Study: Smoked Cannabis More Powerful Than CBD Extracts for Back Pain
by Bethan Rose
Many people have the conception that Cannabis is an addictive substance. When in fact, Cannabis can be monumental in combating addiction. Cannabis Use Disorder (the dependency) only occurs in daily users and only accounts for extremely few cannabis users. Those dependent on Cannabis reported irritability, cravings and sleep problems after weeks of no consumption. This dependency is not the same as an addiction (to be explored in another article). All over the world, people of every age are suffering from addictions to alcohol, drugs and other substances. These addictions are dangerous to an individuals’ health, which can even result in death, and many are using cannabis to combat these addictions.
Addiction is defined by the inability to stop consuming the substance despite its’ adverse health effects and consequences. An addiction can lower an individuals’ quality of life as well as life expectancy. Which is exactly why we should treat addiction to ensure reduced chances of relapse and to restore the quality of life (health and socialization). Effects of addiction influence the psychological, physical and social aspects of life. Although the effects of addiction depend on variables such as the substance, the possibilities are not appealing.
Psychological:
Physical:
Social:
These adverse side effects of addiction immediately separate cannabis from other addictive substances and drugs. Cannabis consumption does not have such severe side effects.
The most effective way to use cannabis to combat addiction is to use it as a preventative measure. Opioid drugs account for the larger statistics of drug addicts and are common causes of death in overdose. Just for the record, it is physically impossible to overdose on cannabis. In fact, the consumption of cannabis can prevent the development of opioid addiction in the first place. Cannabis is amazing for pain relief and can be taken as an alternative to pain killers containing opioids. Pain killers can be held accountable for the beginning of many addictions. The use of cannabis as a pain killer would reduce the number of addictions by eliminating the need for opioid use in the first place.
Cannabis is also being used in harm reduction programs. These programs are for people who have severe addictions and struggle with full abstinence. The aim of these programs is to use cannabis for individuals suffering from severe addiction to get over their addiction and to improve the chances of full abstinence. Like many things concerning cannabis, there are not enough studies and scientific research, at the moment, to support methods like this. This lack of research is the biggest obstacle preventing cannabis from becoming an effective and frequently administered method of addiction rehabilitation.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse is currently funding several research projects to investigate using synthetic cannabis in the treatment of addiction. Although it is my educated opinion that synthetic cannabis should not be considered the better constant than authentic (natural) cannabis. Until such time as research presents prominent proof of rehabilitating those struggling from addiction with cannabis, unrest will continue.
If we were to look at the adverse effects of addiction, cannabis is commonly used to treat many of those effects. Cannabis can reduce anxiety and depression, it can help manage impulse control and decision-making abilities, it can reduce the severity of physical effects including reducing nausea, pain management and improve appetite.
Cannabis can treat and heal an ever-growing list of conditions and illnesses; addiction is and shouldn’t be different. For the moment, cannabis for combating addiction needs a lot more research to ease the minds of those that are not yet convinced. However, research is growing, cannabis’ list of benefits is increasing, and more people are supporting it.
Looking to find your medical cannabis in a state that hasn’t yet legalized it? It may be tempting to drive across neighboring state lines with more cannabis-friendly laws. However, the number of states that will authorize qualified patients from out-of-state medical marijuana programs is still relatively small. Which States Accept Out-of-State MMJ Cards? States That…
So you love smoking cannabis, but you’re tired of the same ole rolling papers. Perhaps you recently learned about the potential dangers and risks associated with tobacco blunt wraps and want a healthier option. Let’s explore some rolling paper alternatives that work well for blunts, joints, and spliffs. Types of Rolling Paper to Absolutely Avoid…
Despite the fact that the legal cannabis industry is growing, many people are still purchasing from the illicit market. A recent study investigated this matter and found that buying cannabis from the illicit market may be “better” than legal weed. The obvious reasons for choosing the illicit market over the legal market include the likes…
Nations across the globe are beginning to recognize the dangers of restrictive drug policies—aka the “war on drugs.” Colombia and Mexico recently came together for an international conference focused on “redesigning and rethinking drug policy” given the “failure” of prohibition. The two countries will collaborate with other Latin American leaders to create new drug policies….
Mixing cannabis with recreational drugs, medications, or alcohol can be a rollercoaster ride for your mind and body. While it may seem like an exciting idea to indulge in some extra fun, the pursuit of pleasure could come with undesired risks down the line. With a unique mix of over 550 chemical compounds and 100…
New York City’s newest recreational dispensary is a big win, Mississippi opened its medical cannabis market, and Hong Kong banned CBD. Let’s…
We sat down with the team at TerraLeaf, a medical cannabis dispensary servicing West Virginia, to ask them the Veriheal 5—five questions…
The war on drugs facilitated by the federal government has been an utter failure. Despite cannabis remaining a Schedule I classification according…