It is reasonable to be skeptical about prescribed pain medication. The opioid crisis in America keeps on taking scores of lives, as a lot of other people are living with being subtly dependent on medication for pain.
If you have injuries or require surgery, you will most likely experience pain. You might also not want to deal with a pain medication that can be addictive and might wish to reject it when it's offered. As has been previously reported, marijuana can serve as an excellent substitute for opioids. But what are the chances that your doctor will prescribe weed for you rather than painkillers?
Professionals in the healthcare sector actually can't tell you to use weed as THC in the cannabis is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the federal government. In plain terms, your physician can't simply throw out your prescription for opioids and give you a fresh prescription for medical cannabis. However, depending on the state you find yourself in, the physician might be able to help you recuperate by making use of cannabis as a medical treatment
Be Truthful with Your Doctor
You stand to gain nothing from not being straight or attempting to lie to your doctor. They can easily tell when you are lying as they have a wealth of knowledge and experience dealing with patients. If you want to use medical marijuana in place of another pain medication, simply make your case to them. Talking to your doctor about medical marijuana may seem awkward at first, but it is worth a try to see what they think.
It's no secret the present opioid problem in the United States is terrifying to many people, especially seniors. A doctor is probably going to be a lot more open with a patient that is truthful about preferring to use the marijuana route instead of using opioids. If you have any fears concerning the negative side effects of opioids or the danger they pose, speak up. This will not ensure you get a card for medical marijuana, but it gives room for discussion on other treatments.
Being truthful about your cannabis intake can help you as well before surgery and during treatment. You have to let your doctor know if you are using cannabis and, if so, how much. "To know what medicines to use and how often, you also need to let your doctor know in advance how often you use and how much you use cannabis," Harvard said.
Make Your Findings Realistic
As you prepare to ask your doctor to approve cannabis prescriptions to alleviate your pain, you should sound educated on the subject,. This can be a difficult task to carry out, as medical research on cannabis continues to be difficult because it is still illegal federally. This absence of research is part of what hinders doctors and organizations from completely accepting medical cannabis today.
For example, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has stated that "although pain control is one of the most general reasons people report medical cannabis use in the U.S., there is little evidence that cannabis is effective in treating various types of chronic or acute pain." This suggests that approaching your physician with exploration, information, and sufficient defense for your wanting to use cannabis rather than any other pain relief drug is a good system to help prevent your physician from telling you that the information to back it up just is not sufficient.
Doctors are very knowledgeable but keep in mind that medical cannabis and its merits are still a very new science, and only some medical professionals will have current information about all the latest developments.
Take Your Physician's Advice
After all is said and done, you have to remember that your physician is offering you an informed opinion, and you ought not to shrug it off and insist that it is an MMJ card or nothing. Treatment plans and medical opinions should be followed to avoid taking unnecessary risks. Take this advice seriously if your doctor does not recommend cannabis as an alternative to painkillers.
Have in mind that even if your physician is not in support of your preference to make use of medical cannabis, you might go and look for another opinion. After all, NORML said that more than half of medical professionals believe that you can use cannabis medically.
However, if you notice that a second opinion says no to medical cannabis, you should listen to their advice. In any case, cannabis is not a cure for everything. Some medical issues require certain treatment plans that do not include marijuana.
Some Doctors Welcome It
One of the doctors authorizing patients for medical marijuana in Missouri, Dr. Patricia Hurford, was skeptical about the merits of medical cannabis for a long time. Hurford said that she felt it was probably a gateway drug, or that there just wasn't adequate science to support its use.
Hurford is also practicing in Illinois. After the state-approved medical marijuana in 2013, she began to look at things from a different angle. Her patients often suffered from chronic pain and asked her about its application. Hurford eventually agreed to try marijuana, after the normal drug therapies failed to help one patient. Hurford stated that she could not manage their pain with either opioids or non-opioids. After this patient was certified, she saw a dramatic change in the quality of the patient's life.
For Hurford, it is crucial to investigate how the use of potentially addictive analgesics can be reduced among her patients. She started by saying that with the number of complications she has with opioids and the number of patients who fall into opioid addiction, she finds marijuana to be a much safer and more useful alternative.
Although it is not required by the state, Hurford ensures patients get a list of likely side effects and dangers of marijuana use, such as lung diseases, allergic reactions, and memory problems.
Bottom Line
Medical cannabis is a relatively new concept that does not have substantial scientific evidence to make it a sure cure or a perfect alternative to painkillers. Although there have been cases here and there that support the claim that medical marijuana is a better way to cure pain, some doctors will not give in to the trend based on hearsay alone due to the fear of cannabis as a drug being a gateway drug, meaning patients can easily get hooked on it.
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