical marijuana card. This card must come from a licensed physician and will be used to identify you as a legal user as well as to set up your recommended prescription dose and medical cannabis variety. Florida law also states that you HAVE to use a licensed dispensary to obtain your prescription and doing otherwise is to circumvent the law.
Secondly, the only way to ensure that you are obtaining the correct prescription product that is prescribed by your doctor is to use a licensed dispensary. Not only will a dispensary carry the products recommended by your doctor, but they also have better quality control in place to ensure that the product you receive is free from contaminants and has the appropriate balance of THC and CBD.
How Does Medical Marijuana Help Illness?
With the right strain at the right dose, medical cannabis can be exceptionally beneficial particularly in cases of extremely painful or debilitating illness. The reason that marijuana is so helpful in alleviating symptoms varies depending upon the illness being treated. For example, cannabis has been shown to have anticonvulsant properties which makes it beneficial to patients with seizure disorders who have had a poor response to other treatment options. Cannabis can also be beneficial to patients with conditions that cause painful spasticity. For example, a patient with multiple sclerosis may regularly experience spasticity but more traditional treatments may be off the table due to their other MS symptoms. In this incidence, medical cannabis can be helpful because it helps those contracted muscles to relax and “let go”. For some patients, this relief from spasticity can resolve decades of excruciating pain!
Instead of “What is Marijuana?” Are You Asking” How to Find” a Prescribing Doctor?
If you are asking how to find a licensed prescribing doctor for your medical marijuana, look no further. Here at The Medical Marijuana Doctor in Coral Springs, we are fully licensed and recognized by the state as a legitimate medical marijuana prescriber. To make your appointment for medical cannabis evaluation, all you have to do is use our online medical marijuana appointment scheduler!