For example, many of the harms are dosage-related, so I always remind patients to "start low and go slow," meaning keep the doses as low as possible for the desired effect. There is truly no free lunch with medication, including medical cannabis however, with good education and with legal regulation (which leads to a safer product), many of the above harms can be avoided or minimized. It can be especially dangerous for teenagers to use, as there is evidence that they are particularly susceptible to cognitive effects and addiction.Ĭannabis should be used with extreme caution - if not avoided altogether - in patients with a history (or potentially a family history) of the problems listed above, such as psychosis, substance misuse, or cardiac arrythmias.Īs I frequently tell patients, if you read the warning labels of any medications that are commonly prescribed, each and every one has potential side effects, some serious. Driving and the operation of heavy machinery is impaired.It can cause or worsen anxiety at high dosages, even leading to panic attacks.There can be drug interactions, especially with CBD.It can have cardiac and lung effects, such as rapid heart rate and bronchitis.It can temporarily worsen short-term memory and cognitive functioning.It can worsen, and even potentially cause, psychotic disorders.Its safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established.As a primary care doctor, I have to ask myself: is cannabis safer than the alternatives I would be prescribing? For example, if I'm treating a patient for chronic pain, is cannabis safer than opiates? Medication risks must be balanced against the safety concerns of cannabis the main ones are as follows: Is it safe?Īs with nearly everything else about cannabis, how safe or dangerous it is remains hotly debated. People often have questions about its safety and its proper use, and these are often the same considerations I have before certifying patients. Now, decades later, I am a physician who certifies patients that qualify for medical cannabis in Massachusetts. Cannabis was the only thing that allowed him to keep down food during chemotherapy. I've been aware of the ability of medical cannabis to alleviate suffering since I watched my brother Danny use it during his unsuccessful battle with leukemia. Many people aren't aware that cannabis was a popular treatment in this country in the late 1800s and early 1900s - commonly dispensed by doctors - and that the American Medical Association was one of the strongest voices testifying against prohibiting it in 1937. Medical cannabis is currently legal in 37 states and, with 94% of Americans in favor of legal access to medical marijuana, it seems as if this treatment option is returning to the mainstream.
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