by Olaide Akande

Created on: September 21, 2009   Last Updated: September 25, 2009

The relationship between the use of marijuana and relief of pain has been a subject of much discourse in the past decade or more. Does it really treat pain or is it its euphoric and relaxing effects that helps one forget about the pain? More and more people suffering from chronic pain are getting dissatisfied with use of mainstream orthodox pain relief and are looking into such alternatives as marijuana.

Marijuana is a combination of dried leaves and flowering tops of the plant cannabis sativa. People since ancient times have been using the cannabis plant for one medicinal purpose or another. Cannabis contains different active compounds which are collectively known as cannabinoids. These substances are responsible for the analgesic property of marijuana as well as its other effects.

Researchers have been able to identify molecules in the body known as receptors, by which cannabinoids interact to possibly cause pain relief and other physiologic functions. Synthetic forms of these compounds have also been manufactured. This has led more researchers to investigate how marijuana may treat different kinds of pain.

Firm evidence exist that cannabis is effective in the treatment of pain in studies of animal models. This finding has however not been unequivocally replicated in humans. A large study by Zajicek JP, Fox P, Sanders HP, et al was conducted in the UK among patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. One group was given the synthetic form of cannabis, and another group had the plant extract. Both group reported decreased pain levels, decreased spasms and improved sleep.

Various studies have also looked at the effect of cannabis on pain resulting from cancer, surgery or nerve dysfunction. Some revealed that cannabis caused some pain relief but at doses that caused marked sedation along with it. At lower doses, it was only effective in treating mild pain. Others found that pain relief was similar to that obtained from use of codeine.

Campbell FA, Tramr MR, Carroll D et all did a review of about 9 studies and concluded that cannabinoids were similar in effect to pain relief from codeine. They hence did not advocate its use in clinical practice. Some other studies concluded that codeine may actually be more effective than cannabinoids. Others showed that there was a better response to the pain medicine morphine in the presence of cannabis.

Synthetic cannabinoids such as dronabinol are licensed for use but only for the treatment of nausea and vomiting of chemotherapy.

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