{"id":1376,"date":"2022-03-20T01:00:04","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T05:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=1376"},"modified":"2026-03-26T01:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T05:59:03","slug":"marijuana-vs-opioids-which-is-more-effective-for-treating-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/marijuana-vs-opioids-which-is-more-effective-for-treating-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Marijuana vs. Opioids: Which Is More Effective for Treating Pain?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Opioids, like cannabis, are derived from a plant species. Although opioids are naturally derived, it is a misconception that they are completely safe for consumption, because of the risk of lethal respiratory depression and addictive side effects. Opioids are commonly prescribed to patients who are in need of pain management, chronic or otherwise, but they may not be aware that the opioids they\u2019re about to consume are most likely synthetic.<\/span><\/p>\n

For decades and now recently increasing, the addictive side effects of opioids have been claiming lives. Therefore, there has never been a better time to consider an alternative like medical cannabis. <\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. What Is an Opioid?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Using Opioids for Pain Management<\/a>\n
      \n
    1. Side Effects of Prescription Opioids<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Opioid Dependency<\/span><\/a>\n
        \n
      1. Symptoms of Misuse, Dependence, or Addiction<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
      2. Effects of Opioid Misuse, Dependence, or Addiction<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      3. The Difference Between Opioids and Cannabis<\/a><\/span>\n
          \n
        1. Is Cannabis an Opiate?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
        2. Substance Dependence\/Addiction\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
        3. Mortality Rates<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
        4. Benefits and Uses<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        5. How Exactly Does Medical Cannabis Work?<\/a><\/span>\n
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          1. Medical Cannabis Properties<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
          2. Conditions Alleviated With Medical Cannabis<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
          3. How Does Cannabis Help Pain?<\/a><\/span>\n
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            1. Can Cannabis Effectively Help Improve Pain?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
            2. Cannabis for Replacing Opioids<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
            3. Why Is Cannabis Preferred Over Opioids for Pain Management?<\/span><\/a>\n
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              1. Cannabis for Opioid Misuse, Dependence, Addiction and Withdrawal<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
              2. Conclusion<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n


                \nWhat Is an Opioid?<\/b><\/h2>\n

                The Mayo Clinic explains that opioids are pain-relieving drugs<\/span><\/a> that work by interacting with the opioid receptors on cells. Some opioids, such as morphine, are made from the poppy plant, while others, like fentanyl, are synthetic and made in a laboratory. When opioids are consumed, they travel through the blood and attach themselves to specific opioid receptors (\u03bc-opioid receptors) which are located on nerves and brain cells. The cells then send out signals that block pain perception, and in turn, increase the feeling of pleasure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                Prescription opioids<\/a> have been given commercial names as well as street names on the basis that opioids can be highly addictive and are largely used for recreational purposes along with being prescribed to manage pain. Some of the commercial names of prescription drugs categorized as opiates include Codeine, Fentanyl, Sublimaze, Vicodin, Lorcet, Methadone, Morphine, Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, and more. Street names include cody, sizzurp, apache, vike, oxy, percs, O bomb, demmies, and octagons. Many may even be surprised to know that the street drug heroin, notorious for being addictive and claiming lives, is a man-made version of morphine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"opiate<\/p>\n

                Using Opioids for Pain Management<\/b><\/h2>\n

                Pain management and alleviation are the main reasons why healthcare practitioners continue prescribing opioids, despite the risks of addiction. When doctors write a prescription for opioids, they may also refer to it as an opiate or narcotic, since they are made from opium found in the poppy plant. Even though morphine and codeine are the only two natural products derived from opium, the rest are man-made or synthetic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                While taking opioids on a short-term basis is considered safe, the feelings of pleasure or euphoria induced by them easily lead to misuse. Opioids, like many other pharmaceuticals, still have adverse side effects, where the risks increase the longer and more heavily they are consumed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                Side Effects of Prescription Opioids<\/b><\/h3>\n

                The National Institution on Drug Abuse, or the NIH, has stated that the possible <\/span>side effects<\/span> of consuming <\/span>prescription opioids<\/span> include<\/span><\/a>: <\/span>(1) drowsiness, (2) confusion, (3) nausea, (4) constipation, (5) euphoria, (6) slowed breathing, (7) risk of misuse or addiction and (8) risks of overdose, hypoxia (not enough oxygen reaches the brain, which could lead to a coma) and even death.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                Opioid Dependency<\/b><\/h3>\n

                The NIH goes on to differentiate between opioid tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Opioid tolerance refers to getting used to the pain medication over time, thus requiring higher or more frequent doses, resulting in over-prescribing medication, in order to benefit from the same level of alleviation. <\/span>Opioid dependence<\/span><\/a> refers to when an individual has consumed the drug for a long time and now needs the drug since its absence causes physiological reactions. Whereas addiction to opioids is considered a chronic disease, where one compulsively, uncontrollably, and willingly seeks to consume the drug despite the consequences. If one is not careful with opioids, their use for pain management could turn into dependence or addiction. While an argument can be made on the misuse of cannabis, the effects associated with opioid misuse are far more severe, life-threatening, and grave.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"Addictive<\/p>\n

                Symptoms of Misuse, Dependence, or Addiction<\/b><\/h4>\n

                One may be abusing or may even be dependent and addicted to the drug without realizing it before it is too late. In order to prevent this from happening, understanding the symptoms is a good way to identify whether you or someone close to you, may begin to develop an opiate problem. These symptoms include (1) increased tolerance to opioids, (2) inability to stop using, (3) withdrawal symptoms, such as changes in mood, restlessness, shakiness, tremors, sweating, etc., (4) use is impacting the quality of life including relationships, (5) spending excess resources on the drug and (6) extreme weight loss or gain. In this case, it is best to reach out to the person\u2019s doctor to express concern. They may not be able to give out personal health information without their permission, but still may be able to help the person access counseling or other resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Effects of Opioid Misuse, Dependence, or Addiction<\/b><\/h4>\n

                The short-lived feeling of pleasure or euphoria, which often leads to the misuse of the drug, also has some severe side effects if one continues to misuse the drug. Opiate abuse, addiction, or dependence can have multiple negative consequences on the mind and body, which may include (1) <\/span>nausea<\/span><\/a>, (2) vomiting, (3) weakened immune system, (4) slow breathing rate, (5) coma, (6) hallucinations, (7) collapsed veins or clogged blood vessels, (8) risk of choking and (9) increased risk of contracting diseases such as <\/span>HIV<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>hepatitis<\/span><\/a>. There is also the high risk of mortality from an overdose, whether on purpose or accidental.<\/span><\/p>\n

                The Difference Between Opioids and Cannabis<\/b><\/h2>\n

                Let\u2019s take a closer look at some of the differences between opioids and cannabis in the following table and video.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                Opioids<\/b><\/td>\nBoth\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\nMarijuana<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                The opium poppy is a botanical that produces psychoactive alkaloids like <\/span>opiates<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\nMarijuana is a botanical containing <\/span>cannabinoids<\/span>, like <\/span>CBD<\/span> and <\/span>THC<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                Has limited benefits<\/span><\/td>\nEffective in alleviating pain\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nHas an ever-increasing list of benefits<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                Legal with a prescription\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nOften state-legal with prescription<\/span><\/td>\nGaining <\/span>legalization<\/span> and decriminalization across the globe, but is still considered illegal under <\/span>United States<\/span> federal law<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                High risk of addiction<\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\nLow risk of addiction<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                Claims thousands of lives\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\nZero overdose deaths<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/td>\nUsed for medicinal purposes and in food. Opioid peptides occur naturally in food or can be eaten in the form of poppy seeds (<\/span>15<\/span><\/a>). <\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/td>\nSynthetic versions of both exist<\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                Doctor\u2019s more common prescription choice<\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\nPatient\u2019s choice with a doctor\u2019s recommendation for <\/span>medical marijuana<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/td>\nAnalgesics that block pain signals in the brain and nerves <\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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