Petition to Use Marijuana for ADD and OCD Still Ongoing in Washington State

The petition to allow use of Medical Marijuana for people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is still being considered by officials in the State of Washington, United States. Medical use of cannabis has been legal in the state since 1998, were it is permitted to be used for terminal patients afflicted with cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and pain not responsive to narcotics. The petitions regarding permitting use of cannabis for depression have been denied.

The calls regarding permitting marijuana and its derivatives for has been strong for years, citing that it can lower intraocular pressure, induce hunger in chemotherapy patients, relieve nausea and vomiting quickly and serve as effective analgesic. Many supporters of medical cannabis cite that it can be helpful for people with fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, premenstrual syndrome, alcohol abuse and even atherosclerosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus infection.

 

Right dosage not established

The dosages for cannabis to achieve such effects are not well established, with no clear guidelines regarding routes of administration. Several studies that investigate medical use of marijuana have been conflicting or have used poor methodologies which tarnish veracity of results. Many experts cite that many drugs can do the same effect, without inciting risk of dependency and habitual use. Unlike marijuana that can exert a wide degree of effects, these drugs serve only to exert a single or few effects with recorded evidence of efficacy.

It is to note that each individual have different reactions to marijuana, some experience sedation, increased reaction to stimuli or even a mix of both.

 

Is Cannabis effective for Mental Health Issues?

The use of marijuana for mental health issues has been investigated for a long time, of course not without controversy. Its psychoactive effects are touted as being useful for conditions like depression, ADD, OCD and anorexia. Its quick effect is cited as a way to help shorten therapy.

However, recent long-term research studies show that marijuana can actually increase risk of having schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, or trigger it to susceptible individuals. Such finding gives insight that people who take marijuana other than palliative reasons risk themselves of having a serious disorder in the future, which is schizophrenia in this case.  Related research indicates that marijuana users are at risk of dependence to opioids.

 

Turning a blind eye

Marijuana is seen as a ‘quick-acting’ drug that alleviates symptoms in a short period of time. However its use can mask symptoms with deeper causes that require more intensive diagnosis, like amelioration of nausea and vomiting caused by poisoning or drug overdose. Most supporters of medical cannabis use do not see that cannabis exerts a wide degree of effects, and such effects are different from person to person. For example, if a person with glaucoma takes the drug to lower intraocular pressure he may experience other symptoms as well, like numbing or hallucinations. Plus, the fact that there is no accepted dosage means that some people may have oversensitivity to some psychoactive compounds in marijuana, which might cause unexpected and undesirable side effects.

 

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