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Cannabis:
The “Multi-Pronged” Painkiller
Due to the huge range of cannabinoids and terpenoids that can be found in cannabis, it can possibly be used to beat many different kinds of pain, and not just physical pain. Here’s a list of some of the most common cannabinoids and terpenoids that can be found in cannabis, many of which have anti-inflammatory, sedative, analgesic, anxiolytic, antiemetic and analgesic effects. These phytochemicals can also work together (the “entourage effect”), and at varying concentrations can produce very specific physiological effects.
In a recent survey of 4,276 medical marijuana patients, we asked, “Do you use cannabis to replace or reduce intake of other medications?” 51% use cannabis to reduce or replace their intake of painkillers, 27% antidepressants, 10% anxiolytics, 3% barbiturates and 2% anticonvulsants. The question then becomes, “Why? How does cannabis work and replace or reduce intake of these sorts of medications?” Sadly, nobody knows the answer to this question for definite, but there is a not-insignificant amount of research that we can contemplate and theorize from, with particular focus on pain, anxiety and depression, and the cannabinoids & terpenoids that could potentially help …