Increased acceptance of recreational cannabis use and the legitimacy of the business in legal states has yielded opportunities for observational tests on the way cannabis can help with chronic pain relief.
One recent nationwide study found that people who use opioids or other medications for chronic pain management reported less usage of those same medications when administering cannabis (Boehnke et al., 2019). More than half of them reported substituting cannabis for opioids, and more than 65% of the reported cannabis users stopped using their other medications and reported better symptom management, and a reduction in side effects (Boehnke et al., 2019).
So what does this mean for the everyday person who has pain issues and self-medicates with OTC (Over The Counter) or prescription medication? After all, if cannabis is legal, that means it’s approved to use for my symptoms, right? This is where it gets hazy. Legalization has provided a way for us to access legal, tested cannabis, but what happens when we go to the places that provide OTC cannabis? What kind of product do we get, how much do we get, and how do we use it? These are all real questions that are tough to answer and this is where education comes into play. What little information exists, you need to dig for, and when you find it, it often results in more questions.
There is no one easy way to answer this question, and it’s only through education that we can help our customers navigate the evolving world of cannabis. Our staff has extensive knowledge of the ingredients, the process used in making, and the benefits of every product we sell. They can offer dosing recommendations and will help teach you about the accessories required to use the product. They appreciate the value of offering a high quality product and can objectively and subjectively speak to its characteristics and traits. They take the extra time to understand your needs so they can best make recommendations of our high quality products and provide equivalent service during your visit.
If chronic pain management brings you into our store, rest assured that we will do our best to consider your needs, and make recommendations on products and accessories to help you achieve the best possible experience and results with cannabis.
Boehnke, K. F., Scott, J. R., Litinas, E., Sisley, S., Williams, D. A., & Clauw, D. J. (2019). Pills to Pot: Observational Analyses of Cannabis Substitution Among Medical Cannabis Users With Chronic Pain.
The journal of pain, 20(7), 830–841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2019.01.010
From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30690169
