According to the proposed amendment to Florida’s constitution, medical marijuana will be legalized for patients with debilitating conditions such as hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, cancer, HIV/AIDS and glaucoma. If the proposed amendment passes by 60% of the votes, health officials in Florida must sort out numerous details before patients can be allowed to obtain pot. However, medical marijuana would be sold exclusively at state licensed dispensaries. Florida’s health department would issue laws and regulations on how these dispensaries would be monitored. Growing your own marijuana still remains illegal.

The effective date of amendment is January 6, after which Florida’s health department must implement regulations within six months and commence issuing identification cards to authorized persons. In case of any failure by the department, the doctor’s certification will act as identification. Additionally, pot smoking in public will be regulated just as cigarette smoking is. Calling marijuana medicine doesn’t grant the right to use it everywhere.

Medical marijuana can be considered as a versatile medicine that can help counter the side effects of numerous medical conditions like glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and many more. Similar to other medicines, medical marijuana can trigger certain effects in the body. Nevertheless, marijuana side effects  are a bit manageable and milder as compared to those arising from traditional medicines. It is crucial to know that marijuana affects people differently.

 

Marijuana Side Effects

Drowsiness

Most patients who medicate with cannabis will feel exhausted and drowsy. Drowsiness also referred to as hypoesthesia, is a state of impaired awareness related to the inclination or desire to sleep. Though this may hinder a person’s ability to stay active during working hours, patients suffering from insomnia will find this effective in easing their condition.

As it is advisable with medications that cause drowsiness, avoid driving, operating heavy equipment and alcohol consumption when using medical marijuana. You can opt to use medical cannabis before going to bed to evade this effect. Note that drowsiness is very common with indica strains, therefore you may choose to try medicating with a more alert sativa strain.

GiddinessMarijuana Side Effects - Giddiness

Cannabis can frequently bring the feeling of giddiness or euphoria, which can result in laughter sessions. Although this is believed to be a side effect, the resulting laughter can be highly beneficial for your health. Remember, studies have proved that laughter can help reduce stress, increase a person’s threshold for pain and improve the immune system. Usually, this feeling will fade away as effects of marijuana begin to wear off. Nonetheless, you can adjust your time for medication to make sure this doesn’t disrupt your daily activities.

Respiratory Issues

Smoking cannabis releases carbon monoxide, tar and other harmful chemicals that may lead to respiratory problems in medical cannabis patients. In addition, smoking marijuana aggravates problems for individuals with upper respiratory issues like asthma. Therefore, people with lung complications are forbidden to use cannabis via smoking. Multiple studies have revealed that marijuana smoke contains carcinogens but there has been no link between cannabis and lung cancer.

You can reduce respiratory complications as a result of marijuana use by medicating with edible cannabis products or smoking it with a vaporizer. Edible cannabis products can help you evade the inhalation of carcinogens or smoke, while inhalation of vaporized marijuana is safer for the lungs as it may cause little or no irritation on lungs or throat. In case you’re experiencing respiratory problems when you smoke medical marijuana, stop it immediately and consult with your doctor.

Marijuana side effect - temporary memory lossTemporary Memory Loss

Some patients usually experience temporary memory loss or difficulties in having lengthy conversations or performing complicated tasks after using medical cannabis. This side effect is not permanent and will not cause permanent memory loss. If you experience temporary memory loss when using medical cannabis, you can make some adjustment on your medication times to avoid interfering with your daily routine.

Insomnia

Some patients medicating with marijuana can experience insomnia. This is a state of chronic sleeplessness. It can be dangerous as it makes a person weak and worn out for the rest of the day. If you experience insomnia when you medicate with cannabis, try to reduce your dose and always medicate at bedtime. Instead, you can medicate with indica strain, it has a seductive effect as opposed to sativa strains which normally causes alertness.

Anxiety or uneasiness

On occasion, medical marijuana may cause anxiety or uneasiness in patients. Nevertheless, cannabis can also be used to ease nervousness in some patients. This means that it affects people differently, so it is good to seek advice from your medical doctor. Patients experiencing anxiety while medicating with cannabis, can try medicating in a more secure and comfortable environment. Furthermore, this effect is common in sativa strains, therefore try to medicate using indica instead.

 

 In Summary

Although the use of medical cannabis can come with multiple side effects it is important to know how to manage common effects of marijuana. According to Florida’s proposed constitution amendment a person can use medical marijuana if he/she has a doctor’s certificate stating that he/she qualifies to medicate with cannabis. The Florida Department of Health would issue identification cards to be presented at purchase. The card will permit the patient to possess amounts of marijuana set by the law.