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Medical advances in the fight to help HIV and AIDS patients has improved by leaps and bounds since the early days of the AIDS crisis. One thing you may be surprised to learn is that one of the most effective tools for easing the symptoms of HIV and AIDS only recently became legal in the state of Missouri.
Medical marijuana has been known to help HIV and AIDS patients for decades, and now Missouri residents who have their medical card can experience the natural relief that cannabis provides. Medical marijuana can help reduce pain, increase appetite, ease nausea, and may even help when it comes to battling depression.
How Many Americans Have HIV and AIDS
According to the CDC, HIV and AIDS continue to affect many Americans. Things have improved dramatically since the first AIDS cases were reported in 1981, but the HIV virus and AIDS are still very prevalent among the U.S. population. There are currently 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with HIV and more than 35,000 new cases are reported each year.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 13% of those infected with HIV are not aware that they have the virus. There is some good news, the number of new HIV transmissions has reduced by 73% between the height of the epidemic in 1984 and the numbers reported as recently as 2019. It is important to remember that we aren’t out of the woods yet. HIV and AIDS are still very present in our community.
One of the Earliest Known Ways to Get Relief
Marijuana has a long history of helping HIV and AIDS patients get relief. In the 80s and early 90s, when the HIV and AIDS crisis was at its peak, the side effects of treatments were often difficult to handle, and cannabis was able to provide much needed relief. Unfortunately, in those days, medical marijuana was not yet legal.
In the 1980’s, after losing his husband to AIDS, activist Dennis Peron started the Cannabis Buyers Club, which was dedicated to bringing cannabis treatment to those suffering from AIDS. Many people credit this early activism as being the catalyst that led to the legalization of medical marijuana. AIDS patients were feeling relief from cannabis use that no other known treatments could provide. It made many medical professionals and legislators begin to see marijuana in a different light.
Medical Marijuana Can Soothe Nausea and Increase Appetite
Medical advances have come a long way, making the possibility of living with HIV a reality for so many. Still, marijuana is highly embraced by many AIDS patients as “a way to eliminate pain, nausea, weight loss, and nausea that can come with infection.”
The National Library of Medicine recently examined the positive effects that cannabis can have on those suffering from HIV and AIDS. It details firsthand accounts of patients who used medical marijuana to combat nausea, vomiting and a lack of appetite. These patients found that cannabis helped them to keep food down and kept their nausea at bay. One HIV patient credits cannabis for keeping him from “slowly starving to death.”
Cannabis Can Help With Chronic Pain
AIDS patients may discover that cannabis lowers the intensity and frequency of the pain that they feel as a result of their condition. They are not alone in finding relief through medical marijuana. Cannabis is helpful for chronic pain of all kinds.
Medical Marijuana May Help With Depression
After an initial diagnosis, HIV and AIDS patients may experience depression. Although medical advances have moved forward by leaps and bounds, being diagnosed with HIV or AIDS can cause a patient to experience a large toll on their mental health.
The good news is that studies are showing that medical marijuana may be an effective tool at fighting depression. Cannabis is known to reduce anxiety, improve your overall mood, and help with your quality of sleep.
The White House Says Marijuana Can Help
The Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making cannabis legal across the U.S. referenced a 1999 report commissioned by the White House in their Q&A on cannabis use for HIV and AIDS patients. The report, which was conducted by the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, reported that "nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting and all can be mitigated by marijuana." When a report for the highest office in the land suggests cannabis can help, it’s hard to find a more ringing endorsement for patients to get their medical marijuana card.
Ready for Relief? We Can Help
If you are ready to see if the relief that cannabis provides is right for you, all you’ll need is a Missouri medical marijuana card. If you don’t have your card yet, we can help you with that. Our medical staff is standing by to take you through a quick and easy evaluation to see if you qualify. Schedule an appointment with a marijuana physician online by CLICKING HERE, or give us a call at (877) 303-3117 to talk to a patient support representative.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Missouri Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (877) 303-3117, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Missouri Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Missouri!
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