Marijuana: An Effective Treatment for Oncological Pain

Cannabis, also called marijuana, weed, pot, hash, ganja, and more is fast gaining reputation as a medicinal miracle. Its uses go back centuries. Today, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has it labeled a Schedule 1 drug, making it still federally illegal. However, medical marijuana is legal in most states these days, despite its prohibited status.

Nowadays, you can walk into any marijuana dispensary Vacaville and buy it with relative ease. If you have a legitimate medical condition that qualifies you for cannabis therapy, then you only need a doctor’s letter of recommendation. For patients enduring oncological pain, it can be extreme. Most cancer doctors are willing to discuss cannabis treatment to help mitigate the pain and other symptoms.

Understanding Cannabinoids

Cannabis plants have an abundance of different cannabinoids. These help to regulate various biological functions in many living organisms. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is but one of them. It is responsible for that “high” feeling associated with marijuana use. Despite this, THC proves helpful in the treatment of many cancer symptoms of side effects of treatment.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is another important cannabinoid. This one is non-psychoactive, which means that it cannot make you “high.” It also has a myriad of proven therapeutic applications for treating oncological pain, cancer symptoms and treatment side effects, as well as other severe health conditions. Ideally, THC and CBD combined produce the best results, but CBD is popular for those against a “high.”

Cannabis and Cancer

Many, many studies analyzing individuals going through radiology or chemotherapy found medical marijuana to be highly effective at mitigating the associated neuropathic and oncological pain. Cancer pain is extreme, greatly affecting the quality of life and a patient’s ability to do anything, from eating to sleeping, walking, and even talking. Fortunately, cannabis can help with all of this:

Oncological Pain

Cannabis works similarly, perhaps even more effectively than opioids, the most powerful painkillers currently on the market and the most commonly prescribed for cancer-related pain. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, many cannabinoids in marijuana plants have very powerful anti-inflammatory properties too, making them capable of treating oncological pain in multiple ways.

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain relates to discomfort caused by nerve damage. This is a common side effect of cancer treatments and typically characterizes feelings of tingling, numbness, burning, or weakness in the feet and hands. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, many studies now confirm that cannabis provides immense relief from pain related to neuropathy, and this includes many, many cancer patients.

Gastrointestinal Pain

Feeling nausea and vomiting almost constantly is another problem cancer victims suffer during treatment. Chemotherapy and other cancer therapies wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system, killing everything, including healthy organisms, even organs themselves. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, specific cannabinoids regulate vomiting and nausea, preventing significant damage.

Anorexia or Cachexia Pain

Loss of appetite, or anorexia, is a serious complication of cancer treatments. Cachexia, or wasting syndrome, is another, both of which cause extreme abdominal pain and an aversion to food. Speedy loss of fat and muscle leads to fatigue and reduced function overall, but as the National Institute on Drug Abuse says, pot has famous appetite-stimulating properties. Every user knows all about the “munchies.”

Metastasis Pain

Cancerous tumors are painful, causing extreme discomfort during all phases of their growth, but especially during metastasis, or spreading. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, medical marijuana has both antitumor properties and a powerful ability to stop metastasis. It even kills cancer cells in laboratory tests, treating all associated pain in the process, as well as the underlying cause of it.

Visit a Marijuana Dispensary in Vacaville

The scheduling of cannabis as a prohibited substance has significantly restricted the capacity of researchers to study its medical applications. However, now that legalization is spreading at the state level, scientists are finding fewer obstacles in researching it. More and more evidence is emerging that proves cannabis a potential target in future therapeutic approaches to cancer.

There is a simple way to find out just how painkilling cannabis really is. Anyone who has ever tried it will tell you exactly how it relaxes, even numbs the body of all stress, worry, and pain. Now, science proves it just as effective, if not more so, and certainly safer than current opioids currently prescribed for oncological pain. Simply visit a Vacaville dispensary to try it for yourself.