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Medical Marijuana Legalization Research

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Medical Marijuana Legalization Research
The debate on medical marijuana use and legalization generally centers on the potential effect that cannabis may have on the user. Arriving at an answer to the question of, “How does medical marijuana affect mental illness?,” requires an understanding of the research that exists on the issue, an assessment of the scientific evidence relevant to the correlation between cannabis and mental illness, as well as the possible application of marijuana and CBD as treatment options for varying mental illness conditions. Currently, in the midst of misinformation and fear, there is insufficient compelling evidence to support the notion that cannabis causes mental illness. Reports suggest that the association between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms …show more content…
In a 2006 journal publication, a survey of roughly 4000 patients suffering from depression, a portion of which were marijuana smokers, reported that patients who smoked marijuana daily or less, experienced more positive moods than non-cannabis users who suffered from depression. Source https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/2016/05/09/mental-health-awareness-month-using-cannabis-products-to-treat-mental-illness
Medical marijuana has been shown to successfully treat bipolar disorder, by alleviating mania and relieving depression. Anecdotal evidence regarding marijuana and bipolar suggests that medical marijuana may be more effective than conventional drugs, it could help to relieve the side effects of those drugs, and is also described as a supplement to lithium or for relief of lithium’s side effects. Source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9692379 There is also evidence that seems to suggest that medical marijuana could produce a negative response in people suffering from bipolar. In a published research conducted by researchers from the United Kingdom’s Lancaster University, it was reported that people with bipolar I and bipolar II disorders, who use marijuana experience a notable increase in their levels of mania-related symptoms, as well as their depression-related symptoms. Source …show more content…
Substantial research is still needed to verify the conclusion of studies that have been conducted that either shows that CBD and medical marijuana can either have a positive and or negative effect on mental health. The questions that are still left unanswered are: Does marijuana cause mental health problems or exacerbate them? Does self-medicating on marijuana only serve to heighten the symptoms of a preexisting mental health condition? The general conclusion is that CBD can be beneficial in treating mental health issues, and that there is not enough evidence to prove that medical marijuana causes mental
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