6 Benefits of Medical Marijuana for Treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Florida

Florida is a state of the United States with a highly-developed economy. It is the home of three of the biggest hospitals in the country in terms of bed capacity, including the Florida Hospital Orlando and the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. As a healthcare policy, the Florida government legalized the use of medical cannabis to treat conditions, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

ALS, also called Lou Gehrig ‘s disease, is a progressive disease of the nervous system that attacks the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. If you have the disease, you experience difficulty in moving, eating, breathing, and speaking. If you want to try medical cannabis as a treatment, secure a Florida medical marijuana card and approach a marijuana dispensary near you.

What is ALS?

ALS affects around 6,000 people in the U.S. annually. Although there are no effective treatments for the disease yet, researchers found that medical cannabis can slow down its progression and alleviate some of its symptoms.

There are three types of ALS. The sporadic type has no known underlying risk factors or conditions and genetic causes. Meanwhile, the Guamanian type is caused by a substance generated by cyanobacteria. The familial type, on the other hand, is due to hereditary factors, meaning, you could inherit the disease from your parents or relatives.

There are several symptoms of ALS. According to physicians, the mild and gradual signs and symptoms of ALS include:

• Chronic pain

• Difficulty moving, breathing, swallowing, and speaking

• Unsteadiness

• Hunched posture and difficulty in raising your head

• Fatigue

• Weakness of the hands and feet

• Clumsiness and muscle cramps

• Behavioral and cognitive changes

How Medical Marijuana Helps Treat ALS

Based on studies made on mice, medical cannabis is useful in alleviating the symptoms of ALS. It is due to its potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective properties. The U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health also concluded that there are beneficial effects of medical marijuana on ALS patients. Among these benefits are:

• Helps prevent appetite loss and drooling.

• Reduces pain and depressive symptoms.

• Extends a patient’s life by at least three years. This finding was made in a study by the San Francisco-based California Pacific Medical Center.

• Relieves or prevents muscle spasms and spasticity.

• Improves your mood to limit or reduce your emotional outbursts.

• Helps reduce your anxiety.

The use of medical cannabis to improve the quality of life of people with ALS is promising. However, the plant is still a prohibited drug under federal law. To use medical cannabis legally, you need to secure a Florida medical marijuana card.

How to Secure Your Card

You can obtain your card in only three steps if you are a qualified patient. If you are at least 18 years old and a Florida resident with proof of residency, the first step is to consult with an authorized physician and secure a recommendation. Then, sign up with the Florida Department of Health as a patient. Lastly, pay your application fee if you are approved and wait for the issuance of your card.

Suffering from a condition like ALS can affect the quality of your life and your family significantly. Experiment on the best treatment fit for your disease to improve your health. Don’t regret to consult with your physician to avoid unwanted complications.