Does Persistent Nausea Qualify for Medical Marijuana in South Carolina?

Constant or persistent nausea occurs when the feelings accompanying nausea last for a long period of time. Nausea is a feeling of discomfort that typically makes a person feel the need to vomit. It can be a side effect of some medications or a symptom of an underlying condition.

 

Under South Carolina's medical marijuana program, persistent nausea will be officially approved as a qualifying condition. This is really great news, as evidence has shown that medical marijuana has great potential to offer much-needed relief to individuals living with this condition. 

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How Does Medical Marijuana Help Treat Persistent Nausea?

Medical marijuana can be effective in reducing and regulating nausea and vomiting.  Multiple clinical trials, as well as systematic studies, have concluded that cannabis effectively alleviates most forms of nausea. 

 

Cannabis is great for nausea because it treats the symptom at the source, blocking the binding of serotonin and dopamine at receptor sites and disrupting the signals that tell your brain you need to lie down for a minute. It won’t necessarily treat what’s causing your nausea in the first place, however, it is highly effective at blocking the sensation that comes from it.

 

CBD or cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, suppresses nausea and vomiting within a small dose range. Both nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy or other therapeutic treatments can be effectively treated with medical marijuana. 

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How Effective Is Marijuana at Treating Persistent Nausea?

Traditional pharmaceuticals are typically prescribed for nausea relief, however, these drugs don't always alleviate the symptoms for everyone. Also, traditional drugs used to treat nausea may cause unwanted side effects in patients.

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Research has been conducted on cannabis for nausea relief since 1985. Since then, around 30 clinical trials have been conducted showing that cannabinoids are superior to traditional dopamine receptor antagonist medications in treating nausea. Most evidence for medical marijuana as a treatment for nausea comes from strains that contain some degree of THC. THC has been shown to relieve feelings of nausea and stimulate appetite, specifically in trials with patients receiving chemotherapy.

 

Different formulations with different ratios of CBD and THC may have different therapeutic outcomes. Nevertheless, many people have started to use medical marijuana to treat nausea based on studies that show how CBD activates a neurotransmitter that decreases the feeling of nausea.

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Learn More About Medical Marijuana in South Carolina

South Carolina Marijuana Card will have a network of doctor offices throughout the State of South Carolina that specializes in helping qualifying patients access medical marijuana. If you’re interested in discussing whether medical marijuana is right for you, give us a call!  

 

Everyone is different, so medical marijuana might provide significant relief to some people, and not so much for others. What works best for your symptoms and situation depends mostly on you. However, medical marijuana will be legal soon in South Carolina, so the choice will be up to you! If you want to learn more about how medical marijuana in South Carolina could help persistent nausea patients, please contact us today!