A recent study found that 80 percent of medical cannabis users substitutes it for prescription pain medications such as opioids.
“We shouldn’t assume that someone who doesn’t have a medical authorization is simply using cannabis for fun,”
-Michelle St. Pierre, PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of British Columbia.
Marijuana is currently legal in 11 states and decriminalized in another 15 states.
According to the study people who are having chronic pain, Marijuana has provided an alternative way to manage their suffering.
Hawaii’s new law allows people to possess up to 3 grams of cannabis without danger of jail time, although they can still be fined $130.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20.4 percent of U.S. adults have chronic pain and 8 percent have chronic pain severe enough that it frequently limits life or work activities.
Research shows that many people with chronic pain are turning to cannabis for relief.
Cannabinoids are compounds found in cannabis, of which there are over 100 different ones. The most medically-useful ones are THC, the compound that makes people “high.”
The researcher found that THC may relieve pain by disrupting signals flowing between areas of the brain that process emotions and sensory signals.
Cannabinoids are “highly effective” for chronic non-cancer pain.
The side effects of cannabis use include lung disease (when smoked), cardiovascular disease, injuries while working or driving high and long-term effects on the brain. Marijuana can also be addictive.
