Medical Cannabis for Chronic Nonmalignant Pain Management
Maha Hameed 1, Sakshi Prasad 1, Esha Jain 1, Bekir Nihat Dogrul 1, Ahmad Al-Oleimat 1, Bidushi Pokhrel 1, Selia Chowdhury 1, Edzel Lorraine Co 1, Saloni Mitra 1, Jonathan Quinonez 2, Samir Ruxmohan 3, Joel Stein 4
- 1Larkin Community Hospital, South Miami, FL, USA.
- 2Department of Osteopathic Neuromuscular Medicine/Neurology, Canna MD & Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, FL, USA. equinonezmedicine@gmail.com.
- 3Department of Neurocritical Care, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA.
- 4Department of Osteopathic Neuromuscular Medicine/Neurology, Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, FL, USA.
Affiliationer
Purpose of review: Cannabis has been used since ancient times for medical and recreational research. This review article will document the validity of how medical cannabis can be utilized for chronic nonmalignant pain management.
Recent findings: Current cannabis research has shown that medical cannabis is indicated for symptom management for many conditions not limited to cancer, chronic pain, headaches, migraines, and psychological disorders (anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder). Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are active ingredients in cannabis that modulate a patient’s symptoms. These compounds work to decrease nociception and symptom frequency via the endocannabinoid system. Research regarding pain management is limited within the USA as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classifies it as a schedule one drug. Few studies have found a limited relationship between chronic pain and medical cannabis use. A total of 77 articles were selected after a thorough screening process using PubMed and Google Scholar. This paper demonstrates that medical cannabis use provides adequate pain management. Patients suffering from chronic nonmalignant pain may benefit from medical cannabis due to its convenience and efficacy.
