For a year and a half after being diagnosed with herniated discs in her neck and spine that prevented her from walking, Jane Bradford relied on a mix of prescription opiates to reduce her pain.
Given their side effects – Bradford was constantly groggy and had concerns about long-term health impacts of opioid use – she was thrilled when another option came along.
Bradford is now one of a growing number of people across Canada who rely on medical cannabis to help relieve pain and deal with other medical conditions, and while she is still trying to find the perfect type and dosage, she said the difference between opiates and cannabis are night and day.
“I need to think clearly at work, and using (medical cannabis) I don’t feel nearly as groggy or dopey as I would feel under opioids,” she said.
She currently takes drops of cannabis oil, which has helped her to stop using four opioids.
Such experiences are not uncommon, said Dr. Danial Schecter of the Cannabinoid Medical Clinic. Medical cannabis – a term he prefers over the more common “medical marijuana” because of the stigma associated with the latter – has been legal in Canada since 2001, with physicians gaining the power to prescribe it in 2013.
There are hundreds of strains available in various forms, including dried cannabis plants, drops, sprays, patches, edibles and even suppositories. The strains vary based largely on their ratio of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidol (CBD).
“THC is what causes psychoactivity, so there’s a lot of it in cannabis used for recreational purposes, but it also has medicinal properties,” Schecter said. “It helps people deal with spasms or neuropathic pain and can help control appetite.”
It can also help with some movement disorders and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. CBD, meanwhile, has anti-inflammatory properties which can also help relieve pain.
Schecter hopes to see the stigma surrounding medical cannabis wiped out as people learn more about it as a means of relieving pain and coping with other conditions.
“People need to understand the people who use medical cannabis aren’t just looking to get high,” he said. “People are looking for a better quality of life. If they’re just looking to get high, they could do that with a lot of prescription drugs.”
Bradford, for one, does not need convincing.
“It’s been a great help for me,” she said. “It helps me so much more than the other options out there.”
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Breaking Down The Stigma And Myths Surrounding Medical Cannabis
Author: Justin Skinner
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