Choosing Medical Cannabis To Treat Arthrists
Medical Cannabis contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds as well as natural analgesics, providing a one-two punch that makes medicinal cannabis an excellent part of an arthritis treatment plan. Medical cannabis can relieve joint pain while at the same time reducing the inflammation that precipitated that pain. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and even juvenile arthritis may be treated with the help of cannabinoids naturally occurring in marijuana.
27 million Americans have osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. This condition, also known as degenerative joint disease, causes breakdown of joint cartilage resulting in pain and inflammation where bare joints rub together. A further 1.3 million Americans are living with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that causes severe pain. In addition, 300,000 children in America have juvenile arthritis. While most doctors do not recommend use of medical cannabis for young children, adults and older teens can treat their arthritis with medicinal cannabis.
In a 2005 study, THC and cannabidiol were found to produce notable improvements in pain, quality of sleep, and to reduce disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Both these compounds are among the cannabinoids naturally occurring in medical cannabis. In 2000, researchers found that cannabidiol “effectively blocked progression of arthritis” in animal trials.
Although both these studies involve cannabinoids administered as drugs isolated from cannabis, medicinal use of cannabis by smoking, vaporizing, or eating, may be a better delivery method for the same potent analgesics and anti-inflammatories. When smoked, medical cannabis enters the smoker’s blood stream immediately and is distributed evenly. In addition, smoking medical cannabis provides the body with all the cannabinoids present in cannabis, not one or two isolated components. Thirdly, in some states patients can legally cultivate cannabis plants, but the average patient cannot extract cannabinoids from cannabis, meaning patients who choose drugs that isolate particular cannabinoids must remain dependent on the pharmaceutical industry for their medicine.
Before trying medical cannabis for your arthritis treatment, make sure medical cannabis is legal in your state, city, and county. If medicinal cannabis remains illegal in your area, consider getting involved in local efforts to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes. If it is legal, talk to your doctor about writing a recommendation for medical cannabis. Some doctors have limited experience with medical cannabis and may recommend you see a medical cannabis specialist.
Once you have a recommendation in hand, you will need to acquire your medicine. You’ll need to either hire a medical cannabis caregiver or locate a medical cannabis dispensary in your area. Both options are not available in all areas, even where medical cannabis is legal. You may not have the option to use a dispensary or your medical cannabis caregiver may be forced to serve only a limited number of patients. Again, know your laws!
