News » Canadian Study Shows Marijuana Effective in Treating Pain





A new study released in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has offered more credibility to medical marijuana. The study involved twenty one adults suffering from eight post-traumatic or post-surgical pain. Over a two month period, the subjects were randomly assigned to a group given either marijuana with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency of 2.5 percent, 6 percent, or 9.4 percent, which the control group given a placebo. The patients receiving the marijuana treatment were rotated over all four strengths of the medicine, including the placebo.

When using the highest concentration THC, patients reported that they were most relieved of pain, as well as reported improvement sleeping. Given the time frame of the study, the researchers admit that this sheds little light on the effectiveness of marijuana in treating long-term chronic pain, however others feel that it is. One 28 year old from Toronto using marijuana to treat her chronic pain says “as a cannabis user, it can be really hard to get people to take you seriously. To me, this study is vindication.” Previously prescribed traditional painkillers, she reported unpleasant side effects as compared to her new MMJ treatment, including increased lucidity.

“I know what’s going on now. I have a clear head.”

[source The Globe & Mail]

Tags: Canada, medical, science, THC