Pot may prolong pain, not relieve it: Study

earth_as_one

Time Out
Jan 5, 2006
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Marijuana itself is probably not an effective pain killer or analgesic. In fact I would imagine it would exaggerate the perception of pain in most cases for most people.

Recently my wife, who is an RPN, attended a seminar by a prominent drug company promoting the use of their new drug which is based on marijuana alkaloids. They claim that these alkaloids have a beneficial effect when used in combination with morphine to treat chronic pain.

The problem with using morphine alone to treat pain is that it can slow heart and breathing rates. In high doses, morphine can be fatal.

Over time, the severity of pain can increase and patients can develop a resistance to morphine's pain killing effects. Increasing the amount of morphine to compensate, increases the risk of death. Eventually the patient may be faced with a choice of being comfortable and risking death or living in pain. Most patients choose increased comfort with increased risk.

According to the person from the drug company, they've found that using their drug which is based on marijauna alkaloids in combination with morphine, increases the effectiveness of morphine to control pain. In other words pain can be managed with smaller doses of morphine when combined with their marijauna based alkaloids. This combined drug therapy achieves the same level of benefit as higher doses of morphine alone, yet reduces the risk of death.
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
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I'm pretty sure smoking pot will produce the same build up of tars and carcinogens as tobacco. In occasional users it might only produce lethargy, loss of memory and attention, binge eating.. in habitual users it likely causes depression, neurosis.. and possibly psychosis. There is no medical proof at all the pot does anything therapeutic.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
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Nakusp, BC
Pot has been used for thousands of years as a pain killer and muscle relaxant. It is particularly good for menstrual cramps. Surely thousand s of years of use is worth more than a few months of lab testing by people who are out to disprove its usefulness. If you don't like smoking, eat it, drink it. It is not rocket science.
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
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Chillliwack, BC
Do you know anyone who smokes weed at the same rate as tobacco?

I think anyone using it for 'medicinal use' probably smokes a good half a pack a day, unfiltered, and likely inhales and holds, more so. It's probably comparable to a moderate smoker.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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In the bush near Sudbury
I think anyone using it for 'medicinal use' probably smokes a good half a pack a day, unfiltered, and likely inhales and holds, more so. It's probably comparable to a moderate smoker.

Are you up in your sleep? I use it for pain relief ... like about enough to cover my thumb nail around three to six hours apart. If you're getting high, you're abusing it
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
5,160
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Chillliwack, BC
Are you up in your sleep? I use it for pain relief ... like about enough to cover my thumb nail around three to six hours apart. If you're getting high, you're abusing it


I'd say 99% use the 'medicinal' excuse.. for getting high. In California a $400 doctors visit will net a prescription for 'insomnia'.. which can get you high for a couple of years or so. Some MDs have built their practices on it. :roll:
 

darkbeaver

the universe is electric
Jan 26, 2006
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RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia
I'm pretty sure smoking pot will produce the same build up of tars and carcinogens as tobacco. In occasional users it might only produce lethargy, loss of memory and attention, binge eating.. in habitual users it likely causes depression, neurosis.. and possibly psychosis. There is no medical proof at all the pot does anything therapeutic.

It also causes happiness, the most heinous drug related crime there is I hear. Now if I smoke a joint and it fools me into thinking I feel better, where's the beef Biff. Most physicians can only hope to deliver that kind of service.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
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In the bush near Sudbury
I'd say 99% use the 'medicinal' excuse.. for getting high. In California a $400 doctors visit will net a prescription for 'insomnia'.. which can get you high for a couple of years or so. Some MDs have built their practices on it. :roll:

I suppose if I catch a buzz, that's just God's way of saying Hi! 99%? I don't suppose you have anything more than prejudice to back up that claim do you?
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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I think anyone using it for 'medicinal use' probably smokes a good half a pack a day, unfiltered, and likely inhales and holds, more so. It's probably comparable to a moderate smoker.

Nope, sorry it isn't. Most hardcore chronic users I know can't manage a half dozen of mine in a day. If you need that much of more to sooth your pain then you aren't going to be doing much that day anyway. 12 cigarette size joints of anything worth buying in Toronto is going to make you fall asleep.

It seems your opinions on this subject are pretty far fetched and without clinical support. ;-)
 

darkbeaver

the universe is electric
Jan 26, 2006
41,035
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RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia
I'd say 99% use the 'medicinal' excuse.. for getting high. In California a $400 doctors visit will net a prescription for 'insomnia'.. which can get you high for a couple of years or so. Some MDs have built their practices on it. :roll:

No kidding a successful practice build on exhaustive hands on research and development spanning at least twelve thousand years, they say. High is a natural state of the balanced healthy body. People who don't like to be happy and therefore high suffer from repressed guilt complexes, they say. AH HA, it's a sin to be happy, maybe? ;-)