The big IT THING these days for treatment of just about anything is Medical Marijuana… How do you get it? Does it really work? How does it help with chronic illnesses? How do you take it, what forms does it come in? Lets take a look at a few diseases and how they are effected by Medical Marijuana! 
Although cannabis is still illegal in the United States under the federal government, many individual states have legalized cannabis for VALID medical reasons. Each state has its own list of qualifying condition, and some states allow doctors to approve a medical condition that is not ok the legalized list. There are too many states and conditions for me to write them all out for you. So if you are interested in the approved conditions in each state check out the link below. https://www.leafly.com/news/health/qualifying-conditions-for-medical-marijuana-by-state

Lupus is often manifested with joint pain and fatigue. Although it can effect many parts of the body and in many different ways. Medical Marijuana is often used to treat pain and inflammation mostly in Lupus patients. Patients are quoted saying they prefer using Cannabis rather than pain pills or muscle relaxers because there are fewer side effects for most when using Cannabis. It is said that the most effective ways to treat lupus with cannabis is to do so with high levels of CBD capsules taken orally daily. Although the capsules can be the most difficult to find. Juicing the leaves also seems to be an effective treatment according to research. And vaporizing CBD can be a good way to help lupus sufferers sleep. One can also eat the edible CBDs to help treat lupus. Although like anything finding the proper dosage can be frustrating, as it can be a series of trial and error. 

Fibromyalgia is said to effect nearly 5 million Americans. It is a poorly understood condition that can cause deep tissue pain, fatigue, depression headaches and even insomnia. Research from 2014 said that most find medical marijuana to be far more effective than any of the prescriptions on the market designed to treat fibromyalgia. From this study it was found that 62% of the people who tried medical marijuana as treatment found it to be very effective. While only 5% said it did not provide them with any relief. Most people will take the capsules for fibromyalgia or in similar forms to the treatment of Lupus. Most commonly for fibromyalgia it seems that the capsules, the edibles or oils/creams are the forms most used. 

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a pain bladder condition that effects more than 4 million people in the United States alone. Through research it seems that cannabis extracts may offer new hope for people with this very painful condition. IC causes symptoms like a urinary tract infections, abdominal discomfort and bladder spasms. In Illinois where cannabis is legal for medical treatment and IC is an approved diagnosis to receive cannabis. The IC Network found that about 63% of those diagnoses and use some sort of cannabis to treat their symptoms, and reported that the cannabis decreased their symptoms by 50%. Eighteen percent of those surveyed reported that cannabis completely relieved their symptoms. Fourteen percent said that it helped their symptoms by at least 25 percent. Although marijuana is still generally smoked to provide relief from pain, other forms are being developed that eliminate the effects of the “high,” yet preserve the medicinal effects. Since cannabis has had such a high rate of symptom control in IC, the pain relieving and anti-spasmodic effects of cannabis are now being looked into for treatment of other conditions. Vaporizing CBD or using CBD oils can be used along with capsules for treatment. 

FORIA a company based out of Colorado is saying that their cannabis based product can help relieve menstrual cramps. This compound has not been studied as to how it would effect endometriosis. But one could assume that if it can help with menstrual cramps that the mechanism of action would be the same or similar for someone with Endo. FORIA was formulated to to maximize the muscle relaxing and pain relief properties of cannaboids. Without the psychotropic or feeling of being high like actual cannabis. The capsule is a blend of THC which is known to relax muscles and cramping in the body. One could also use CBD oils and creams for treatment if Endo. 
Cannabis can be used to treat just about anything without the side effects of major pharmaceuticals. Cannabis has very few side effects and most could be viewed as positive effects. Like mood improvement, increased appetite, and better sleep. The major problem with getting medical marijuana is that in most states it is not legal. And in the states that it is legal your condition may not be on the approved list in order to get approved for medical marijuana. 

If you feel that you or Someone you know could benefit from the use of medical marijuana in a state where it is not legal. Please contact your legislator and check for any movements in your state for the legalization of medical marijuana. 

Note: To see the forms and ways to consume medical marijuana check out this website. https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/resources/methods-of-consumption

While this method of pain/symptom control may not be for everyone. Research clearly shows that it is helping people. It is not a common method of treatment yet, but based on the increased use of CBD I think it will become more and more common. 
-Amber

Resources:

https://www.leafly.com/news/health/treating-lupus-with-cannabis
http://nationalpainreport.com/marijuana-rated-most-effective-for-treating-fibromyalgia-8823638.html
http://www.midwestcompassion.org/2015/05/19/treating-interstitial-cystitis-with-cannabis/

Can Marijuana Relieve Menstrual (and Possibly Endometriosis) Pain?

http://www.impactcannabis.org/endometriosis/

https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-treat-lupus