More than two-thirds of the states, along with the District of Columbia, have decriminalized medical cannabis. Patients with qualifying conditions and valid medical cannabis cards can freely purchase everything from cannabis vapes to gummies and powerful tinctures placed under the tongue. And yet, cannabis is not a known cure for anything. So then what is the point?

As the debate over medical cannabis efficacy continues to range, there are legitimate questions about how it helps conditions like PTSD and chronic pain. Millions of cannabis users swear by it. On the other hand, there is no shortage of medical providers who remain skeptical. But what so many people fail to understand is that the skepticism surrounding medical cannabis is not unique.

Very few medical therapies are believed to be efficacious by 100% of all medical professionals, patients, and scientific researchers. There is plenty of speculation in regard to everything from joint replacement surgeries to breast cancer screenings. Why would medical cannabis be any different?

Cannabis Doesn’t Cure Anything

The elephant in the room where medical cannabis is concerned is the reality that cannabis doesn’t cure anything. All it does is alleviate symptoms. But before you jump on that as a reason to turn the clock back on medical cannabis decriminalization, step back and consider every other medication you take. By and large, prescription and OTC medications are only designed to offer symptom relief while the body heals itself.

Very few medical therapies are curative in nature. For example, a steroidal anti-inflammatory medication does not cure arthritis. It doesn’t even help improve the condition. All it does is reduce inflammation, thereby offering some measure of pain relief. People take such medications in order to feel better.

Guess what? That is exactly why millions of people now use medical cannabis. It makes them feel better. It helps them get through the day with less pain, fewer PTSD symptoms, less anxiety, etc. For many of them, medical cannabis improves the quality of life significantly.

It Has Become a Lifestyle for Many

Cannabis has become so popular as a medicine that even states no one thought would get on the medical cannabis train have done so. Uber conservative Utah joined the ranks of the medical cannabis states a couple of years ago. And although there are no plans right now to go recreational, few people would be surprised if pro-cannabis activists managed to get a recreational proposition on the ballot.

In addition, more and more cannabis brands are starting to market themselves as lifestyle brands. The Cookies brand is a perfect example. Cookies is one of the most well-known and respected cannabis brands worldwide. Utah’s Beehive Farmacy began carrying their products in 2022.

According to the folks at Beehive, all the brand’s promotional materials attempt to show consumers how they can enjoy a better quality of life by using Cookies products. Their messaging must be working. People around the world love Cookies.

It’s Okay to Feel Better

It is absolutely true that medical cannabis isn’t a cure for anything. Rather, it is a medicine intended to make patients feel better. There is nothing wrong with that. Wanting to feel better is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something nearly everybody pursues on a regular basis – even people who will not or cannot use medical cannabis.

Medical cannabis is all about symptom relief. Now that millions of people use it, there is no going back to a strictly prohibitionist environment. The only question remaining is how long it takes the rest of the holdout states to join their counterparts that have already decriminalized medical cannabis.