If you’ve heard a lot about cannabis and you’re curious about its pain relief properties, then keep reading while we break it down!
There have been a lot of studies into the pain relief properties of cannabis. While we have seen a lot of positive results, scientists are starting to examine individual cannabinoids rather than just cannabis in their efforts to find a natural pain reliever.
One of the ways that many people traditionally treat pain is through opioid-based pain medication prescribed by their doctor. While this treatment is effective short-term, long-term, the effectiveness of the pain relief reduces while the addictive nature of the medicine increases.
Currently, across the United States and around the world, we’re facing a massive opioid-based prescription crisis, with more and more becoming addicted every day. Finding a natural, non-addictive way to treat pain has never been more critical than it is now.
Could Cannabis Be the Pain Relief Solution We’ve Been Searching For?
While studies have already confirmed that THC could potentially reduce pain, scientists are starting to look at the other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), to see if it could be as effective at pain relief as it’s big brother tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although there are 113 different cannabinoids in the hemp and marijuana plants, scientists are primarily focused on CBD and THC.
The critical difference between THC and CBD is that CBD is non-psychotropic. What does that mean? It means that CBD isn’t going to get you high like THC. This is important because some people experience paranoia and anxiousness when they use THC.
In this study using animals, it was shown that CBD could not only reduce pain but also reduced inflammation at the same time through Cbd’s natural anti-inflammatory properties.
In this study conducted in 2008, they looked at the use of cannabinoids to help with the treatment of chronic pain conditions. The results showed that cannabinoids had a lot of potential treating painful chronic pain. It’s important to note that chronic pain conditions remain some of the hardest in the world to treat. Another interesting study looked at the way CBD could help reduce pain through the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). CBD helps control or activate other compounds in the ECS.
One example of this is the way that CBD prevents the body from absorbing anandamide (a natural endocannabinoid produced by the body), and increased levels of anandamide help to reduce how much pain a person may experience.
Cannabis and Pain Conclusion
We still have a lot to learn about pain management and how cannabinoids found in the cannabis Sativa plant could assist us. While many scientists were prevented from studying cannabis over the last century, that’s all changed in the last two decades, and scientists around the world are rushing to discover more about how this natural compound works and to unlock its secrets.
If you would like to share with other people how cannabis has helped you, or have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment below, or contact us directly.