New study claims that Marijuana is a better treatment for ADHD than Adderall.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or simply known as ADHD, is a mental disorder characterized by problems with paying attention, difficulty in controlling inappropriate behavior and excessive activity. More often than not, children are diagnosed with ADHD.
According to statistics acquired by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 percent of children in the U.S. between the ages of 7 to 17 are diagnosed with ADHD. This accounts for more than 6 million people within the age bracket.
Managing ADHD involves not only counseling and therapy but also medication. Stimulants like Adderall Ritalin and Dexedrine are amongst the most common medication prescribed for people who are suffering from ADHD. These drugs are taken two to three times a day and are known to cause several side effects, including irritability, loss of appetite, headaches, and depression.
Because of the side effects, researchers have been looking for better medication to treat ADHD. Fortunately, scientists from the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis or AAMC have recently made a surprising breakthrough surrounding ADHD treatments.
According to Leafly, doctors from the AAMC claim that cannabis is a better medication for ADHD than stimulants. They explain that people who suffer from ADHD do not produce enough dopamine. Cannabis or marijuana treats the mental problem by increasing the availability of the hormone.
"Cannabis appears to treat ADD and ADHD by increasing the availability of dopamine. This then has the same effect but is a different mechanism of action than stimulants like Ritalin (methylphenidate) and dexedrine amphetamine, which act by binding to the dopamine and interfering with the metabolic breakdown of dopamine" explained Dr. David Bearman from the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis.
Bearman further explains that compounds found in marijuana, called cannabinoids, could also correct the dopamine levels in an ADHD patient. Furthermore, cannabis enables the patient's mental process to slow down, which ultimately facilitates better concentration. This makes tasks ADHD sufferers often find boring and tedious more manageable.
Scientists involved in research are hopeful that their study would provide better treatment for ADHD; however, they were quick to admit that more research is needed in order to verify its effectiveness.
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