Can Medical Cannabis Be Effective at Treating Pain?
Medical cannabis has been effectively used for pain relief for thousands of years. Today, one of the most common reasons people seek out medical cannabis is to relieve various pain syndromes.
The active ingredients in medical cannabis (i.e., cannabinoids) relieve pain in many ways. In the short-term, cannabinoids can directly reduce pain through stimulation of endocannabinoid receptors. They can also bring about a long-term reduction of inflammation through their interactions with naturally-occurring opioids and neurotransmitters. Furthermore, unlike steroids and other anti-inflammatory medications, medical cannabis is also less likely to have significant or irreversible side effects. (more…)
