Managing Your Pain Is Getting Easier: Know Your Rights When It Comes to the Medications You Use

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Scientific and medical communities agree: certain strains of marijuana can be helpful in the management of pain, anxiety, and more. Unfortunately, federal and state laws and even law enforcement officers themselves are not always up to speed when it comes to the rights of a medicinal marijuana user.

The Law

Currently, 46 states have some kind of law on the book for medical marijuana use; no fewer than 14 of these are restricted to the medical use of CBD, or cannabidiol. However, marijuana in all of its forms and extracts can still be considered illegal on a federal level, leaving users open to the threat of fines, probation, and even a jail sentence.

While many federal investigations focus on operations that produce and/or provide the medicinal marijuana, and not the patients themselves, it's best to start with some research about what your state's specific laws are regarding medical marijuana use. If you do feel you've been erroneously charged, reach out for legal advice immediately.

And in fact, there may be recourse for those running a grow operation or dispensary. The majority of such businesses would of course have explored the legalities and regulations involved, but contacting Cannalex lawyers and counselors at any point is preferable to winging it yourself. This can prevent the catastrophic seizure of the business you built to help those in pain.

Why Does This Matter?

Protecting those with the right to produce and use marijuana in their state is always important. As these laws are rapidly evolving, it's essential to stay up to date. It's also extremely important that people who have been prescribed medicinal cannabis have safe access to a safe therapy.

Medical cannabis offers patients many things they can't get from what one would consider your average street dealer. Their medicine lists all ingredients used to produce and is verified to be free of contaminants. Most of all, it can contain a particular strain that was developed specifically to treat their condition.

It many states, it is a legal medicine covered by insurance, and it should be treated as such. A physician will have assessed the condition and decided, with patient input, that marijuana or CBD is the appropriate avenue of treatment. It's not an attempt to get high or break the law on the part of the provider or the patient.

Is Cannabis Really Medicine?

Yes, historically, cannabis was always used as medicine. Its reputation as a recreational drug is a relatively new phenomenon. It's one that unfortunately stigmatizes law-abiding citizens in need of relief.

Marijuana, like many synthetic pharmaceuticals, works with our natural biology. Its compounds can mimic the effects of compounds called endocannabinoids, which we naturally make ourselves. It improves cell communication and can influence receptors that trigger painful sensations.

Don't let the law slip past you. It's crucial to be informed about your ever-changing rights in a nation that is catching up to the fact that marijuana is improving the lives of many who desperately need relief from pain and stress.