Cannabis Derivatives as an Alternative to the Opioid Crisis

 One of the most challenging public health problems facing the world is the overuse of opioids. Each year, cases of overdose-related to opioid use take the lives of about 69,000 people. With this, some doctors and scientists believe that cannabis could work as a safer option for managing chronic pain. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is an ardent supporter of medical marijuana as an answer to the opioid crisis.

Opioids

 Opioids belong to a class of drugs derived from the poppy flower, commonly prescribed for the relief of pain. They bind to opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord and other areas, reducing pain perception and producing a sense of well-being. Unfortunately, these drugs present a high risk of abuse and overdose.

Opioid receptors are also found in the brainstem, a region involved in controlling respiration and the circulatory system. When opioids are administered in higher doses, they can cause a respiratory depression and overdose death.

Cannabis

 Some studies have shown that the stimulation of cannabinoid receptors in the body has been shown to have good results in the treatment of various types of pain, including those of neuropathic origin.

Unlike opioids, there are no cannabinoid receptors in the brainstem, and thus, cannabinoids such as CBD, THC, CBG and several others, do not interfere with the body’s respiratory or circulatory system. Cannabis cannot cause a person to stop breathing or have cardiac arrest, even at high doses. To date, in the history of mankind, there is not one reported overdose death associated with cannabis.

Cannabis as an alternative to opioids

The inability of cannabis to cause a fatal overdose is the main reason why many researchers and medical practitioners are considering the use of cannabinoids in place of opioids for pain control.

Scientists have explored the potential of cannabis derivatives to relieve patients’ pain by comparing it with the experience of those using opioid analgesics. Research has found that when cannabinoids are used along with opioids, they end up being more effective in relieving pain. In addition, patients are able to decrease the dosage of these opioids, thereby reducing the risk of overdose.

In the American states where the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has already been legalized, it has been observed that the number of cases of opioid overdose are significantly lower, which could suggest that in these regions patients are using more cannabis and fewer opioids.

When we look at users’ preferences, we also realize the benefits of cannabis. A recent study examined patients with pain in the UK who had legal access to both substances. The results showed that 63% of the patients preferred the use of the natural marijuana plant and its derivatives.

In my personal experience, I see about a 50% or more reduction in the use of opioids for chronic pain once medical marijuana is added to the pain-relieving regimen!

John DeCosmo copyright 5/23/19