Medical Marijuana
The Safety of Medical Marijuana/Cannabis Medicine:
The administration of Medical Marijuana/Cannabis Medicine via smoke is harmful to the body.
Although not stated in the original Hippocratic Oath: “First do no harm” is a valid mantra.
If smoke is harming the body then how is smoking Cannabis a valid form of medical treatment?
Some would argue that the positive effects of pain relief during the final days of life, of a patient dying from terminal cancer, out weight the negative effects of smoking Cannabis. However, what of the young person that is smoking for the relief of anxiety but does not engage in an active diet and exercise program? The medicinal element of Cannabis in the example of the younger individual is not so clear cut.
Which brings us to the most pressing question:
What is the safest form of administration of Cannabis from a medical perspective?
The two forms of administration that appear to be the safest are:
Via the inhaled route through means of vaporization 1
Via the oral route through the ingestion of edibles 2-4
Of the aforementioned methods, vaporization has proven to be the most efficient of the delivery systems in regards to increasing blood levels of THC and the cannabinoids, the amount of medicine used, and the amount of time needed to cause the desired effect. 1
The Volcano ($540) is the standard for scientific investigation of the pharmacological effects of cannabis medicine via the inhaled route. However, there are vaporizers that are simpler and less expensive than the Volcano. You can usually find a good vaporizer at a “smoke shop” for less than $200.
Edibles are safe, in that there is no physical damage done to the body when the medication is administered. The disadvantage of edibles in comparison to vaporization is the efficiency and the effect. A patient must use a larger amount of Cannabis to achieve the desired effect through the use of oral ingestion as compared to inhalation. Moreover, many patients state that they can never achieve the same, satisfactory effect when consuming edibles as compared to inhaling cannabis.
The aforementioned factors make vaporization the safest and yet most efficient means of administering medicinal cannabis as of this writing.
1. Hazekamp A, Ruhaak R, Zuurman L, van Gerven J, Verpoorte R (June 2006). "Evaluation of a vaporizing device (Volcano) for the pulmonary administration of tetrahydrocannabinol". Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 95 (6): 1308–17.
2. Randomized, controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in central pain in multiple sclerosis: David J. Rog, BMBS, Turo J. Nurmikko, PhD, Tim Friede, PhD and Carolyn A. Young, MD. NEUROLOGY 2005;65:812-819
3. Gottlieb, Adam (1993). Cooking with Cannabis: The Most Effective Methods of Preparing Food and Drink with Marijuana, Hashish, and Hash Oil. Ronin Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 0914171550.
4. Rosenthal, Ed (January 2 2003). "Does marijuana have to be heated to become psychoactive?". Cannabis Culture.
Medical Marijuana Ailments
Medical Marijuana may provide relief for the following conditions: migraines, anxiety, insomnia, arthritis, depression, nausea, chronic pain, HIV/Aids, glaucoma, anorexia, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy, and fibromyalgia.
Medical Marijuana Clinic Locations
THCeval is a medical marijuana evaluation clinic based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California.
E-mail: info@thceval.com