Marijuana Benefits

Pain & Medical Marijuana

Physical Pain is an unpleasant sensory response associated with tissue damage; actual or perceived. The sensation of pain is meant to protect the organism from harm, i.e. don't walk on a sprained ankle until it's healed. However, chronic pain can do more harm than good, severely impacting quality of life.

Pain is usually transitory, lasting only until the harmful stimulus is removed or the underlying damage or condition has healed. However, many painful conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, cancer and idiopathic pain, may persist for years. Medical Marijuana is increasingly seen as the safest way to treat chronic pain by many physicians.

"My focus is to forget the pain of life. Forget the pain, mock the pain, reduce it. And laugh."

-- Jim Carrey, Laughter is the best medicine, plus lots of pot

Common pharmaceutical treatments include, opioids and anti-inflammatory drugs, all of which afford relief to some cases, but have serious side effects, including mental dysfunction and addiction.

How Medical Cannabis Works to Reduce Pain

Cannabinoids, components of Medical Cannabis, were found to regulate physiological activity via the endogenous Cannabinoid system. In this system, receptors (known as CB! and CB2) modulate nerve and brain perception and function that govern sensations of pain.

Research worldwide supports the claim that MMJ components CBD, THC and other Cannabinoids are effective painkillers with minimal toxicity.

Cannabinoid painkillers are generally well tolerated in clinical trials observed
Side effects are few and manageable
Pharmacological use for treatment of pain shows increasing promise
CBD in combination with opioid therapy offers a comprehensive pain treatment solution

-- Source (bullets), Dr. Ethan Russo. Therapeutic Clinical Risk Management Journal

"The Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non psychoactive component of Marijuana, and its modified derivatives significantly suppress chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain without causing apparent analgesic tolerance in rodents."

-- Dr. Xiong W, and his Chinese team, Journal of Pain

Medical Marijuana - Indicated in Pain

Medical Marijuana is found to be effective for the following types of pain by 100 + peer reviewed studies . See further reading (below) for more information.

Nociceptive - Pain from sprains and broken bones, minor wounds and minor (first degree) burns.

Neuropathic - Pain caused by damage to the nervous system with bodily feelings of "burning", "tingling", "electrical", "stabbing", or "pins and needles".

Phantom - Pain felt in a part of the body that has been does not exist or has no working nerves. Phantom limb pain is common to amputees.

Psychogenic - Pain caused by mental, emotional, or behavioral issues that result in headache, back pain, and stomach pain.

Breakthrough - Severe pain that from time to time "breaks through" medication used to treat painful conditions associated with cancer and other diseases.

Incident - Movement of an arthritic joint, aggravating an old injury site, etc..