Compassion Center Health Tips
While marijuana has recognized health benefits for a number of ailments and conditions, there are nevertheless risks associated with marijuana use that every Oregon Medical Marijuana Patient should be aware of. Below is information on potential risks to oral and lung health and some suggestions on how to reduce or eliminate negative health consequences associated with marijuana use.
Marijuana and Oral Health:
One side effect of marijuana that medical users experience is a condition known as Xerostomia, better known as dry mouth or 'cotton mouth.' While most patients think of dry mouth as a mild annoyance or inconvenience associated with their medical use, frequent dry mouth may contribute to dental decay. Our saliva not only helps us to chew and digest food, but prevents infection by controlling bacteria in the mouth and protecting teeth from decay. Here are a few tips for combating dry mouth and protecting your teeth:
• Always keep a bottle of water, and sip frequently
• Suck on crushed ice
• Avoid liquids containing caffeine or alcohol
• Use a humidifier at night time
• Use commercial artificial saliva, available over the counter as liquids, sprays or tablets
Depending on the severity of your dry mouth you may consider contacting your doctor to discuss ways of addressing this condition.
Marijuana and Lung Health:
While the health consequences of smoking marijuana are not completely understood, marijuana smoke is known to contain many irritants and carcinogens and may lead to, or contribute to, respiratory problems. Many physicians are wary of recommending marijuana to their patients for this very reason. Fortunately, several options are available for reducing or eliminating the dangers of marijuana smoking for individuals who find symptom relief from marijuana use.
The most obvious way to avoid respiratory trouble is to take oral preparations of marijuana, such as oil capsules or marijuana baked goods. Oral ingestion of marijuana has the benefit of providing relief for longer periods of time and also provides the patient with a discrete way of medicating. However, relief sought from orally ingested marijuana takes much longer to take effect then smoking does and a proper dosage can be difficult to measure, much less adjust. Because oral preparations can be more powerful than smoking, care needs to be taken when cooking or preparing marijuana for oral use. Patients' new to oral use would do well to begin with small amounts, and increase the dose according to their comfort level and medical need. For more information on how to prepare marijuana for oral use please check our
class schedule for our next 'Cooking Oil' class.
The second way of ingesting medical marijuana that reduces respiratory risk is a process known as 'vaporization.' Vaporization is the process of heating cannabis to temperatures of approximately 180-190 degrees Celsius, which causes THC and other cannabinoids to vaporize without the combustion of any organic matter. In essence, vaporization provides the therapeutic benefits of marijuana while significantly reducing the harmful consequences of smoking. There are many different types of vaporizers available on the market today, but only the Volcano Vaporizer has been scientifically studied and shown to effectively reduce the amount of tar and carcinogens produced through the heating of marijuana. Many other vaporizers of varying price and quality are available, and can be found through a quick Google search.