In the field of medicine, there are few more emotionally charged subjects than that of medical marijuana. Having been used as a recreational substance for hundreds of years, and outlawed for generations, many medical professionals have a lingering suspicion of it and of anyone who seeks to use it for any reason.
Mesa Dispensaries Serving a Community in Need
However, it cannot be reasonably argued that marijuana does not come with a list of legitimate and beneficial medical applications. Of the long list of conditions it is used to treat, elderly people are among the most prone. That being the case, central Arizona is the home of many popular retirement locations. This is due to the fact that the dry Arizonian air is easy on the lungs. As any good medical professional knows, blood-oxygen saturation is key to treating all manner of health concerns. For this reason, there is a statistically high number of Mesa dispensary locations in this part of the country.
Symptoms & Conditions Commonly Treated by Medical Marijuana
As we age, we become more vulnerable to all manner of medical conditions. For this reason alone, any Mesa dispensary has a big job ahead of them, treating the many needs of central Arizona’s retired community. These needs include but are not limited to:
Pain Management
People of all ages can benefit from pain management, the elderly community especially. Many, if not most, pain killers can be addictive and come with a host of undesirable side effects. While medical marijuana is not free of side effects, it is widely accepted that its side effects are fewer and far less deleterious to the health of the user when used responsibly.
Treating Parkinson’s
Medical marijuana has been shown conclusively to reduce motor-related symptoms associated with Parkinson’s, including tremors. Through their ability to bind to dopamine receptors, cannabinoids can effectively control the effects of disease-disassociated decreases in dopamine which trigger a loss of motor control. Parkinson’s disease is known to not only be progressively life-threatening, but its primary symptoms are a major factor in reducing the quality of life for those who suffer from it.
Treating Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is an extraordinarily distressing condition not only for those who develop it but also for their loved ones. This distress and anxiety may be an inevitable product of a disease that progressively erases the mind and memory of the sufferer, but distress and anxiety themselves can be treated with medical marijuana. In this use-case, it is seen as especially helpful for the person diagnosed with the disease, and loved ones will benefit from the clear reduction of their elder’s levels of distress.
Reducing Seizures
Seizure conditions are often seen as conditions of the young. However, the elderly can develop this troublesome symptom as a result of multiple degenerative neurological conditions. Often, elderly people will develop epilepsy as a side effect of conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Medical marijuana has been shown to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures caused by a wide range of conditions.
Limit the Growth of or Kill Cancer Cells
While the medical community at large is overwhelmingly reluctant to claim that marijuana can cure cancer, it is undeniable that it is an effective addition to any regimen designed to treat the disease. In its most accepted cancer-related use, medical marijuana from the many Mesa dispensary locations in Arizona can readily treat the pain and anxiety caused by more aggressive cancer treatments.
Reduce or Eliminate Spasms Associated with MS
Multiple Sclerosis is another condition that plagues people of all ages. But once again, it is a disease that the elderly can also develop as a consequence of the vulnerabilities associated with the aging process. Medical marijuana has been shown to reduce the stiffness and spasms the disease causes. Some research also suggests that medical marijuana may be able to slow the progression of MS.
Reduce the Emotional Impact of Illness
In some of the above sections, we suggest that medical marijuana can reduce distress and anxiety associated with diseases and conditions discussed. This remains true across the board for any and all people suffering from any form of mental distress and mental illness.
Medical marijuana is prescribed to people of all ages suffering from depression, chronic anxiety, and more. In fact, anxiety is the primary condition for which people are given a medical marijuana prescription in all parts of the country where medicinal uses of the drug are legal, not just Mesa dispensary locations. The list of valid medical uses goes on and on including, the treatment of glaucoma, ADHD, nausea, autism, fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, and migraine-related pain. It has also been found to speed the effective recovery rates of traumatic brain injuries.
Conclusion
With all these valid and proven medical applications of medical marijuana, it’s easy to see why so many Mesa dispensary locations have been established to serve the growing senior community of the area. Families and caregivers for aging patients have praised its medicinal abilities to no end, and the doctors with the courage to prescribe it to their patients have enviable rates of positive medical outcom