Medical Cannabis vs. Opioids: A Better Alternative?

Written by: Releaf’s Clinical Dr Alex Van Heerden

After years prescribing opioids, Dr Alexander Van Heerden, a medical physician at Releaf with a background in emergency medication, believes medical hashish needs to be thought of a first-line therapy choice slightly than another.

The Opioid Disaster:

Over 500,000 folks within the U.S. have died from opioid-related overdoses between 1999 and 2021, in keeping with knowledge from the Centre for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC). 

Much more regarding, the CDC additionally thinks that nearly 30% of individuals prescribed opioids for persistent ache misuse them indirectly.

For many years, opioids like Codeine, Tramadol and Morphine have been the go-to therapy for extreme ache. These medicines grew to become extensively out there within the early Nineties, however few folks foresaw the tragedy that was quickly to unfold.

Regardless of their widespread use, the irony is that opioids have been proven to be very poor at treating persistent ache.This tolerance requires the affected person to make use of greater doses, resulting in higher dangers however with little profit.  Unintended effects like constipation, nausea, and sleep disturbances solely add to the burden. 

So, I typically discover myself questioning why are opioids nonetheless prescribed so ceaselessly? 

Actually, the one reply I can consider is that pharmaceutical corporations haven’t supplied docs with any various.

The case for medical hashish:

Nevertheless, a pure various has existed for years – hashish. 

Analysis reveals that medical hashish not solely relieves ache successfully but in addition works in various varieties of ache, reminiscent of “neuropathic” ache – a ache that’s notoriously laborious to deal with. 

Ache victims additionally get advantages in different shocking methods, as hashish enhances sleep period and high quality; and in addition powerfully reduces the nervousness that persistent ache victims expertise. 

A lot of my sufferers are additionally stunned to be taught that hashish may be taken successfully as edibles, similar to their common medicines. The idea of medical hashish has solely just lately turn out to be standard, however most docs have no idea it as an choice, and have by no means even been taught about its results in medical college.

Dr Alex Van Heerden

The misconceptions:

Hashish has lengthy been caught up within the “drug warfare” and the stigma of hashish use continues to be felt at present, even amongst reliable customers. 

Any medication may be abused, however what about hashish misuse?

Regardless of its advantages, medical hashish stays overshadowed by outdated stigmas and authorized restrictions in lots of elements of the world. Traditionally, hashish has been entangled within the “warfare on medicine,” resulting in misconceptions about its security and effectiveness. Nevertheless, rising analysis and real-world functions are altering these perceptions.

Its security profile is way superior to opioids. Whereas opioid overdoses are a every day prevalence in hospitals, critical hashish overdoses are nearly extraordinary.

A affected person’s journey: Martin’s story

In my expertise in prescribing medical hashish, my sufferers are sometimes not simply proud of the reduction it offers, however equally completely happy about stopping their opioid use. Most likely essentially the most rewarding a part of my job is assembly sufferers a couple of weeks after they begin therapy, and I’m typically instructed tales of how they can do “life” once more.

Their tales are inspiring; and listening to how they’ve management over their signs is the perfect a part of my day. Of the various successes one affected person involves thoughts; Martin, who has suffered with a debilitating persistent ache situation known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).

Martin’s situation had a huge effect on his profession, and even restricted his hobbies. He had tried all the same old treatments reminiscent of Codeine, however after a short time of utilizing medical hashish, discovered that ache not affected his day. He was capable of go on household days out, get again into swimming at his native well being membership, be more productive at work, and even sleep higher.

Martin not makes use of codeine for his ache, and has continued his restoration utilizing medical hashish alone.

What in regards to the analysis?

As extra analysis into hashish is being achieved, my hope is that docs will see hashish as a primary line therapy choice for his or her sufferers, slightly than another. I’m excited to see that new analysis is being achieved on the topic every day, and that the outcomes from these research will embolden docs to utilize medical hashish.