Medical marijuana: Benefits and side effects

The cannabis plant contains more than 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids. Each one has a different effect on the body. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the main chemicals used in medicine. THC also produces the “high” people feel when they smoke marijuana or eat foods containing it.

As of 2023, a broad range of medical marijuana products were legal in 38 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia but remained illegal under federal law.

What Is Medical Marijuana Used For?

States where medical marijuana is legal have approved it for a varying list of conditions. Depending on where you live, these might include:

• Severe and chronic pain
• Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
• Severe nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment
• Epilepsy and seizures
• Alzheimer's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• HIV/AIDS
• Crohn's disease
• Glaucoma
• Migraine
• Anorexia
• Extreme weight loss and weakness (wasting syndrome)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

It is important to know that many of the uses that states allow aren't backed by strong scientific evidence. This is partly because researchers find it hard to do studies on a drug that remains illegal under federal law, even when it's allowed by states.

It's also important to realize that cannabis is almost always used to treat symptoms -- like the muscle spasms of multiple sclerosis and the loss of appetite caused by HIV drugs -- rather than the conditions themselves.

Benefits of Medical Marijuana 

Cannabinoids, the active chemicals in medical marijuana, are similar to chemicals the body makes that are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain.

So far, solid studies suggest that these chemicals can:

• Control vomiting in people undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Drugs based on two lab-made forms of THC are FDA-approved for this purpose.
• Modestly reduce pain in people with conditions such as nerve damage, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

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