While traditional treatments for pain relief have been used for a long time, there is an emerging natural alternative gaining traction – marijuana. This article will explore the potential benefits of using marijuana for pain relief, the legal issues surrounding its use, and the safety of using the drug. We will also discuss current research on the topic and provide insight into how marijuana could be used as a viable alternative to traditional treatments.
How does CBD help to treat pain?
Marijuana can be an effective tool for treating pain, as it has been proven to reduce inflammation and increase relaxation. CBD, specifically, has been found to be an effective analgesic, interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system to reduce pain signals and help relieve pain. CBD can be taken in either oil or capsule form, making it a safe and convenient way to treat pain.
Are there any side effects of using marijuana for pain relief?
Yes, there are some side effects associated with the use of marijuana for pain relief. Marijuana can cause dizziness, dry mouth, and increased heart rate. It may also cause anxiety and paranoia in some users, which can be problematic for those with existing mental health conditions. Additionally, marijuana may interact negatively with other medications and can lead to dependence.
Are there any studies that show the effectiveness of marijuana in treating pain?
Yes, there are a number of studies that demonstrate the efficacy of marijuana in treating pain. A systematic review of 28 studies found that cannabis-based treatments reduced pain intensity in patients with chronic pain conditions. Additionally, a study published in the journal Pain Medicine found that patients with chronic pain reported a 64% reduction in pain after using cannabis-based treatments. Furthermore, a study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology found that marijuana was associated with a reduction in the intensity of pain associated with multiple sclerosis.
Even though pain management is one of the most common reasons people report for using medical marijuana in the United States, 1 there is limited evidence that marijuana works to treat most types of acute or chronic pain. A few studies have found that marijuana can be helpful in treating neuropathic pain a specific type of chronic pain caused by damaged nerves. Opioids are a class of drugs used to reduce pain and include prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. More than 70, people died from drug overdoses in in the United States, and two in three of these overdose deaths involved an opioid. Although some research suggests that states that legalize marijuana use for medical purposes experience a reduction in opioid prescribing and opioid-related deaths, other research that examines the impact of medical marijuana policies over a longer period of time indicates marijuana legalization is not associated with decreases in opioid overdose deaths and that prior research findings could be coincidental. Importantly, using marijuana either alone or in combination with opioids has been shown to increase risk for opioid misuse. FDA-approved medications are available to treat opioid use disorder. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Marijuana and Public Health. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Opioids and Marijuana Opioids are a class of drugs used to reduce pain and include prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. You will be subject to the destination websites privacy policy when you follow the link. CDC is not responsible for Section compliance accessibility on other federal or private website. Cancel Continue.
Cannabis marijuana for chronic pain management straddles the line between pharmaceutical and alternative, while also existing in a grey zone of legality that is largely based on where you live. How about heroin? The federal government says yes to both. In fact, in , the US Controlled Substances Act classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug, due to its addictiveness and propensity for abuse. California was the first state to permit legal access to and use of botanical cannabis for medicinal purposes under physician supervision with the enactment of the Compassionate Use Act. That schism makes navigating marijuana potentially confusing for consumers, and the federal classification creates many obstacles in the scientific study of marijuana for medicinal use. Luckily, researchers have found some ways to get the science done. Rheumatoid Arthritis. But understanding how marijuana works and how to use it for maximum benefit requires more information, and sometimes a bit of trial and error. There are three parts of the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoid receptors are located throughout your body and help determine how cannabinoids affect you. CB1 receptors also play a role in the signaling of pain to the brain via the spinal cord. On a physiological level, CB1 receptors can affect your emotions, memory, executive functioning, and reward. CB1 is the receptor predominantly responsible for the psychotropic effects of cannabis. These receptors are expressed in both immune cells, peripheral outer tissues, and in the CNS but in much lower levels than CB1 receptors. THC acts directly on both the CB1 and CB2 receptors, although not with the same precision as our internal endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. While most of the medicinal qualities of marijuana are attributed to these cannabinoids, other plant properties are involved as well. The first step in consuming medical marijuana legally speaking will be getting a recommendation from your doctor. Because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, doctors give recommendations or orders but are not legally permitted to give prescriptions. You can find state-by-state information regarding what conditions qualify for medical marijuana. There are three main ways to consume cannabis. Inhalation marijuana allows the active components to readily cross the blood-brain barrier and may be an effective way to decrease the CNS response to pain sensations. This can be especially useful for difficult to treat neuropathic pain or centralized pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia. When people smoke marijuana, they typically begin feeling effects after 2 minutes, with that feeling peaking after 30 minutes. When people inhale cannabis via vaporization, they absorb more of the active compounds than when smoking. This is an important consideration, especially for first-time users.
