A second study found that medical marijuana users experience less pain and are less dependent on prescription drugs and opioids.
Researchers from the University of Florida conducted a three-month study to evaluate the efficacy of marijuana among chronic pain patients of middle age and older.
After a month of medical marijuana treatment, participants completed surveys describing the side effects and benefits.
This month, a study published in the journal Cannabis found that most participants believed medical cannabis was effective for chronic pain relief.
They reported reduced pain, anxiety, and improved mental and physical functioning. They also reported better moods, sleep, and mood, and less dependence on prescription drugs, such as opioids and benzoodiazepines.
Participants reported an improvement in physical and mental function and a reduction of the use of pain medication and psychiatric drugs.”
One patient aged 51 reported that the medical cannabis treatment was “pretty darn effective.”
“I no longer use my walker.” “I only take my meds (opioids/pain medications) one time a week instead of three and I haven’t taken a Xanax for 30 days,” said the woman.
Some people have reported that cannabis can be used as a substitute for prescription medications.
“It’s great. A woman aged 43 said, “I’ve never used medicinal cannabis before.” “I haven’t taken any pain medication in years, and I take medication every day.” All those narcotics, and other medications. I was shocked, I did not know that it would help me so much. It works.”
Patients reported that they had difficulty finding a product or dosage that was effective and that there were side effects such as an “unwanted high,” “stomach problems” and a limited “threshold pain” that marijuana could treat.
Common benefits include reduced anxiety and dependence on pain and psychiatric medication. “Improvements in mood, physical functioning and sleep quality were reported.”
The authors stated that “this study provided preliminary results which contribute to a better understanding of individuals’ experiences when using medical marijuana for chronic pain management.” The open-ended interviews highlighted patient perspectives that may guide future research with the goal of optimizing care.
reported that “Although improvements were noted in pain management, sleeping quality, physical and psychological health, identifying side effects and determining optimal treatments regimens was reported as being important.” Randomized control trials and long-term prospective studies will provide the needed information about safety and dosage to promote public health and keep up with the growing interest in medical marijuana as a treatment for chronic pain.
This is just one of many recent studies that show the efficacy and therapeutic value of cannabis in treating pain.
A study by the American Medical Association in February showed that patients with chronic pain who used medical marijuana for more than a month experienced a significant decrease in opioids.
AMA released research that showed that about 1 in 3 chronic pain sufferers report using cannabis for treatment options, and that most of this group have used cannabis to replace other pain medications including opioids.
According to a recent study, state-level marijuana legalization was also associated with a significant reduction in the prescribing opioid codeine.
According to a study released last year, giving patients legal access medical cannabis could help them reduce or stop using opioid painkillers without compromising their quality of life.
There are many data-based analyses, observations which indicate that cannabis is used as an alternative drug to opioid-based painkillers or sleep medication.
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The first time Marijuana moment published the article Medical Marijuana is Linked to Lower Pain and Reduced Dependence on Opioids and Psychiatric Medications, Another Study Shows.
