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Overall, people who use marijuana for a number of medical conditions
don't report that the drug really improved their physical or mental
well-being, according to research published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
The
research was a meta-analysis that included 11 previously published
studies on marijuana use and quality of life. The researchers didn’t
find a significant association between use of cannabis and cannabinoids
and quality of life among those with medical conditions.
Although
a significant association wasn’t found, some of the patients who used
marijuana for certain conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, reported a
small improvement in overall quality of life, whereas some HIV patients
reported it reduced their quality of life.
A quality of life
measure is done through a self-reported questionnaire, in which
individuals indicate their personal views about their physical and
mental health condition.
“Cannabis is a complex herb that has many
active constituents and exciting therapeutic potential.
However, use of
cannabis for medical indications is growing faster than the supporting
evidence,” study author Itai Danovitch told PsyPost.
“And because cannabis can cause mild euphoria, it is difficult to
separate its pleasurable effects from its therapeutic effects.”
Furthermore,
Danovitch states he hopes to understand both the objective and
subjective effects of the drug over time, but he notes in order for this
to be studied, some changes need to be made.
Future studies need to be
done under stricter quality guidelines and the patients' outcomes need
to be documented more clearly, the authors conclude.
Cannabis may
help alleviate symptoms for certain medical conditions; however, there
is not enough evidence to link it to an overall better life.
The
conditions that medical marijuana can be used for vary by state, but
some of the common ones are glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, Alzheimer’s
disease, and seizure disorders.
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