Have you struggled with chronic or recurring pain from an injury or some other source? While medication may help, it’s not perfect, and it may have undesirable side effects. Luckily, there may be a solution. Oklahoma laws allow those suffering from chronic pain and several other conditions to use marijuana as medicine. In this post, we’ll look at how you can use medicinal marijuana as medicine and review some conditions cannabis may alleviate.
How Can Medicinal Marijuana Be Used as Medicine?
Proponents of medical cannabis have touted its possible benefits for decades. It’s taken the medical community a little while to catch up. Fortunately, medical cannabis research has seen rapid expansion in recent years. And one of the main components of cannabis that researchers have zeroed in on is CBD.
This compound, the second-most common active ingredient in medicinal marijuana apart from THC, appears to have several specific benefits. What’s more, it doesn’t have any psychoactive properties beyond a possible cerebral “buzz” akin to a bite of chocolate. We’ll cover some of CBD’s possible benefits in more detail below.
Marijuana: Medicine for Pain?
One of the most promising possible applications for marijuana is chronic pain treatment. In fact, ancient medical sources cited cannabis for alleviating problems related to discomfort—from simple toothaches to pain from old injuries.
Then again, many ancient peoples also thought the Earth was flat. So what does modern science say?
A lot, actually.
The Science of Medicinal Marijuana
Research into discovering how marijuana can be used as medicine for pain seems promising. Studies suggest that CBD may be an effective way to reduce chronic pain.
This includes neuropathic pain. This specific subtype of chronic pain occurs when damaged nerves send pain signals to the brain, even when there’s no physical damage occurring. It’s notoriously difficult to treat, which makes medical cannabis all the more promising.
That’s not all, though. According to additional peer-reviewed research, medical marijuana also seems to be able to reduce inflammation and swelling. This could make it a potential source or relief for immediate injuries and chronic inflammation conditions such as arthritis.
Medicinal Marijuana, Sleep, and Anxiety
We’ve covered how medical marijuana could help alleviate anxiety in a previous post. Although reducing chronic pain and inflammation appear to be some of medicinal marijuana’s most valuable abilities, these are not the only possible uses of cannabis. Some research has also suggested that cannabis could be a choice for those seeking relief from anxiety and a better night’s sleep.
A 2019 study discovered that every study participant (including both men and women) reported better sleep and lower feelings of anxiety after 1-3 months of CBD use. The greatest drop in anxiety and biggest improvement in sleep appeared to happen within the first month. This may suggest that CBD could be effective with as little as a single dose, in contrast to some medications that require some time to build up their potency.
Using Medical Marijuana as Medicine
If you’re interested in using medicinal marijuana, you can check out our complete guide detailing how to do that here. And if you’re already a patient, make sure to check out our full selection of medicinal cannabis products!
