Cannabis is a plant known for its psychoactive effects, commonly and popularly used as a recreational elixir.

Thanks to recent studies and today’s advancement in technology, we have now come to explore the medicinal benefits of the cannabis plant, but cannabis has already been known for its medicinal properties centuries even before our modern-day physicians began studying its therapeutic benefits.

Our earliest records were from the Chinese emperor “Fu Hsi” at around 2900 BC where he referenced the cannabis plant as a popular form of medicine. Similarly, another Chinese emperor by the name of “Shen Nung” discovered the healing properties of cannabis alongside staple Chinese herbs like ephedra and ginseng around 2700 BC – the emperor Shen Nung was said to be the father of Chinese medicine. Shen Nung claimed that cannabis could cure malaria, gout, and rheumatism. Not only was the use of cannabis as a medicine widely recognized in ancient Asia but it was also seen as a panacea in some of the western countries. In medieval Europe, cannabis was used to treat “tumors, cough, and jaundice.” Today, present-day scientists and physicians conduct numerous research and study to further the development of cannabis as a cure for conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, and even some of the biggest medicinal concerns of our time like cancer and HIV – AIDS. In the early days, medical marijuana is usually administered through smoking and as a beverage or a hot drink — like tea. Today’s medicating patients see different ways to use cannabis as a form of medication. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common and most practiced methods of medical marijuana delivery, from the most rudimentary means to the most sophisticated procedures.

A Word Of Caution

Before we begin talking about the different ways of consuming medical marijuana, it’s best to understand the basic principle of dosing your medication. Like most medical substances, cannabis can cause a myriad of effects when abused, so it’s best to stick to your physician’s recommendation.

Generally, when consuming medical marijuana, you’d always want to go low and slow. Several marijuana strains are both high in CBD (the cannabis plant’s curative compounds) and THC (the cannabis plant’s psychoactive compounds). Patients should be aware of and should be advised by their attending physicians beforehand of the potency of their medication. When using high THC and CBD prescriptions, medical marijuana consumption, especially in large doses, could cause the following short-term conditions.

  • May cause short-term memory loss
  • It may affect your sense of time
  • May dull your sensory perception
  • May affect your attention span
  • Will have an impact on your problem-solving skills
  • Can affect your verbal fluency
  • May influence your reaction time
  • Will cause a substantial impact on your psychomotor skills

The rush of THC – especially in high dosages – will put the average patient down for a good amount of time. Always seek the advice (and follow it) of your physician when using medical marijuana to avoid these short-term conditions and prevent any long-term cognitive consequences.

The Basic

Medical marijuana can come in various shapes and sizes, the most basic being cannabis-based tinctures and topicals. Ideally, extracted cannabinoids are mixed into a runny or thick solution which can be applied directly to the affected area (like the skin) or it can sometimes be applied or sprayed under your tongue. Since cannabis is a natural anti-inflammatory cure, it works well in areas of the body that have swelling, redness, and puffiness.

Tinctures and topicals are best for children who receive cannabis-based prescriptions since it can be applied like a regular spray or lotion though this form of medical marijuana could be expensive at times especially for people who require higher dosages of cannabinoids. Apart from topicals, medical marijuana can also come in patch-form. A medical marijuana patch will have the same effect and cannabinoid composition as the topicals but may only be available in lower dosages. Patches will likely stay the whole day so patch users can expect and all-day relief from their conditions.

These medical marijuana products are considered as some of the most basic forms of cannabis treatment as they won’t require the inhalation of vapor or smoke. They can be used in the same way as you would other medicinal topicals and patches which would work best for children and adults who don’t like or who are not used to inhaling smoke. Salves and patches are one of the most basic and discreet ways of medical marijuana consumption and provide accurate dosages of cannabinoids.

The Traditional

Arguably one of the most inexpensive and straightforward means of cannabis ingestion – both recreational and medical – is smoking. Though smoking is the only method of medical marijuana consumption that’s “specifically excluded from ‘certified medical use’ in the statute.” Ideally, it’s left to the Commissioner or the attending physician if smoking is to be included as a method of medical marijuana consumption.

Medicating patients can simply pack a bowl or roll a joint to smoke medical marijuana though like smoking cigarettes cannabis smoking can also damage your lungs and can cause lung-related health issues. Burning cannabis is no different than burning tobacco, the combusted smoke will cause irritation from the mouth to the lungs. While smoking can be harmful to the lungs, many patients still choose or opt to smoke cannabis because it’s considered as one of the faster means of THC and CBD delivery. Depending on your tolerance, smoking marijuana can take effect in just 10 to 15 minutes compared to salves and other orally ingested cannabis-based medication which takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to take effect.

The Unconventional

Whilst smoking can be considered as a conventional means of cannabis ingestion, vaping or vaporization can be thought of as some of the most sophisticated means of cannabis consumption. Vaping requires the use of handheld vaporizers like the Puffco Plus vaporizer. Vaporizers can use a wide range of cannabis-based materials from loose-leaf and dry herb strains to wax concentrates that have higher doses of THC and CBD compounds. Vaporizers are ideal for people who require higher doses of cannabinoids and for those who require immediate to almost on-demand results since inhaling vapors (like smoke) lets cannabis’ active ingredients directly reach the bloodstreams which allow vape users to instantly experience the therapeutic effects of cannabis.

Puffco Wax Vapes are one of the most popular vaporizers available on the market today. Puffco vapes are made from high-quality materials which allow the patient to heat their wax concentrates without getting to the point of combustion. They only inhale the purest and the cleanest vapors from this high-grade vaporizer.

Final Thoughts

The cannabis plant has been through exceptional scrutiny and is now slowly recovering its status as a medicinal plant. Though there’s still a lot of research to be done to prove the significant healing attributes of the cannabis plant, one cannot deny that we’re making exponential progress as a community in gradually accepting cannabis as a cure.

Source: Medical Marijuana Blog
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