Medical - Use  Marijuana
(Missouri &  Illinois Only)

What is medical marijuana used for?

Studies report that medical cannabis might help some conditions. Which conditions medical marijuana can treat varies by state. If you're thinking of marijuana for medical use, check your state's laws. Whether you can get medical marijuana to treat a condition you have depends on the state. Conditions some states cover include:
 

• Alzheimer's disease.

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

• HIV/AIDS.

• Crohn's disease.

• Epilepsy and seizures.

• Glaucoma.

• Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms.

• Posttraumatic stress disorder.

• Serious and ongoing pain.

• Serious nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment.
   

Is medical marijuana safe?
More study is needed to answer this question. But side effects of medical marijuana may include:
 

• Increased heart rate.

• Dizziness.

• Problems with thinking and memory.

• Slower reaction times.

• Interactions with other medicines.

• Increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

• Panic attacks.

• Getting addicted.

• Seeing or hearing things that aren't there, called hallucinations, or mental illness.

• Withdrawal symptoms.

• Early labor and other complications in people who are pregnant.
   

Is medical marijuana available as a prescription medicine?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of cannabis as a treatment for any medical condition. But the FDA has approved the cannabinoids cannabidiol (Epidiolex), which comes from the cannabis plant, and dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros), which is human made, called synthetic.

Cannabidiol can be used for certain forms of epilepsy. Dronabinol can be used for nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment and for not wanting to eat, called anorexia, linked to weight loss in people with AIDS.

What you can expect
Forms of taking medical marijuana include:
 

• Inhaled. This involves dried cannabis flower in a cigarette, pipe or vape device.

• Eaten. This comes in capsules, chewable candies called gummies and baked goods.

• Put under the tongue or on the mucus membranes of the mouth. This is a liquid or spray.

• Rectally. This comes in the form of a suppository that's put into the rectum.

• Topical. This goes on the skin in the form of a lotion or gel.
   

How and where you buy medical marijuana depends on the state you live in. How often you use it depends on its form and your symptoms. In states where medical marijuana is legal, your healthcare professional can suggest types and doses.

Your symptom relief and side effects depend on which type of medical marijuana you use. Inhaling marijuana vapor acts the quickest. Pills are the slowest to give relief.