Taking the controversy out of medical marijuana

By Dr. Elaine Burns, Medical Director
Southwest Medical Marijuana Evaluation Centers

In 2010, Prop 203 presented voters with the choice of whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical use. It was one of the most controversial issues on the ballot. Four years later, dispensaries are open yet it still remains a divisive issue. Many still consider marijuana to be nothing more than a recreational drug but nothing could be farther from the truth and I hope to shed light on this controversy.

If you have ever experienced chronic pain, you know how it can control your life. It keeps you from playing with your children. Dancing and hiking lose their charm. Just getting out of bed becomes a chore. And that’s just from the pain.

Add in the side effects from pain medications such as nausea, foggy thinking and constipation and quality of life becomes a distant memory. Medical marijuana is a safe and effective pain management alternative. Unlike commonly prescribed pain medications, it has no potential for overdosing and it is available at most state-licensed dispensaries in forms that include pharmaceutical grade liquid tinctures and tasty edibles as well as the more recognizable inhalable form.

Medical marijuana can modulate pain and control the side effects of pain medications because your brain and spinal cord have receptors for its major chemical constituents, cannabinoids. There is no other plant on this planet for which we have chemical receptors. It’s almost as though our brains are wired to take advantage of this natural painkiller.

Did you know that in the U.S. someone overdoses on prescription drugs every 19 minutes? That is an astounding number. And according to the CDC, prescription drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in this country. The abuse of prescription painkillers is soaring, but there is a safe, effective alternative for pain management - medical marijuana.

Some facts you might want to know:
·    There have been no medical marijuana overdoses recorded
·    Marijuana side effects are much milder and more manageable than those of traditional medicines
·    Marijuana can help relieve many of the side effects of other medications
·    Prescription painkillers have a high potential for dependence.  Medical marijuana does not.
·    There is evidence that prescription opioids lose their effectiveness over time
·    Adverse effects of prescription painkillers increase the longer they’re used
·    Studies show that morphine and other opiate-based painkillers may promote the spread of cancer cells
·    As of February 2015, Arizona had 65,000 medical marijuana patients

When you are in constant pain, you’ll beg for relief in any form, but why put yourself at risk of severe side effects and the potential for overdose or addiction when a much safer alternative is available? The evidence in favor of medical marijuana as a safe way to control pain is overwhelming. It’s worth considering. Learn more at EVALUATIONTODAY.COM . Complete our FREE pre-qualification form to see if this may be a suitable alternative treatment for you, or call 480-656-2119 and speak with one of our caring patient coordinators.
Dr. Burns, founder and medical director of Southwest Medical Marijuana Evaluation Center, is a board-certified, licensed physician who has been recognized by the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine (AACM) as a certified expert in the clinical applications of MMJ.