Medical marijuana may be a healthy alternative to other treatments

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When choosing the best medication for your particular ailment, you may be wondering if the pills you were prescribed are truly your best treatment plan or if a more natural option like medical marijuana could help. Never be afraid to get a second opinion. While there are many sicknesses that absolutely need certain pharmaceutical treatments, other maladies could possibly be better managed and/or treated with cannabis.

“As we all know, oftentimes medical marijuana can be a substitute for a pharmaceutical drug, many of which are not healthy for you. A lot are habit-forming and have extreme side effects, such as painkillers like opioids, anti-depressants and all kinds of different stuff like that,” said Nick Rinella, CEO of Hippos Marijuana Dispensary, whose name is inspired by the Hippocratic oath taken by physicians that essentially states they will provide the best care possible. “Physicians may have good intentions when prescribing these things, but they oftentimes end up causing long-term problems like addiction or even liver problems from taking too many pills.”

Cannabis is a healthy alternative to many of these pharmaceuticals in that it isn’t habit-forming and doesn’t have the same toxic effects as some of those prescription drugs, according to Rinella.

“In my own personal experience, cannabis really saved my life,” he said. “I had Lyme disease and was in a wheelchair. Physicians prescribed me narcotics that were extremely habit-forming and had bad potential side effects like heart attack and stroke – you name it. While cannabis does have some side effects, none are nearly as frightening as the ones with pharmaceuticals. At the end of the day, the painkillers were just making me stoned and weren’t really benefiting me. I couldn’t function at a high level.”

Then, Rinella was reintroduced to cannabis. “It didn’t cure me, but it gave me the opportunity to get the rest I needed to heal, and I was able to function at a much higher level than with the painkillers, which made me wake up foggy every day,” he said. “With cannabis, I can consume it at night and wake up with a clear head.”

Cannabis is a particularly effective treatment for people who need help with pain management, as well as those with sleep disorders or anxiety; however, “there are hundreds of conditions that it treats,” Rinella said.

If you’re concerned with the possible negative effects from smoking marijuana, Rinella suggests consuming cannabis via edibles, tinctures or topicals, though he pointed out that a couple tokes of cannabis is a far cry from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. He also stressed the importance of getting your cannabis from a medical dispensary rather than the black market.

“Every piece of cannabis in our dispensary goes through rigorous testing for pesticides, heavy metals and more,” he said. “There’s not a cigarette on the market that would pass these tests. In fact, most produce in grocery stores wouldn’t even pass. It’s about the cleanest consumable product on the market.”

Missouri is currently on track to end 2021 with over 180,000 registered patients. The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has reported five consecutive months of substantial sales growth and expects more than $200 million in sales by the end of 2021.

Hippos Marijuana Dispensary recently debuted its Chesterfield Valley location at 17409-G Chesterfield Airport Road next door to Espinos Mexican Restaurant. If you’re curious about medical marijuana or would like to apply for your medical marijuana card, stop by the storefront or visit hipposcannabis.com. Qualified patients can shop in-person or online with a valid medical marijuana card. Hippos offers smoking accessories, apparel, CBD and other limited-edition items in addition to its marijuana products like flower (dried bud), edibles (like gummies and suckers), pre-rolls (aka joints), beverages, concentrates, disposable pens and tinctures. Menu is refreshed weekly.

This advertisement is intended only for Missouri medical marijuana patients. Medical decisions should not be made based on advertising. Consult a physician on the benefits and risks of particular medical marijuana products.