Late last month in the Star Tribune, there was a large article in the opinion section on pain relief titled “Medical Cannabis as a Valid Alternative to Deadly Opioids.” The second part of the lead says that in states where medical marijuana is available, opioid overdose deaths are down 25 percent. Now one might think that cannabis is a treatment that is good for pain, and that marijuana decreases opioid abuse and death, however, if is important to think about where this article was placed in the paper, in the opinion section.
Just because someone wrote an article on a subject does not mean it is fact. It may be even more important to find out who wrote the article. A medical doctor wrote this article. However, if you read the very last sentence of the article, this doctor just happens to be the co-founder of Leafline Labs, one of two companies producing medical cannabis for Minnesota. If enough people can be sold on his product, he will make significant money. The whole article is making a case for opioids being potentially deadly, and thus a bad treatment for pain. Then comes the pitch how some people have found cannabis helpful in treating pain. Lastly, it states that doctors should certify patients who have pain to be treated by medical cannabis.
It is very true that opioids have potential for addiction and death. It is also true that they can be used to treat pain, and very effectively. Long-term use of opioids is often not overly successful for chronic pain, but for many people it is the only medication currently available, often with other treatment that makes symptoms manageable.
The Cannabis Conundrum
Cannabis is a combination of over a hundred compounds. Scientifically we know very little about any of these compounds. We definitely do not know the long-term side effects to any significant degree. We do not know if there is any single compound in cannabis that helps with pain. We do not know if it is a combination of chemicals that may be helpful. There absolutely needs to be good scientific studies done on whether cannabis can help in certain forms of pain. If there is any benefit, then we need to know what are the risks and side effects of the compounds. Just like opioids, we once thought they were generally very safe, but now we better understand the range of dangers. Cannabis does have risks, as a variety of different compounds can cause problems.
Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon for medical cannabis, one should realize that very little is known about the compound. It may be reasonable for some people where all standard treatments for pain have failed. What is needed is that the United States needs to change its DEA schedule and good research needs to be done on the efficacy and safety of cannabis. Even better, we need research on what each compound in cannabis does do to the human body. Lastly, better understanding is needed on what causes pain and what will effectively treat and prevent pain.