Can cannabis help COVID 'long haulers'?

Medical Marijuana Could Help COVID-19 Long-Haulers

Even as much of the national undergoes vaccinations, COVID-19 still could produce lasting symptoms in many sufferers. Most people who were exposed to COVID-19 experienced mild to moderate symptoms, if any at all, that generally went away quickly. Yet, some people who contracted COVID-19 and essentially beat it still experience ongoing symptoms, and medical marijuana often is an ideal solution.

Common COVID Long-Hauler Symptoms

A COVID-19 long-hauler does not mean that person has COVID-19 and is contagious. It means the person had COVID-19 and continues to suffer common symptoms months afterward. Recovery often is relatively quick, but when symptoms last for two or three months afterward, a long-hauler situation arises.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says the following rank among the most commonly reported COVID-19 looing-hauler symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Depression and anxiety
• Joint and muscle pain

While those ongoing effects could affect the daily activities of long-haulers, they do not mean the sufferer is sick. It just means his or her body has not fully recovered and is still feeling the long-term effects of COVID-19. Fortunately, several studies in recent years affirm medical marijuana could be an ideal solution.

How Cannabis Could Help

Many conditions for which patients obtain medical marijuana prescriptions apply for COVID-19 long-haulers. Depression and anxiety are commonly conditions treated by prescribed marijuana, and the patient has the means to determine the ideal dosage and frequency while living a much more normalized life.

COVID-19 sufferers report higher instances of depression and anxiety, and medical marijuana is an ideal medicine that is non-addictive and proven to be effective for treating depression and anxiety. Fatigue and headaches also typically are reduced when using prescribed cannabis, which can help patients to relax and sleep better after a long day.

Joint and muscle pain also can affect a patient’s ability to sleep and move about during the day. Cannabis is a proven medicine that effectively alleviates pain without the use of addictive opioids and other pain medications. The ability to sleep better and go through the day with reduced pain or none at all help to make cannabis an ideal medicine for COVID-19 long-haulers.