Marijuana can be used as a viable treatment option against moderate to severe arthritis pain, as a new report indicates that nearly a third of Canadians currently enrolled in the medical marijuana program roll joints for chronic joint pain.
A recent survey conducted by Health Canada and the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids found that about 36-percent of Canadian medical marijuana patients, representing the largest group using cannabis to treat any medical condition, regularly smoke weed to calm arthritis pain.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham, who were commissioned earlier this year by Arthritis Research U.K. and the National Institutes of Heath to study the effects of marijuana on osteoarthritis patients, recently discovered that cannabis treatment in rat models proved to be successful at interfering with pain signals from the spinal cord and ultimately alleviating pain.
The study, which explored the natural cannabinoid receptors found in the body, uncovered significant evidence that suggests that marijuana has a “well described anti-inflammatory effect” when these pathways are triggered. What’s more is that tissue samples obtained from both rats and human study participants displayed indicators that the body naturally embraces this method of managing pain.
Researchers concluded that because of the effect cannabinoids have on the human spinal cord, marijuana could be considered a suitable treatment alternative for those suffering from the early stages of osteoarthritis.
Many medical experts concur, saying that natural cannabis needs to receive more consideration and recognition in the realm of effective pain management.
Mike Adams writes for Playboy's The Smoking Jacket