Medical Marijuana
Scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals.
The FDA has approved three cannabinoids as drugs.
- Epidiolex (cannabidiol or CBD) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare, severe forms of epilepsy.
- Dronabinol and Nabilone to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy
Dronabinol is also approved to treat loss of appetite and weight loss in people with AIDS.
Doctors may prescribe medical marijuana to treat:
- Muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis
- Nausea from cancer chemotherapy
- Poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illness, such as HIV, or nerve pain
- Seizure disorders
- Crohn’s disease
Medical marijuana is used to treat a number of different conditions, including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Appetite loss
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Eating disorders such as anorexia
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Mental health conditions like schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle spasms
- Nausea
- Pain
- Wasting syndrome (cachexia)