You are suffering from chronic pain, and you have two options: take prescribed opioids that are not only highly addictive, but can also be dangerous; or you can use medical marijuana, which is non-addictive, and has no dangerous side effects. Which are you going to choose? Today we are going to take a look at how marijuana is used as a natural pain therapy, and why more and more patients are turning to it.

Removing the Stigma

For decades, we have been told that marijuana is bad for us, and it has been on the list of illegal substances. But, research is showing us that marijuana can actually be one of the best remedies for chronic pain. More and more patients are turning to marijuana to help them deal with their chronic pain, for several reasons: it actually works; it is legal in Canada for those who have a prescription from a physician; it is non-addictive; and it is all-natural. Because there is now evidence that marijuana is not a harmful drug and that it is actually quite beneficial for the treatment of many health problems, the stigma of using it to treat pain is slowly being removed.

A Non-Addictive, Natural Therapy

Many physicians are all too quick to prescribe dangerous and addictive opioids to their patients who are suffering from chronic pain. We are seeing a huge rise in patients who are becoming addicted to their prescription medications. This is not an issue for those who are using marijuana as part of their pain therapy.

At the Oregon Health & Science University, researchers have created a non-addictive, treatment plan for pain, using marijuana. Their studies show that not only is marijuana not addictive, there are also no withdrawal symptoms when the treatments end. Not only is marijuana being used to treat chronic pain, it is also effective in the treatment of glaucoma, as well as certain types of cancer.

Only Small Doses are Needed

One research team at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) shows that just three puffs of cannabis daily can help to relieve chronic nerve pain from injury or surgery. This means that one does not have to ingest large quantities of marijuana to receive its medicinal benefits, so they aren’t going to get “high”.

Receiving Treatment

Many patients receiving treatment for chronic pain are using medical marijuana as part of their therapy. This is closely regulated and monitored, and this therapy is used in many treatment centers. For instance, patients who qualify under Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations can use cannabis for treatment of pain at home and in a clinical setting.

Conclusion

As medical marijuana becomes more and more mainstream in the medical community, people who are dealing with chronic pain are beginning to notice that they have alternatives to the opioids they have been prescribed in the past. Marijuana is a natural treatment with few to no side effects, and there are no chances of becoming physically addicted, as is often the case with opioids. Many states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, with more states reconsidering their laws every day in order to give people more options for their treatments.