Is marijuana as great as they actually say it is for pain relief? We constantly hear in news reports about all the great effects marijuana has for pain patients, but are we hearing the whole story?
From the research that I have done in class, I don’t believe there are not enough studies to 100% support the use of marijuana for all pain. I want to make it clear that there are cases where cannabinoids could be very useful in chronic pian but also instances where it could be misused.
The Research
Cannabinoids have shown significant promise in basic experiments on pain. Peripheral nerves that detect pain sensations contain abundant receptors for cannabinoids, and they appear to block peripheral nerve pain in experimental animals. Cannabinoids are particularly effective against (chronic) central and peripheral neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer pain and pain in MS but have little or no effect in patients with acute pain.
Even more encouraging, basic studies suggest that opiates and cannabinoids suppress pain through different mechanisms. If that is the case, marijuana-based medicines could perhaps be combined with opiates to boost their pain-relieving power while limiting their side effects. Marijuana may be safer than opioid use in the short-term. It hasn’t caused any lethal drug overdoses and the number of opioid deaths appears to have decreased in states with laws allowing medical marijuana.
Germany
As of 2014, Germany has legalized a cannabis drug called Santivex. Sativex, a cannabis derived oromucosal spray containing equal proportions of THC (partial CB1 receptor agonist ) and cannabidiol (CBD, a non-euphoriant, anti-inflammatory analgesic with CB1 receptor antagonist and endocannabinoid modulating effects) has been approved for medical pain use.
This new found understanding of cannabis, and the biological systems of the human body, and their integration provides profound opportunity for advances in managing and altering the disease process for a wide variety of illnesses.
Marijuana and Pain Relief
