As acceptance has grown, so has its availability and legality around the United States. Despite this, there are many people who are hesitant to take the plunge into using marijuana to help with their medical issues.

Instead, they stick with the pharmaceuticals that have been prescribed for years. However, getting a medicinal marijua card might be a better option than prescription drugs. If you are considering trying out cannabis for your health needs, then here is a quick rundown of some of the advantages of using a medicinal marijuana card instead of getting pharmaceutical drugs.

Pain

Cannabis has long been used as a pain-reliever. It is especially effective against pain from migraines, cancer, chemotherapy, and multiple sclerosis. It is very common to prescribe opiates for these issues, depending on the severity of the pain. The worst aspect of opioids is addiction. Every year, approximately 70,000 people in the U.S. die from overdoses of opioids. This figure does not count the people who live with addiction every day from using them. The good news is that there's an alternative. Cannabis can be used to treat pain and there is practically no risk of overdosing. On top of all that, medicinal marijuana does not have the withdrawal symptoms that come with opiates, and which are often the cause of addiction. If you're seeking relief without the risk, then it will be worth it for you to look up how to get a medical marijuana card in Texas and other states where medicinal cannabis is legal with the help of Green Health Docs.

Sleep

Just about everyone goes through nights or periods of their lives where they have trouble sleeping. It might be because of stress, or discomfort, or several other possible reasons. For some, not being able to sleep is a constant, chronic issue. A regular lack of sleep can seriously affect your quality of life. It leads to poor health, low concentration, drowsiness and fatigue, and weakens the immune system.

To combat this, sleeping pills are often prescribed that do provide relaxation effects that help to calm the mind and body and get a better sleep. There are some issues with these, though. They are addictive, meaning that there can be a long process to wean off of them which isn't always successful. The other issue is that with a lot of these medications, patients are able to get to sleep better, but they don't sleep as deeply as they would with natural sleep, causing fatigue and drowsiness the next day. Medicinal marijuana helps get people to sleep, and they sleep as well as they would have if they'd fallen asleep naturally.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma, at its worst, can lead to blindness. It is when there is pressure in your eye that damages the optic nerve. Leading up to blindness, it can cause pain, discomfort, and vision loss. It tends to get worse over time if not treated. Medicinal marijuana is one of the best treatments for glaucoma. It works by reducing inflammation and easing the pressure on the optic nerve. It relaxes the muscles inside the eye, and even enhances the mood, which can be dark when suffering from eye discomfort. There are medications that patients can take, but they can have inconsistent results and come with a host of side effects. Those side effects include redness, irritation, and blurred vision.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's is a serious dementia-related disease that gets worse over time. There is evidence that it is related to inflammation in the body that affects the immune system. People who suffer from Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss and dementia symptoms. However, since marijuana has well-known anti-inflammatory properties, it can help to ease those symptoms. This provides patients with a better quality of life. It does not cure or treat the disease, but reducing those symptoms will help both the patient and their family while they battle it.

Improve Appetite and Treat Nausea

Nausea, or a lack of appetite, can strike for many reasons. Often patients who are undergoing treatments for medical issues will suffer because of it. Chemotherapy can particularly cause patients to avoid eating because their stomachs are upset. The problem is, healing is always best when patients are consuming the right nutrients. It's also tough to go about your day when your stomach is unsettled. Cannabis helps to ease pain and discomfort in the stomach while also increasing appetite. Patients can get the sustenance they need while also being able to function free of that discomfort. There are medications that can help with nausea, but they can cause drowsiness and other side effects while not increasing appetite at the same time.

Marijuana has been illegal in most parts of the world for a long time. Because of this, many people have avoided medicinal marijuana as a treatment option for their illnesses and ailments. However, evidence shows that using cannabis for certain conditions can provide several advantages of pharmaceutical prescriptions. Talk to your doctor about your options and to see if it's possible to get a medicinal marijuana card.