Heated controversy still exists regarding the efficacy of marijuana as a pain reliever. Supporters and users stand behind the drug as a source of relief from acute pain while critics counter that this support is merely an excuse for people to get high legally.
However, a recent study has been conducted that follows usage in the home by sufferers of chronic pain, and the verdict is in. Medical marijuana does indeed provide acute pain relief due to the analgesic effects of THC. It doesn’t matter the nature of the injury, whether it is post-traumatic or post-surgery, the relief was apparent in all patients when compared to a placebo.
The Study And Its Results
This research was conducted by Dr. Mark Ware of McGill University and later published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Ware is also Director of Clinical Research at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, so he constantly has access to patients whose current situations are rife with pain-related symptoms.
The methodology of the study instructed patients who had acute pain issues to take a single hit three times daily from a pipe with a THC density of approximately 10%. This process happened for five days. The patients’ level of pain relief was in direct comparison to others who used a 0% THC placebo.
Researchers were able to reveal a clear benefit to using marijuana over the placebo. Patients had a noticeable diminishing of pain, and they additionally showed signs of elevated mood and more sound sleep.
Because this short-term focused study was able to show such positive effects of weed usage, Dr. Ware hoped in the future that longer-term, more involved studies could be carried out. These future developments could provide even more evidence of the potential advantages associated with the use of medical marijuana.
No Debate on Effectiveness for Users
Medical marijuana’s usefulness as an effective pain relief drug is still a highly controversial topic, and most likely will continue to be a subject of ire. On the other hand, studies like this help back the claims of regular users whose quality of life is greatly increased through consumption of THC and activation of the human cannabinoid system.
People on the outside looking in sometimes unnecessarily look down on the practice because of the social stigma tied to using marijuana, and medical studies are in a powerful position to dispel those ideas because society tends to place great trust in modern medicine.
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