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Choosing Better Medical Care

What You Should Know About Seizures, Medical Marijuana, And Getting High

13 December 2017

Chris Burke

Medical marijuana is becoming more popular all over the country. Many states are legalizing the substance for medical purposes, and patients praise the drug for everything from a lack of appetite due to chemotherapy to controlling epilepsy. However, if you've never tried medical marijuana, you might feel paralyzed by the stigma the drug can carry. Getting high isn't for everyone, and if you're just seeking medicine that can help control your symptoms, you may not want to feel like you're under the influence. Before you give up on trying medical marijuana, read on to discover how medical marijuana can help and what you need to know if you're not interested in getting high.

The Chemicals in Marijuana

Marijuana contains a wide variety of chemicals; over 400, of which about 60 are only found in marijuana. While it might make you feel anxious to think about consuming chemicals, it's important to remember that you eat and drink chemicals everyday. The oxygen you breathe and the water you drink are chemicals, so there's nothing inherently bad about chemical compounds being in marijuana.

While there are hundreds of chemicals in marijuana, the two major players people concern themselves with are CBD and THC. The two are utilized in medical marijuana for their health benefits, and can work together or seperately. However, it's important to know what the two are and how they work if you're afraid of getting high.

THC

Tetrahyrdocannabinol, or THC, is the main psychoactive substance in marijuana. This essentially means that it's the drug responsible for getting people high. THC, when taken with other marijuana chemicals or alone, can cause a sense of ease, sleepiness, and hunger, otherwise known as the munchies. It's ill-advised to attempt to perform any important duties while under the influence of THC, and you should absolutely avoid getting behind the wheel of a car or other heavy machinery while you're affected.

If you don't want to get high, you shouldn't use THC or straight marijuana that contains THC. THC is useful in medical marijuana for treating problems like poor appetite and anxiety, but it hasn't been shown to have particular benefits for preventing or controlling seizures. As a result, you won't miss out on any benefits if you avoid THC entirely.

CBD

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the other main chemical component of marijuana. This particular chemical has been shown to be helpful in a wide variety of medical applications, such as reducing pain, inflammation, and controlling seizures. As an added bonus, CBD is not a psychoactive, so you won't get high from taking it.

If you want to try CBD to control your seizures, it's important to make sure what you're taking is pure CBD. Most medical marijuana dispensaries split up their offerings based on their chemical contents. You will want to purchase a marijuana strain that contains little to no THC, or an extract that's pure CBD.

Since seizures can cause permanent damage to your body and brain, it's a wise idea to try and make use of every tool available to you to control them. If you're looking for help and don't want to get high, medical marijuana can do that for you. Talk to a doctor or medical marijuana dispensary to find out more about CBD and its benefits for epilepsy and other seizure disorders.

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