People use the words “cannabis” and “marijuana” to mean the same thing. They are actually different. The word “cannabis” means all the parts of the plant Cannabis sativa. The cannabis plant has 540 chemicals. The word “marijuana” means only the parts of the plant Cannabis sativa that have a lot of THC. Some plants have very little THC and are called hemp instead of marijuana.

You can use medical marijuana in different ways. You can take pills or drops. You can use sprays, patches, or even foods with medical marijuana. In Pennsylvania you can vape medical marijuana, and in other places you can smoke it. You can use the leaves or flowers, or you can use the chemicals from the leaves or flowers. Many people like to vape medical marijuana since it works fast with no smoke.

Medical marijuana can help with seizures or with nausea and vomiting from cancer treatment. It can also help with low appetite and weight loss from HIV or AIDS. Research shows that medical marijuana may help with pain and with multiple sclerosis. See the conditions page on our site for the full list of what medical marijuana may help with. More research is being done to find different ways medical marijuana can help you.