Medical Marijuana Advocates Surprised and Happy about Walgreens Blog Post

A sign that even the most conservative of companies, Walgreens, is changing their opinion about medical marijuana.

Walgreens recently shared the health benefits medical marijuana brings on its fitness and wellness blog, titled “Clarifying Clinical Cannabis.” The article tackled the therapeutic claims of marijuana, its side effects and its legitimacy as written by the company’s “resident pharmacist,” Dahlia Sultan, according to MarketWatch.

How Does Medical Marijuana Work?

Cannabinoids attach like a key to a lock to your body’s naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors, which make up the endocannabinoid (EC) system. Both the therapeutic and psychoactive properties of marijuana occur when a cannabinoid activates a cannabinoid receptor. Because the EC system is found in many parts of your brain and cannabinoid receptors are all over your body—in your brain, lungs, liver, kidneys and immune system—the effects of THC and CBD are wide-ranging.⁵

When marijuana is smoked, its effects can kick in immediately. The THC chemicals quickly travel  from your lungs into your bloodstream. Then, brain cells release the chemical dopamine, which creates physical effects. When marijuana is eaten however, it may take up to an hour for it to metabolize in the stomach and digestive system before being felt by the brain.⁶

Research on the health benefits of marijuana is ongoing, but current studies have proven that cannabinoid receptors play an important role in many body processes, including metabolic regulation, cravings, pain, anxiety, bone growth and immune function.⁷

Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

Sultan said the study revealed medical marijuana can work as a pain relief in some ways traditional medicines can’t. The research also cited the research of National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Biotechnology Information, saying it can also help cancer patients.

“Medical marijuana can improve appetite and relieve nausea in those who have cancer,” the report showed. “And [it] may help relieve symptoms such as muscle stiffness in people who have multiple sclerosis.”

Medicinal cannabis can only be bought from a licensed medical center in an officially permitted country.

Also, the patients who are using medical marijuana should be properly assessed by a licensed health specialist. Walgreens clarified the blog was made to enlighten customers who are asking about medical marijuana.

Walgreens Statement Regarding the Blog Post

“The content is strictly informative, and nowhere do we take any stance on the issue. It was developed to address some of the questions we’ve received from patients and customers through various channels,” Walgreens spokesman Jim Cohn said in an email.

“It was developed to address some of the questions we’ve received from patients and customers through various channels,” Cohn added.

Few national brands have been willing to broach the topic. Washington, D.C., and 24 states, including Illinois, have approved the use of medical marijuana by patients with certain medical conditions, but it remains illegal under federal law and is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug — a category that includes heroin.

• https://headsup.scholastic.com/students/endocannabinoid
• https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/marijuana-use-and-its-effects
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16402900