Hi, I’m Cindy Perlin. I’m a chronic pain survivor licensed clinical social worker and author. I’d like to share some information with you about the relative merits of opioids versus marijuana for the treatment of chronic pain.

Most people believe that the most powerful weapons we have against severe pain are opioids, like Vicodin, Percocet, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. But is this really true? It’s an important question, because opioids are highly addictive and taking too much can be fatal. Millions of Americans have become addicted to prescription opioids, and most of them have been medical patients taking them as directed. Even worse, more than 190,000 Americans have died of accidental overdoses of these drugs. Yet, opioids is still widely prescribed for patients with moderate to severe pain because most patients and doctors believe

The most effective treatment.

In fact, more than 50% of patients who are prescribed opioids discontinued them, either because they’re not effective, or because they find the side effects to be intolerable.

mounting evidence indicates that marijuana may be more effective for treating pain than any other available drug, including opioids.

Marijuana is certainly safer. It’s not physically addictive, and there has never been any documented case of death due to marijuana overdose.

marijuana users don’t build up tolerance to the drunk. In fact, marijuana when used together with opioids can prevent the development of tolerance to opioids and can help opioid users wean off their drugs. States with medical marijuana laws have found reduced opioid overdose deaths by an end

average of 25%

marijuana is the only known plant that contains compounds called cannabinoids. Our bodies naturally make cannabinoids to help relieve pain. When expert has even proposed it Fibromyalgia is caused by a cannabinoid deficiency.

Marijuana grows wild in all but the coldest climates all around the world. And it’s been used medicinal Lee for treatment of pain and many other disorders for thousands of years.

Marijuana was in widespread use in the United States as a medicine until 1941 when the commission of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics insisted that it be outlawed.

Studies have found that marijuana is effective for many types of pain, including neuropathy, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. And a survey of medical marijuana patients. Patients reported an average 64% decrease

Pain. About half also reported relief from stress, anxiety and insomnia.

Many patients who are also on opioids were able to reduce or eliminate them. No serious adverse effects were reported in any of the studies. Given that marijuana is considerably safer than opioids and can provide significant pain relief. The current preference by medical professionals and regulators for use of opioids not only makes no sense is causing unnecessary harm and death.

If you’d like more information about safe effective ways to reduce pain, please go to amazon.com where you can order a copy of my book, the truth about chronic pain treatments, the best and worst strategies for becoming pain free.