Does Medical Marijuana Effectively Relieve the Pain and Have Less Side Effects Than Traditional Medication Used to Treat Chronic Pain?

 

Andrew Frawley

Professor Dempsey

ENGL 1200-20

Project Two: Blog 1

1 April 2014

Blog One: Does Medical Marijuana Effectively Relieve the Pain and Have Less Side Effects Than Traditional Medication Used to Treat Chronic Pain?

            The use of marijuana has shown to be a great alternative medication for the treatment of chronic pain in patients. Marijuana is not only able to supply a large amount of relief to the severe pain associated with chronic pain syndrome, but has helped improve their overall quality of living (Chronic Pain Treatment and Management with Medical Marijuana). In the analysis of whether or not marijuana is the most effective medication for the treating chronic pain, the first step is comparing this it to other traditional forms of medications already in use around the United States. A more traditional method of medication is the use of opioids, which can have negative long-term effects and has shown to not adequately provide complete relief to the pain (Chronic Pain Treatment and Management with Medical Marijuana). Negative effects associated with these medications gives credibility for the overall benefits patients are gaining from switching to marijuana.

In many cases, marijuana is claimed to relieve more pain than other medications and have less side effects. In recent years, the scientific community has increased their activity in the area of cannabinoids for pain and other medical conditions. Cannabinoids, which are compounds found in cannabis, have analgesic properties that provide a large amount of relief to the pain, while other medicines have not been able to do the same. Along with how beneficial marijuana is in being able to providing relief to the pain, it is also seen as a very effective treatment for chronic neuropathic (nerve pain), one of the most mysterious types of chronic pain. In 2006, medical marijuana was named the most promising treatment for these nerve pains by a group of elite pain researchers convened at a MedPanel summit (Chronic Pain Treatment and Management with Medical Marijuana 1). Marijuana is shown to provide more relief and treatment to people experiencing chronic neuropathic than a traditional medication would, due to how challenging it can be to treat. Statistical evidence and factual information reveals Marijuana to be more beneficial for patients with chronic pain than any other medication, with the ability of cannabis to relieve more pain and decrease the level of opioids in patients originally receiving these treatments before switching to marijuana.

 

                        Medical marijuana has helped to provide a better alternative medication for people with either HIV or cancer that are struggling with chronic pain on a daily basis. A couple common medications used to treat patients with chronic pain are corticosteroids, or pain controlling substances that do not relieve pain in all cases, and opioids, or narcotic drugs that contain codeine and morphine, and could be life-threatening when used innapropiately (Jacques, Erica 1). These medications not only are more ineffective in treating pain compared to marijuana, but also have more serious side effects. Marijuana is still not flawless and does have side effects, like any other medication. One side effect being the irritancy marijuana smoke is to the lungs. People who frequently smoke marijuana experience many of the same respiratory problems as people who smoke tobacco, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent chest illness, and a higher risk of lung infections (Drug Facts 1). These effects smoking cannabis can have on a person’s lungs are not to be discounted, but there are other ways to administer THC, such as tea or THC infused cookies or brownies that can help prevent the possibility of these respiratory problems occurring. Another criticism associated with the idea of marijuana as a medicine is represented by the definition the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has of a “medication,” which is a substance that must have well-defined and measurable ingredients that are consistent from one unit to the next to be considered a legitimate medicine. The marijuana plant has different chemicals that may vary the effects it has from plant to plant and this inconsistency of effectiveness goes against what the FDA considers an actual medicine (Drug Facts 1). There may be a few undesirable aspects connected to the use of marijuana, but the cannabinoids make up for these with the medical benefits provided and ability of the medicine to treat the challenging case of chronic neuropathic. Other traditional painkillers used alone, such as NSAIDs, are often ineffective at treating this type of pain; although the combination of marijuana and this medication have shown to be beneficial (Jacques, Erica 1). The use of marijuana to treat chronic pain has proved to be the best medicine for relieving this high level of pain. This is not to say patients should not gain the knowledge of side effects and possible problems from using marijuana before beginning to use medical marijuana.

            Marijuana has fueled a great deal of debate around the United States, but the benefits it has for people with chronic pain gives positive light to its use as a valid treatment. The use of traditional medications for chronic pain often times contains opioids that can be ineffective and has more side effects than marijuana. The overall advantages marijuana has for these patients gives the herb a different spotlight than just picturing the average stoner sitting around and rolling joints all day. Attaining a prescription for marijuana does require a great deal of responsibility, however. There are issues that can be associated with constantly smoking cannabis and should be understood by the patient before agreeing to the treatment. Possible abuse of the substance does raise questions, but with responsibility and attentiveness to the physician’s directions, marijuana is the best medication to help patients with chronic pain to live a better and more pain-free life.

Works Cited

Harborside Health Center. “Chronic Pain & Medical Cannabis.” <http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/chronic-pain-11/alternative-treatments>.

Jacques, Erica. “Chronic Nerve Pain Treatment.” 4 November 2013. <http://pain.about.com/od/treatment/a/treating_nerve_pain.htm>.

Pain Management of America. “Chronic Pain Treatment and Management with Medical Marijuana.” <http://www.medicalmarijuana.net/uses-and-treatments/chronic-pain/>.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse. “Drug Facts: Marijuana.” January 2014. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana>.