Medical cannabis has been given considerable attention in recent years thanks to so many states decriminalizing it. As things currently stand, 39 states and the District of Columbia are on board. Among the most common qualifying conditions within each of these jurisdictions is chronic pain.
How much do we know about medical cannabis as a chronic pain treatment? Can we be sure that it works? And even if it does, are there potential side effects we don’t know about?
It would seem that there are more questions than answers. And yet, what we currently know about medical cannabis indicates support for recommending it as a chronic pain treatment – especially when prescription narcotics and invasive surgeries are the only other recommended options.
Effective for Different Types of Pain
It’s impossible to have a discussion on medical cannabis and chronic pain without first acknowledging that there isn’t a single treatment that works flawlessly for every patient. Even among them many OTC and prescription medications doctors recommend for pain, there is no single drug that works for everyone.
With all of that said, limited research indicates that medical cannabis could be effective for certain types of pain, especially:
- Neuropathic pain.
- Cancer (both disease and treatment pain).
- Pain related to multiple sclerosis.
- Arthritis and fibromyalgia pain.
Although more recent studies have been conducted, one of the older studies looking at cannabis as a pain reliever dates to 2017. That study suggests substantial evidence that cannabis works as a chronic pain treatment.
How It Actually Works
Despite a growing body of evidence showing medical cannabis can relieve certain types of pain, science is still not clear on exactly how it works. According to the chronic pain specialists at Utahmarijuana.org, there could be a number of mechanisms in play here:
- Pain Modulation – It is believed that THC and CBD (the two main cannabinoids found in cannabis) modulate pain by binding to certain brain receptors.
- Reducing Inflammation – Another possible mechanism involves pain relief through reduced inflammation.
- Pain Perception – Medical cannabis might help relieve pain by altering a patient’s perception of that pain. An altered perception, combined with coping mechanisms, could help patients feel better.
A controversial study released several years ago indicated that medical cannabis was no better than placebo for offering pain relief. The debate over the quality and veracity of that study remains. But even assuming that its conclusions are correct, there is a bigger question at hand: why does it matter?
If the goal is to relieve pain, weather relief is found through biological or psychological response doesn’t matter much. What matters is the fact that a patient finds relief.
Medical Cannabis vs. Opioids
One last thing to consider is medical cannabis compared to opioids. The folks at Utahmarijuana.org say it is not unusual for patients to report reducing or completely eliminating opioid consumption after beginning a medical cannabis regiment. Such reports are backed up by evidence.
One study published in the Journal of Pain demonstrated that chronic pain patients reduced their opioid consumption by 64%. The study also demonstrated that said patience reported a better quality of life with fewer medications and their associated side effects.
The debate over medical cannabis as a chronic pain treatment is not over. But as time goes on, the evidence supporting medical cannabis continues to grow. I would not be surprised to eventually hear that cannabis is recommended even more frequently than prescription narcotics and OTC pain relievers. In my personal opinion, it’s only a matter of time before medical cannabis becomes the preferred treatment among chronic pain patients.