Many U.S. states and countries have been thinking about legalizing the sale, growth, and distribution of marijuana. However, the objective was to regulate it and avoid trading in the black market and organized crimes. The idea of using pot for medicine is one of the most serious debates among lawmakers.
However, based on a study published in the official publication website of U.S. National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, marijuana may actually have some healing properties. How do we know that? The ones who participated in the survey are none other than patients that have taken medical marijuana.
The study entitled "Prevalence of Medical Marijuana Use in California" in 2012 aimed to establish the differences among non-users and users of medical marijuana in the state.
To obtain a sample, they used the data provided by the California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System of the same year, which generated over 7,000 samples.
Based on the survey, around 5% of the total sample population had used marijuana for medicine, and its prevalence is almost similar regardless of the their address, gender, and education. There were more adult users between 18 and 24 years old.
But the most interesting information is that a huge number of these users actually believed that cannabis helped them in their medical conditions. More than 30% of those who used medical marijuana took it to relieve chronic pain. About 8% used the plant to cope with migraines while 11% used it as a cancer and arthritis treatment.
In another study conducted in 2013, more doctors are recommending medical marijuana to their patient. The survey, which was later published in New England Journal of Medicine on May 2013, revealed that more than 70% of the asked doctors favored medical marijuana even if during that time it was still illegal in many states and countries, citing the need to relieve patients from pain and personal experiences on the supposed benefits of medical marijuana.