Marijuana Research Still Scarce

Part of the reason for the rising tide of support for medical marijuana is its health effects. While scientific research is still somewhat scarce, owing to the difficulties of testing a highly restricted Schedule 1 drug, there is a large body of anecdotal evidence and enough medical testing to confirm that there are health benefits to partaking of marijuana.

In trial testing, medical researcheres assigned patients to take cannabis-related products or placebos, and marijuana was found to help chronic pain sufferers and alleviated such symptoms as loss of appetite from drug regimens, nausea from chemotherapy, depression and anxiety, multiple sclerosis spasms, psychosis, and Tourette’s syndrome. However, more studies are needed because the statistical differences between those who take the placebo and those who used cannabis are slight and may not be statistically relevant.

Part of the problem with marijuana studies is the relative range of its potency and the various dosages. There is also the matter of marijuana-laced foods, many of which have varying levels of the drug baked in. Most of the research focuses on specific effects of the chemicals derived from marijuana in purified forms, which may affect results. Others take the naturally occurring cannabinoids that our bodies manufacture and then combines them with other chemicals.

The result is a range of purified and synthetic substances that have a wide range of potential effects, leaving much room for interpretation and further study.

That said, doctors in 23 states and counting now recommend cannabis products for medical reasons.