Marijuana Relieves Pain When Conventional Drugs Fail
Treating pain is one of the great challenges of medicine. Constant pain makes millions of lives unbearable, even when the person's medical condition isn't life-threatening. For some of these patients, clinical studies have proven that marijuana can provide relief when conventional drugs fail.
One clear example is what's called neuropathic pain -- pain from damage to the nerves. This type of pain can be caused by diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses or injuries, and is notoriously resistant to treatment with conventional pain drugs.
Studies using smoked marijuana have proven that marijuana can safely and effectively relieve this sort of pain. Trials published in 2007 and 2008 documented relief of neuropathic pain associated with HIV/AIDS, MS, and other causes, with remarkably few side effects.
These studies match the real-world experiences of patients. In a 2005 column in the Chicago Tribune, television talk show host and MS sufferer Montel Williams wrote of "pain that seared through my legs as if I was being stabbed with hot pokers," unrelieved by narcotic pain drugs like Vicodin and morphine -- even at doses that made him feel like a "zombie." But medical marijuana worked when these drugs failed.
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Over priced, dangerous and addictive perscription pills? No thanks. I'll keep smoking my marijuana whilst the prohibitionist throw their temper tantrums. And you know what? I don't even have a medical condition! Ha! I just like to smoke marijuana! (sticks out tounge and makes raspberry noise)
I am not a marijuana user. I am a SAHM of 3. I don't drink or do drugs. Of recent I had a root canal go wrong. Nothing relieved the pain. The dr had done a number jabbing me through the bone with his novacaine needle. I was popping advil 3 every four hours to no avail. Finally after 3 days of no sleep and chronic pain I was desperate and asked a friend if I could take a bong hit. I was VERY desperate. I was so sad because between the advil and the antibiotics I had to stop breastfeeding my son. So at this point I was willing to try anything. The advil had dried up my milk supply.
So with a baby on formula and Dad in charge of taking care of the kids I took one bong hit...within 10-15 minutes my face was numb. I went to sleep and the next day the pain was still there 1 more smoke I was fine the rest of the day until night, I took one more. The next day I felt much better. The pain was distant. I had no desire to smoke any more. I let it clear from my system for a couple days and worked on getting my milk supply back up and resumed breastfeeding. If there was anything in my breastmilk from the marijuana my son showed no difference in personality of patterns. I actually was more fearful over the amount of advil I was taking compared to a few bong hits. So yes I would say medical marijuana is a medicine if used as such. When it impairs your ability to participate in life then no it is abuse just like anyother dr prescribed liver killer. My only regret is that I didn't take it sooner. I live in a state were it is totally illegal. I had no side effects or withdrawal symptoms.
I don't use marijuana either, but have seen it successfully used for intractible pain. My aunt had lymphoma, and could not eat from the nausea the chemo caused her...she tried everything else, and the only thing that helped her deal with the pain and the nausea was a few hits off a joint. My aunt was not a pothead by any means of the word, and I am glad to hear that you were able to get some relief from your botched root canal...that can hurt like hell!
Many of the pain meds available are plant derivitives. If marijuana can pass muster in clinical trials for safety and efficacy, then yes it should be legal. If it must be smoked to be effective, then set up centers (like infusion centers for cancer patients) where delivery system controls the dose. Marijuana is fine if it works.....just play by the rules.
Actually, in 1986 the FDA approved a substance called Dronabinol which is the active ingredient in Marinol. Dronabinol is a synthetic duplicate of THC. Marinol is a schedule III drug . It doesn't get wide use because it's grossly expensive, and it's not as effective as marijuana . The leading hypothesis for explaining that is because Marinol only contains Dronabinol (THC duplicate), whereas marijuana contains numerous cannabinoids such as THC, CBC, CBD and CBN.
Modern pharmaceuticals have little relationship to their plant origins. They are chemically produced. Yes you start with opium, boiled with slake lime as a starter to make morphine. These drugs are addictive, toxic, and deadly.
Cannabis is nontoxic, not addictive, and safe. There is a large body of research which shows it's efficacy in treating illnesses. I am a patient and grower in a state where MMJ is allowed. I have seen it destroy cancer, help the wasted to regain weight, stop certain pain better than opiates - I have seen its use in hospice where it greatly relieves the suffering of the dieing.
It needs not to be smoked to work. In fact the cannabis oils which is mostly non-psychoactive - are very healing. We make our own canibinoids - they are vital to regulating our metabolisms. We are just starting to learn about it.
You refer to the rules. Those rules were made law when a big lie was sold to Americans in 1936. At that time there was 95 medicines based upon cannabis being sold in the USA. Bayer owned the patent on making hemp oil. Those rules need to be changed. We should all be allowed to grow our own medicine - after all it can only make you feel good.
clinton