Parkinson’s Disease Qualifies for Treatment With Medical Marijuana in Louisiana

Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition that damages and eventually kills brain cells.
 

The damage done to neurotransmitters can severely affect the transmission of important compounds such as dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and serotonin, causing an array of symptoms including impaired coordination for movement, muscle cramping or twitching in response to emotional cues like stress, difficulty with emotions or thoughts, depression, and anxiety. 

When neurons in the brain die because of Parkinson's disease, these cells cannot transmit appropriate signals throughout our bodies, and it causes wide-ranging changes to brain patterns.
 

Those who suffer from Parkinson’s may appear to have a faceless expression with stiff arms or legs when walking, or they may have an abnormal gait that makes them shuffle instead of stride.
 

This may be attributed to a severe lack of dopamine or a reduced ability for other neurotransmitters to communicate, but scientists are still unsure how the disease starts or progresses.
 

Parkinson’s disease often causes tremors, however patients also report a variety of symptoms like difficulty swallowing, muscle pain, excessive blinking, drooling, and even chronic constipation.
 

Patients also report low blood pressure, stiff muscles, and slowed or monotone speech.