Medical Marijuana Can Treat Parkinson's

Ron Strider

Well-Known Member
As a nurse manager at a local nursing facility and a Millersville University nursing student, I want to express the importance of the introduction of medical marijuana as a treatment option for people suffering with Parkinson's disease.

With the recent granting of 12 medical marijuana permits in Pennsylvania, the possibility of using this alternative therapy may be approaching. A handful of states already approved medical marijuana as a complimentary therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that causes tremors and stiffness in muscles. This is a progressive disease for which there is no cure. Many of my patients have Parkinson's and suffer with tremors, pain and contracted muscles. They are unable to care for themselves or communicate.

For my patients, there are very few treatment options, and much of my time is spent managing their symptoms. Many medications now approved for the treatment of Parkinson's only help to improve some of the symptoms and do not slow progression of the disease at all.

A study done in Colorado in 2014 concluded that more than 70 percent of participants using medical marijuana to treat Parkinson's disease reported an improvement in their symptoms.

There are more studies that support the positive effects of cannabis for this disease, but long-term research is limited. As more states adopt laws supporting medical marijuana, more studies can be completed to determine its overall efficacy.

I am hopeful for a more effective option in treating this condition for the patients I serve.

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