Medical Marijuana for Lupus: Does It Help?

After acquiring immense attention and recognition as a cure-all medication, medical marijuana has certainly become a highly sought-after plant. It is considered a possible treatment for almost any and every condition that one may be going through. And why not? After all, it helps alleviate the symptoms of some incurable conditions. So, does medical marijuana for lupus actually work? Yes, it does. Don’t have any second thoughts, we don’t want to confuse you. But, to understand how it works and how efficient it is as a treatment, we highly recommend reading this whole article so that you know what you are dealing with.

Now, we understand that you must already be familiar with the basics of medical marijuana and lupus but for people who are still figuring out the basics, we have compiled the necessary information regarding the condition, its symptoms and causes, and the possible treatments that include both conventional treatments and medical marijuana as a treatment.

We highly recommend consulting a medical marijuana doctor before considering self-medication as an option. This will ensure that you have a clear idea about how the substance shall affect your body and help with your condition. 

What Is Lupus?

Lupus, in simple words, is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system gets hyperactive and starts attacking healthy tissues of the body. The name may sound a little unfamiliar but it is a very common disorder and according to reports around 1.5 million Americans suffer from this deadly, incurable disorder, 90% of which are women. Lupus is a very unbiased disease and can affect literally any body part or organ. From skin to joints and even internal organs, it can attack anywhere.

One of the major and most common symptoms of Lupus is inflammation, followed by pain. Other symptoms include fever, joint pain, redness and rashes on the face and chest in the shape of a butterfly, fatigue, and nausea.

As per the majority of scientists, lupus is developed as a response to a number of factors both inside as well as outside the body. The causes broadly include hormones, genetics, and the environment.

When we say it is a deadly disease, we mean it. According to the reports, around 10 to 15 percent of people suffering from lupus eventually die because of the complications. But, with improved treatments and healthcare most people manage to survive and live for a normal life span. They do have to go through significant lifestyle changes and they do experience severe pain and emotional problems but they keep moving.

Traditional Treatment for Lupus

Common treatments practiced to treat or let’s say manage the condition include prescription medications. This is not really an effective cure but can help suppress the immune system and reduce pain and inflammation. Other than that, one can introduce a few lifestyle changes that may help manage symptoms of lupus a little. Some of these changes may include taking vitamins and mineral supplements, fatty acids, switching to herbal medicines as the chemical prescribed pharmaceuticals can have side effects, and practicing mind-body therapies to deal with stress.

Medical Marijuana and Lupus: What Does Research Say?

As always, the research regarding medical marijuana and its effects on the body is limited because it is unapproved by the FDA and is federally illegal. But according to the limited research that we have access to and the anecdotal evidence collected through the people suffering from lupus who tried marijuana as a medication, marijuana for lupus can be considered an effective treatment.

Marijuana is primarily known for its anti-inflammatory properties and thus can act on the symptoms like pain and inflammation, providing relief to the patient. Moreover, marijuana is also known for suppressing the immune system. It lowers the level of inflammation-causing protein and increases the anti-inflammatory protein in the human body which can benefit in treating autoimmune diseases like lupus. While the suppression of the immune system may be bad for a normal person, it definitely works in favor of a lupus patient as by suppressing the immune system, marijuana works on treating the autoimmune condition, lupus.

It may serve as a relief for some that the national charitable organization for lupus disease and patients accept medical marijuana as a possible treatment option. And, in addition to that, the majority of the states that have legalized medical marijuana, qualify lupus as a qualifying condition for using and consuming medical marijuana.    

One just needs an online medical card to access legal cannabis products and taking a treatment would be easy. 

Is it Safe to Use Medical Marijuana for Lupus?

Yes, it is absolutely safe to use medical marijuana for lupus but we still suggest talking to a reliable medical marijuana doctor before diving into the treatment as everybody reacts in a different manner to any sort of medication and marijuana is no exception. Moreover, we, through this article, cannot judge the state and type of your condition so personally contacting a doctor who can examine you properly would be the right choice.

There may be side effects of smoking marijuana because the smoke can affect the lungs and other internal organs but to avoid that there are a number of other consumption methods that won’t pose any threat to your or anyone’s health. Consumption methods like ingestion, sublingual consumption, and topical application are safer alternatives to smoking marijuana. In fact, they shall be easier to use and discreet so you won’t end up getting into trouble for consuming medical marijuana in public. 

Bottom Line

Lupus is a very common condition in America. Around 16000 new cases are reported every year for lupus in America alone. The same applies to the medicinal use of marijuana and its components. Receiving green signals in the majority of states, medical marijuana became one of the most recommended and sought-after treatments for almost every condition, minor to major and anecdotal evidence speaks in favor of the medication. Lupus qualifies as a condition to be treated with the help of marijuana in a significant number of states in the US, which suggests that the authorities consider marijuana a reliable treatment option for lupus. However, there is very limited research and mostly anecdotal evidence that includes statements of patients, who have been suffering from lupus and have tried medical marijuana as a medication, that states medical marijuana is effective for lupus. There is still a need for more research.