Medical Marijuana for Lupus

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body’s tissues are attacked by the immune system. When this happens, inflammation occurs and can affect other parts of the body, including the lungs, brain, blood cells, kidneys, skin, joints, and heart.

The tell-tale sign that someone has lupus is usually recognized in the form of a rash on a person’s face that appears on both cheeks and looks like the wings of a butterfly. The other typical symptoms are not unique to lupus, so it makes diagnosing lupus fairly difficult for doctors and rheumatologists. Lupus symptoms can take on the form of fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, joint pain, fever, dry eyes, skin lesions when exposed to the sun, white or blue fingers when exposed to cold, headaches, and memory loss.

Lupus is a common health condition that affects more than 200,000 people each year in the United States. For many of these affected individuals, their condition is chronic and lifelong. While lupus cannot be cured, there are a variety of treatment options to manage the symptoms and provide relief to those affected. Each individual patient will have varying signs and symptoms which can range from severe to mild and can come and go, flaring up from time to time.

Is Marijuana Good for Lupus?

For patients with lupus, studies have shown that marijuana may be an alternative treatment to help ease symptoms. Medical marijuana for lupus has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on the symptoms of the disease. Medications may be prescribed by your doctor, but some patients prefer to use marijuana for lupus to treat their condition. Using cannabis and cannabis oil for lupus may offer a natural alternative to traditional medications for pain relief and inflammation.

Studies have suggested that cannabis for lupus can help ease symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients. Cannabis treatment for lupus has been found to have potential benefits in managing the symptoms of the condition, often easing the pain from the disease. Overall, with medical cannabis, lupus patients may see an improvement in the quality of their life. You can expect medical marijuana to reduce pain and inflammation in lupus patients, slowing the progression of additional body tissues being damaged. Keep in mind that different marijuana strains for lupus may have varying effects on symptoms, so be sure to consult with a healthcare professional with any questions.

Can I Get a Medical Marijuana Card for Lupus?

Since cannabis treatment for lupus has been found to have potential benefits in managing the symptoms of the condition, those affected should apply for a marijuana card. Marijuana for lupus patients can be obtained through a medical marijuana card in states where it is legal. As one of the qualifying medical conditions in the state of Illinois, a Lupus diagnosis allows patients to obtain a medical marijuana card. Lupus patients can apply for a medical marijuana card so that they can purchase medical cannabis from a licensed medical marijuana dispensary to treat the symptoms of their condition.

**Always reach out to your doctor and ask if you can use medical cannabis for lupus as a treatment alternative. The information above should not be used in place of medical advice for patients with lupus.